 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|||||||||
LSU researchers bring new developments in business and medicine to Louisiana. LSU CAPITAL, the LSU Health Sciences Center and the Department of LSU Computer Science have joined forces to create Universal Picture Archiving and Communication Systems, or UniPACS, a new company that can change medical imaging. The group has created a software package, also known as UniPACS that helps radiologists view and archive medical images like X-rays, MRIs, and CT scans in a much more cost efficient and practical way. UniPACS allows the management of small hospitals and home-office operations to afford the same quality of resources and technology that were previously available at only the largest hospitals with the biggest budgets. Historically, radiologists have relied on expensive and cumbersome equipment to read the digital image files that helped them to diagnose patients. With LSU's new UniPACS software, doctors can now view medical images from any PC with an Internet connection. The new software works as a secure, confidential, FDA-approved workstation, allowing radiologists to analyze images from almost any location.
"Similar units cost $150,000. Now that the images are digital, the cost is nowhere near that. They don't even need film anymore," said John Tyler, professor of computer science at LSU, and one of the company's six owners. "The DICOM image files can also contain text, the radiologist's dictation, the patient's name, and other information. It's all encrypted with passwords," said Tyler. LSU CAPITAL, the Center for Applied Information Technology and Learning at LSU, has funded a substantial part of the cost for UniPACS research, including equipment purchases and graduate student stipends. The administration of LSU CAPITAL sees UniPACS as an opportunity for economic development in the state. Former Interim Director of LSU CAPITAL, said, "UniPACS is a chance for LSU CAPITAL to meet all of its goals at once. This project involves educating students and advancing medical research, all while boosting Louisiana's economic growth with a new company." The innovation started off as a student's Ph.D. project, and now the software has become a popular and credible product.
Charity Hospital in New Orleans has served as a test location and has been using UniPACS software successfully in a diagnostic workstation. In fact, during the first six months of existence, the UniPACS website, was used by clinicians from 62 different countries providing a universally accessible Web interface that is freely available to anyone. The website is already being used to support the National West Nile brain image project. The success of the product stems from the fact that the new option is lightweight, easy to install, and requires little maintenance and support. The software has minimal hardware requirements, permitting it to function on practically any personal computer. The administration of LSU CAPITAL hopes that these desirable qualities will produce a large market demand for the new product. Contact Jennifer Hughes | LSU
University Relations Related Links John Tyler, professor of computer science at LSU |
