Case Study: Geneva University Hospital Filling The Image Analysis Needs Of 15 Clinical

The physicians and surgeons at Geneva University Hospital had a frustrating problem. The Radiology Department had installed new imaging devices such as high-definition, multi-detector scanners and hybrid devices that combine PET and CT technology. These advanced modalities were producing images that were rich in detail and could help them immensely in planning treatment. The physicians' difficulty was in finding an effective way to view and analyze these images.

In the first place, if they wanted sophisticated image analysis they usually had to go to the Radiology Department and use the workstations that came with the imaging systems, because those workstations were too expensive to install in other departments. Secondly, the workstation software was not physician-friendly. And finally, the software didn't really provide the kinds of tools the physicians needed to analyze DICOM imaging data coming from different modalities, to come up with an effective, efficient diagnosis.

The arrival of the Mac systems with the intuitive Mac OS X operating system and the powerful OsiriX GUI opened the floodgates of 3D image analysis and revolutionized workflow in the clinical departments. They quickly became a crucial everyday component of clinical conferences, surgical planning, and tumor board meetings.