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. 2020 Feb;33(1):88-98.
doi: 10.1007/s10278-019-00243-x.

Towards an Information Infrastructure for Medical Image Sharing

Gustavo H M B Motta  1 , Danilo A B Araújo  2 , Juracy R Lucena-Neto  2 , Paulo M Azevedo-Marques  3 , Saulo S Cordeiro  3 , Severino A Araújo-Neto  4
Affiliations

Towards an Information Infrastructure for Medical Image Sharing

Gustavo H M B Motta et al. J Digit Imaging. 2020 Feb.

Abstract

Information infrastructures involve the notion of a shared, open infrastructure, constituting a space where people, organizations, and technical components associate to develop an activity. The current infrastructure for medical image sharing, based on PACS/DICOM technologies, does not constitute an information infrastructure since it is limited in its ability to share in a scalable, comprehensive, and secure manner. This paper proposes the DICOMFlow, a decentralized, distributed infrastructure model that aims to foment the formation of an information infrastructure in order to share medical images and teleradiology. As an installed base, it uses the PACS/DICOM infrastructure of radiology departments and the internet e-mail infrastructure. Experiments performed in real and simulated environments have indicated the feasibility of the proposed infrastructure to foment the formation of an information infrastructure for medical image sharing and teleradiology.

Keywords: Digital imaging and communications in medicine (DICOM); Information infrastructure; Medical image sharing; Picture archive and communication systems (PACS); Systems architecture; Teleradiology.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Storage request message. In addition to the control data and service specification, the URL for the exam is included and the credential for access clearance. The encrypted information is indicated in the figure
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Macroarchitecture of the DICOMFlow integrating entities from distinct domains with DICOMFlow adapters located on the edge of heterogeneous infrastructures
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Reference microarchitecture of the DICOMFlow adapter. The DICOMMessage deals with the safe communication of messages, and the DICOMMove handles the safe transmission of the medical imaging exams (DICOM objects)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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