Blackbird OsiriX optimized PACS

We have invested heavily in optimizing Blackbird for OsiriX users who will benefit enormously from the complete Blackbird solution with a RIS designed to drive OsiriX. However, even OsiriX users who have their own RIS will benefit from:

• Blackbird's OsiriX minipacs (only offered in conjunction with the Blackbird Archive) which ensures that modalities still see the same AET even if a computer dies.
  OsiriX users will have the images, including priors, available without a Q&R which saves significant time. Network traffic is also optimized.
• Blackbird's archive (which, for example, can securely route images to your home OsiriX using rules). The cloud based option is a winner!
• Blackbird's routers - a year in the design these remove the hassle of virtual private networks and fixed offsite IP addresses
• Blackbird's report and image distribution service (delight your referring doctors!)

Why did Blackbird customize Osirix

We believe Osirix is the outstanding radiology workstation. While we believe that a small practice, run by a technology savvy radiologist can get by with the free solution. We also believe that for Osirix to fulfil its potential in the enterprise environment, required modification and complementary software (RIS, PACS, Routers, MiniPACS)

Intelligent Medical Systems has made, and continues to make ongoing modifications - the following is illustrative:

• The RIS should drive Osirix (otherwise one has to do a query for each patient as well as the priors).
  
• One needs to be certain that one is reporting on the correct patient (RIS and Osirix need to be in synch).
• One doesn't want to manually set the hanging protocol with each series.
• If there is more than one reporting radiologist, each workstation needs to know what images have already been read by other Osirix workstations.
• The images must be available to the referring doctors (both diagnostic and compressed images for their browsers - the Osirix web viewer is currently not powerful enough and has no mechanism to protect patient confidentiality).
• The reports must accompany those images and again confidentiality is crucial.
• One needs to manage where the images are stored (not wise to rely on the local Apple hard drive).
• Images must be available across the enterprise and at the radiologists home. In our low bandwidth environment this required clever solutions.
• Redundancy needs to be built into the Osirix system, a busy department cannot grind to a halt if a computer goes down.
• Perhaps most importantly, the Apple hardware, operating system, Osirix and the network need to be managed. Blackbird staff are experts at managing this complex interaction.