Abstract

OsiriX is a Macintosh image processing software dedicated to DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine) images produced by medical equipment including computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). OsiriX is able to receive images transferred by DICOM communication protocol from any PACS (picture archiving and communication system). OsiriX has been specifically designed for navigation and visualization of multimodality and multidimensional images: 2D viewer, 3D viewer, 4D viewer (3D series with temporal dimension, for example: cardiac-CT), and 5D viewer (3D series with temporal and functional dimensions, for example: cardiac-PET-CT). The 3D viewer offers all modern rendering modes: multiplanar reconstruction, surface rendering, volume rendering, and maximum intensity projection, 2D MPR (multiplanar reconstruction) both curved and orthogonal, 3D maximum intensity projection, 3D volume rendering, 3D surface rendering, virtual endoscopy, and anonymization. This software is freely available from the Macintosh web site (http://homepage.mac.com/rossetantoine/osirix/ [VIN editor: Link not accessible 1/20/21]), and at the University of Georgia has been installed on a mobile Macintosh Apple laptop. DICOM images are loaded from the archive CD created by imaging equipment, enabling the user to quickly turn a series of 2D grayscale CT and MRI images into colored 3D reconstructions. These 3D reconstructions can then be used to create fly-throughs, surface and deep reconstructions, and rotations in any plane. This software has proven invaluable for the more detailed and accurate assessment of clinical cases, including pinpoint lesion location and surgical planning.