title: Digitalization and networking of analog simulators and portal images.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Many departments have analog simulators and irradiation facilities (especially cobalt units) without electronic portal imaging. Import of the images into the R&V (Record & Verify) system is required.
  
  
  METHODS
  Simulator images are grabbed while portal films scanned by using a laser scanner and both converted into DICOM RT (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine Radiotherapy) images.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Image intensifier output of a simulator and portal films are converted to DICOM RT images and used in clinical practice. The simulator software was developed in cooperation at the authors' hospital.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The digitalization of analog simulators is a valuable updating in clinical use replacing screen-film technique. Film scanning and digitalization permit the electronic archiving of films. Conversion into DICOM RT images is a precondition of importing to the R&V system.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Oncoradiology, Uzsoki Hospital, Uzsoki u. 29, 1145, Budapest, Hungary. pesznyak@uzsoki.hu
authors.forename: Csilla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pesznyák
authors.forename: Pál
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zaránd
authors.forename: Arpád
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mayer
mesh_terms: D000703:Analog-Digital Conversion; D003195:Computer Communication Networks; D003198:Computer Simulation; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement; D011867:Radioisotope Teletherapy; D011880:Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted; D012984:Software; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014584:User-Computer Interface; D014963:X-Ray Intensifying Screens