Assessment of the MIMOSA model: experience learned from the development of a demonstrator

This paper recalls the major motivations for developing the MIMOSA model (medical image management in an open system architecture). It gives an overview of the content of this model and focuses on the validation brought by the prototyping activity. The paper describes the functional scenario addressed by the demonstrator developed at the University Hospital of Rennes, France. Emphasis is put on methodology and architectural issues, allowing a portable MIMOSA-based PACS core to be built while addressing the integration of local PACS components by means of an ad-hoc adaptation layer. Openness is also a central issue: the architecture has been designed in such a way that the MIMOSA services can be requested and provided using established standards. The influence of the DICOM standard with respect to this concern is analyzed in detail. Achievements and current limitations are highlighted. Conclusions are drawn concerning the technical assessment of that part of the model involved in the demonstrator. Clinical validation is not discussed here since the system should be introduced in clinical routine in the course of 1995.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.