Distant processing of medical image data

We describe the distant application of a supercomputer to medical image/volume processing in almost real-time. The set-up consists of the supercomputer and the graphical workstation connected through an ATM data link. The main advantages of the described system, i.e. the combination of the huge computing power of the supercomputer and the convenience of control and display enabled by a graphical workstation are aimed at efficacy of development of medical image processing procedures. It is illustrated by a pilot registration of pictures captured by a confocal laser microscope. Processing is accomplished in the Explorer Iris scientific software packages environment enhanced by custom made modules.