Digital echocardiography 2002: now is the time.
The ability to acquire echocardiographic images digitally, store and transfer these data using the DICOM standard, and routinely analyze examinations exists today and allows the implementation of a digital echocardiography laboratory. The purpose of this review article is to outline the critical components of a digital echocardiography laboratory, discuss general strategies for implementation, and put forth some of the pitfalls that we have encountered in our own implementation. The major components of the digital laboratory include (1) digital echocardiography machines with network output, (2) a switched high-speed network, (3) a high throughput server with abundant local storage, (4) a reliable low-cost archive, (5) software to manage information, and (6) support mechanisms for software and hardware. Implementation strategies can vary from a complete vendor solution providing all components (hardware, software, support), to a strategy similar to our own where standard computer and networking hardware are used with specialized software for management of image and measurement information.
Thomas
James D
JD
Cardiovascular Imaging Center, Department of Cardiology, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA. thomasj@ccf.org
Greenberg
Neil L
NL
Garcia
Mario J
MJ
D004452:Echocardiography / Q000191:economics / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D016247:Information Storage and Retrieval; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D012984:Software; D017216:Telemedicine
NASA Discipline Cardiopulmonary; Non-NASA Center