The Food and Drug Administration announced has approved the first application that doctors can use to view medical images and make diagnoses using an iPhone or iPad. The app enables doctors to view images produced by such diagnostics tests as CT scans, MRIs and PET scans. It "is not intended to replace full workstations and is indicated for use only when there is no access to a workstation," the FDA said. But the new app "provides physicians with the ability to immediately view images and make diagnoses without having to be back at the workstation or wait for film," said William Maisel, the FDA's chief scientist and deputy director for science in the Center for Devices and Radiological Health. The images taken in the hospital or doctor's office are compressed so they can be transferred via a secure network to portable wireless device using software called Mobile MIM.
