Cost-effective handling of digital medical images in the telemedicine environment

Background: This paper concentrates on strategies for less costly handling of medical images. Aspects of digitization using conventional digital cameras, lossy compression with good diagnostic quality, and visualization through less costly monitors are discussed. Method: For digitization of film-...

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Main Authors: Choong, Miew Keen, Logeswaran, Rajasvaran, Bister, Michel
Format: Article
Published: ELSEVIER IRELAND LTD 2007
Subjects:
Online Access:http://shdl.mmu.edu.my/3009/
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author Choong, Miew Keen
Logeswaran, Rajasvaran
Bister, Michel
author_facet Choong, Miew Keen
Logeswaran, Rajasvaran
Bister, Michel
author_sort Choong, Miew Keen
building MMU Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Background: This paper concentrates on strategies for less costly handling of medical images. Aspects of digitization using conventional digital cameras, lossy compression with good diagnostic quality, and visualization through less costly monitors are discussed. Method: For digitization of film-based media, subjective evaluation of the suitability of digital cameras as an alternative to the digitizer was undertaken. To save on storage, bandwidth and transmission time, the acceptable degree of compression with diagnostically no loss of important data was studied through randomized double-blind tests of the subjective image quality when compression noise was kept lower than the inherent noise. A diagnostic experiment was undertaken to evaluate normal low cost computer monitors as viable viewing displays for clinicians. Results: The results show that conventional digital camera images of X-ray images were diagnostically similar to the expensive digitizer. Lossy compression, when used moderately with the imaging noise to compression noise ratio (ICR) greater than four, can bring about image improvement with better diagnostic quality than the original image. Statistical analysis shows that there is no diagnostic difference between expensive high quality monitors and conventional computer monitors. Conclusion: The results presented show good potential in implementing the proposed strategies to promote widespread cost-effective telemedicine and digital medical environments.
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spelling mmu-30092011-09-29T06:58:31Z http://shdl.mmu.edu.my/3009/ Cost-effective handling of digital medical images in the telemedicine environment Choong, Miew Keen Logeswaran, Rajasvaran Bister, Michel T Technology (General) QA75.5-76.95 Electronic computers. Computer science Background: This paper concentrates on strategies for less costly handling of medical images. Aspects of digitization using conventional digital cameras, lossy compression with good diagnostic quality, and visualization through less costly monitors are discussed. Method: For digitization of film-based media, subjective evaluation of the suitability of digital cameras as an alternative to the digitizer was undertaken. To save on storage, bandwidth and transmission time, the acceptable degree of compression with diagnostically no loss of important data was studied through randomized double-blind tests of the subjective image quality when compression noise was kept lower than the inherent noise. A diagnostic experiment was undertaken to evaluate normal low cost computer monitors as viable viewing displays for clinicians. Results: The results show that conventional digital camera images of X-ray images were diagnostically similar to the expensive digitizer. Lossy compression, when used moderately with the imaging noise to compression noise ratio (ICR) greater than four, can bring about image improvement with better diagnostic quality than the original image. Statistical analysis shows that there is no diagnostic difference between expensive high quality monitors and conventional computer monitors. Conclusion: The results presented show good potential in implementing the proposed strategies to promote widespread cost-effective telemedicine and digital medical environments. ELSEVIER IRELAND LTD 2007-09 Article NonPeerReviewed Choong, Miew Keen and Logeswaran, Rajasvaran and Bister, Michel (2007) Cost-effective handling of digital medical images in the telemedicine environment. International Journal of Medical Informatics, 76 (9). pp. 646-654. ISSN 13865056 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2006.05.007 doi:10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2006.05.007 doi:10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2006.05.007
spellingShingle T Technology (General)
QA75.5-76.95 Electronic computers. Computer science
Choong, Miew Keen
Logeswaran, Rajasvaran
Bister, Michel
Cost-effective handling of digital medical images in the telemedicine environment
title Cost-effective handling of digital medical images in the telemedicine environment
title_full Cost-effective handling of digital medical images in the telemedicine environment
title_fullStr Cost-effective handling of digital medical images in the telemedicine environment
title_full_unstemmed Cost-effective handling of digital medical images in the telemedicine environment
title_short Cost-effective handling of digital medical images in the telemedicine environment
title_sort cost-effective handling of digital medical images in the telemedicine environment
topic T Technology (General)
QA75.5-76.95 Electronic computers. Computer science
url http://shdl.mmu.edu.my/3009/
http://shdl.mmu.edu.my/3009/
http://shdl.mmu.edu.my/3009/