Dear AuntMinnie Member,
Could pigeons someday replace radiologists for interpreting imaging studies?
Of course not, but you might be excused for asking the question after learning about a new study we're highlighting in our Advanced Visualization Community. When researchers from California trained a group of pigeons to read mammography images and breast pathology slides, they found that the birds' ability to distinguish between malignant and benign tissue improved.
The goal of the study wasn't to find a cheaper alternative to humans for reading images, but rather to gain new insight into the nuances of visual perception and its application to medical image interpretation. Learn more about this fascinating study by clicking here.
3D heart library
While you're in the community, be sure to check out a new article on how researchers from Arizona created a library of healthy human hearts based on 3D CT and MRI scans. They believe the library could make pediatric heart transplant operations easier by better matching donor hearts to recipients. Find out how it works by clicking here, or visit the community at av.auntminnie.com.
PACSman proverbs
Finally, everyone's favorite PACS consultant, Mike Cannavo, is back with a new column on mistakes to avoid when buying or upgrading PACS technology.
Growing up in an Italian household, Mike was exposed to more than his share of proverbs from the "Old Country," and he ties a number of them to different aspects of the PACS acquisition and implementation process.
Learn more about his perspective by clicking here, or visit our Imaging Informatics Community at informatics.auntminnie.com.
