A medical image object-oriented database with image processing and automatic reorganization capabilities

The paper presents the medical image database developed for use in the methodological research environment and in the laboratory clinical environment, designed to be capable of being interfaced to an image processing system, This database is intended to solve the numerous problems due to the complexity-multidimensionality and multimodality-of medical images, These problems are posed in terms of management, archiving, structuring and accessing of this archive, and specification of the interfaces with users and with image processing systems. Solving these problems involves making a formal description of the image and the data associated with the Image, while taking into account the specifics of medical imaging. The kernel which contains this description allows the physical architecture of the management and archiving system to be decoupled from its logical architecture. This decoupling is essential in order to automate the recording of new data, the automatic reorganization of the system schema in the event of change in the system environment, and to help in consulting the database. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.