The Importance of Critical Image Detail
Social Issue
It is easy to imagine financial or navigational disasters that may occur as the result of arithmetic errors due to overflow and truncation problems. What consequences could result from errors in image storage systems due to loss of image details?
The consequences suffered from detail loss in images, due to an error in the storage systems hosting the data, depend on the criticality of the image and the decision tree for which it is being used.
An incomplete (lack of detail) image containing crucial referential data can result in decisions being made based on a number of dangerous false positives or false negatives.
The following examples, illustrate the significant risk from making such decisions based on critical images, and possible risks if the appropriate controls are not implemented to avoid loss in detail on these images, from failures on storage systems:
HEALTHCARE:
Medical imaging capabilities and the amount of detail captured have significantly grown over time, benefiting from technology changes and increasing computing power. In an expertise specific journal, the strategic impact from this evolution is confirmed: “The newer technologies (CT, MRI, PET, etc.) produce images that are intrinsically digital and radiology as a whole is moving away from film-based image storage”. Today, the amount of detail that is achieved from using high power computer combinations, can allow for digital imaging to not only be used for diagnostic reference, but also as guide in surgical procedures (Canadian Association of Radiologists Journal, 2000).
Risk: If these images lose detail in specific areas, the chances increase that a doctor makes a wrong decision based on the image showing tissue being, not being, appearing or appearing not to be present in the patient’s body, with potentially life-threatening consequences.
MILITARY:
Liao et al. (2003) confirm the importance of military reconnaissance, to ensure the overall defensive or offensive
It is easy to imagine financial or navigational disasters that may occur as the result of arithmetic errors due to overflow and truncation problems. What consequences could result from errors in image storage systems due to loss of image details?
The consequences suffered from detail loss in images, due to an error in the storage systems hosting the data, depend on the criticality of the image and the decision tree for which it is being used.
An incomplete (lack of detail) image containing crucial referential data can result in decisions being made based on a number of dangerous false positives or false negatives.
The following examples, illustrate the significant risk from making such decisions based on critical images, and possible risks if the appropriate controls are not implemented to avoid loss in detail on these images, from failures on storage systems:
HEALTHCARE:
Medical imaging capabilities and the amount of detail captured have significantly grown over time, benefiting from technology changes and increasing computing power. In an expertise specific journal, the strategic impact from this evolution is confirmed: “The newer technologies (CT, MRI, PET, etc.) produce images that are intrinsically digital and radiology as a whole is moving away from film-based image storage”. Today, the amount of detail that is achieved from using high power computer combinations, can allow for digital imaging to not only be used for diagnostic reference, but also as guide in surgical procedures (Canadian Association of Radiologists Journal, 2000).
Risk: If these images lose detail in specific areas, the chances increase that a doctor makes a wrong decision based on the image showing tissue being, not being, appearing or appearing not to be present in the patient’s body, with potentially life-threatening consequences.
MILITARY:
Liao et al. (2003) confirm the importance of military reconnaissance, to ensure the overall defensive or offensive
References: ------------------------------------------------- Canadian Association of Radiologists Journal (2000) Future needs for medical imaging in health care: report of working group 1 [Medical Imaging Technology Roadmap Steering Committee]