Flexible integration of software applications in a network environment
A software application for integration into a picture archiving and communications systems (PACS) network is described. The software application is provided as a single software component using model-view-controller software architecture. The software component's interface is used to expose predominantly only functional parts of a stand-alone version of the software application to a system integrator. The interface provides a set of user interface control parameters and a set of data handling parameters. These allow a PACS network provider to integrate the software application easily by generating a suitable graphical user interface for the application which can be configured to match the “look and feel” desired by the network provider. This can be done in a way which does not require the PACS network provider to have a deep understanding of the technical functioning of the software application.
1 . A software component containing a medical-imaging visualization application, the software component operable to function as a model component in a model-view-controller software architecture, and having an interface having a set of user interface control parameters and a set of data handling parameters, the sets of parameters being chosen to allow flexible integration of the visualization application into a proprietary Picture Archiving and Communications Systems (PACS) network.
2 . A software component according to claim 1 , wherein the data handling parameters are Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) format data handling parameters.
3 . A software component according to claim 1 , wherein the software component is a sub-component of a pre-existing data visualization application.
4 . A software component according to claim 3 , wherein the software component includes a software wrapper, the software wrapper being configured to map the sets of parameters of the interface to parameters appropriate for the sub-component.
5 . A software component according to claim 1 , wherein the user input parameters include any of: two-dimensional (2D) tool parameters, three-dimensional (3D) tool parameters, sculpting parameters, display decoration parameters, preset parameters, region of interest select parameters, volume rendering parameters and image display parameters.
6 . A PACS network including a software component containing a medical-imaging visualization application, the software component operable to function as a model component in a model-view-controller software architecture, and having an interface having a set of user interface control parameters and a set of data handling parameters, the sets of parameters being chosen to allow flexible integration of the visualization application into the PACS network.
7 . A PACS network according to claim 6 , wherein the data handling parameters are DICOM format data handling parameters.
8 . A PACS network according to claim 6 , the PACS network including a specific glue bridge software component, the specific glue bridge being operable to accommodate non-standard aspects of the PACS network.
9 . A PACS network according to claim 8 , wherein the non-standard aspects of the PACS network include a non-standard data format.
10 . A PACS network according to claim 9 , wherein the non-standard data format is a compressed data format.
11 . A PACS network according to claim 8 , wherein the non-standard aspects of the PACS network include non-standard data handling.
12 . A PACS network according to claim 11 , wherein the non-standard data handling relates to proprietary grouping of data.
13 . A PACS network according to claim 6 , the PACS network including a dispatcher software component, the dispatcher being operable to link multiple software components corresponding to multiple software applications to the PACS network via a common interface.
14 . A method of offering a medical-imaging data visualization application to a PACS network integrator, the method comprising:
providing a first version of the application contained in a high-level software component;
providing a second version of the application contained in a plurality of lower-level software components; and
allowing the integrator to decide between use of the different versions for integrating the application into a PACS network.
15 . A method according to claim 14 , wherein the high-level software component is operable to function as a model component in a model-view-controller software architecture, and has an interface having a set of user interface control parameters and a set of data handling parameters.
16 . A method according to claim 15 , wherein the data handling parameters are DICOM format data handling parameters.
17 . A method according to claim 14 , wherein at least a subset of the lower-level software components relate to underlying technical functions of the application.
18 . A method according to claim 14 , further comprising:
providing a third version of the application contained in a plurality of intermediate-level software components.
19 . A method according to claim 18 , further comprising:
providing at least a fourth version of the application contained in a plurality of software components of a different level.