U24CA258511

Extensible Open Source Zero-Footprint Web Viewer for Cancer Imaging Research - Project Summary/Abstract

The Open Health Imaging Foundation (OHIF) Viewer and its underlying libraries such as Cornerstone have become the standard framework for web-based imaging informatics technologies in cancer research and beyond, supporting hundreds of open-source projects with thousands of users.

Through OHIF, developers can:
1) Add new innovative tools as extensions to the OHIF Viewer;
2) Use specific OHIF modules or libraries to build their own custom tools; and
3) Web-enable existing desktop informatics platforms.

To support the transition from desktop to web-based tools, researchers need well-supported frameworks to build upon. Currently, many cancer research image viewers require software to be installed on each user's local workstation, a drawback which limits accessibility and ease of collaboration. Most web-viewers available today are either proprietary, closed systems, or open-source research applications that use legacy technologies. For cancer imaging research that requires multi-site collaboration, there is a growing need for a framework that can enable researchers to review images and collaborate with colleagues remotely.

OHIF's zero-footprint web-viewer tools provide enormous usability benefits for end users, who gain instant access to view data across computers without any software to install or update. Under a prior NCI ITCR U24 grant, we developed the OHIF framework, which provides a professional-grade, free, open-source web-based imaging environment for cancer research with image review, annotation functionality, and a user-friendly interface. The OHIF Viewer relies on standards, which has enabled easy integration with other systems, and it can be extended to provide custom functionality without modifying the core application. Additionally, its components can be re-used to rapidly develop new applications and help enable the transition to cloud computing for cancer research tools.

The core goal of this proposal is to enhance and sustain the OHIF platform and broaden the user and contributor base of this technology. The current project has three aims:
1) Extend the web-viewer's cancer imaging visualization and analysis capabilities;
2) Reduce barriers to adoption by creating ready-to-use installers for on-premises and cloud-hosted deployment; and
3) Expand our support infrastructure for the cancer research community.

For community support, we will enhance our outreach, engagement, and support initiatives to foster collaboration with developers and end users. In order to facilitate clinical translation and share our experience with regulatory compliance, we will implement a Quality Management System (QMS) for core OHIF framework development and regularly release design documentation to the community.

Enhancing the platform's functionality, easing installation, and enriching support will allow researchers to better collaborate to evaluate the nature of cancer disease progression and response to treatment. With the widespread adoption of the OHIF platform to date, the impact of these improvements will be far-reaching.

The General Hospital Corporation

TO IMPROVE SCREENING AND EARLY DETECTION STRATEGIES AND TO DEVELOP ACCURATE DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES AND METHODS FOR PREDICTING THE COURSE OF DISEASE IN CANCER PATIENTS. SCREENING AND EARLY DETECTION RESEARCH INCLUDES DEVELOPMENT OF STRATEGIES TO DECREASE CANCER MORTALITY BY FINDING TUMORS EARLY WHEN THEY ARE MORE AMENABLE TO TREATMENT. DIAGNOSIS RESEARCH FOCUSES ON METHODS TO DETERMINE THE PRESENCE OF A SPECIFIC TYPE OF CANCER, TO PREDICT ITS COURSE AND RESPONSE TO THERAPY, BOTH A PARTICULAR THERAPY OR A CLASS OF AGENTS, AND TO MONITOR THE EFFECT OF THE THERAPY AND THE APPEARANCE OF DISEASE RECURRENCE. THESE METHODS INCLUDE DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING AND DIRECT ANALYSES OF SPECIMENS FROM TUMOR OR OTHER TISSUES. SUPPORT IS ALSO PROVIDED FOR ESTABLISHING AND MAINTAINING RESOURCES OF HUMAN TISSUE TO FACILITATE RESEARCH. SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH (SBIR) PROGRAM: TO EXPAND AND IMPROVE THE SBIR PROGRAM, TO INCREASE PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIALIZATION OF INNOVATIONS DERIVED FROM FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, TO INCREASE SMALL BUSINESS PARTICIPATION IN FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, AND TO FOSTER AND ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION OF SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS IN TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION. SMALL BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER (STTR) PROGRAM: TO STIMULATE AND FOSTER SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION THROUGH COOPERATIVE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CARRIED OUT BETWEEN SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS, TO FOSTER TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER BETWEEN SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS, TO INCREASE PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIALIZATION OF INNOVATIONS DERIVED FROM FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, AND TO FOSTER AND ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION OF SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS IN TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION.

93.394 - Cancer Detection and Diagnosis Research

National Cancer Institute (NCI) [HHS - NIH]

Boston, Massachusetts 021142621 United States

Single Zip Code

Sustained Support for Informatics Technologies for Cancer Research and Management (U24 Clinical Trial Optional) (RFA-CA-22-024)

Amendment Since initial award the total obligations have increased 213% from $769,671 to $2,410,988.