Pre-rendered DICOM Image Caching for PACS Bandwidth Bottlenecks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS) using server-side rendering techniques face inefficiencies in network bandwidth utilization, leading to delayed image loading and caching, especially in remote VPN connections, resulting in an unsatisfactory user experience for medical image viewing.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for pre-rendering and compressing DICOM images on a server before transferring them to a workstation, allowing for efficient caching and decompression at the user's workstation, enabling immediate rendering and display of medical images, even in low-bandwidth environments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If server-side rendering techniques are used to render images in real-time based on user requests, then network bandwidth is saved, but image loading time increases and user experience deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs pre-rendering of DICOM images to standard formats (PNG, JPEG) before they are needed by the user. This preliminary action allows the images to be ready for immediate display at the workstation, eliminating the need to wait for real-time rendering while also enabling efficient network transfer through compression.
2Ease of operation
If images are downloaded and cached at the workstation when opening a Study, then reading experience improves, but users must wait for images to be downloaded and cached
Solution Approach 1:
Images are pre-rendered and compressed before being transferred to the workstation for caching. This allows the caching process to complete faster and more efficiently, improving the reading experience without significant wait time.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameters of the DICOM images by converting them to standard image formats (PNG, JPEG) and applying compression. This transformation enables faster loading and more efficient caching at the workstation, improving both speed and user experience.
3Speed
If pre-rendering and compressing DICOM images is performed before transfer, then image display speed improves, but processing time and computational resources are consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The pre-rendering and compression process is performed in advance during system setup or image acquisition, rather than at the moment of display. This timing strategy allows the computationally intensive tasks to be completed when resources are available, without impacting the speed of image display when needed.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for transferring and rendering a medical image record, including, receiving, at a workstation of a first user, a subscription to a worklist, the worklist including a Study list having one or more Studies, each Study including at least one Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (“DICOM”) image; pre-rendering and compressing, by one or more computing devices, at least one DICOM image associated with each Study on the Study list; transferring, from the one or more computing devices to the workstation, one or more pre-rendered and compressed DICOM images; receiving, at the workstation, a request to view at least one pre-rendered and compressed DICOM image; decompressing, at the workstation, at least one requested pre-rendered and compressed DICOM image; rendering, at the workstation, at least one decompressed DICOM image; and displaying at least one rendered DICOM image at the workstation.