Opportunities for the application of multimedia technology in medical imaging

Various types of equipment and associated software for medical imaging offer integrated functionality for the acquisition, processing, storage and retrieval, presentation, analysis, and hard-copy of images which have been recorded from the inside of the human body. Such images may be used, for example, to diagnose illnesses, to provide guidance during interventions, to plan and execute surgery, and to plan and execute radiation treatment. The all-encompassing goal of the application of these systems is the improvement of the quality and efficiency of health care. Several ideas are presented for multimedia-like functionality which is regarded as useful to the medical imaging environment