PACS: Basic Elements

PACS or Picture Archiving and Communication System is actually very easy to understand. There are three main elements commonly found in every PACS data storage solution available today, and we are going to discuss them in this article.

The first element is image capture. Modern diagnostic tools are capable of capturing images digitally. A standard DICOM imaging format is used, and the same format is now the foundation of PACS in general. Captured diagnostic images are streamed to the data storage server directly and can be accessed or processed later. This basic element also helps eliminate the need for hardcopies and films.

The second element is of course storage. In most PACS data storage solutions, servers function not only as a storage media but also as a processing unit. Medical images will be categorized based on patients’ identifications and other predetermined parameters, allowing easier access to the necessary images in the future.

The last element, a very important one nonetheless, is archiving. Medical information must be stored over a certain period of time before it can be deleted or removed from the archive. The use of digital archiving mechanism as part of PACS certainly makes storing patients’ information a lot easier and certainly more affordable.

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