Methodology for Managing Medical Images, based on the DICOM Standard

Information and communications technologies are enabling the use of various devices in medical diagnostic processes. Proof of this can be seen in the various devices currently available that record images used to aid in the diagnosis of conditions such as skin cancer, using optical cameras that record the affected area, Thermal images are recorded using thermal cameras that capture the thermal behaviour of the accepted area, as well as fundus images, which are widely used in the diagnosis of pathologies present in the retina, such as diabetic retinopathy. In this article, we develop a methodology that can manage fundus, thermal, and skin cancer-related images using the recommendations of the DICOM standard, which consists of including metadata such as data on the equipment used to record the image, data on the doctor who recommended the examination, data on the image record, data on the image request, and data on the date of the image record. This data is generated in an application so that it can be stored in a PostgreSQL database, designed to fulfil the functionality of a PACS medical image server, Using optimisation and data storage management techniques, we present the database structure, image management processes such as image registration, storage and retrieval, demonstrating the operability and practicality of the proposal. As conclusions, we present how the methodology can be exploited, enabling the configuration of PACS servers in private or low-resource health centres to purchase commercial licences, as well as integration and interoperability with commercial PACS systems.