IGT:Image Transfer

Contact: Mark Anderson (mark at bwh.harvard.edu)

Sending images from BWH scanners to SPL (DICOM)

This is the method for researchers and clinicians to get their data to the SPL after a scan has been done. Most of the scanners have been configured to allow images to be sent to the SPL. The user name of the sender of the images is recorded to maintain HIPAA compliance. At the scanner, select either LISA or SPL as the DICOM destination and transfer the images. Data will be sent to the directory /spl/tmp/incoming/processed. If non-clinical scans are not transferred to the SPL or stored on MOD, there is a good chance the data will be deleted unless a prominent note is left for the technicians and they are reminded not to delete the data. Clinical cases are archived and can be restored via the following method.

Restoring images from PACS from 2002 -present (DICOM)

This is the best way to get all CT, MR, and PET or PET/CT images from approximately the beginning of 2002 to present that are not on the scanners. Data will be sent to the SPL directory /spl/tmp/incoming/processed via a web-based IMPAX service tool. Send email to Mark Anderson (mark at bwh.harvard.edu)to get cases transferred via this method. The information to send is the Accession number of the scan, or if the Accession number is not known, use the MRN and date of the scan.

Finding DICOM data in /spl/tmp/incoming/processed after it has been transferred

A file called

/spl/tmp/incoming/processed/studylist 

is updated every 10 minutes describing all data currently completely transferred to SPL and processed into a hierarchy of /study/series/images for research data or /accession_number/series/image for clinical data. Below is an example of one entry in the file /spl/tmp/incoming/processed/studylist for a research study of a phantom scan with a study number of 1234:

 data for subject PHANTOM with patient id PHANTOM is in directory /spl/tmp/incoming/processed/1234

The file system /spl/tmp/incoming/processed contains fifty gigabytes of space. The data persists in /spl/tmp/incoming/processed for one week from the time it is acquired and is automatically deleted after one week.