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The Radiological Society of North America held its 92nd Scientitic Assembly and Animal Meeting (RSNA 2006) from November 26 through December 1, 2006 at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL. More than 61,000 people attended this year's meeting, and >730 companies filled 514,800 square feet of exhibit space. The following is a brief review of some of the new technology that was featured at RSNA 2006.
Barco
At RSNA 2006, Baren (Kortrijk, Belgium) introduced its latest line of grayscale diagnostic display systems, showcased a new online service for high-grade Quality Assurance (QA) of picture archiving and communication system (PACS) display systems, and previewed 2 advanced visualization applications.
Barco's new Nio line of gray-scale display systems, available in 2MP, 3MP, and 5MP resolutions, are driven by a high-speed BarcoMed Nio display controller. featuring the company's proprietary AURA technology. With 64-bit peripheral component interconnect (PCI) performance, the systems are capable of a download speed of up to 230 Mb per second. When combined with the optional BarcoMed Nio PCM Express display controller, the system can download up to 320 Mb per second with 1024 simultaneous levels of gray.
The systems also feature the company's Backlight Output Stabilization (BLOS), which is designed to provide last power-up and continuous Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) compliance. It also comes equipped with a protective front cover to shield the LCD from damage.
The Nio display systems also feature the company's new MediCal QAWeb service, a secure online service providing automated DICOM calibration, QA, display asset management, problem solving, and reporting functions.
According to the company, this new service was developed "to optimize the availability and DICOM-precision of all the PACS display systems within a facility." To install, the MediCal QAWeb Relay is added to the facility's PACS. Once installed, the system permanently monitors all display systems throughout the facility to ensure maximum availability and compliance with DIN-6868-57, AAPM TG18, or other regional quality guidelines, DICOM calibration and QA tasks are performed automatically in the background and, should a problem arise, the system immediately notifies the proper person.
The system architecture also incorporates a central MediCal QAWeh Server that provides a variety of remote capabilities, allowing users to log in from anywhere inside or outside the hospital and check the...