Addressing the Future of Clinical Information Systems—Web-Based Multilayer Visualization

This paper addresses some key issues relating to the development of new technology for clinical information systems (CIS) in relation to imaging and visualizing data. With the increasing importance of molecular and cellular biology, a new type of medicine, molecular based medicine, is now developing. This will significantly alter the way in which medicine is practiced. The view is presented that CIS will need to operate seamlessly across the Biological Continuum, i.e., the hierarchy of the human organism comprising systems, viscera, tissue, cells, proteins, and genes. We propose a multilayered visualization interface, which operates across the Biological Continuum, based on Web-based technology. A visualization interface package for two-dimensional and three-dimensional image data at the visceral and cellular levels is described. Two application examples are presented: 1) MR knee images, at the visceral level and 2) endothelial nuclei images, acquired from confocal laser microscopy, at the cellular level

I. Introduction

Clinical information systems (CIS) have developed rapidly over the last decade. Much of this development has involved various imaging modalities, coupled to PACS. The universal availability of information, including images, waveforms, etc., will become increasingly important. This paper addresses some of the important issues relating to the development of new technology for CIS. With the increasing importance of molecular and cellular biology, a new type of medicine, molecular based medicine, is now developing. This will significantly alter the way in which medicine is practiced. The view will be presented in this paper that future CIS will need to operate seamlessly across the biological continuum (BC), i.e., the hierarchy of the human organism comprising systems, viscera, tissue, cells, proteins and genes.