ImageGrid represents a paradigm shift in PACS and offer many of the features and capabilities found in more expensive PACS solutions in a fully integrated storage / server appliance. ImageGrid as been architected and designed as a single-purpose appliance for DICOM services and hence is significantly easier to install and administer than traditional PACS solutions. By using an appliance-based foundation and industry-standard DICOM architecture, the Candelis ImageGrid PACS appliance accelerates image access, simplifies operation and management, and protects patient images in a highly reliable, HIPAA-compliant storage and archival system. With ImageGrid PACS, imaging centers and clinics are able to cost-effectively implement PACS and realize the full potential and benefits of their digital modalities. Once implemented, ImageGrid's reliability and low maintenance requirement provides customers with the lowest total cost of ownership.

DICOM is an interface and protocol standard created by the medical industry to promote interoperability between imaging equipment and any equipment users want to connect. When fully implemented, DICOM simplifies usage, communication, and management of medical images by making the underlying imaging infrastructure transparent to the user. In creating ImageGrid, Candelis took the DICOM inoperability concept further by integrating it with a streamlined, storage and database appliance that is purpose-built for moving, routing, and storing DICOM images over a network with virtually zero installation or administration.

ImageGrid is extremely versatile and may be used for a variety of purposes. Many customers use ImageGrid as their primary PACS in conjunction with leading volumetric imaging workstations. A number of large hospitals have also deployed ImageGrid as a high throughput DICOM router to better manage data traffic on their network and between modalities and their PACS. In facilities with a 64-Slice CT, ImageGrid has also been deployed as a dedicated PACS to manage the large volume of data in more cost-effective and efficient manner. In such data intensive applications, ImageGrid's internal database, appliance operating system, and CPU have proven their optimized performance with the ability to deliver, retrieve and routing studies at speeds exceeding that of many high-performance PACS systems.

ImageGrid can also serve as a tele-radiology server, sending images automatically to specific radiologists based on predefined "rules," such as image source, patient information and radiologist specialty. Rule-based routing enables an imaging center to automatically route images to reading physicians whether onsite or remote. Another benefit of the automated routing feature is that images can be archived remotely for compliance with HIPAA disaster-recovery requirements.

ImageGrid storage capacity addresses the needs of imaging centers, both large and small. The initial capacity of ImageGrid ranges from 1 terabyte to 11.25 terabytes, with expansion to tens of terabytes. The ImageGrid 1500 can accommodate tens of thousands of very large studies, while requiring rack space of 5.25 inches high and with a footprint of less than 2.8 square feet.

With ImageGrid PACS, many imaging centers and clinics can replace their high-maintenance CD jukeboxes with the benefits of a full featured PACS with always-online access to more of their studies. A popular jukebox capacity for imaging centers is slightly over 200 CDs, or about 1.2 terabytes of raw capacity, approximately one year's worth of studies for a typical imaging center. While the jukebox works reasonably well as long as all studies of interest fit into the system, it is not as appealing once the storage capacity is exceeded. When this happens, system administrators must manually load requested studies into the jukebox. When the administrator is not available, the reading physician must wait. In addition, jukeboxes are prone to mechanical failure and archived CDs outside the jukebox require filing, labeling, and human administration. In addition to operating advantages of speed, capacity, and reliability, it is useful to consider the implications of ImageGrid capacity in terms of digital studies that can be accommodated.

The table below provides a study-oriented analysis of capacity for studies of various sizes.

An average imaging centers generates between 4,000-6,000 studies per year, while large imaging centers with a 64-slice CT and multiple MRIs generate two to three times this study volume. Thus, in actual practice, 10 terabytes of useable capacity has become the minimum archive requirement for many imaging centers.