[Current problems of data processing in clinical nuclear medicine. Symposium of Rhine-Westphalian Society for Nuclear Medicine in Bonn, Dezember 7, 1974].

Practical aspects of the use of computer systems in Nuclear Medicine were discussed in a symposium sponsored by the "Rheinisch-Westfälische Gesellschaft für Nuklearmedizin" which was held at Bonn in December '74. In the opening session the president of the Society, Prof. Winkler (Bonn), gave a brief survey upon the development of data processing procedures for radionuclide diagnostics. He pointed out that at present computer application is not only of essential significance for camera scintigraphy but also for most of the other test methods as well as for the solution of organizing problems when running departments of Nuclear Medicine. For the performance of all these tasks and also for scientific purposes a special process control computer system has been developed in the Institute of Nuclear Medicine at the University of Bonn. A detailed description of this system was given by R. Knopp (Bonn). He emphasized in his paper that the rather bulky Bonn System, which consists of a dual computer (Siemens 305/306) and an extensive operating system, can not be regarded as a standard device for routine use in hospitals. However, on the basis of experiences which have been gathered on hand of the research system in Bonn efforts are in full activity for developing a compact Nuclear Medicine Computer system (CNMCS) suitable for the application within departments of any size. The CNMCS (which will be commercially available in the near future) is based on a 64 K, 16 bit central unit with a highly flexible operating system which permits a simultaneous multi user application of the computer. For CNMCS a comprehensive user software package will be at the clinician's disposal which can be easily handled.