IHE has developed a growing body of software tools to facilitate testing and the implementation of IHE Integration Profiles in healthcare information technology systems. These tools are available for download and licensed by their developers for free use. The links below point to sources with further information and direct access to download the tools.
A Profile-by-Profile Index to the Pre-Connectathon Test Software is available here.
A more general list of useful tools and tool kits, many of which are used for different aspects of IHE testing, was assembled by IHE-Europe as part of the HITCH project.
Gazelle
Developer: IHE Catalyst
Contact: IHE Catalyst
Licensing: Open Source (with attribution requirement)
Development Platform: JBoss/Seam
Delivery Method: Web portal
Description: Gazelle is the main testing management tool used for IHE Connectathons.
Profiles and Constructs: All IHE Profiles
MESA
Developer: Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University
URL: http://ihedoc.wustl.edu/mesasoftware/11.11.0/dist/index.htm
Licensing: Open Source (with attribution requirement)
Development Platform: C++/PERL/Java
Delivery Method: Application/server/command line
Description: MESA is a legacy part of the IHE test tools. Version 11.11.0 was the latest public release to support testing during the 2007-2008 annual testing cycle. MESA has been developed at the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology (MIR) at Washington University in St. Louis.
Gazelle Test Management Tool
Developer: INRIA
URL: http://wiki.ihe.net/index.php?title=INRIA_Gforge_Implementation_Material
Contact: Eric Poiseau
Licensing: Apache 2
Development Platform: Java, Jboss
Delivery Method: Web application
Description: Test management software for Connectathons and Projectathons that includes facilities for integrating test simulators and use of proxies.
Profiles Tested: Manages testing of all Profiles. Simulators for individual Profiles are being added over time.
HL7 V2 Toolkit
Developer: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
URL: http://hl7v2tools.nist.gov/
Licensing: Public domain
Development Platform: Java
Delivery Method: Java API, Web services, Desktop application, Web application
Description: NIST has developed a set of tools, focusing mainly on Cross-Enterprise Document Sharing (XDS) and related Integration Profiles.
EVS Message Validation Toolkit
Developer: INRIA
URL: http://gazelle.ihe.net/EVSClient/
Contact: Eric Poiseau
Licensing: Apache 2.0
Development Platform: Java
Delivery Method: Java API, Web services, Web application
Description: INRIA developed for IHE Europe, HL7 V2 message Profiles for all the HL7 V2 messages defined within IHE. More than 150 Profiles are now available for download. The EVSClient is a Web application that can be used to call the Gazelle External Validation Services. The tool allows users to call the EVS defined by NIST and INRIA for the validation of Dicom, HL7V2, HL7V3, SAML assertions, audit messages and CDA documents.
Profiles and Constructs: All Profiles that use HL7 V2 messages, HL7 V3 messages, SAML assertions, audit messages, CDA documents and Dicom objects
XDS Toolkit
Developer: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
Contact: Bill Majurski (bill_AT_nist_._gov)
Licensing: Public domain
Development Platform: Java
Delivery Method: Java API, Web Services, Desktop application, Web application
Description: NIST has developed a set of tools, focusing on Cross-Enterprise Document Sharing (XDS) and related Integration Profiles.
Profiles and Constructs: XDS.b, XCA, Metadata update, MPQ, XDR, XDM
DICOMScope Visualisation Tools (MESA Tools for Consistent Presentation of Images)
Developer: O-Tech, Kuratorium OFFIS, e. V. and the Institute for Microtherapy
URL: http://dicom.offis.de/dscope.php.en , Latest binary package: ftp://dicom.offis.de/pub/dicom/offis/software/mesa_cpi/release_2004/
Contact: OFFIS DICOM discussion forum [1]
Licensing: Free (BSD) with disclaimer: not for clinical use
Development Platform: primarily Windows, but can be compiled on Linux and Solaris as well
Delivery Method: Download Desktop application (Windows installer)
Description: DICOMscope is a free DICOM viewer which can display uncompressed, monochrome DICOM images from all modalities and which supports monitor calibration according to DICOM part 14 as well as presentation states. DICOMscope and the various DICOMscope support tools can be used to test all CPI actors, both softcopy and hardcopy.
Profiles Tested: Consistent Presentation of Images (CPI), also for Secure Node/Secure Application actors.
Portable Data for Imaging Disk Validator
Developer: Northwestern University
URL: http://ihedoc.wustl.edu/mesasoftware/11.11.0/dist/index.htm
Contact: Pat Mongkolwat, Northwestern University
Licensing: Public domain
Development Platform: C#
Delivery Method: Download Windows installer
Description: IHE Portable Data for Imaging (PDI) Media Creator test application is implemented based on the IHE Technical Framework volume I chapter 15 and volume III Appendix E, revision 6. The PDI media tester software is easy to use and provides sufficient information of any IHE PDI compliance violations.
Profiles Tested: Portable Data for Imaging (PDI)
IHE-RO Test Tools
Developer: ICT Embedded BV, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
URL: http://www.dvtk.org/modules/wiwimod/index.php?page=IHE+Downloads&cmenu=downloads
Licensing: Public domain
Development Platform: DICOM Validation Tool Kit (DVTK)
Delivery Method: DVTK Definition files/reference data/test cases
Description: The IHE-RO Test Tools are based on the DVTK platform (www.DVTK.org) and developed under contract to ASTRO by ICT Embedded, BV, Eindhoven, The Netherlands. The first release of these tools, supporting the IHE-RO Basic Integration Profile, was published in January, 2008. Additional tools to support 2008 IHE-RO Profiles are currently being developed.
Profiles and Constructs: IHE-RO Basic Integration Profile