Diagnostic Imaging Case Studies

Prostate Implant Planning Engine for Radiotherapty (PIPER)

OPC Communications for Machine Vision Inspection

Addition of HL7 Communications to a Radiology Information System

Major Improvements of Digital Radiography Systems

Prostate Implant Planning Engine for Radiotherapy (PIPER)

The developer of a radiation-dose planning system for prostate cancer engaged an RTEmd software engineering team. The system uses ultrasound imaging to drive an inverse planning algorithm and prescribe optimal dose distribution for permanently implanted radioactive seeds.

The system easily captures a three-dimensional image of the prostate and automatically designs a treatment plan for the seed placement. The level of radiation in three dimensions is displayed, allowing the user to modify the goals and create a revised plan. The system tracks seed placement, supports fine tuning, and provides a record of the operation as it's being performed. In effect, PIPER transforms prostate brachytherapy from an art to a precise science.

RTEmd contributed to the project by designing and building an intuitive user interface to be used by skilled medical personnel. Our process knowledge was applied to meet the rigors of reliability and repeatability in the medical field as well as FDA device-certification requirements.

OPC Communication for Machine Vision Inspection

RTEmd added OPC™ (OLE for Process Control) data transmission capability to a complex machine-vision software application that inspects soft contact lenses in high-volume, high-speed production lines. OPC is an industry standard for reliable communication among factory devices, production management systems, and business management systems.

The RTEmd OPC client is built into the machine-vision application and publishes to an OPC server all the data accumulated for each contact lens. The server is KEPServerEX version 4, which is compliant with the OPC Foundation DA Auto 2.02 specification. The application is designed to publish to any standard OPC server and to easily maintain conformance to the evolving OPC standard.

Addition of HL7 Communications to a Radiology Information System

For a RIS product that had no HL7 communications capability, RTEmd defined, architected, and implemented HL7 messaging to connect the system to a partner's PACS. The Patient Administration, Order Entry, and Order Response messages followed the V2.3/2.4 HL7 standard. RTEmd performed integration testing with the PACS vendor to ensure the HL7 messages produced the correct results.

Major Improvements of Digital Radiography Systems

Merger of Systems

For a customer's OEM DR systems sold globally, RTEmd analyzed and consulted on the approach and issues in merging eight software baselines into a common core set of modules. For the next step, RTEmd planned and completed the convergence of two systems. RTEmd worked with the customer's marketing department to choose the best alternatives where features differed. The initial successful convergence led to the migration of additional baselines into the common core.

Enhancement of Embedded Software

For the same DR systems, RTEmd provided software engineering for the acquisition, processing, and storage of digital images.

HL7 Communications

For one of the major U.S. sterilizer and washer manufacturers, RTEmd redesigned its integrated instrument-tracking and sterilizer/washer connectivity product to remove the instrument tracking capability and to modernize the connectivity to use DCOM and HL7.

The product can now be integrated via its new API with any DCOM-compliant instrument tracking system that uses HL7. RTEmd constructed and tested the upgrade to run under three versions of Windows, following the manufacturer’s V&V requirements combined with RTEmd’s ISO 9000 quality process. RTEmd integrated a third-party HL7 parser into the revised software and also a third-party licensing protection system. The HL7 messaging broke new ground for HL7 V2.4 because sterilizers and washers were not yet covered by HL7. The manufacturer has offered the messages to the Health Level Seven organization for formal inclusion in the standard. Since the initial delivery in 2003, RTEmd has provided numerous upgrades to the product.

By applying its expertise with sterilizers, HL7, and networked hardware and software, RTEmd has also produced a gateway connecting the sterilizer product with a commercial instrument tracking system, and is negotiating with other ITS vendors to provide similar services.