ODIN: Adaptation of an HTML 5-Compatible DICOM Viewer for MIRC-TFS, Enhancing the Incorporation of Clinical Images into the Health Science Curriculum.

INTRODUCTION

The use of diagnostic radiology images while teaching has been proven to enhance student learning. The incorporation of images in the Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) format has been hindered by the lack of integrated, DICOM image-compatible, viewing software.

BACKGROUND

A project was developed to facilitate the migration of clinical diagnostic radiology images, in their native DICOM format into the curriculum at the undergraduate level, including the Medical School, while anonymizing the images and presenting them in a way that simulates a clinical Picture Archive and Communication System (PACS). These images can be directly incorporated into Blackboard Learn or into other applications using embedded URLs.

DISCUSSION

A teaching file server was deployed using the Medical Imaging Resource Community-Teaching File System (MIRC-TFS) platform. An HTML5, DICOM image viewing server was developed and deployed. Plugins were created to integrate the anonymized images in the MIRC-TFS server with the HTML5 DICOM viewer and Blackboard Learn. The solution was deployed at an undergraduate level.

CONCLUSION

This project has resulted in the successful development and deployment of a variety of solutions, including an HTML 5 DICOM viewer, that has allowed for the incorporation of anonymized DICOM images from a clinical imaging repository into the undergraduate curriculum.