Seamless Image Management around the Intervention

Operating rooms are among the most complex and cost intensive areas of a hospital. This is the reason why smooth processes are of the utmost importance there. The  procedure itself plays the key role.
HCI Video PACS - Surgical Edition is a complete PACS solution especially designed for surgical imaging. Video PACS - Surgical Edition manages images and videos from surgical camera systems (endoscopy, microscopy, OR light camera, etc) in the      standardized DICOM format. Video PACS - Surgical Edition enables the surgeon to review the surgical procedures either via the existing PACS-client or simply via web-browser. Video PACS - Surgical Edition is working parallel to the exisiting radiological PACS system without interfering the  radiological imaging workflow.

Effective Planning of the Intervention

For the physician, the procedure already takes its beginning a long time before the first cut is being made – with the planning of the intervention. Images from a variety of modalities will be integrated into the planning process, more often than not including images from referring physicians – on CD, or exams scanned from conventional images passed on as celluloids. In order to allow for a smooth workflow, availability of all these images in the PACS is indispensable. A link to the hospital information solution (HIS) for patient administration enables the physician to access all additional relevant information.

Image Management in the OR

During the course of an intervention, images are acquired, again and again, from a variety of sources: endoscopic or sonographic images, images from X-ray devices and C-arms, or videos from OR cameras. All these different captures are integrated into the PACS, and they are available for retrieval at any time, anywhere on the hospital campus. Finally, VideoPACS supports the user in generating the procedure report into which he can also integrate various captures via image export from the PACS.
For post-operative image processing, an integrated video cutting workplace with export functions is available to the physicians. There they can produce video DVDs easily. For subsequent processing, the native video sequences are passed on to dedicated video processing applications. This allows the user to create, “as an aside”, extensive archives for use in teaching or for publication purposes. The images can be archived selectively.

Image Management in the Post- operative Phase

All images captured or imported in the course of treatment are available for retrieval at all designated workplaces throughout the hospital campus. For the purpose of post-operative checks, the physician can retrieve all images pertinent to a patient at any time. Accordingly, post-operative checks can be carried out very conveniently.

Flexible archiving, fast access 

Archiving of images and reports is done in a flexible manner, adapted completely to the needs of the individual customer – but always in DICOM format. Data can be stored online, in a Storage Area Network (SAN), on shared hard disk systems in a network (Network Attached Storage, NAS), or on a direct attached hard disk system (RAID). Offline storage is done on DVDs, BluRay discs, or magnetic tapes which are handled either manually or by robots. Before archiving of image data, feedback is given to the leading information system. The reconciliation with the order communication ensures process quality.

Seamless Integration into HIS and RIS

In order to be able to provide safe support for all processes around the digital X-ray image in the hospital and physician’s practice, VideoPACS is linked seamlessly with the radiology and hospital information systems of the leading vendors. It inherits the patient and job information which is made available automatically for each modality via a DICOM worklist. The acquired images can be distributed automatically based on a set of rules which can be configured freely. Reporting is carried out at the integrated RIS/ PACS workplace.
Third-party images acquired beforehand can be imported into the VideoPACS without any problems – regardless whether they are on a CD, DVD, or removable disk, whether they come in via DICOM e-mail, as a scan of a conventional X-ray film, or from some other image source. Positive attribution to a defined patient allows for safe integration of the images into the reporting process.

Increased Requirements Regarding Image Logistics in Screening

Video documentation entails extended requirements regarding integration and image logistics.
VideoPACS is capable of covering all processes around image logistics for OR video documentation online as well as offline. In doing so, VideoPACS supports different video units as well as structured reporting at a multitude of sites and complies with the IHE-defined workflows.

Open system structures

VideoPACS helps taping synergy and cost savings potentials for hospital groups and hospital management organizations with their own data centers. This makes it possible, e. g., to realize the entire image archiving and image communication consistently and comprehensively. Thanks to open interfaces and multi-level encryption, standard as well as individual processes can be realized in compliance with multi-client requirements. The solution is independent from the IT infrastructure, and can be integrated into virtually every environment.
It is in particular the IT interfaces which, more often than not, pre- sent a challenge. On the one hand, consistency of data needs to be maintained, and on the other hand, smooth processes have to be safeguarded in order to ensure the availability of medical information.