NT, Web technology highlight RSNA exhibits

In the past several years, the Radiological Society of North America meeting has been dominated by digital image management technology. Driven by heightened levels of market interest, PACS will likely again be a prime focus of attention for both vendors and end users alike.

Last year's trends will be in evidence again this year. The use of Windows NT continues to grow in popularity, particularly at the workstation level. Nearly all PACS companies now have available NT versions of their offerings or plan to release them in early 1999.

The application of Java and World Wide Web protocols to enable distribution of images and reports to referring physicians continues to grow in prominence, although these systems are still in the early stage of adoption by customers. Many PACS firms are also highlighting their systems integration capabilities, and healthcare information systems vendors continue to increase their involvement in the PACS sector.

Commercialization of several new digital radiography systems from companies such as Sterling Diagnostic Imaging, GE Medical Systems, Canon, Swissray International, and others is also driving customer interest in large-scale PACS networks. Those systems, as well as traditional computed radiography readers sold by Fuji, Agfa, and others, show promise for bringing conventional radiography images into PACS networks.

In another interesting development, several companies, such as dpiX, will demonstrate flat-panel displays for use in PACS environments. Some industry observers believe that the displays could confer substantial benefits to PACS users, including longer usable life and smaller footprints.

Progress in bringing digital versatile disks (DVD) to PACS will be on display, with a few firms set to display DVD libraries at the show. Speech recognition technology also continues to develop, and many PACS firms will display integration of those products into their own offerings.

Among specific vendor developments, Access Radiology will introduce a Windows NT-based version of its Advanced Compression Server (ACS). The new version, which will be available at the RSNA meeting, features a number of enhancements, including faster image compression/decompression, enhanced routing capabilities, and an improved graphical user interface, according to the Lexington, MA-based firm.