Import and Export HL7 files to/from Conquest Server

Hi

I have been researching on some free PACS system for our EHR. I stumbled on to this wonderful Conquest Server for Windows. We are still evaluating on the best PACS system that fits our requirement. I will quickly phrase my requirement and then follow it up with my query, if you can answer:

The requirement is that our CPOE module (C#.Net) will generate and export an HL7 file for to DICOM Server. DICOM server should add all the studies from the HL7 file. Once the DICOM server is updated with the results for those new tests/studies, our Import service (C#.Net) will then query DICOM Server to get all the updated studies and generate a HL7 file for auditing purposes. Finally, our EHR user will see a link to the study result in EHR webpage. If user clicks that link, it should open the study in a DICOM Viewer. I guess that is pretty much common in every EHR.

My questions are:
1. What API should we call to process the HL7 file? Is there a way, to bulk load all the HL7 files located in some folder into Conquest DICOM Server using the API and C#.Net?
2. How can we extract the studies that were updated with results into an HL7 file. Are there any API to generate the HL7 files or we should just write our own API to query and generate the HL7? If, so what API to use in C#.Net?
3. Finally, how should we link to the results so that the viewer shows it up? Can we use Conquest DICOM Viewer to open from any page using javascript?

Appreciate your help in advance.

Thanks Marcel for your response. Greatly appreciate it. My followup questions are below in blue.

My questions are:
1. What API should we call to process the HL7 file? Is there a way, to bulk load all the HL7 files located in some folder into Conquest DICOM Server using the API and C#.Net?

There is a command line dgate --loadhl7:file command
>>>I did try that for a single file, but how can I load multiple files? One solution is to loop through each file in the folder and call dgate --loadhl7:file command. But, is there any cleaner solution to this?

2. How can we extract the studies that were updated with results into an HL7 file. Are there any API to generate the HL7 files or we should just write our own API to query and generate the HL7? If, so what API to use in C#.Net?

The HL7 data is loaded into a worklist database that can be queried by the modality. If the modality generates scans that get pushed into conquest, they can be queried using any dicom query. Or you can create a web interface in conquest to give you the results.
>>>Since this is first time I am working on any PACS system, I would like to know How do scans pushed into conquest?

3. Finally, how should we link to the results so that the viewer shows it up? Can we use Conquest DICOM Viewer to open from any page using javascript?

Conquest supports a few web based viewers (weasis seems like a good one). Based on the query it should be fairly trivial to create the links. Try the built-in web interface to get some feeling for it.
>>>I downloaded weasis-portable (not sure if that is the right one). And just ran the exe to get a feel of it. It seems that is an excellent viewer for our needs. I also, tried the built-in web interface and it is a simpler viewer. I went through one of your threads on weasis http://forum.image-systems.biz/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=16604 and downloaded 1.4.17b. Restarted the server. Nothing happened in the built-in web interface. It was still opening the default viewer when clicked on the view link.

Then I added the config:
[weasisseriesxml]
source = viewers\weasisseriesxml.lua
and tested the following url:
http://localhost/ConquestDICOM…68.8888888&source=(local) and it returned the xml as expected. But, when I use mode=weasisviewer to launch weasis, it doesn't work. It downloads dgate.jnlp file in the browser. Do I need to change something like, the path to the weasis executable or something? What am I missing?

Thanks for all the help. Much appreciate your response.

Thanks for the response Marcel.

Is there a way to complete the worklist orders for test purposes. I mean a script that will add completed tests in respective tables or move the test from worklist to DICOM tables?

Hi Marcel

I have never worked on lua script before so I am not sure when you say "load the DICOM object" what does that mean? Is there any an existing lua script file in lua folder that I can use for creating and modifying the new and existing data respectively? It would be easy if there is an existing lua script that you can refer to so that I change the values and insert the new data.

Appreciate your help.

Does testload.lua script is executed when we upload the .dcm file from conquest web interface home page? I am asking that because, the testload.lua script has some important lines of code commented out:

x = DicomObject:new()
x:Read('c:\\t.dcm')
--x:Script('compression jl')
for i=0, 1000 do
  x.SOPInstanceUID = genuid()..p
  if (i%1000)==0 then x.SeriesInstanceUID = genuid()..p end
  if (i%1000)==0 then x.StudyInstanceUID = genuid()..p end
  x:Script('forward to CONQUESTSRV1 channel *')
  --x:AddImage()
  print(i)

--  b=newdicomobject(); b.PatientName = '*'; a=dicomquery('CONQUESTSRV1', 'PATIENT', b);
--  print ('First query result has this patientname:', a[0].PatientName);
--  
--  b=newdicomobject(); b.PatientName = 'HEAD EXP2'; b.QueryRetrieveLevel = 'STUDY'; dicommove('CONQUESTSRV1', 'DENCOMROUTER', b, 0, 'print(Global.StatusString)');
end