Image database

cmr⁴² works with images in the DICOM file format. For easy access the image data have to be imported into the cmr⁴² image database. In a routine setup, images will be imported automatically from the MRI system (after linking them in a one-time initial setup). If such automatically imported images belong to the patient study currently being analyzed by the user, they will be appended to the current workspace without any user interaction. This function allows users to start image evaluation while the patient study is still in progress. To retrieve images from other sources such as CD or other media on a network, the import can be done manually using a corresponding button (DICOM receive or query/retrieve). The images are sorted into series based on the header information. This is independent of standard DICOM file exchange or other additional information on the content of the storage media.

The user can browse through multiple databases and exchange data with drag-and-drop functionality. Sending them over the network can also be done by drag-and-drop or by a single button-click. Two preview panels allow for a preliminary view of the stored studies. The first panel consists of an simple viewer (preview cine possible) and allows simple measurements. The second set of frames displays thumbnails of every series of that study. A detailed description of the study-, series- and image parameters is available as an option ("Extended view"). The lists can be filtered by any parameter including patient names.