A comprehensive picture archiving and communications system (PACS), such as the medical diagnostic imaging support (MDIS) system, consists of several interrelated sub systems. The image acquisition subsystem is the means by which images are introduced into the system and as such it is analogous to the 'eyes' of the system. Images from digital modalities such as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are readily transferable to a PACS since they are acquired in a digital format. Conventional film based analog images are particularly challenging since at no point in their production or display do they exist in an electronic form suitable for transfer to the MDIS system. In recent years, commercial high resolution film digitizers and computed radiology (CR) devices have become available. These devices now provide us with the means to capture conventional radiographic images in a format suitable for transfer to a PACS. Through the careful selection of acquisition devices we can now design an image acquisition subsystem tailored to meet our clinical needs.
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