Picture Archiving and Communication Systems in Medical Imaging

Picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) consists of image acquisition devices, storage archiving units, display stations, computer processors, and data base management systems currently being installed worldwide for special clinical applications and large-scale hospital use. Written by the recognized pioneer in PACS and medical imaging research, the title presents a comprehensive treatment of all radiologic acquisition devices including conventional x-ray, computed tomography (CT), ultrasound (US), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed radiology (CR), and laser digitization. "PACS" is organized such that a reader unfamiliar with these systems can skip the more advanced material and still grasp the overall concepts involving PACS technology; while the reader who has had more experience in these areas may delve into the clinical details underlying the applications. Although PACS was introduced by the radiology community, it can be applied to any scientific field that requires the management of information in the form of pictures.