Case study:
Local experience setting up the
NHS-UoE networking in the new
Clinical Research Imaging Centre
Elizabeth McDowell
CRF IT Manager, Edinburgh
What will this talk cover?
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What is CRIC?
Network design
Workflow
Data storage and archive
Challenges
Opportunities
Clinical Research Imaging Centre
(CRIC)
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320 slice CT scanner
3T MRI Scanner (whole body)
128 slice PET/CT scanner
Cyclotron
Image Analysis suite
Joint partnership between University
Hospitals Division of NHS and University
of Edinburgh
http://www.wtcrf.ed.ac.uk/CRIC/CRICdef
ault.htm
MRI and CT mid-year. PET/CT and
Cyclotron end of year
CRIC – NHS and University IT Working
Together
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Formed Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) between us
which states
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what we want to achieve in terms of
IT
which party is responsible for doing
what
Hold infrequent but focussed IT
meetings to resolve issues
ECDF Data
Storage
University Network
Anonymised scans
Anonymisation
Process
CRIC Network
DICOM data
MRI Scanner
CRIC
Research
Data
Research scans
PET/CT
Scanner
Scan data
Modality consoles
Scan data &
Radiographer
Info on where
To send scans
NHS controlled firewall
Clinical scans
CT Scanner
NHS CRIC
Archive
Selected scans sent by Radiologist
NHS Network
Lothian
PACS
Network Diagram
National
PACS archive
Workflow
Logical firewall
(honorary
contracts for all
staff)
CRIC Basic Workflow
(as developed in CRIC IT meeting)
Perform MRI
Scan
MRI
images
Close TRAK
research episode
(for research or RBS,
close as non-standard
research episode)
Create patient
booking in NHS
TRAK
Consented Patient
Via PACS broker
to scanner IP address
(new receiving locations
required for each
Perform PET/CT
Scan
PET/CT
images
Radiologist or
researcher views
image on
modality
workstation
scanner)
Update CRIC
scheduling
system
Perform CT Scan
CT images
Send research
and RBS scans
to local CRIC
storage
Anonymize
research scans
Send scans to
ECDF SAN
Workflow
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Detailed workflow diagrams
Viewing workstation location
Data Storage - Research
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Research scans to Edinburgh
Compute and Data Facility (ECDF)
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SBIRCS and new VET CT scanner and
PACS may share same storage solution
Non-DICOM data(spectroscopy, etc)
will be stored at the CRIC local data
server until we figure out how to
anonymise it!
Research Data File Structure
Agreed data file structure, which will be
automatically generated.
PROJECT
SUBJECT ID (GUID)
STUDY DATE
SERIES NUMBER
Image UID
raw data read only copied to data analysis folders
e.g.
E06389/GUID/20090120/1/128.216.177…DCM
Data Storage - NHS
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NHS plan to store data on a local NHS
‘archive’ server in CRIC
Radiologists report and then send select
images on to the National PACS
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Cost prohibits storing all files on NHS
National PACS as large volumes of data are
expected, especially from CT scanner
Data Storage - Archive
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NHS.
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National PACS Archive in Livingston.
All scans will have a small part of them sent to
the archive.
Only 100Mb connection at present until N3
network is upgraded.
University.
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An archive service is being considered by the
UoE Library services.
Anonymised data only
Moved to archive when the study complete.
Challenges
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Getting the right people together to
attend key meetings and resolve issues
Storage capacity difficult to estimate
Scanners use different formats of DICOM
Anonymising data for research
Double data entry for patient bookings
Opportunities for Imaging
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New state of the art facility for doing
clinical and research work
SINAPSE forum to develop good practices
and standards in IT for Scotland’s
Imaging facilities
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Opportunity to review your processes while
doing this
Questions?
Elizabeth McDowell
Elizabeth.mcdowell@ed.ac.uk
0131 537 3353