A Worldwide Research Network of Dynamic Cardiac Images

描述(由申请人提供)：这是响应计划公告PA-03-001(“跨分布式异类数据源的知识集成”)而提交的快速跟踪STTR申请的第一阶段。我们建议心脏成像技术公司(HeartIT)和杜克大学的心血管磁共振中心(DCMRC)合作。合作的目标是开发支持基于现有万维网标准的动态心脏图像的全球研究网络的软件。贾德博士和他的同事是心血管核磁共振领域公认的领导者，他们以前的合作者和实习生已经建立了基础，目前分布在世界各地的不同医疗机构。然而，由于缺乏在这些同事之间共享图像和其他数据的方法，合作研究已经放缓。2000年5月，贾德博士和其他人成立了HeartIT，通过开发基于将图像从DICOM格式转换为网页的图像管理系统来解决这些问题。目前，HeartlT的第三代商业系统(WebPAX(Tm))允许在任何具有标准网络浏览器(例如，Microsoft Explorer)，目前正在杜克大学医院进行临床生产。在全球范围内，共有12个类似的HeartIT系统在约翰·霍普金斯医院、纳什维尔心血管磁共振研究所和德国罗伯特·博世医院等医疗机构运行。这些现有的系统，以及杜克大学和HeartIT之间的密切合作，提供了一个独特的机会，可以廉价而高效地创建一个分布式网络来共享研究数据。在这份STTR中，我们建议对现有的WebPAX(Tm)软件进行重大扩展，允许这些现有系统连接在一起，形成一个完全基于万维网标准的全球医学图像共享网络。在短期内，这一成果将产生一个重要的研究资源，支持专注于快速发展的心血管磁共振领域的合作研究。然而，从长远来看，由此产生的全球心血管磁共振网络将成为普遍适用的计算架构的全功能原型，旨在提供基于分布在遥远地理位置(美洲、欧洲、亚洲)的不同成像模式(MRI、ECHO、CATH、SPECT)和设备(GE、西门子、飞利浦)获得的医学图像的全球集成。在这项应用中，我们建议创建一个“公共”WebPAX用户界面，允许查看杜克大学以外的物理位置的未识别图像数据(目标1)，构建一个基于安全网站的“图像位置库”，以编目多个站点的未识别图像数据(目标2)，并使用现实生活中的多中心研究(目标3)测试所产生的全球动态心脏图像网络(目标3)。实现这些目标将同时为涉及心血管核磁共振的研究创造一个强大的工具，并使HeartIT能够通过第二阶段SBIR/STTR扩展到支持其他成像方式。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This is a Phase I of a fast-track STTR application submitted in response to Program Announcement PA-03-001 ("Knowledge Integration across Distributed Heterogeneous Data Sources"). We propose a collaborative effort between Heart Imaging Technologies, LLC (HeartIT) and Duke University's Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Center (DCMRC). The goal of the collaboration is to develop software supporting a worldwide research network of dynamic cardiac images based on existing world-wide web standards. Dr. Judd and his colleagues are recognized leaders in the field of cardiovascular MRI and have an established base of former collaborators and trainees currently located at different medical institutions across the world. Collaborative research, however, has been slowed by a lack of methods to share images and other data amongst these colleagues. In May 2000, Dr. Judd and others formed HeartIT to address these issues by developing image management systems based on converting images from DICOM format to web pages. Currently, HeartlT's third-generation commercial system (WebPAX(tm)) allows viewing of dynamic magnetic resonance images on any computer with a standard web browser (eg. Microsoft Explorer) and is in production clinical use at Duke University Hospital. Worldwide, a total of twelve similar HeartIT systems are operating at medical institutions such as Johns Hopkins Hospital, the Nashville Cardiovascular MRI Institute, and the Robert Bosch Hospital in Germany. These existing systems, as well as the close collaboration between Duke University and HeartIT, provide a unique opportunity to inexpensively and efficiently create a distributed network to share research data. In this STTR, we propose a major expansion of the existing WebPAX(tm) software which will allow these existing systems to be connected together to form a global network for sharing medical images based entirely on world-wide web standards. In the short term, this achievement will produce an important research resource supporting collaborative studies focused on the rapidly evolving field of cardiovascular MRI. In the longer term, however, the resulting global cardiovascular MRI network will serve as a fully-functional prototype for a generally-applicable computing architecture designed to provide worldwide integration of medical images acquired based on heterogeneous imaging modalities (MRI, echo, cath, SPECT) and equipment (GE, Siemens, Philips) distributed across distant geographic locations (Americas, Europe, Asia). In this application, we propose to create a "public" WebPAX user interface which allows viewing of de-identified image data from physical locations outside Duke (Aim 1), to construct an "Image Location Library" based on a secure web site with user-, group- and study-level accounts to catalog de-identified image data across multiple sites (Aim 2), and to test the resulting worldwide network of dynamic cardiac images using a real-life multicenter research study (Aim 3). Achieving these Aims will simultaneously create a powerful tool for research involving cardiovascular MRI as well as position HeartIT for an expansion to support for other imaging modalities through a Phase II SBIR/STTR.