Network Load Balancing for Medical Image Archive Systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
Medical image data storage and retrieval systems face bottlenecks due to the large volume of data and time delays in processing and archiving, particularly in film-based systems transitioning to digital formats, where Picture Archive and Communication Systems (PACS) often become overwhelmed, leading to inefficiencies in storage, retrieval, and network resource utilization.
Innovation Solution
A network-based load balancing system that monitors the capacity of multiple image archive systems and distributes medical image data tasks based on the complexity and current load of each system, selecting the one with the lowest load or highest available capacity to execute tasks efficiently, thereby reducing bottlenecks and increasing processing capacity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a single Picture Archive and Communication System (PACS) is used to store and process medical image data, then the system can provide centralized image management and retrieval, but the system becomes a bottleneck that limits processing capacity and increases time delays
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the single PACS system into multiple distributed image archive systems (PACS 1, PACS 2, etc.), each capable of independently storing and processing medical image data. This segmentation eliminates the single-point bottleneck by distributing the workload across multiple systems, thereby increasing overall image processing capacity while maintaining centralized management through the network service.
2Measurement precision
If medical image data is stored in digital format with high resolution and large matrix sizes, then the image quality and diagnostic accuracy are improved, but the storage requirements and data transmission volume increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple image archive systems into a distributed networked storage infrastructure. By merging the storage capacities of multiple PACS systems across the network, the system can handle large volume digital medical images (2000x2000 or 512x512 matrices with 8-16 bits per pixel) without overloading a single storage system, thus maintaining high image resolution while distributing the data storage burden.
3Ease of operation
If all image transactions are processed through the PACS, then centralized control and management are achieved, but the PACS acts as a bottleneck that increases time delays in image data flow
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a network service as an intermediary layer between the imaging modalities and the distributed PACS systems. This network service manages the distribution of image data tasks to appropriate PACS systems based on current load conditions, maintaining centralized control and management while enabling parallel processing across multiple archive systems, thereby reducing time delays in image data flow.
4Speed
If the PACS handles large size files efficiently and quickly, then the storage and retrieval performance is improved, but the system resources must be capable of handling very large data volumes which increases system complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the large data handling responsibility across multiple PACS systems in the distributed network. Each individual PACS system handles a portion of the total data volume, reducing the complexity of resources required at each node while collectively providing high-speed storage and retrieval capabilities through parallel access across the network.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus for providing network based load balancing of medical image data among two or more image archive systems is disclosed. A network element is employed to interface to a network carrying medical image data that may include tasks to be performed on the data. A network service associated with the network element monitors the current load or the available capacity of each of the image archive systems. When a task is received the network service determines the level of complexity of the task and compares the level of complexity to the current load or available capacity of each of the image archive systems. The network service selects the one of the image archive systems to perform the task that has the lowest current load or highest available capacity relative to the level of complexity of the received task.