DR Systems to Feature Software-Only, Enterprise Web-PACS for Radiology, Mammography, Cardiology

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Activities at the RSNA booth of DR Systems, makers of the Unity™ enterprise imaging and information management system, will include the first operational demonstrations of:

• Web-based Unity™ Enterprise Imaging and Information Management Solution;
• The company’s new ZDA (Zero-Download Ambassador), Web browser-based clinical review application;
• The Unity platform operating in a virtualized server environment;
• The company’s new Release 8.2;
• A talk by Evan K. Fram, M.D., on the future of medical imaging informatics;
• A presentation by Michael Trambert, M.D., on the benefits of integrating mammography with RIS/PACS;
• A talk by Murray Reicher, M.D., on new capabilities in 8.2 and works in progress at the company.

DR Systems, the leading independent provider of enterprise imaging and information management systems solutions, will be exhibiting at Booth 4209 in the South Building, Hall A from Sunday, Nov. 30 to Thursday, Dec. 4. RSNA 2008 will be held Nov. 30 - Dec. 5 in Chicago.

“At this year’s RSNA, we’ll be introducing new capabilities and features that will add efficiency and lower operating costs for our customers for years to come,” said Rick Porritt, the company’s President and CEO. “As healthcare institutions consolidate into large multi-site organizations, DR Systems continues to provide superior technology and support for these growing organizations.”

Web-based imaging informatics: The Unity™ enterprise imaging and information management system -- from scheduling to registration, to RIS and PACS, reporting, tracking, image distribution and clinical review -- all operating in an HTTP communication protocol environment.

Zero-download clinical review: The new “ultra-thin client,” zero-download Ambassador clinical review application is a boon for institutions’ already using DR Systems’ Web Ambassador software. Web Ambassador enables referring doctors and other clinicians to view exams and reports remotely from their home or office computers, or while traveling. With the new zero-download application, clinicians no longer have to download the software before accessing reports and exams on their own computers.

The zero-download Ambassador application is cross-platform capable and will be demonstrated running on Apple and Linux operating system computers.

Server virtualization: This exciting new development reduces hardware costs, operating costs, and service interruptions by enabling institutions to use fewer servers for their various applications, instead of having each application run on its own dedicated server. It enables radiology departments to continue with full functionality during planned downtimes, and offers enhanced business continuity for unplanned infrastructure downtimes.

Institutions using virtualization technology can also maintain a greener profile because they consume far less electrical power for their servers. Without virtualization, a hospital might be running several servers 24 hours per day for applications that are used only occasionally. Virtualization eliminates this wasteful, expensive scenario.

DR Systems’ virtualization offerings will utilize award-winning technology from VMware (Palo Alto, Calif.). The demonstration at RSNA will include virtual servers running on both Windows Server 2003 64-bit and Windows Server 2008 64-bit operating systems.

The presentations by Drs. Trambert, Fram, and Reicher will be held at the DR Systems booth every day from Sunday, Nov. 30 through Thursday, Dec. 4. Dr. Fram’s talk is titled “Medical Imaging Informatics: Future Vision.” It will include a discussion of electronic perception technology that is being developed for future generations of the DR Systems’ RIS/PACS.

Dr. Trambert will be speaking on "Top 10 Consideration for FFDM and PACS." A pioneer in integrating mammography and PACS, Dr. Trambert will discuss his past year’s experience of reading in an integrated digital mammography/PACS environment.

Dr. Reicher’s talk, “What's New at DR Systems: The Latest Innovations and Works in Progress,” will detail several new capabilities that are debuting in Release 8.2, including those listed below. He will also describe several works in progress. In addition to server virtualization, Dr. Reicher will discuss the continuing development of the company’s DICOM connectivity capability, which will provide PACS interoperability between multiple healthcare institutions with diverse systems.

Dr. Trambert is lead radiologist for PACS reengineering at Cottage Health System and the Sansum-Santa Barbara Medical Foundation Clinic, in Santa Barbara, Calif. Dr. Reicher is the chairman and co-founder of DR Systems. Dr. Fram is Chief Scientist of DR Systems and also a co-founder of the company.

Among the new application capabilities in Release 8.2, available to customers in early 2009, are:

• Critical Results: Tracks critical values and tests. Audits timeliness of reporting results to responsible caregivers.
• DICOM Structured Reports: Automatically captures DICOM data such as ultrasound measurements from the modality and transfers it to the exam report, increasing the radiologist's accuracy and saving time for the technologist.
• CS Series Workstations: Provides sites with the ability to use the full range of Unity RIS/PACS software features on client-supplied hardware.
• Peer Review: Evaluates prior exam reports and diagnoses completed by other physicians in the practice. Helps facilitate better quality interpretations by educating reading physicians.
• Unity access via enterprise-based and physician office EMRs (electronic medical record). Accessing through a Web browser to the EMR allows for clinical review of exam reports, images, and voice clips along with other patient information.

About DR Systems

DR Systems, Inc. is the leading independent provider of enterprise imaging and information management systems for diagnostic imaging centers, hospitals and integrated healthcare networks. For more than 15 years, the company has helped more than 500 hospitals and imaging center sites improve the management of patient information, eliminate film costs, and increase workflow speed, while providing better clinical quality and patient care.

The DR Systems PACS was ranked by KLAS® as the leading PACS in the “Top 20: 2007 Best in KLAS Report” published in December 2007. For the second year in a row, DR Systems Unity PACS was ranked higher than all other PACS providers including Carestream, McKesson, GE Medical Systems, Siemens and Agfa.

The Unity platform integrates Web Scheduling, Registration, Patient Flow Tracking, PACS, Reporting, Archive, Web Distribution, Management Reporting, Data conversion, and Regulatory compliance. DR Systems’ solutions encompass all medical imaging modalities and all specialties, including Cardiology, Radiology, Orthopedics, and Pathology. Our mission is to enhance the clinical and financial success of our medical imaging customers.

For more information, call 800-794-5955 or visit www.dominator.com.