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PACS Storage Growth Calculator

Estimate PACS archive growth from study volume, study size, compression, and retention.

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Inputs

TB
GB
:1

Your values stay on this device.

Results

Projected Storage Need
First-Year New Storage21.09
Retained New Storage188.22
Monthly New Storage1,800

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Assumptions

  • Study size, compression, and annual growth are estimates supplied by the user.
  • The calculator does not inspect DICOM files or account for every PACS/VNA storage implementation.
  • Results are for operational planning only and are calculated locally in your browser.

Sensitivity preview

Current Archive Storage -10%: Projected Storage Need 333.86 TB

Current Archive Storage Current: Projected Storage Need 345.86 TB

Current Archive Storage +10%: Projected Storage Need 357.86 TB

Formula: Monthly new TB = monthly studies * average study GB / compression ratio / 1024. Retained new TB sums annual growth across retention years, then applies the planning buffer.

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About this PACS Storage Growth Calculator

PACS storage growth depends on study volume, image size, compression, and retention policy. This calculator turns those planning assumptions into a year-by-year archive estimate.

Who this calculator is for

  • PACS administrators planning archive expansion.
  • Radiology IT teams estimating VNA or cloud migration capacity.
  • Healthcare operations teams comparing storage growth scenarios.

When to use it

  • Estimate retained storage after several years of imaging growth.
  • Compare modality growth assumptions before buying storage.
  • Add a planning buffer for replicas, indexes, lifecycle overhead, or uncertainty.

How to use this calculator

  1. Enter current archive storage in TB.
  2. Enter monthly study volume and average study size.
  3. Set compression ratio, annual study growth, retention years, and planning buffer.
  4. Review projected archive size and the first-year storage added.

Key assumptions

  • Study size, compression, and annual growth are estimates supplied by the user.
  • The calculator does not inspect DICOM files or account for every PACS/VNA storage implementation.
  • Results are for operational planning only and are calculated locally in your browser.

Dataset sources

DICOM modality storage planning presets
Effective date
2026-05-06
Last reviewed
2026-05-06

Actual study sizes and compression ratios vary by protocol, scanner, anatomy, image count, reconstruction, derived objects, and local PACS/VNA policy.

Curated modality planning presets for calculator defaults; no DICOM standard text or patient data is included.

Accuracy and testing

Review formula sources, default test cases, assumptions, unit handling, rounding rules, and changelog for this calculator.

View accuracy page

How this calculator works

Monthly new TB = Monthly studies x Average study GB / Compression ratio / 1024. Each retention year adds a grown annual volume. Projected storage = Current storage + Retained new storage x Planning buffer.
Monthly new TB = monthly studies * average study GB / compression ratio / 1024. Retained new TB sums annual growth across retention years, then applies the planning buffer.

Inputs explained

Monthly studies

The expected number of imaging studies added to the archive each month.

Average study size

Average post-acquisition study size before PACS compression or lifecycle handling.

Compression ratio

A 2:1 ratio means the stored payload is half the raw estimate.

Planning buffer

Extra capacity for replicas, indexes, metadata, migration overlap, and growth uncertainty.

Understanding your results

Use the projected storage as a planning estimate, then compare it against vendor-specific replication, compression, and lifecycle policies.

Example scenarios

Growing outpatient archive

8,000 studies per month at 0.45 GB each with 2:1 compression adds about 21.1 TB in the first year before growth and buffer.

Key Features

  • Instant Calculation
  • Private & Secure
  • Mobile Optimized

Tips & Best Practices

  • Run separate scenarios for CT, MR, mammography, and ultrasound if averages differ widely.
  • Add a buffer for disaster recovery copies, thumbnails, indexes, cache, and migration staging.
  • Use measured PACS export or storage reports when available instead of generic averages.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this replace a PACS vendor storage sizing exercise?
No. It is a planning calculator. Vendor sizing should include replication, compression, lifecycle rules, support requirements, and measured archive behavior.
Should I use compressed or uncompressed study size?
Use the average size that matches your compression ratio assumption. If you enter raw study size, use a compression ratio above 1 when applicable.
Are the study counts or storage estimates uploaded?
No. The calculator runs locally in your browser.