DIAGNOSIS: A Telematics-Enabled System for Medical Image Archiving, Management, and Diagnosis Assistance

In this paper, a modular system for medical image archiving, management, diagnosis support, and telematic cooperation is presented. The system provides digital imaging and communications in medicine (DICOM)-compatible tools for digital image processing and database management of medical images. The software features algorithms for preprocessing, manual or semi-automatic segmentation, automatic calculation of geometrical/size characteristics, and 3-D visualization of organs or selected regions of interest. Additionally, the system incorporates a database where patient data and information can be stored and retrieved. Access to the database is only permitted to authorized users. The user-friendly interface makes the software handy and accessible to clinicians, whereas the telematic components allow collaboration with remote experts. The pilot system incorporates a computer-aided diagnosis module aiming at providing support in the diagnosis of focal liver lesions from computed tomography images.