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Explore the MIRC community, supporting the production, storage, indexing, and distribution of medical imaging resources, including teaching files, scientific documentation, research images and datasets, and clinical trials data. Learn about the history, evolution, and technical approach behind this virtual community of medical image libraries and teaching files.
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The Objective: Support the production, storage, indexing and distribution of medical imaging resources: • Teaching files • Scientific & technical documentation • Research images & datasets • Clinical trials data
A little history… • MIRC was originally conceived as a large central database of images and related clinical information that would be maintained by the RSNA for open access by the medical imaging community.
Evolution of the concept… • It soon become evident that a more effective strategy would be to leverage existing on-line electronic resources while creating new ones.
The technical approach… • A virtual community • of medical image libraries • with a distributed index • supporting a distributed search mechanism • A kind of radiological Napster • The final result…
An open community of medical imaging libraries and teaching files around the world, cooperating by sharing information through a common query format
Image Searching Prior to MIRC • Use of a search engine or multiple search engines to locate specific images or information. • Alternatively, find a website with multiple links to teaching files.
Image Searching Prior to MIRC • Or… • Find another database link via the search engine.
MIRC Sites • Query Service • An entry point into the MIRC community for a user on the Internet • Storage Service • A cooperating library • Index: the library’s card catalog • Server: the library’s shelves
MIRC Sites User Query Service MIRC site A Index RSNA site Internet Server Index MIRC site B Index Index Server Server Server MIRC site C
MIRC – a technical definition • MIRC is defined to be a set of servers (query services and storage services) that support: • the MIRCquery and • MIRCqueryresult XML schemas • MIRC places no constraints on how servers display their contents
Query Services • Provide users with query forms. • Translate a query form into a MIRCquery XML object. • Distribute the MIRCquery to all selected Storage Services. • Collate the results and return them to the user.
Free Text Search for “Hemangioma”Single Query Searches Multiple Sites • InteractEd 2 matches • MedPix 13 matches • MyPacs.net 26 matches • Indiana U. 6 matches • National Neuroscience 1 match • Institute Singapore • Casimage Teaching File 7 matches • Mallinckrodt 6 matches • 61 Matches with Early MIRC Sites • Total Query Time: 3.7 seconds
Standard Query Service • Using the standard query service w/out the case navigator allows you to view the results in a typed page format.
Query Services • Selecting the case navigator will take you directly to the first case. The next case will be just a click away.
The Case Navigator Intended for teaching file cases
Storage Services • Respond to queries from Query Services and serve content to users. • Each storage service maintains its own index • Each storage service is responsible for the display format of its content
Complex Query • Can specify a complex search simultaneously across multiple medical image sites
Unknown Query • Can use for teaching cases • Resident board preparation • Test skills in a specific modality or organ system
The RSNA MIRC Software • Query Service • Storage Service Storage Service servlet Submit Service servlet Admin Service servlet XML Server servlet • Authoring Tool
The RSNA MIRC Site Software • Serves all kinds of MIRC documents • Runs on all platforms • Personal/departmental teaching file system • Clinical trials support coming soon • Free / open source
The RSNA MIRC Authoring Tool • Creates all kinds of MIRC documents • Runs on all platforms • Submits documents to MIRC sites running the RSNA software • DICOM Store SCP and Q/R SCU • Free / open source