1. To understand the importance of image annotation/markup for communication and computerized access to image meaning.

2. To review current approaches and tools for image annotation and markup.

3. To describe emerging standards in image annotation and new applications that could empower the radiologist to use images more effectively.

Motivation: Need to tie image content to the images themselves.

Tutorial: (1) Markup: visual communication of image information. (2) Annotation: making the “image semantics” explicit.

Current tools:
(1) Image markup in PACS.
(2) Image markup in teaching files/MIRC.
(3) Image markup on the Web.

New methods and standards: (1) Annotation and Image Markup (AIM) annotation schema. (2) Ontologies for images. (3) Semantic image annotation tools.

The major teaching points of this exhibit are:

(1) Radiology image markup is critical for communicating imaging information.

(2) Current image annotation methods are limited only to visual presentation of markup.

(3) AIM is a new standard enabling semantic image annotation, making image content computable for advanced applications and interoperability.

(4) New applications will emerge based on AIM to enable radiologists to access and use images in new and powerful ways.