Imaging Platform Unifies PACS, RIS, Reporting, Connectivity and Clinical Applications

A new imaging unified management platform is designed to achieve clinical productivity, improve serviceability, and streamline integration efforts across the enterprise. This system reshapes capabilities typically found in a radiology information system (RIS), picture archiving and communication system (PACS), reporting, and connectivity into just one system.

Current imaging modalities such as computed tomography (CT) angiography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and mammography stretch the capacities of the hospital’s PACS infrastructure while also requiring more work from the radiologists themselves. The Impax Agility system resolves these hurdles by providing a fully integrated solution that offers medical imaging professionals access to pertinent and varied clinical data in one platform. Its streamlined interface and intuitive features make it user-friendly, optimizing the radiologist’s productivity.

Impax Agility, developed by Agfa Healthcare (Mortsel, Belgium), provides support for a wide range of diagnostic areas. It includes dedicated tools for general radiology, ultrasound, mammography, cardiology, and angiography. The zero-footprint, Web 2.0 viewer, based on Agfa HealthCare’s Xero visualization platform, provides convenient access to results on a variety of the most popular web browsers.

The system utilizes hanging protocols, which present studies and images in a consistent manner, even from different modalities. These hanging protocols were devised based on real radiologist behavior, for an automated workflow that reduces redundant, manual tasks.

A three-dimensional (3D) imaging engine offers new, intuitive ways to explore anatomy and pathology without requiring a separate application. Axial, coronal, and sagittal planes, for example, can be combined to constitute a 3D view of the body from any perspective. The 3D engine can also render MIP/MPR/3D in any viewport.

Macros in reports provide an exam-based template structure for the radiologist. This both speeds up the reporting workflow and helps avoid omissions. Powerful task-based workflow engines help to ensure that all users follow the appropriate steps for each procedure and circumstance, and for their own workflow. This supports the hospital in meeting regulatory obligations and workflow best practices, as well as improving communication.

Impax Agility has been successfully deployed at the AZ Sint-Rembert Hospital, in Torhout (Belgium). Radiologists there found the image display, workflow management, and personalized settings supported their efforts to provide top patient care. “Impax Agility has enabled us to improve our service and increase productivity. With Impax Agility, we can cope with the challenge of increasingly complex imaging and software developments, such as cardio- or angio-CT, which can be easily integrated. We are convinced Agfa HealthCare will be our partner on our path to the future of medical imaging,” stated Dr. Biebau, medical director and head of radiology.

“We are very excited to show the investments we are making in the Impax product line with Impax Agility at ECR 2013,” commented James Jay, vice president and global head of radiology information technology (IT), Agfa HealthCare. “It is much more than a PACS; it is an intuitive platform with an innovative approach to workflow optimization, which supports our vision of image management across the healthcare continuum.”

Currently, the system is a work in progress.

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