PACS server with mapping to existing database

1
votes

I have a question regarding PACS and DICOM stuff.

I have a patient management application with database. Now I have to create (or adopt) PACS server which will use existing database (used by management application). I don't need to save images from some medical device. What I actually need is just to get general patient information from database, transform it to DICOM format and send to MRI (or whatever medical device).

My question is if it possible at all. Because I saw a lot of examples of PACS servers but they use theirs internal database so I can't use mine. I saw also open-source solutions (like https://github.com/ClearCanvas) but they are so big and has no documentation at all.

How do you think, what I have to do?

1
c#dicom

1 Answers

1
votes

DICOM image capture stations or modalities such as MRI will normally use DICOM Modality WorkList (MWL) Service to retrieve patients demographic along with scheduling information from RIS or Information System. It is the modality that sends the query (C-Find) request to MWL Server. What you need is a DICOM Broker that will provide the MWL Server service (SCP) to communicate with DICOM modalities using DICOM messaging protocol on behalf of your patient management application.

You can read about the workflow in IHE Framework f(http://wiki.ihe.net/index.php?title=Scheduled_Workflow) and MWL is covered in DICOM standard part 4 Annex K section 6.1 (http://dicom.nema.org/medical/dicom/current/output/pdf/part04.pdf).

If you search the internet for “MWL Broker” or “DICOM Modality Worklist SDK” you will find many options. End-user type of solution will use HL7 message from information system to provide the work-list service or may expose Web Service for it. SDK will allow you create tighter integration with your existing system.