The 3D Imaging Service at Massachusetts General Hospital was established in 1999 to serve the needs for clinical image post-processing on-demand, with rapid turn-around and reliable, consistent, high-quality 3D protocols generated by a dedicated full-time team of 3D technologists and image analysis specialists.
Massachusetts General Hospital offers the 3D Imaging Service to maximize the clinical value derived from cross-sectional imaging data from computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance (MR), and ultrasound (US) imaging exams to produce life-like spatial views of the body systems. The supplemental images are provided for the purpose of assisting radiologists in the diagnostic interpretation of radiological exams and to provide information to referring physicians for treatment planning. There is no impact on the patient’s time when 3D is ordered as the CT, MRI, or US exam proceeds as usual.
The central tenet of the 3D Imaging Service is to create 3D protocols that are tailored to the clinical needs of each particular type of exam, and train all 3D staff to apply these protocols in a reliable and consistent manner to produce clinically optimized 3D views for every 3D exam. We have created 3D protocols for over 45 different 3D clinical exams, which are available on-demand from both within the institution, and for outside hospitals and imaging centers through our Tele3D service.
The 3D Imaging Service processes over 100 exams per day for MGH and its associated imaging centers, as well as over 100 Tele3D exams per month for 7 hospitals in 4 states. Since the service began in 1999, the 3D imaging service has processed over 300,000 3D exams.
The 3D Imaging Service is offered to hospitals outside the MGH network via the Tele3D Service.
