Engineering, 2013, 5, 163-165
http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/eng.2013.510B035 Published Online October 2013 (http://www.scirp.org/journal/eng)
A System for Improving the Management of the Lesion
and Test Images of P atients
Sung-Bum Cho1, Kyung-Won Jin1, Jong-Soon Kim1, Soo-Jin Huh1,2, Segyeong Joo1,2
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
2Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Ulsan College of Medicine,
Seoul, Korea
Received May 2013
ABSTRACT
Nowadays, almost every hospital u tilizes picture archiving and communications system (PACS) and electronic medical
record (EMR) system to manage patient’s data digitally. However, patient’s pictures taken by nurses or physicians to
monitor lesions or various test results are not managed well in general. Although for some disease, these pictures pro-
vide meaningful information in diagnosis and treatment. In this paper, we propose a management system for these im-
ages to improve the accessibility and storability. To manage the images efficiently, the proposed methods utilized the
PACS system in the hospital. A fter sending the image data of each patient to a local monitoring computer, the patient’s
information, such as, name, age, male, and registration number were attached on the image. This file was then con-
verted to a DICOM (digital imaging and communications in medicine) files and transferred to the PACS Server. The
proposed system promises easy and convenient access on the images of lesions and various test results of patients to
support fast and appropriate treatment.
Keywords: PACS; Real-Time Transmission; DICOM; Patient Examination; Wireless
1. Introduction
Due to the rapid development of information technology
(IT), it is common for hospitals utilizing electronic med-
ical record (EMR) and picture archiving and communi-
cation system (PACS) for obtaining, transferring and
displaying patient data and images.
Images and various laboratory and other test results of
patients are important information in diagnosing and
treating the patients. Furthermore, some patients require
continuous observation to monitor lesions or bedsores.
For these patients, taking pictures of the site constantly
and checking the status ar e essential parts of treatment.
However, these photos are not managed well in general.
Some images are simply attached in the patient’s elec-
tronic chart but the quality of the image is not well
enough and one cannot find the image later conveniently.
The lack of storage management of the images could
induce missing or d elaying appropriate treatment for the
patients.
It is difficult to establish a storage management system
for the images in a general hospital since the system re-
quires a lot of manpower and operating cost. I n addition,
training nurse and physicians is another problem of
building the system. The system should be easy to use
and convenient for this reason. This is why there is no
such system that monitors the images of the lesions and
test results of patients in real-time so far.
In this paper, we propose a storage management me-
thod that enables automatic transmission of the lesion
and test image of the patients in a convenient manner.
The proposed system can be easily attached to the con-
ventional PACS system and does not require much cost
for adopting the system. The system ensures real-time
transfer of the ima ge s via wired or wireless network.
There is no worry about the loss of the image.
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Diagram for Storage Management Methods
The proposed scheme for storage management is illu-
strated in Figure 1.
When a nurse or a physician takes pictures of lesions
or test results, the image is transferred to an automatic
converting computer for converting the transferred im-
ages to DICOM (digital imaging and communications in
medicine) format. After the conversion, files are up-
loaded to the PACS server. The uploaded images are
now accessible from any computer in the hospital. The
detailed process of the system will be described in the
following sections.

S.-B. CHO ET AL.
164
Figure 1. Schematic diagram of the proposed system.
2.2. Picture Acquisition System
To take pictures of lesions or test results of patients, a
digital camera, which is connected to a laptop computer
via a USB (universal serial bus) port or with wireless
network [1], was used. The pictures were stored in a
JPEG (joint photographic experts group) format. Figure
2 shows the camera unit (D60, Nikon, Japan) connected
to a laptop computer (SENS R60, Samsu ng , Korea).
Camera control program (camera control pro2, Ver.
2.13.0, Nikon, JAPAN) installed on the laptop automati-
cally recognizes the camera device when the power is
turned on and creates image files in JPEG format when
the sh utter on the camera pressed [2,3].
2.3. Real-time Automatic Convert DICOM Files
Transmission System
The images that are stored in the patient’s disease or tes-
ters need to match the patient information and physi-
cian’s prescription. Patient information must be entered
by the nurse to prescribe. To observe the patient’s dis-
ease continuously, we build a database of information
and images of the patient. Figure 3 shows the worksta-
tion laptop computer installed the real-time automatic
convert DICOM file transmission program (iview, Ver.
2.0.00, CAD I mpact. Inc, K OR E A ).
After entering patient information in accordance with
the prescribed is stored should be matched with the im-
ages in a specific folder. The real-time automatic convert
DICOM file transmission progra m automatically convert
to DICOM file [4,5]. The DICOM file transfer PACS
Storage to designated IP address. The laptop computer
using the Wireless LAN card (ATHEROS, 802.11b.g) is
sent to the PACS wireless.
2.4. Real-Time PACS System
Figure 4 shows The PACS System that is installed in the
Figure 2. Camera unit and laptop computer.
Figure 3. Program for real-time conversion to DICOM file
and automatic transmission.
Figure 4. PACS gateway (PETAGATE program).
hospital. The system consists of the PACS gateway,
PETAGATE program (PETAGATE, Ver. 201305021655,
and SEO U L ASAN Medical Center, KO REA) and PACS
Viewer program, PETAVISION program (PETAVISION,
Ver. 2.1.0.1012, Asan Medical Center, KOREA).
The PACS gateway, PETAGATE program before it is
sent to the PACS server DICOM file to final inspection.
DICOM PACS gateway permits to connect the PACS
Server. The PACS Viewer, P ETAVISION prog ram is an
easy-to-use application that allows users to view medical
DICOM images made from PACS Storage.
3. Result and Discussion
Storage management methods for automatic image trans-
mission of the image of the patients with disease and
patient examination were designed and initiated in 2013
for continuous observation and treatment Service.

S.-B. CHO ET AL.
165
Figure 5. PACS viewer (PETAVISION program).
After Patient information is entered to program infor-
mation window in workstation laptop computer, as soon
as images of the patients with disease and examination
are generated, they are automatically transferred to work-
station laptop computer and convert to DICOM file.
Whenever DICOM file are generated, it is automatically
transfer to PACS gateway real-time wireless. Physician,
nurse, particular administrator of patient disease could
check the information of patient image from anywhere in
the hospital PACS System.
Because it is already using a laptop computer equipped
the Wireless LAN card in the ward for EMR, Mobile
Workstat ion Laptop Computer-based environment was
implemented to reduce cost and take advantage of user-
friendliness, time, satisfaction of the user. Tremendous
benefits of Mobile Wireless Laptop Computer-based
environment see through PACS and Anywhere easily
store image of the patient with diseases and patient ex-
amination. In addition, it is only the cost of DICOM
convert program, Camera Control program and Camera
Unit.
Seoul Asian Medical Center PACS was designed with
its own technology and initiated in 2000. All radiologic
imaging including outpatient radiography are supported
by the PACS. In addition, Mobile HIS (Hospital infor-
mation system) has been built in 2010 became available
mobile-OCS/EMR/PACS. We can anytime, anywhere
check the patient information of the emergency room,
hospitalization, wards, in the operating room.
Images with the disease or the patient tester are im-
portant information for observation and treatment of pa-
tients with. Information and data of such patients should
not to be neglected, it should be managed efficiently.
To keep a fast speed and good quality, hospital must
be upgraded or replace laptop computer. If laptop com-
puters are replacing with the latest mobile PC, Physician
and nurse can explain Treatment over image to the pa-
tient through a separate monitor. So, Storage manage-
ment methods for improving the image of the patients
and patient examination at the hospital are currently be-
ing tested continuously.
4. Conclusions
In this study, we presented an improved management
system for managing patient pictures of specific lesion or
various test results. The system transfers the acquired
image of patients to a PACS system in a hospital. The
image data of each patient contains the patient’s informa-
tion, such as, name, age, male, and registration number
since the file is converted to a DICOM format before
transferred to the PACS Server. The proposed system
promises easy and convenient access on the images of
lesions and various test results of patients to support fast
and appropriate treatment.
Real-time transfer of the images via network allowed
medical doctors to monitor the status of the patient’s
diseases, or examination would undergo continuous ob-
servation and treatment. It was also able to explain the
progress of patients with diseases using the mobile pc or
mobile phone connected to the PACS.
The wireless data transmission could provide better
data management, reduced data transfer time, and conve-
nient operation.
Sensitive information, such as images of the disease,
or patient tester will be stored and managed on the PACS.
As a result, Nurse Representative is not discomforted,
and satisfaction increases.
5. Acknowledgements
This research was supported by Basic Science Research
Program through the National Research Foundation of
Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education,
Science and Tech nology (2010-0007281).
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