Streaming repetition coded compression

A Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) comprising:

• at least one modality to collect images;
• a gateway to receive the collected images and compress the collected images, the gateway compressing each collected image by comparing each image element with a previous image element and:
• if they are both equal, a first value is recorded;
• and if they are not both equal, a second value is recorded;
• a storage device to store the compressed images;
• at least one workstation to retrieve and display images;
• wherein each compressed image is transmitted to the at least one workstation by converting the compressed image into a plurality of images, each of the plurality of images having a predetermined resolution level which is less than the original resolution of the compressed image;
• transforming each of the plurality of images into a data stream;
• and
• transmitting each data stream in order according to resolution level, from the lowest resolution level to the original resolution of the compressed image.

A method for transmitting a compressed image via a network, the method comprising:

• providing an image that includes image elements;
• compressing the image into a first image by comparing each image element with a previous image element and if they are both equal, a first value is recorded, and if they are not both equal, a second value is recorded, wherein the first image has a first resolution;
• generating second and third images based on the first image, wherein the second image represents the first image at a second resolution which is less than the first resolution, the third image represents the first image at a third resolution which is less than the second resolution, and the second and third resolutions are predetermined;
• transforming the first, second and third images into respective first, second and third data streams;
• and
• ordering the first, second and third data streams for transmission in sequence as the third data stream, then the second data stream, and then the first data stream in response to the first, second and third resolutions.