Sorna

Nov 9, 2006

Sorna will debut Universal Importer, as well as enhancements to its eXpedo product, at the 2006 RSNA conference.

Universal Importer is a software application that imports patient data and diagnostic images into a PACS network from any digital source or storage medium, including DICOM CDs and/or DVDs, the Eagan, MN-based firm said. It contains manual and automated tools for efficient patient re-identification and importing of outside data.

In addition to having the standard features of the vendor's eXpedo Importer software, Universal Importer will also conform to the Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise (IHE) portable data for imaging (PDI) media reader protocol, Sorna said. The company will also add an optional interface to IHE's import reconciliation workflow (IRWF) profile, once that profile is finalized.

Universal Importer can manually separate an existing study into multiple studies or combine multiple DICOM objects from multiple studies into one study, Sorna said. Patient demographics and study information can be obtained from a worklist server. Sorna expects to release Universal Importer in the first quarter of 2007.

In other RSNA developments, Sorna will present software enhancements for its eXpedo DICOM CD/DVD recording systems. A new importer has been added, allowing users to extract DICOM data from a disk and transfer it to the user's PACS network. It can be installed on and operated from any PC on a network, and is compliant with the IHE PDI media importer profile, Sorna said.

eXpedo can also now create a new DICOM disk from the import data by sending the images and/or reports to any existing Sorna DISCflow profile on any eXpedo server in the network, Sorna said. In addition, eXpedo Importer can modify or change the contents of any DICOM field.

eXpedo now supports the downloading and displaying of images on Apple iPods as well. Sorna plans to release the software enhancements in the first quarter of 2007.

By Erik L. Ridley
AuntMinnie.com staff writer
November 10, 2006