2006 RSNA meeting gives Lakeside Center a face-lift

Say so long infoRAD and hello Molecular Imaging Zone. The RSNA is planning a makeover at its 2006 annual meeting for scientific and educational exhibits presented in McCormick Place's Lakeside Center.

The RSNA services area, traditionally located in the east building, will be redesigned to make it more user-friendly, said Betty Rohr, director of program services and data management. The new layout uses spokes radiating from a central service hub to create spaces for each of the 16 radiological subspecialties. The new configuration will encourage interaction among subspecialists.

"The Lakeside Center services area will have a different ambiance. It will have a whole different look and feel," Rohr said.

InfoRAD, a feature of the annual meeting since the early 1990s, will be retired because its exhibits are ready for prime-time implementation, Rohr said. Exhibits involving infoRAD-style innovation will be incorporated into the clinical areas where they apply. The more adventurous ideas involving electronic image manipulation, display, and management will be presented as informatics exhibits. Presenters have also been invited to demonstrate their work as electronic or scientific posters.

The Molecular Imaging Zone will recognize the growing prominence of MI for diagnosis and therapy monitoring. Various medical societies associated with the advancement of MI will present educational programs in the zone.

The Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise initiative will return with an exhibit illustrating the interconnectivity of PACs and healthcare informatics systems. The scientific poster exhibit will also maintain a major presence.

As for the technical and scientific programs, RSNA attendees can expect exhibits to fill McCormick Place's north, south, and east buildings.

"We've maxed out the buildings," Rohr said.

For more information from the Diagnostic Imaging archives:

Midyear review provides solace for those with Chicago hangover

InfoRad: Free software helps extract images from troublesome CDs

Digital imaging moves far beyond radiology

Ethics move front and center at RSNA