High-resolution digital teleradiology: A perspective

Abstract

Teleradiology has come a long way, from analog transmission systems using slow-scan television over standard telephone lines, to present-day, commercially available, microcomputer-based, low-resolution teleradiology systems. However, there exists a need to address the high-resolution end of the medical imaging categories, namely chest radiographs and mammograms, to firmly establish teleradiology. The availability of high-resolution image digitizers, display units, and digital hard copiers has made high-resolution digital teleradiology a feasible concept. Although the use of satellite channels can speed up the transmission of radiographic image data, with widespread acceptance of high-resolution teleradiology systems in the foreseeable future, the sheer amount of data involved in this field will give rise to problems of data transmission and storage. Data compression schemes can bring down the amount of data handled and can have a great economic impact on future teleradiology systems. We have developed a number of compression techniques for reversible compression of medical images. Our experiments have shown that lossless compression of the order of 4:1 is possible for a class of high-resolution medical images. Use of pattern recognition techniques offers the potential to bring down these data rates even further. We plan to use these techniques in a prototype high-resolution teleradiology system being developed. In this paper, we trace some of the developments in teleradiology and image data compression, and present a perspective for teleradiology in the 1990s.

Contrast mapping and evaluation for electronic X-ray images on CRT display monitor

“…Unfortunately, the light output by CRT monitors is a full order less than that of film on a light box, which means that the viewing situation is different. Even if this is the case, (3) holds true if they are both within the Weber region (3) where and are the luminance of CRT and film on a light box and and are the luminance increase that gives a unit sensation to these luminance levels, respectively. This relationship shows that both images are visually equivalent as long as the ratio of CRT luminance and film luminance is always the constant value in all areas within the image.…”

“…If it were possible to send the image in digital form directly, the process time would have been shortened [2], [3]. Digital radiography (DR), which made its debut in 1981, is based on the principle of using a laser to read the latent image in imaging plates coated with photostimulable phosphors.…”

Economic impact of real-time teleradiology in thoracic CT examinations

“…The previously reported socioeconomic analysis of teleradiology was established only about the costs of hardware and communications [12,13]. Some published cost studies assume that saving by minimizing the period of patient's stay in the hospital is a benefit of digital imaging or picture archiving and communication system (PACS) implementation [14,15,16,17]; however, there are no reports about the effective use of iodinated contrast media.…”

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research in Sub-Saharan Africa: Challenges and Satellite-Based Networking Implementation

“…Real-time satellite transmission of compressed analog ultrasound video signals and the use of lossy compression techniques to reduce the quantity of digital data transmitted over a satellite link have been discussed in the literature 8,9. Application of satellite technology to provide medical services, including imaging, to remote locations such as offshore oil platforms and seafaring vessels has also been shown 10,11.…”