PeekMed allows searching for a specific patient in a simple and effective way. To be able to import images you need to configure both the connection to the PACS server and the local storage service.
Last updated on August 1 2024
1. Configure Local Storage Service
The local storage service is responsible for locally storing the received images, found by searching the PACS server. To configure it:
Click on Loader View > Settings > System Preferences > DICOM Listener; or
Click on File > Settings > System Preferences > DICOM Listener.
- A. Enter a value for the gateway (port);
- B. Configure the local service’s AETitle. The PACS server must recognize this identification. This identification, together with the port, identifies the machine that will receive the images.
- C. Click the OFF button so its status changes to ON and the indicator turns green with the Running description. Allow any system services requested by your operating system after this process.
If you do not get the ON status, change the values of steps A and B and try again.
After the connection has been successfully made, you can choose to allow the application to start this service automatically when PeekMed starts. To do so, you must check the Auto-start option;
In the end, click Save and Exit.
2. Configure the PACS Server Connection
It is through the connection to the PACS server that the image search is made and hence their importation. To configure a connection:
- A. Click on Loader View > Settings > System Preferences > DICOM Stations; or
- a. Click on File > Settings > System Preferences > DICOM Stations.
- B. Click Add. This will add an entry to the table. The entry is divided into 4 columns:
- Name: connection name. Serves only for the identification of the connection at the time of the search;
- Hostname: it is the IP address of the PACS images server;
- Port: it is the PACS image server’s gateway;
- AETitle: this is the identification title of the PACS server.
After entering the values, simply select the entry and click Test to test the connection to the server. If everything is correct, you should see the following message: The test performed was a success. Otherwise, it should appear: The test performed was a failure.
Once the local storage service and the connection to the desired PACS server are both configured, it is possible to search and import the server images.
3. Image Search by Patient
To search by the patient, just perform this set of actions:
- A. On the PeekMed Main Menu, click on DICOM images from PACS. A search window should appear;
- a. This option should be available via:
- File > Import DICOM images from PACS; or
- Selection View > Add more DICOM images > PACS.
- a. This option should be available via:
- B. First, you must choose which links to the PACS server should be used. If you only added one, this connection is already selected by default;
- C. The patient search can be made using the available fields. When two or more fields are filled, they work cumulatively (e.g. if the field Patient Name is filled with "John Doe" and the Patient ID field with "001", the search is done by the patient with the name John Doe and with ID 001). Any of the fields work as a part, i.e., if the search is made based on the patient's name, like "John", you will get results for patients with the name "John Doe" as well as "John Doctor” and so on;
- D. After filling the appropriate fields, you must now press Find to start searching for images that match your query;
- E. The search results appear in a table (image below). A status bar is placed in the lower right corner that lets you know when the search ended. The results are organized by the study of each patient.
Retrieve: If you want to import the complete study, just maximize the study and click Retrieve on the corresponding row. If you want to import only a series, just click Retrieve All on the corresponding row. You can cancel the retrieving process by clicking the "x" button on left of the loading bar.
Open: After you successfully retrieved the studies, click on Open on the corresponding row to open the DICOM.
Status: Status of the retrieval of the study:
Successful retrieval
Partially retrieved (at least one was unsuccessfully retrieved)- Unsuccessful retrieval
Clicking on a successfully retrieved study, a preview of the DICOM is shown.
After importing the images, these will be located in the defined folder, being now possible to use them in the surgery planning with PeekMed.