Image Processing within an Integrated Teleradiology Services Network

One of the many added-value services that can be provided over an integrated teleradiology services network is access to high-performance computing facilitie s in order to execute computationally intensive image analysis and visualization tasks [1]. A lthough an enormous amount of work has been devoted in developing medical image processing algorithms and systems, we currently lack a framework that can integrate prior achievements in the field and provide the added-value features that support and in essence realize what we call a ‘service’ . In this paper we present DIPE, a novel distributed environment which has been developed to support medical imaging processing services within the integrated regional health telematics netwo rk, currently under development by the Institute of Computer Science, Foundation for Research and Technol ogy Hellas, on the island of Crete [2]. DIPE is based on a distributed, autonomous, cooperating agen t rchitecture. It is designed so that it is modular, scaleable and extensible, and is implemented on different hardware and software platforms, and over heterogeneous networks. Major features of DIPE include mechanisms for the “plug-andplay” integration of already existing heterogeneous softw are modules; easy access and user transparency in terms of software, hardware, and netwo rk technologies; computational resource management and intelligent execution scheduling within a l oc l or regional network; and methods for the integration with other services available within a integrated health telematics network. The environment can be extended to provide various added-value s ervices, such as sophisticated charging mechanisms based on quality of service, as well as int elligent and customizable mechanisms for the description, management, and goal oriented retrieval of i mage processing software modules so as to ease the work of medical (not technical) personnel. I t can also support mobile modules, thus ensuring that image processing services are also available to di agnostic mobile units and ambulances. DIPE can be viewed as the natural evolution of traditional medica l im ge processing systems towards a service over the emergent health care telematics networks. REFERENCES 1. S.C. Oprhanoudakis, E. Kaldoudi, M. Tsiknakis, Eur. J. Radiolo gy, vol. 22, 205-217, 1996. 2. S.C. Orphanoudakis, M. Tsiknakis, C. Chronaki, S. Kostomano lakis, M. Zikos, and Y. Tsamardinos, In: Lemke HU, Inamura K, Jaffe CC, Vanier MW, (eds.), Proc. of CAR’95, Berlin, p. 481-487, 1995. M. Zikos, E. Kaldoudi, S.C. Orphanoudakis CAR’97, p.1027, 1997 ICS-FORTH 2 ,PDJH 3URFHVVLQJ ZLWKLQ DQ ,QWHJUDWHG 7HOHUDGLRORJ\ 6HUYLFHV 1HWZRUN 0 =LNRV ( .DOGRXGL 6 & 2USKDQRXGDNLV ,QVW LWXWH RI &RPSXWHU 6FLHQFH )RXQGDWLRQ IRU 5HVHDUFK DQG 7HFKQRORJ\ +HOODV +HUDNOLRQ *UHHFH 'HSDUWPHQW RI &RPSXWHU 6FLHQFH 8QLYHUVL W\ RI &UHWH +HUDNOLRQ *UHHFH