The Cluster IMAGO-Mol implemented a first important project Institutional building and increasing the visibility of North-East Innovative Regional Cluster for Structural and Molecular Imaging – support framework for increasing the RDI  capacity of the members and SMEs competitiveness in the area – IMAGO MOL, financed within Competiveness Operational Program 2007-2013, Support for integrating enterprises into supply chains or clusters.

The project had a duration of 18 months (May 2014 – November 2015), his total value being of approx 595,000 euro, out of which the grant represents 516,000 euro.

 Overall objective

  • Increasing the competitiveness of medical imaging services providers  through intelligent specilization in the biomedical sector

Specific objectives:

  • IMAGO-MOL Cluster institutional capacity development aiming to attract new members and to intensify the members cooperation in research, development and innovation activities;
  • Increasing the level of training and specific skills of the cluster members in order to increase the innovation of the SMEs;
  • Increasing the cluster visibility at national and European level through the implementation of promoting and branding activities;

Enhancing national and international cooperation of the IMAGO-MOL Cluster and its members in the field of RDI.

Direct beneficiaries:

  • Medical imaging equipment users in the region;
  • SMEs active in the medical field involved in the development and implementation of the USMED system;
  • IT SMEs involved in the development of the USMED system;
  • Students, PhD students and residents training in conducting medical imaging in hospitals affiliated to IMAGO-MOL Cluster.

Final beneficiaries

  • all patients receiving medical services in North East Region.

In order to perform successfuly the management, promotion, training and consultancy activities, it was founded IMAGO MOL Cluster Regional Contact Point in the North East Regional Development Agency.

Objectives of USMED research theme: 

  • Create a database of unique medical data for all medical units part of the system

 A unique database was created by integrating all PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication Systems) available from all clinics and hospitals that agreed to be beneficiaries of the project’s results. Medical data is stored in local PACS and in the moment that a patient comes to a medical unit that is integrated into the system, a request is made into the system to collect all data specific to that patient. All PACS containing data of that patient will send these data to the local PACS where the current doctor can analyze them in order to establish the correct diagnostic.

  • Implementing data safety mechanisms 

Medical data belong to the patient and accessing these data by various physicians in the system requires prior patient acceptance. A mobile responsive web platform will allow patients to give their consent so that medical personnel can access their personal medical data for diagnosis purpose.

Data safety also means implementing a mechanism to prevent confidential data theft by unauthorized persons or even to prevent information leaks by persons who have access rights in the system. For this purpose, the medical data access authorization requests mechanism is distributed on multiple “key storage” type servers maintained by different administrators. Any data theft attempt needs simultaneous acceptance from multiple administrators, which reduces considerably the risk that such a situation occurs.

Medical data is also accessed by physicians who work in scientific research. For this purpose the system allows data anonymization. Anonymized medical data will be backed up on a distinct server where they can be safely accessed by the medical personnel logged into the system.

Anonymization implies separating medical images from their owner by introducing generic values in the demographic data fields of the patient.

  • Displaying medical imaging data in the operating room and surgeon assistance during the surgery act (Surgery Assist)

The Surgery Assist application connects to USMED, downloads requested images and displays them on a screen in the operating room. This application includes the main functionalities of a DICOM viewer (zoom, annotation, rotate, split, etc.) most of them through voice command. In this way the surgeon can voice control the image display mode without pausing the surgery act.

Advantages and Impact of USMED

An integrated patient data management system allows the physician safe and quick access to primary patient medical data, collected from all medical institutions in the system. The result is a precise imagistic and laboratory diagnostic in the shortest time, reducing to a minimum hospitalization time.

For surgical treatment it would become more efficient. For the surgeon, having access to all medical imagery functional and structural priory performed on the patient, it would mean a decisive help in establishing surgery protocol, making surgical intervention easier, safer, and overall better.

By reducing hospitalization time, costs with medical care are diminished and disease prognosis is improved, reducing the patient’s temporary work incapacitation.

Project management team:

Georgeta Smadu
Executive Director of Project’s Implementation Committee
North-East RDA
Tel. 0233 218 071; Fax 0233 218 072
e-mail: gsmadu@adrnordest.ro

Prof.dr. Cipriana Stefanescu
President of the Scientific Committee of IMAGO-MOL Cluster
Scientific responsible
University of Medicine and Pharmacy „Grigore. T. Popa” Iaşi
E-mail: cipriana.stefanescu@yahoo.com

Alina Capitanu
Coordinator of the Regional Contact Point IMAGO MOL – North-East RDA
Piatra-Neamţ, str. Lt. Draghiescu nr.9
Tel. 0233 218 071; Fax 0233 218 072,
E -mail: imago.mol@gmail.com; acapitanu@adrnordest.ro
www.imago-mol.ro; www.adrnordest.ro

Lucian Nita
Technical responsible
Project manager SC ROMSOFT SRL
E-mail : luc@rms.ro