Integrating multidimensional imaging, multimodality registration, and multimedia database for epilepsy diagnosis

This paper describes the architecture and capabilities of a compute-aided neurodiagnosis workstation prototype developed to integrate a picture archiving and communication system (PACS), automated image registration, and volumetric visualization to aid the non-invasive workups of epilepsy patients. This new approach of marrying volume visualization and image registration with a large scale PACS archive would make significant potential contribution to neurological diagnoses and pre-operative planning. This medical workstation can access and analyze multimodal brain images and patient records archived in the standardized PACS. Brain imaging modalities currently under study include magnetic resonance imaging, positron emission tomography, magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and magnetoencephalography. The graphical user interface (GUI) is written on top of the popular X-window environment. It enables the physician to extract functional and structural information from multimedia patient data stored in PACS and textual information systems, as well as archiving them into a remote database server for future image indexing.