Traditionally, medical images were captured on film and stored physically, leading to cumbersome and time-consuming processes for retrieval and sharing. PACS digitizes these images, allowing healthcare providers to access them instantly from any location within the healthcare network, facilitating rapid diagnosis and treatment decisions.

One of the primary roles of PACS is to enhance diagnostic capabilities by providing healthcare professionals with immediate access to high-quality images. This quick access to medical images enables radiologists, physicians, and specialists to review and interpret images promptly, leading to faster diagnosis and improved patient outcomes. Additionally, PACS facilitates comparison of current images with previous studies, aiding in the detection of subtle changes over time and enhancing diagnostic accuracy.

PACS also plays a critical role in promoting collaboration and communication among healthcare providers. Through PACS, medical images can be easily shared between different departments, healthcare facilities and even remote locations, fostering interdisciplinary teamwork and enabling consultations among specialists. This seamless exchange of information accelerates the decision-making process, particularly in complex cases where input from multiple experts is required. PACS contributes to operational efficiency within healthcare organizations by optimizing workflow management.

With PACS, images can be electronically routed to the appropriate personnel for review and interpretation, eliminating the need for manual transport of physical films and reducing the risk of errors or delays. This automation streamlines the imaging process, improves productivity and allows healthcare professionals to focus more time on patient care.

PACS eliminates the need for physical storage space required for film archives, reducing costs associated with film procurement, maintenance and retrieval. Moreover, digital images stored within PACS are easily searchable and can be archived securely for long-term retention, ensuring accessibility for future reference and research purposes.

PACS serves as a foundation for advanced imaging technologies and innovations, such as 3D reconstruction, computer-aided diagnosis (CAD), and artificial intelligence (AI) applications. These technologies leverage the digital infrastructure provided by PACS to enhance diagnostic accuracy, automate image analysis and assist healthcare providers in making more informed decisions.

Shivangi Sharma
Faculty of Radiology

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PET imaging utilises radio tracers, which are radioactive compounds injected into the body. These tracers emit positrons, which interact with electrons in the body, producing gamma rays. PET scanners detect these gamma rays, mapping their distribution to create detailed images of metabolic activity within tissues and organs. By visualising metabolic processes, PET scans excel in detecting abnormalities at the cellular level, making them invaluable in oncology, neurology, cardiology, and other fields. 

CT scans employ X-rays to generate cross-sectional images of the body’s internal structures. CT imaging provides high-resolution anatomical details, offering precise information about the size, shape, and location of tumors, lesions, or other anomalies. By combining PET and CT technologies, PET-CT scans synergistically merge metabolic data from PET with anatomical information from CT, providing comprehensive insights into both structure and function. 

PET and CT scans in a single imaging modality offers several advantages. Firstly, it enhances diagnostic accuracy by correlating metabolic abnormalities with their precise anatomical locations. This facilitates more precise disease staging, treatment planning, and monitoring of therapeutic responses. In oncology, PET-CT scans can precisely delineate tumor margins, identify metastases, and assess treatment efficacy by evaluating changes in metabolic activity over time. PET-CT plays a pivotal role in cancer diagnosis, staging, treatment planning, and response assessment. By accurately characterising tumors and detecting metastases, PET-CT guides clinicians in devising personalized treatment strategies tailored to individual patients.

Additionally, PET-CT aids in monitoring tumor progression and assessing the effectiveness of chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and targeted therapies. PET-CT contributes to cardiovascular medicine by assessing myocardial perfusion, viability, and metabolism, aiding in the diagnosis and management of coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, and cardiomyopathies. PET-CT facilitates the development of novel radiotracers for investigating various physiological and pathological processes, advancing our understanding of disease mechanisms and therapeutic targets.

In conclusion, PET-CT represents a paradigm shift in medical imaging, offering a comprehensive and integrated approach to disease evaluation.

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Medical technology is thought to be owned by developing countries for a very long time. The high-quality medical equipment and devices are still developing by advanced nations.

Medical technology includes various types of devices such as imaging devices like magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT) scans, X-rays, ultrasound machines and endoscopes; therapeutic devices such as pacemakers, artificial joints, hearing aids and diagnostic devices such as blood glucose meters, pregnancy tests, imaging systems, advanced wound care devices. 

This technology also includes healthcare software and services which provides clinical decision support, electronic health records, telemedicine and other applications that help healthcare professionals to deliver more efficient and effective care to the patients.

There are latest development in medical technology in India which are futuristic and paving a way for self -sustenance. Some of the latest technologies are Robotics Surgery, artificial intelligence in  Health care, telemedicine, 3D Printing and innovation wound care devices.

Latest Developments in Technology are:

• Virtual Reality
  It is increasingly used to treat and manage a wide range of psychological illness and conditions, stress, anxiety, dementia, autism, etc. It is not only managing the mental health conditions but also being used for effective pain management by changing patient thoughts and perception through pain.

• Neurotechnology
  It is being used in brain imaging by recording magnetic field produced by electrical activity within the brain, neurostimulation, stimulating brain and nervous system to influence brain activity.

• Artificial Intelligence
  It is the most exciting technology changing the health care landscape since 2022. It is becoming more effective by detecting diseases early and confirming with an accurate diagnosis. They are mostly used in illness detection, drug development, patient monitoring and self-care.

• 3D Printing
  3D Printer have been one of the exciting technology used to create implants and even joints with digital functionalbilities enabling them to match exact measurement. It has been in India almost for 30 years now.

• Telemedicine
  Telemedicine have become increasingly in demand since covid-19 in 2020. It is to remote clinical services. It offers great comfort and convenience for patients and can also be cheaper, also beneficial for people who are geographically isolated. Some telemedicines such as Medlife, Practo Pharmeasy, Netmeds, 1MG etc has flourished in India at rapid rate since pandemics time.

The advancement of medical technology have revolutionized in  diagnostics,leading to improve patient care and health outcomes, From mRNA Technology and telehealth to CRISPR and nano medicine, AI to Telemedicine, each medical technology brings unique capabilities and benefits to field.

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