The University of Aberdeen’s clinical research imaging facility has chosen BridgeHead Software’s independent clinical archive HealthStore, to collect, store and protect its clinical research data.

Researchers in the university’s Biomedical Imaging Centre will be able to effectively manage medical images that drive understanding of the causes, mechanisms and consequences of conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, stroke and Alzheimer's disease ensuring better prevention, diagnostics and treatment.

As part of the recent development of a next generation MRI scanner, the centre wanted to future-proof the collection, storage and retrieval of its research data. HealthStore gives a secure and standards-based repository for all clinical research imagery created, letting the multi-disciplinary team of radiographers, radiologists and physicists view and analyse images on any approved device.

Gordon Waiter, senior lecturer and acting director at the centre, explained: “We have a long history in MRI research and development and are now embarking on our next 10-year phase - this includes investment in both traditional imaging and in the next generation MRI scanner that provides clinicians and researchers with information about diseases that has not been available previously.

"However, this advance in technology simultaneously created a data management challenge, the images produced are often of higher resolution or dimension and can sit outside of the traditional format - as a result, it was becoming increasingly important that we future-proofed the storage and retrieval of the research data to ensure that it can be used successfully in future research.”

HealthStore allows researchers to securely view the data at diagnostic quality, from any authorised device, providing the user has the appropriate permissions. This means the centre will be able to share clinical images amongst its community of life scientists. It will also enable the university to make anonymised participant data relating to any published studies available to the wider scientific community.

Darrell Bailey, senior director of sales at BridgeHead Software, added: “Data management has an important role to play in the effective sharing of research information - through this partnership, we will provide a safe and long-term home for the clinical imagery produced by the centre, helping the team of research scientists and clinical academics to investigate healthcare challenges and shape its future.”

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