NAI Technology Products
Booth #4709 (McDonough Medical)
NAI will introduce PACS Print software, which allows ordinary photo-quality inkjet or laser printers to print DICOM images for non-diagnostic use, according to the Auburn, CA-based vendor. Compatible with most inkjet and laser printers, PACS Print costs under $1500 and is available worldwide.
DICOM Box CA-Plus captures cine loops and anatomical sweeps from streaming video, bringing multi-frame DICOM connectivity for dynamic exam review at PACS and clinical workstations, NAI said. Designed to provide DICOM connectivity for legacy modalities on a PACS network, DICOM Box CA-Plus was released November 1.
In work-in-progress developments, NAI will display Digital Media Recorder, which stores images on DVD or CD media in DICOM format. Suitable as a modality-based removable media recorder or as an independent, network-attached device, Digital Media Recorder receives DICOM storage class single-frame and multi-frame images/data and then writes the information to either DVD or CD media, NAI said. A built-in DICOM viewer is included.
PACSGear
Booth #2365 (UltraVisual)
This Pleasanton, CA-based PACS startup will debut version 1.1 of its PacsScan software in UltraVisual's booth. Installed on standard PCs connected to the PACS network, PacsScan allows non-image documents such as patient history and technologist/staff notes to be scanned, matched with appropriate RIS information, and converted to an image series.
This image series is then included with the DICOM patient study, according to PACSGear. As a result, radiologists can view both images and supporting paperwork when they open the study for interpretation. Available worldwide, PacsScan costs $1500 per license, with volume discounts available, PACSGear said.
Pegasus Imaging
Booth #3405
Image compression developer Pegasus will put the spotlight on PICTools JPEG 2000, the firm's medical image compression and decompression software. The latest release includes "substantial" speed increases added in September, according to the Tampa, FL-based firm.
The company will also debut MedXpress, a software development toolkit offering reading and writing capability for DICOM medical files. With MedXpress, developers can incorporate image capture, viewing, editing, printing, annotation, conversion, and TWAIN scanning functions into applications, Pegasus said.
MedXpress will be released at the end of November. In other product enhancements, Pegasus said it has doubled the decompression speed of the 8-bit grayscale lossless JPEG algorithm in its PICTools Medical image compression software.
Planar Systems
Booth #7131
Planar, which acquired Dome Imaging Systems earlier this year, will formally introduce C2, a two-megapixel flat-panel display. C2, part of Planar's Dome CX flat-panel display family, is designed for clinical review of grayscale images for practitioners throughout the enterprise, according to the Beaverton, OR-based firm.
Dome C2 includes the firm's CXtra software, which allows users to view information such as luminance levels, hours of backlight operation, and panel temperature. The display also self-calibrates and continuously stabilizes its luminance using Planar's RightLight technology.
The display provides grayscale fidelity of 3,061 distinct shades of gray, and resolution of 1600 x 1200 pixels in a portrait or landscape display. C2 has luminance of 200 fL (700 cd/m2), a contrast ratio of 700:1, and a 170-degree-wide viewing angle, Planar said.
Philips Speech Processing Dictation Software
Philips Speech Processing will come to the show with version 5.1 of its SpeechMagic voice recognition software development kit. Introduced earlier this year, the new release allows for the use of several input channels, including microphones attached to a workstation, mobile digital recording devices, or standard telephones, according to the Vienna, Austria-based firm.
In addition, SpeechMagic users can remotely record dictations and feed them into the system for recognition, according to the company. Philips Speech Processing has also included correction enhancements such as its intelligent speech interpretation (ISI) capability, which allows for suppression of hesitations, nonspeech elements, and background noises. Automatic punctuation and heading insertion has also been incorporated, as well as the ability to perform remote correction, Philips said.
PointDx
Booth #5160
This Winston-Salem, NC-based firm will highlight version 2.0 of its REX PC-based image analysis and structured reporting software. The upgrade includes improved performance, a more intuitive user interface, access to related findings, and analysis of prior findings, PointDx said. REX 2.0 will be released on December 1.
PointDx will also display a work-in-progress version of REX that adds support for MR images. In addition, the work-in-progress version will include multi-planar views, linking of findings, disease tracking, voice recognition, and data mining capabilities.
RADIN
Booth #2547
Version 2.0 of RADIN now includes clustering capabilities, allowing for a large number of concurrent users and high data loads, the vendor said. RADIN.Expert is a client software application able to support dual-monitor configurations in diagnostic environments, while RADIN.Classic is the firm's new client software for image review both in and outside hospitals.
In work-in-progress developments, RADIN will discuss compliance with IHE and HIPAA, as well as additional capabilities to be added to RADIN.Expert. The vendor said it's also developing an on-line archiving package that's scalable from a personal archive up to an enterprise-caliber system.
RadInfoSystems
Booth #2002
This Herndon, VA-based vendor will point to its PowerPACS Integrated with RIS system, which provides ADT, ordering, and scheduling functions along with PACS archival and management capability. The system is available immediately.
Also new this year is PowerArchive, which allows for unattended CD/DVD production for off-site PACS archiving and disaster recovery. Another new product, Document Scan, captures documents in a paper scanner, integrates associated patient and study data, and converts the images into DICOM format, according to the company. Both PowerArchive and Document Scan are shipping now.
RamSoft
Booth #2337
RamSoft of Toronto, Ontario, will introduce RapidKeys, a custom keypad and software bundle for its Ultrapro PACS image viewers. RapidKeys employs shortcuts to frequently used tools and features available on Ultrapro. By eliminating the need for a full keyboard and repeated mouse clicks during the diagnostic process, RamSoft believes RapidKeys will reduce image review time.
The company is also launching 3DPointer at the show. Designed for radiologists working with cross-sectional imaging studies, 3DPointer is a real-time spatial location tool that integrates image navigation and classification functions, according to the vendor.
Employing a user-specified point to locate regional structures of interest, the software automatically extracts the spatially related series and maps equivalent points from one image to another, RamSoft said. Users can then visualize the spatial relationship of the image contexts on the screen.
RamSoft claims that 3DPointer can be used to locate and identify pathology, and can aid in anatomical structure analysis, surgical path planning, and slice image-based diagnosis and therapy. Available with RamSoft's image viewer, Web viewer, and CD viewer, RapidKeys and 3DPointer will be released at the end of 2002, RamSoft said.
RealTimeImage
Booth #1768
Image streaming provider RealTimeImage will announce version 3.0 of its iPACS software on the exhibit floor. The San Bruno, CA-based vendor has added on-call teleradiology capabilities to iPACS, including both push and pull technologies.
Customers can now send studies over the Internet to a remote location without loss in quality, the company said. RealTimeImage said that the hybrid push/pull model allows studies to be reviewed remotely even while they are in transfer.
The firm said it has also added support for an HL7 interface, enabling report integration capabilities from RIS networks. Improvements have been made to the software's radiology reporting system, and the company's dealers can now customize the software in the native languages of their respective markets, RealTimeImage said. iPACS 3 also incorporates customization preferences for individual modalities and users, as well as enhanced communication for cine mode.
Research Systems
Booth #6510
RSI will highlight Watsyn, a medical imaging software development platform. The Boulder, CO-based firm said it will emphasize Watsyn's speed and variety of applications, as well as its multimodality support, integration, and power. Watsyn was formally launched in July.
RIS Logic
Booth #6944
RIS Logic of Solon, OH, will spotlight new integrated digital dictation capability for its CS RIS, which is targeted for imaging centers. Embedded into CS, digital dictation and playback functionality will be available to users at all key workflow points, according to the vendor.
Customers will also be able to migrate to speech recognition, RIS Logic said. This addition is the first phase of the company's vision of an integrated radiology management system. Commercial release is expected in April 2003.
Rogan Medical Systems
Booth #6926
Rogan will introduce an entry-level model of HyperArchive. Running on Windows 2000, the low-cost, modality-based archive can handle multiple imaging modalities and relies on shelf storage of CD-R and DVD-R storage media.
HyperArchive Library offers a growth path for the entry-level model users, and is also suitable for private clinics and small departments that have multiple users accessing the archive, according to Rogan of Veenendaal, the Netherlands.
Rogan has also incorporated new additions to its HyperArchive Multiple Archive Storage Server (MASS), which utilizes Rogan's Everything On Line (EOL) concept. The company said the new archiving software features guarantee a complete fail-over PACS network.
ScImage
Booth #4569
ScImage will roll out QR, a plug-in that provides "intelligent" prefetching functionality to its PICOM image management software. A software program installed on a PC client, QR queries ScImage's PICOMEnterprise or PICOMOnline server at predetermined intervals for new studies. The studies are then downloaded to the client in the background, allowing telemedicine users to gain instant access to patient data, according to the Los Altos, CA-based vendor.
A similar workflow tool, PICOMStreamer uses ScImage's viewing applications to asynchronously access data from the server, enabling ScImage viewers to show four to eight images. Meanwhile, the rest of the data is streaming to the client PC in the background, the company said.
ScImage has also upgraded its PviewXYZ static modality viewing program, incorporating tools such as streaming, progressive zooming, automatic fitting of images to a window, and flexible measurement tools. Future enhancements will include multiple series support, hanging protocol configuration for multiple series, dual image review, and DICOM printing, according to the vendor.
In another upgrade, ScImage's VideoGateway for Cath is now available for single and biplane video gateways, and uses the firm's standard image compression technology. A new offering, PICOMTeleport can serve as an economical telemedicine system, designed for small practices with fewer than 10 users, according to the company. Two DICOM connections and five user licenses are included in the package.
ScImage has also launched PICOMOnline.net, a redundant site for PICOMOnline.com. Image data sent to PICOMOnline.com are automatically copied to PICOMOnline.net, allowing customers to access their studies if there's a service interruption. Last, ScImage will unveil PICOMEnterprise version 1.3, which extends the system beyond the product's original cardiology focus to handle radiology workflow, ScImage said.
Sectra Imtec
Booth #8550
Swedish PACS firm Sectra will place IDS5/cl.net in the limelight. A Web-based workstation package, IDS5/cl.net enables clinicians to retrieve x-ray images and other radiology information. Access can be complete within seconds, according to the Linkoping-based vendor.
The workstation employs the same Windows-based, Web browser user interface and tools as Sectra's standard review station and can accommodate low-bandwidth Web connections. New system functions are automatically downloaded every time a clinician logs into the server, allowing for easy updates, Sectra said.
Sectra will also highlight its Clinical Solutions Network concept, which allows third-party vendors to integrate their clinical applications into Sectra's IDS5 workstation software. In other new product introductions, Sectra will show its Osteoporosis Package, which integrates bone densitometry analysis into IDS5. Based on a hand x-ray, the software evaluates bone mass using digital image analysis with reference databases for both women and men, Sectra said.
Siemens Display Technologies
Booth #7127
Siemens Display will release two-megapixel, three-megapixel, and five-megapixel grayscale flat-panel displays at the meeting, complementing the firm's one-megapixel color and grayscale flat-panel units. The 21.3-inch, five-megapixel digital grayscale display offers a resolution of 2048 x 2560 pixels and includes a new backlight technology called Planon, developed by Siemens in conjunction with lamp manufacturer Osram.
The Lafayette, CO-based firm said that the "panel-type" lamp illuminates the display with uniform and stable luminance and provides constant color temperature at maximum luminance intensity. A quick-start feature ensures readiness for use in milliseconds, according to the company. Siemens guarantees the lamp will have a service life of 100,000 operating hours.
The two-megapixel display offers resolution of 1200 x 1600, while the new three-megapixel unit has resolution of 1536 x 2048. All of the new displays include an internal power supply, continuously operating backlight control, and are free of fans, Siemens said.
Siemens Medical Solutions
Booth #1029
Taking center stage at Siemens this year will be the firm's integrated RIS/PACS network, combining its Sienet PACS and Novius Radiology RIS in a brokerless integration. With this combination, clinicians gain real-time access to patient information, including images and test results, according to the Malvern, PA-based firm.
Siemens will also show off its Soarian and Soarian Cardiology healthcare information system offering. Soarian features workflow-engineering capabilities, a "smart" user interface that anticipates the needs and unique processes of individual users, and embedded "analytics" that allow users to monitor, measure, and act, Siemens said.
In another exhibit, Siemens will show how Novius Radiology and the Soarian Clinical Access repository integrate with the company's Leonardo 3-D postprocessing workstation. As a result, technologists and physicians can reconstruct images and access complete patient information, Siemens said.
Booth visitors will also be able to tour Siemens Workflow Street, where the vendor will demonstrate how systems such as Soarian, Novius Radiology, and Sienet PACS can provide hospital services such as patient registration and distribution of results to attending physicians.
Softmedical
Booth #7766
This Mount Royal, Quebec-based healthcare information systems provider will be on hand to showcase its Maxirad RIS. Built with Java technology and implemented in accordance with the IHE framework, Maxirad supports activities such as patient registration, insurance precertification, scheduling, visit tracking, and workflow management, Softmedical said.
The system integrates the firm's Reporting Suite application to support report generation, remote transcription and verification, and Web distribution, Softmedical said. Now available in the North American market, Maxirad will soon be released worldwide, according to the vendor.
Source Medical Solutions
Booth #7166
ReadyView can integrate directly with imaging modalities, dictation systems, and PACS and RIS application suites, the firm said. Available through an ASP model based on study volume, ReadyView was released in the U.S. in November, with international availability projected for October 2003. Source believes ReadyView would be particularly suitable for hospital-based radiology departments as well as medium (3 to 15 sites) and large (more than 15 sites) imaging center enterprises.
Source will also bring its SourceRad radiology information management system to its first RSNA meeting. Launched at the 2002 HIMSS meeting, SourceRad is a Web-based product that handles an imaging center's operational, clinical, and business-related needs, according to the company.
Stentor
Booth #6543
Image management firm Stentor will be releasing version 3.2 of its iSite Enterprise PACS product. The release includes a number of new features, such as support for cardiology, critical care stations, advanced teleradiology, and CD authoring, the South San Francisco, CA-based firm said. JPEG 2000 compatibility has been incorporated, as has integration with Tablet PCs.
iSite Radiology is another new feature in iSite 3.2. A diagnostic reading station, iSite Radiology presents a complete overview of prior exams and patient history on a separate navigation console. This allows the diagnostic monitor space to be dedicated to image display, Stentor said.
iVault is an online, long-term storage addition. Designed for multiyear storage of medical images, iVault employs a perpetual online storage model that stores all image data on an active image server. Immediate access to data is provided to all iSite users across the enterprise, eliminating the need for prefetching and autorouting, Stentor said.
Storage Technology
Booth #8933
Archiving firm StorageTek will spotlight BladeStore, a disk subsystem targeted for large-scale online data storage. BladeStore combines low-cost ATA disk drives and an enterprise-class fibre-channel disk system, a pairing that makes the system suitable for online storage of high-volume, fixed content data such as medical images, according to the Louisville, CO-based vendor.
It's also prepared to operate in a data protection environment, supporting data replication as well as backup and recovery operations, the company said. The BladeStore disk subsystem offers storage capacity ranging from four to 160 terabytes. StorageTek said that a single BladeStore disk array contains up to 10 high capacity storage "blades" based on ATA disk drives, associated control electronics, and fibre-channel interface.
It comes with an "intelligent" array controller, which provides two gigabytes of host-side connectivity to support direct attached or storage area network implementations, the company said. BladeStore will be released in November.
StorComm
Booth #4365
This image management firm will preview AccessNet, the company's upgrade to its traditional ImageAccess software. Shown as a work-in-progress, AccessNet adds new functions such as biometric authentication, a PACS scheduler, and support for color or grayscale monitors on the same workstation.
AccessNet is scheduled for release in the first quarter of 2003. Additional enhancements such as image fusion and orthopedic templates will be included in the second quarter.
The Jacksonville, FL-based vendor will also show the current release of ImageAccess, version 4.3. Launched in September, ImageAccess 4.3 is highlighted by Knowledge Manager, a reporting tool. With Knowledge Manager, customers can generate reports auditing users and modalities for activity on the system, StorComm said.
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