Calculator
PACS Storage Calculator
Estimate PACS storage from study volume, average study size, retention period, compression, and redundancy margin.
Calculator Inputs
Legend
PACS Storage Calculator guidance
Storage TB = studies per day x study size MB x retention days / compression factor, plus redundancy margin.
Input meaning
- Studies per day: enter the measured, quoted, or hospital-approved value.
- Average study size: enter the measured, quoted, or hospital-approved value in MB.
- Retention period: enter the measured, quoted, or hospital-approved value in years.
- Compression factor: enter the measured, quoted, or hospital-approved value.
- Redundancy/growth margin: enter the measured, quoted, or hospital-approved value in %.
Result interpretation
- Use the result as a planning estimate, not as a final approval by itself.
- Record the assumptions used so Procurement, Biomedical, Facilities, Finance, and vendors can review the same basis.
Assumptions
- Actual PACS storage depends on modality mix, compression policy, priors, backups, disaster recovery, and legal retention rules.
- Confirm vendor architecture, archive tiering, and image lifecycle policy before purchase.
Biomedical use
- Use this calculator during RFQ preparation, technical evaluation, acceptance planning, service review, or biomedical workload planning.
How to identify the required values
Use these examples and common working ranges to choose values from gauges, labels, manuals, datasheets, RFQs, service reports, CMMS records, or hospital planning assumptions.
| Field | Example value | Common range | Tip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studies per day | Example: 100. | Use modality-specific daily study volume; CT/MR/US/X-ray sizes differ heavily. | Use daily studies by modality or department. |
| Average study size | Example: 500 MB. | X-ray may be tens of MB; CT/MR studies may be hundreds of MB to several GB. | Use average study size from PACS statistics if available. |
| Retention period | Example: 5 years. | Procurement comparisons commonly use 5, 7, or 10 years. | Use the same analysis period for all vendors being compared. |
| Compression factor | Example: 1. | Use 1 for no compression; use the PACS vendor's validated compression factor. | Use the PACS vendor's validated compression factor. |
| Redundancy/growth margin | Example: 30 %. | 20-50% is common for growth, redundancy, and operational buffer. | Use growth and redundancy margin agreed with IT. |
Common ranges are starting points for hospital planning. For final procurement, acceptance testing, electrical design, medical gas design, radiation shielding, dialysis water systems, or clinical use, replace the example values with site-specific data and vendor-confirmed figures.
Input Checklist
Confirm these values before relying on the output for procurement, PM, or service planning.
- Studies per day
- Average study size
- Retention years
- Compression factor
- Redundancy margin
Safety And Engineering Notes
Use calculator outputs as planning estimates and verify critical systems with calibrated measurement or qualified engineering review.
- Actual PACS storage depends on modality mix, compression policy, priors, backups, disaster recovery, and legal retention rules.
- Confirm vendor architecture, archive tiering, and image lifecycle policy before purchase.
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