June 1, 2007 — Cedara Software, a Merge Healthcare company, has released its C4 platform, an integration framework that enables modular integration of clinical applications with minimal impact on the host software product. A C4 enabled host and clinical application provide an integrated desktop with procedure-centric workflow.
The C4 platform supports integration with many imaging companies' picture archiving and communication systems (PACS), Radiology Information Systems (RIS) and Electronic Medical Record (EMR) systems. The term C4 enabled refers both to the C4 host and to the clinical application that runs on the PACS, such as a 3D angiography visualization tool or a planning package for orthopaedic procedures.
C4 provides a standard interface for all bi-directional information between the C4 enabled host and clinical application module, creating a tightly integrated solution that is designed to maximize productivity.
According to Cedara Software president, Loris Sartor, C4 ushers in a dramatically improved potential to deliver new clinical functionality to radiologists and clinical specialists.
"Doctors are increasingly demanding more clinical functionality in imaging equipment, but for many imaging companies, developing these capabilities in-house can be challenging and costly," he said.
"Similarly, outsourcing is not an optimal alternative, because it presents difficulties in managing multiple integration efforts throughout the lifespan of each product. Cedara is offering imaging companies a standard interface that can be used for all C4 enabled clinical applications. We predict that many PACS, RIS and EMR companies will view this as an opportunity to serve their clinical customers."
C4 enabled clinical applications under development at Cedara include:
∑ I-ReadMammo(TM)*, for breast imaging
∑ OrthoWorks ProPlanner(TM), for orthopaedic planning and follow-up
∑ PET/CT* for advanced radiology procedures
∑ Cedara B-CAD*, to assist in breast ultrasound analysis.
New third-party clinical packages from Biotronics3D also are under development for 3D virtual colonoscopy, 3D angiography and 3D general diagnostic.
Software vendors wishing to develop highly specialized clinical application plug-ins can rely on the C4 software development kit (SDK) to provide them with a base set of necessary components and utilities to quickly build and verify the interface into the C4 framework. Built on decades of imaging development experience, the SDK provides a common interface for software vendors, enabling them to focus on their core competencies -- the clinical application rather than the interface.
Another significant benefit of the interface is that clinical applications that were not written for the Web environment can take advantage of the C4 Web services to become Web-enabled. Once the application module is ready and tested within the C4 framework, it is ready for implementation through any C4 enabled host with virtually no incremental development effort.
*Note: C4 enabled I-ReadMammo(TM), C4 enabled PET/CT and C4 enabled B-CAD are works-in-progress.
For more information visit: www.cedara.com
February 01, 2024 
