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Sharp & Children’s MRI Center

A first-of-its-kind, fully cloud based medical imaging and practice management system

A revolution in security, accessibility and cost management for diagnostic imaging centers

A leading provider of advanced diagnostic imaging services in San Diego, Sharp & Children’s MRI Center (Sharp) engaged LifeVoxel to improve physician access to 3D images and streamline the end-to-end imaging process.

A truly consolidated solution, LifeVoxel’s industry-leading technology gave Sharp a cost-effective alternative to RIS/PACS. Combining GPU-powered image rendering, secure off-site image storage and the ability to access medical images without costly software or hardware, LifeVoxel met and far exceeded Sharp’s initial aims.

As a result, Sharp’s physicians now work from anywhere, collaborate in real-time and provide next-level care for patients. More importantly, Sharp has access to a first-of-its-kind consolidated solution that has already delivered significant time and cost savings, due to no longer owning and managing hardware and instead paying a simple subscription based fee.

Software and hardware managed by LifeVoxel

All images accessed real-time via a web browser

Secure off-site storage for entire data set

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Russell Low speaks with LifeVoxel about his experience

Russell Low, Medical Director of Sharp & Children’s MRI Center takes us through their challenges, how LIfeVoxel helpsed them and the outcome of the project.

Sharp & Children’s MRI Center challenges

Physicians struggled to quickly access complex imaging data sets
Resources wasted in locating and burning historical studies to CD
Expensive to maintain, update and secure existing hardware
Hospital LAN traffic slowed down diagnostic image rendering

LifeVoxel solutions

GPU renders complex 3D medical images for manipulation in seconds
All hardware and software is managed offsite by LifeVoxel
Off-site storage in a secure data center frees up IT resources
Access to advanced imaging is available via a simple web browser

About Sharp & Children’s MRI Center

Part of the Sharp Healthcare group in San Diego, California, Sharp & Children’s MRI Center (Sharp) provides complex diagnostic imaging for infants, children and adults. Harnessing advanced imaging technology, the center specializes in:

Neurological MRI - advanced brain and spinal cord scans
Musculoskeletal MRI - diagnosis of joint, bone and soft tissue injury
Breast MRI - examination of breast tissue for abnormalities
Pediatric MRI - child-friendly scanning for more accurate diagnosis
Open MRI - an open MRI for patients unable to undergo traditional scanning

Developing and performing complex MRIs for a growing number of patients, Sharp’s physicians need access to the thousands of images produced each day to make critical diagnostic decisions. The complex nature of these cases also require wider collaboration with specialists to give patients the best chance of a positive health outcome.

Sharp’s challenges

Data access, security, volume, and speed

Like most diagnostic imaging centers, data lay at the heart of Sharp’s four core challenges:

Access

there was no easy way to access complex data sets away from the imaging center. This affected patients (delaying diagnostic decisions and treatment) and physicians (preventing effective collaboration with other specialists and impeding remote work).

Volume

with thousands of new images created each day, Sharp was struggling to manage its growing database. Maintaining and updating servers was expensive, finding old studies was time consuming and there was no effective way to fully utilize this rich vein of data.

Speed

old servers combined with outdated systems created layers of latency that impacted everyday operations. This prevented remote access to images for physicians, limited the potential for effective collaboration and added unnecessary waiting time for patients.

Security

exponential growth in data and the need to enable remote access to more users proved a security headache for the center. Maintaining server security was expensive and it was hard to see how moving data sets off site could be anything but an extra security threat.

The Solution

Remote Infrastructure and Instant Accessibility

LifeVoxel’s solution for Sharp & Children’s MRI Center surpassed all expectations. Despite initial security and accessibility concerns, transitioning data and image processing to an offsite data center unlocked new benefits for Sharp. LifeVoxel’s solution allowed them to access scans from any location via a web browser; enjoy superior security; and eliminate the need to own and maintain hardware - all significantly reducing costs.

Transition to a Fully Managed, Secure Data Center

The burden of updating and maintaining expensive hardware was eliminated by utilizing a state-of-the-art data center. In addition to handing over responsibility for IT hardware and maintenance to the data center, this approach strengthened security and streamlined IT operations for Sharp.

Comprehensive Imaging and Practice Management Software

LifeVoxel's innovative software consolidates all conventional imaging center systems into one integrated solution. Functioning as a RIS PACS, VNA Image Sharing (Referring Physician or Patient Portal), 3D viewer, and image backup, LifeVoxel eliminates the need for multiple subscriptions and complex integration.

Instant Access to All Images, Including 3D, via a Web Browser

One of LifeVoxel's revolutionary features is its FDA-cleared, patented real-time 3D viewer, accessible in-browser. Even with a modest Wi-Fi connection, this technology allows physicians to view and manipulate 3D scans as seamlessly as if accessing them through a dedicated on-site system.

Simplified Cost Structure Oriented Towards Usage

Traditional setups demand upfront capital investment followed by maintenance costs, including IT personnel, equipment upgrades, and subscription management. LifeVoxel's solution consolidates these costs (including hardware), into a straightforward usage-based model, ensuring you only pay when you generate revenue.

Automated Image Backup & Storage

LifeVoxel alleviates the need for separate backup solutions by automatically implementing backups within the platform. This saves on storage costs and server space which are at a premium for most organizations. LifeVoxel’s automated image backup feature also ensures compliance with medical data storage regulations.

Seamless Sharing of Studies via a Link

The common practice of employing staff to burn CDs is no longer necessary. With LifeVoxel, physicians and patients can easily share scans through a simple link, eliminating the challenges of lost CDs or incompatible image files. This paves the way for patients to seek second opinions without the need for additional costly scans.

System Capabilities

What LifeVoxel implemented for Sharp's MRI Center

LifeVoxel

RIS PACS Vendors

3D Vendors

Image Sharing Vendors

Archive Vendors

PACS

RIS

FDA Cleared

3D/4D On Any Device

Image Sharing

Archive & Disaster Recovery

Scalable AI Visual GPU Cloud Computing

Interactive “Netflix” Streaming

Adaptive Visualization – AI Always On

VR/AR Telehealth

"The benefits of LifeVoxel are at speed…they've taken hardware based upon GPUs, graphic processing units, that are hundreds of times faster than our current CPUs. And, because of that, we're able to see not just routine 2D images, but 3D manipulation in real time."

Russell Low

Medical Director, Sharp & Children’s MRI Center

Overcoming key security and technology concerns

At RNSA 2008, Sharp's Medical Director, Russell Low, was ‘shocked’ by how fast 3D data sets could be accessed on a phone using LifeVoxel. Unable to move even one data set between floors back at his San Diego diagnostic imaging center, Dr Low hired LifeVoxel to create a pilot program to speed up image rendering and enable remote access for physicians.

A whole GPU-based system was built, accessing the center’s own servers via the web application demonstrated at RNSA. However, the initial results were slower than expected.

Further investigation revealed the center’s servers were connected to the hospital’s LAN. Too much daily traffic was clogging the network’s bandwidth and slowing down the app.

LifeVoxel’s answer was to host Sharp’s medical system off-site at a secure data center. Both the center and the hospital had serious security and privacy concerns about hosting sensitive medical data off-site. However, a visit to the data center convinced them that their data would be as safe (if not safer) using this HIPAA-compliant off-site solution.

The security measures in place far outstripped those used in the hospital. Everyone entering the building required clearance. Fingerprint access controlled access to the server room, while each server was housed in its own cage, accessible only via security code.

The off-site proposal approved, LifeVoxel created new applications to communicate with the on-site modalities, allowing remote accessibility in real time during emergency situations. Updating the applications and deploying the off-site servers resulted in record-breaking speed and zero-latency, providing Sharp with the solution to their ongoing data challenges.

Beyond CDs: Heralding a new era for diagnostic imaging centers

The pilot program between Sharp and LifeVoxel not only enabled full remote access to complex imaging data sets for physicians. It also heralded a new era in imaging access for patients too.

Prior to the pilot, burning CD copies of imaging studies was a full-time job for a Sharp employee. This labor-intensive process involved finding historic films, retrieving them, burning them and labeling them - all while maintaining data security.

With 30-40 CDs burned each day (and demand growing), this process was not only unproductive but also put unsustainable pressure on staff resources.

The ability to access detailed imaging remotely via LifeVoxel eliminated the need for CDs. This freed up resources and gave patients and specialists instant access to medical records - heralding a new era in diagnostic imaging centers.

Summary

Turning medical imaging on its head - for good

A first of it's kind system

The first-of-its-kind pilot program became an aha moment for both LifeVoxel and Sharp & Children’s MRI Center. For LifeVoxel, this was the moment the full potential of its solution was realized. This proved that their off-site, hosted solution using GPUs could work with all on-site modalities and legacy systems while delivering:

speed
zero latency
remote accessibility from any internet-connected device
HIPAA-compliant security
patient privacy - all with no on-site hardware.

Allowing hospitals and healthcare centers to offer advanced medical imaging services using a simple web browser, LifeVoxel offers an alternative to costly RIS and PACS - effectively, consolidating the imaging marketplace.

New capabilities, without the hardware

For Sharp, the pilot unlocked the full power of its 3D data sets for the first time without hardware costs, allowing remote access and effective collaboration while providing increased levels of security. Embracing an innovative off-site solution has since delivered:

faster speeds
IT savings
enhanced decision-making
improved patient experience
staff and process efficiencies.

The collaboration between Sharp & Children’s MRI Center and LifeVoxel turned medical imaging on its head. By challenging traditional thinking, adopting emerging technology and being willing to test and adapt, the pilot unlocked next-level diagnostic imaging, enabling a new era of collaboration, insights and improved healthcare outcomes.

"Working with the team at LifeVoxel has been absolutely fabulous. They are very responsive to the needs that we have and they're receptive to new ideas. They're clearly looking for ways to adapt their technology to our medical needs. And I think the synergy of our relationship has been very positive"

Russell Low - Medical Director, Sharp & Children’s MRI Center

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Choose an Integrated Imaging & Practice Management Solution

The need to maintain expensive hardware, employ a large IT team, and manage disparate software subscriptions is over. LifeVoxel’s fully cloud-based, comprehensive practice management solution brings everything together under a simple, straightforward pay-as-you-go fee structure.

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