Joint Imaging PlatformThe strategic initiative “Joint Imaging Platform” establishes a distributed IT infrastructure for image analysis and machine learning at all DKTK sites. It will facilitate pooling of analysis methods that can be applied in an automated and standardized manner to patient data of the different centers. This will allow unprecedented cohort sizes in cross-center evaluations as well as faster transfer of analytical methods from research to evaluation on clinical data. The underlying infrastructure facilitates applications like federated learning across multiple clinical centers.
Motivation
The Joint Imaging Platform ( JIP ) is a strategic initiative within the German Cancer Consortium (DKTK). The aim is to establish a technical infrastructure that enables modern and distributed imaging research within the consortium. The main focus is on the use of modern machine learning methods in medical image processing. It will strengthen collaborations between the participating clinical sites and support multicenter trails.
The project attempts to address the organizational challenges of data protection requirements by exchanging and distributing the processing methods rather than patient data. Every clinical site therefore retains sovereignty over its own data at all times, no patient dataset has to leave the clinic IT infrastructure.
The first development stage of the Joint Imaging Platform aims to create a uniform processing infrastructure at all participating sites. Image analysis algorithms can be executed, trained and developed in a standardized manner, facilitating easy exchange and comparison of methods and results across sites.
The basic infrastructure contains all the components required to operate such a system. It provides both specialized components for medical image processing (such as PACS, DICOM receiver, metadata analysis etc.) and general platform systems (such as user administration, monitoring etc.). One design goal was to leverage existing standards and established open technologies as much as possible.
Contact
Heidelberg, Germany
Email: jip-service (at) dkfz-heidelberg.de
DKTK
German Cancer Consortium (DKTK)
The German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) aims to enable collaborations between different clinical sites in Germany. For detailed information click here. With the JIP installed at in total eleven clinics in Germany multiple joint projects between the sites are possible and encouraged.
