The aim of this study was to define a clinically suitable personal computer (PC) configuration for Web-based image distribution and to assess the influence of different hard- and software configurations on the performance. Through specially developed software the time-to-display (TTD) for various PC configurations was measured. Different processor speeds, random access memory (RAM), screen resolutions, graphic adapters, network speeds, operating systems and examination types (computed radiography, CT, MRI) were evaluated, providing more than half a million measurements. Processor speed was the most relevant factor for the TTD; doubling the speed halved the TTD. Under processor speeds of 350 MHz, TTD mostly remained above 5 s for 1 CR or 16 CT images. Here Windows NT with lossy compression were superior. Processor speeds of 350 MHz and over delivered TTD <5 s. In this case Windows 2000 and lossless compression were preferable. Screen resolutions above 1280 x 1024 pixels increased the TTD mainly for CR images. The RAM amount, network speed and graphic adapter did not have a significant influence. The minimum threshold for clinical routine is any standard off-the-shelf PC better than Pentium II 350 MHz, 128 MB RAM; hence, high-end PC hardware is not required.
The aim of this study was to assess the up- and download performance of an image Web system (IWS) during simultaneous up- and download procedures. Following preparatory tests, the upload capacity (UC) with and without simultaneous download and the time-to-display (TTD) with and without simultaneous upload were determined for different image, server and compression types, and with up to 16 concurrent clients. The UC varied between 1.7-5.5 Gigabyte per hour (GB/h) and was slightly influenced by a simultaneous download; however, the TTDs were substantially prolonged during an upload and only below 5 s with up to four to six concurrent clients. The choice of image and server type had a strong impact on UC and TTD. Lossy primary compression proved slightly superior. An effective UC of approximately 4.0 GB/h or 96 Gigabyte per day (GB/day) can be achieved, which appears suitable even for large institutions. Because of its substantial influence on UC and TTD during simultaneous up- and download, the server hardware should be equipped with two processors and 1 GB RAM. Lossy primary compression may be used with slight performance benefits when full-resolution images are not required. The upload is a time-demanding process, and it is possible that during peak hours the waiting times are unacceptable for clinicians.
The aim of this study was to assess the performance of Web-based image distribution when multiple personal computers (PCs) are downloading images simultaneously for different server hardware configurations. Using specially developed software, the time-to-display (TTD) of different image types was measured with up to 16 concurrent PCs for various combinations of processor, random access memory (RAM), network connection and image compression. The TTD increased linearly with the number of concurrent PCs but remained under 5 s in most of the cases, even with 16 concurrent PCs. Only with a 10-Mbit/s network connection or with lossy compression were TTDs above 5 s obtained. Two processors instead of one led to a slight and constant improvement of the TTD. Reducing the amount of RAM increased the TTD mainly for computed radiography (CR) images. There was no difference between a 200- and 100-Mbit/s network, but 10 Mbit/s proved significantly worse. When increasing the number of clients lossless compression performed substantially better than lossy. A standard off-the-shelf server provides an appropriate download performance even with 16 concurrent clients. Processor speed and RAM amount are of minor importance, but it is highly recommended to use a 100-Mbit/s network connection and to avoid the application of on-demand lossy compression in a local area network.
VPN technology is preferable to direct Dial-Up connections since it offers higher connection speeds and advantages in usage and security. For occasional usage, 128 Kbit/s (ISDN) can be considered sufficient, especially in conjunction with lossy compression. ADSL should be chosen when a more frequent usage is anticipated, whereby lossy compression may be omitted. Due to higher bandwidths and improved usability, the web-based approach appears superior to conventional teleradiology systems.
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