MRIdb: Medical Image Management for Biobank Research
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MRIdb: Medical Image Management for Biobank Research Mark Woodbridge & Gianlorenzo Fagiolo & Declan P. O’Regan
Published online: 26 April 2013 # The Author(s) 2013. This article is published with open access at Springerlink.com
Abstract Clinical picture archiving and communications systems provide convenient, efficient access to digital medical images from multiple modalities but can prove challenging to deploy, configure and use. MRIdb is a selfcontained image database, particularly suited to the storage and management of magnetic resonance imaging data sets for population phenotyping. It integrates a mature image archival system with an intuitive web-based user interface that provides visualisation and export functionality. In addition, utilities for auditing, data migration and system monitoring are included in a virtual machine image that is easily deployed with minimal configuration. The result is a freely available turnkey solution, designed to support epidemiological and imaging genetics research. It allows the management of patient data sets in a secure, scalable manner without requiring the installation of any bespoke software on end users’ workstations. MRIdb is an open-source software, available for download at http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/ bioinfsupport/resources/software/mridb.
[1], present an opportunity to develop new approaches for quantitative phenotyping. MR data sets may be acquired and archived at multiple sites and then shared in various formats between research groups for analysis. This has created a need for an image database which supports simple but powerful search and retrieval facilities and which can be readily deployed in research facilities by non-specialists. Image management systems implementing the digital imaging and communications in medicine (DICOM) standard are commonly used for their flexibility and robustness; however, they are typically complex applications that present a steep learning curve to new users and can prove difficult to install [2, 3]. These issues can be addressed by presenting a consistent and intuitive interface to users of the database, providing bespoke tools to systems administrators, and including comprehensive yet concise documentation.
Keywords PACS . Digital imaging and communications in medicine (DICOM) . MR imaging
System infrastructure
Background Population-based epidemiological studies using whole-body magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, such as the UK Biobank M. Woodbridge (*) Centre for Integrative Systems Biology and Bioinformatics, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK e-mail: [email protected] G. Fagiolo : D. P. O’Regan Robert Steiner MRI Unit, MRC Clinical Sciences Centre, Imperial College London, London W12 0NN, UK
Methods
MRIdb is a software application composed of a bespoke web application and a suite of utility scripts and tools. It depends on a number of other components, including an underlying clinical picture archiving and communications system (PACS), a scalable storage system, an authentication service and a relationa
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