Why do PACS workstations use RAID devices?

PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication System) workstations rely on RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) devices primarily for two essential reasons: significant storage capacity and reliability.

First, RAID devices provide large-capacity storage options that are crucial for managing the vast amounts of data generated by medical imaging modalities. Medical images, such as those from MRI, CT scans, and X-rays, consume substantial storage space. Therefore, the capability of a RAID system to span multiple disks allows for larger amounts of data to be stored efficiently. This is particularly important for long-term archival storage, where healthcare facilities must maintain patient imaging records over extended periods, often for legal and regulatory reasons.

Secondly, RAID also enhances data redundancy and improves data access speeds. By spreading the data across multiple drives, RAID configurations can ensure that if one drive fails, the data is still accessible from the remaining drives. This setup is vital for near-term storage of images, allowing images to be quickly accessed by healthcare professionals who need immediate access to recent diagnostic data.

Hence, the correct answer encompasses both aspects of RAID usage within PACS workstations—providing substantial storage capacity for archival and enabling quick access to images through its redundancy and speed capabilities.