In the following sections,
we define the meaning of a virtual consultation and diagnosis session between
two or more physicians located at different geographical sites. The services
provided to the physicians are described and their potential benefits are
discussed. The Local PACS networks
are interconnected using a global backbone network, in this case in Arizona, the
national Internet and NSFNET.
Figure 1. Shows the configuration of a Rural and Global PACS environment, where the user view images at viewing workstations on Local PACS networks. The images are stored at each Local PACS in a database archive system (DBAS). A remote consultation service (VCS) session is defined to take place between two or more physicians at different geographical locations. This section defines the user scenarios for the physicians using the Rural and Global PACS environment and VCS software systems.
Figure 1. VITEN Connections to Local and Remote (Rural Clinic) PACS Networks