I’ve been having to go to doctors for tons of tests lately. A rather annoying and bothersome hassle, really. And we normally get so very little from these things. In an attempt to have complete records of my medical history in my own possession, and because I like to play with images, I always demand copies of any tests. Especially things like X-Rays, CT Scans, etc.

Two of my recent test were CT scans, of my abdomen and chest. Instead of the films we’ve always gotten in the past, the lab gave me copies of the DICOM images on disc. And, of course, they came with a crappy little Windows only viewer that shows nothing.

Setting out on a search for a viewer I could use on my Mac, and one that would actually allow me to play with the 3D aspects of the scans, I came across a great little Open Source app called “Osiris.” Created by a French hospital, it’s an amazing Multi-platform solution meant to be a cheap replacement for, and improvement on, the very expensive proprietary systems. The Mac OS X version, called OsiriX, can even connect to the Scanning machines themselves!

The application is really amazing, even for someone like me who knows nothing about medical imaging technology. It allows you to create 3D images of your scan series, and rotate all around. Peel back layers change the focus and colouring of detail, and much more. You can even output the data to Quicktime VR. A really incredible app, and all Open Source.

To find out more about Osiris, or even download a copy for yourself, head over to http://www.sim.hcuge.ch/osiris/01_Osiris_Presentation_EN.htm (the English version of the pages). The OsiriX (OS X) app can be found at http://homepage.mac.com/rossetantoine/osirix/.

So if you get your own CAT scans, or any other medical images that end up on disc in a DICOM format (I believe MRIs do, too, but not sure), then make sure you get a copy, and try Osiris for yourself.