Apple claims its technology could make medical imaging more affordable
Apple has published a white paper describing how Apple technology can make full-featured medical diagnostic imaging affordable.

The white paper, “Transforming the medical imaging workflow,” noted that as the range and capability of imaging technologies has grown, expectations have grown with them, but resources have not. Increases in imaging data proceed regardless of shrinking workforces and budgets.

Roger Katen, MD, a radiologist, imaging specialist, and principal of The Katen Consulting Group, wrote the white paper for Apple Macintosh.

Processing, viewing and interacting with the high-spec image data has traditionally required an investment in a DICOM viewer provided by the imaging vendor. Apple said that these systems are typically Microsoft Windows-based workstations, which can cost upwards of $50,000.
   
The company said its white paper aimed to illustrate how Apple’s Mac systems, coupled with the OsiriX1 open source application and Mac OS X, can offer a cheaper alternative without sacrificing features or performance.

Apple said its Mac OS X-based solution is increasingly being adopted by radiology practices, and can interact with Microsoft Windows-based systems, such as PACS, HIS and collaborative teleradiology environments.

“The default assumption has been that only Windows PCs or proprietary commercial DICOM workstations belong in radiologic environments,” wrote Katen. “That assumption is proving to be incorrect.”

“OsiriX benefits from its genesis in the open-source community, allowing it to mature quickly into one of the most complete and feature-rich radiological software solutions available,” wrote Katen. “Numerous open source developers from around the world regularly incorporate new features at the request of end users. Although free radiology-oriented software projects exist for other operating systems, including Linux and Microsoft Windows, none can equal the features and performance of OsiriX. Similarly, it is difficult for any single medical imaging vendor to match the rapid pace of innovation that this open source project enjoys.”
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