MiniPACS tames explosion of volumetric data sets

MiniPACS can offer an effective method for archiving CT volumetric data sets and delivering them to radiologists.

Researchers from South Korea, in a presentation at the 2005 European Congress of Radiology, moved the volumetric data sets from 16-slice CT scanners to a miniPACS with 271-GB online and 680-GB nearline storages. They stored a thicker slice data set in the main PACS.

The group reviewed a two-week period to determine the impact of storage needs for each type of data set: volumetric, thick axial, standardized 3D images routinely produced by technologists, 3D images added by radiologists, and scan planning. They also analyzed the storage needs of each PACS over a five-month period.

For the 867 CT exams performed during the two-week period, the percentage volumes of volumetric, thick axial, standardized 3D, additional 3D, and scan planning data sets decreased linearly: 74.4%, 15.9%, 7%, 2.3%, and 0.5%, respectively.

Over the five-month period, 278 GB of CT data (8976 exams) were stored in the main PACS, and 738 GB of volumetric data sets (6193 exams) were stored in the miniPACS. The volumetric data sets formed 33% of total data for all modalities (2.2 TB) in the main PACS and miniPACS.

At the end of this period, volumetric data sets of 1892 and 5162 exams were kept online and nearline, respectively.