Specialized telecommunications system in the transmission of digital radiological images in hostile environments

Abstract

The international standard of transport and storage of radiological images - DICOM, the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) - was formed to integrate the industry segment in favor of a single model of operation, aiming above all integration, customization and possible economy. This methodology combines virtues, mainly by excluding the proprietary view of previous systems. The images of a radiological examination must be transmitted from source to receiver without interruption or delay, have a large volume of files and large size together (in megabytes). The international standard is designed to operate at optimum telecommunications environments - stable, secure and transmission rates of local networks. In order to enable the practice of medicine where there is the presence of health professionals, Telemedicine seeks the creation of technologies that enable its activity. Conventionally, these physical environments also lack virtuous telecommunications systems. The telecom environment in the State of Amazonas to clinical and hospital environments of the State Secretariat of Health of the Amazon is distributed via satellite to 128 kbps connections. The 62 cities of this state are in dense forest environments with high humidity, heavy rainfall and high rate of electrical storms. Currently, even in the state of Amazonas, is in use in 44 units and in installation phase in the remaining 21 hospitals of the State Government, transmitting full digital mammograms beyond satellite to the Medical Report Center, located at the Hospital Francisca Mendes (Manaus/AM) of Federal University of Amazonas. The system has been customized to the case and is able to carry more than 380,000 exams per year, coming from the State Hospitals for Medical Reports Center. A simulator of deployed communications equipment will be presented at the Congress, demonstrating its practicality and dynamism when compared to international systems.