AdvaPACS Core Elements
Devices
The devices are the main components that make up the AdvaPACS ecosystem. Certain AdvaPACS features use them to filter, route studies, and many more. We'll be referring to these devices throughout this documentation, so it's worth familiarizing yourself with what they are and how they work together.
- AdvaPACS Cloud or AdvaPACS - refers to the AdvaPACS service as a whole, providing cloud-native PACS services.
- AdvaPACS Gateway or Gateway - is an intermediary software installed in a computer that is connected to the internet and Remote AEs.
- Local AE - is a DICOM server or SCP (Service Class Provider) in a Gateway. A Gateway may contain several Local AEs.
- Remote AE - is any device in a facility that generate or store studies. Examples include modalities, PACS servers, and other computers.
The arrangement of the devices is simple and straightforward. The Remote AE, Gateway, and Local AE are all situated in a facility, while AdvaPACS is in the cloud.
In order for Remote AEs to communicate with AdvaPACS and vice versa, a Gateway stands in between them. A Gateway has one or more Local AEs that listen for requests from both sides and forwards the data it receives to its intended recipient. Therefore, every study sent back and forth between Remote AEs and AdvaPACS always passes through a specific Local AE in a Gateway.
Furthermore, because AdvaPACS is cloud-native and allows multiple independent Gateways to connect to a single AdvaPACS account, its network structure is not limited to a single facility. Which means that studies can be transmitted between independent facilities through AdvaPACS.
Study Flow
AdvaPACS make studies easy to organize, store, and access. Among its features is moving studies from one device to another.
The movement of studies follow only three flows:
Remote AE to AdvaPACS
Studies sent from a Remote AE to AdvaPACS follow this flow:
Remote AE (Source AE) > Local AE > AdvaPACS
AdvaPACS to Remote AE
Studies sent from AdvaPACS to a Remote AE follow this flow:
AdvaPACS > Local AE > Remote AE (Destination AE)
Remote AE to Remote AE
Studies sent from a Remote AE to a Remote AE follow this flow:
Remote AE (Source AE) > Local AE > AdvaPACS > Local AE > Remote AE (Destination AE)
All studies sent from Remote AE to Remote AE follow a single flow. The studies are always sent to AdvaPACS first, then forwarded to the Destination AE, even if the Destination AE is connected to the same Gateway. In the example above, however, the Source AE and Destination AE are connected to different Gateways.
When using AdvaPACS, it's critical to understand the routes that studies take. It can help you confidently use its different features. An example is when you are creating Transform Rules. Understanding the different study flows allows you to create a transform rule that accurately filters studies you want to modify.