Contrary to what some may think, Horos (the free open source software, not the Egyptian deity) is actually not that ancient. It’s really only 3 years old. However, that’s nothing to sneeze at. Just ask some of our users that have been with us since the beginning, and they’ll tell you what an impact this youngling has made in their professional lives...
Meet Dr. Maher
Such an individual is Dr. Kieran Maher, an Australian physicist. That’s right, DICOM viewers are not just for radiologists. In fact, our users are diverse in their global locations as well as their career paths. From artists to zoologists, we cover the entire alphabet. Dr. Maher just happens to be one of many of our friends located in Australia using Horos from day one. Although, it wasn’t always like that. Prior to its path to commercialization, Dr. Maher had been using OsiriXTM – a platform we at Horos once championed as well.
Horos for Physicists
The life of a physicist working in a medical imaging department is a unique one. Not only does he view the usual suspects: MRIs, CTs, PET scans, and X-Rays; Dr. Maher also is hands on with CBCT (cone beam computed tomography), SPECT (single-photon emission computed tomography), Planar Nuclear, SPECT/CT, and PET/CT. He typically uses Horos to view and analyze scattered radiation in dual-source CTs. In particular, Dr. Maher's work is focused on renal cysts. While there are many options out there, our Australian friend chose to use Horos when it first came out because according to him “there is nothing similar, either commercially, or for free” out there.
With the vast options available in Horos, physicists around the world are able to use features like volume rendering and image analysis to further their research. No longer is physics a field for rocket science. Today, numerous Horos users are employed in medical imaging departments, working on projects to improve medical outcomes.
Final Thought
While Horos and similar viewers may traditionally be created with Radiologists in mind, the truth is that Horos is suited for a variety of users. In fact, Dr. Maher said it best, that one needs to “consider the huge potential of Horos from an imaging scientist’s perspective - from visualization through analysis.”
