Kuwait is one of first countries in region to convert medical imaging into digital. Many digital archives were available in mid nineties and full RIS/PACS installations were seen in many places in late nineties. Most Radiography systems are either converted to digital or equipped with CR readers. In principle, Kuwait has one of longest experience in digital radiography. Reporting from films is getting less and less and more soft copies are being seen around Kuwait.
Even though this long time of digital implementation in imaging, Kuwait imaging centers lack Quality control procedure for digital imaging in general and digital monitors specifically. Quality control procedures are still done until the modality monitor or film printer (camera, processor). No action has been taken to extend this QC procedure further to the reporting workstation, where radiologists read their images.
In part I of this article, we start shedding light on status of medical grade monitors or so called diagnostic quality monitors and their existence in imaging departments.
Study
Visiting many hospitals in Kuwait, you will find that majority of diagnostic monitors are off-shelf commercial monitors used regularly in any home/office pc. In exception to few hospitals, imaging departments have mixed brands, dimensions, or resolutions.
In this study, we visited radiology department of a 600+ bed hospital with fairly large radiology department with ~15 modalities including two MDCT and ~20 radiology PACS Workstations. Furthermore, distribution system is integrated with this setup to facilitate referral inside the hospital. We found out that more than 70% off PACS workstations are equipped with off-shelf non-diagnostic monitors used to report different types of medical images like DR, CT, MRI, and sometimes mammography. See table below.
Monitor photo Click down to enlarge | Manufacture/Model URL | Specs. |
 | Resolution: 1440 x 900 Brightness: 250 cd/m² Contrast ratio: 1000:1 Official use: Business moitor | |
 | Resolution 1280 x 1024 Brightness 270 cd/m2 Contrast Ratio 500:1 Official use: Professional (non-medical) | |
 | PACSMate MMC – 2201c | Resolution 1600 x 1200 Color depth 16.7M colors Brightness (cd/m2) 300 Contrast Ratio 800:1(typical) Official use: Clinical Review (non-diagnostic) |
 | Resolution 1600x1200 Contrast Ratio 1000:1 (typ) Brightness 300 cd/m2 (typ) Official Use: applications and multimedia (non-medical) | |
 | Resolution 1680 x 1050 Contrast Ratio 1000:1 Brightness 300 cd/m2 Official use: Multimedia (non-medical) | |
 | Resolution 2048 x 1536(3MP) Contrast Ratio 600:1 Brightness 500 cd/m² Official use: Medical Diagnostic. |
Conclusion
Many hospitals in Kuwait are using off-shelf monitors to diagnose different types of digital images. In part II, we will discuss international standards and requirements for monitors used in medical diagnosis.
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