DOCUMENT IMAGING AND MANAGEMENT
DOCUSAM is a family of applications that provides a scalable enterprise print management and document archive system.
DOCUSAM provides a database for storing document descriptions and indexing information and an electronic vault for storing document images. It includes provisions for describing and indexing document image files and importing them into a document vault. Search tools permit documents to be retrieved from the vault based upon the indexing information. Documents are stored in the vault directory specified during the installation of the DOCUSAM application. The document vault can be distributed to multiple disk drives or CD-ROMs in a jukebox.
The DOCUSAM application is based on an objected-oriented CRICT (Children’s Research Core Technology) Database architecture. Every imported document is given a unique identifier or object ID and the image is written to the appropriate directory in DOCUSAM vault. Multiple databases and vaults can be at various geographical locations remaining completely transparent to the user. All resources can be shared based upon the user’s security level. The CRICT database architecture is designed to function on any database platform such as SQL2000, Oracle8 or Access depending on the requirements.
The DocuSAM .NET architecture puts heavy emphasis on Web services. Web Services permit a means of standardized data exchange between applications and institutions. Documents can be easily accessed from any environment or application that is http: and xml capable.
The DocuSAM XML Web Service provides an easy to use Web based Document Service.
The software solution utilizes various Microsoft technologies including SQL Server 2000, ASP.NET and XML Web Services to implement the tracking of the submitted specimen documents and forms.
INSTITUTIONAL PERFORMANCE MONITORING SYSTEM
The Institutional Performance Monitoring System is a web based system that reports and measures institutional submission performance on cases sent to the Biopathology Center (BPC). The system utilizes a formula that uses data on both the quality and quantity of specimens submitted. This system allows both the Institutional Performance Monitoring Committee within COG and the participating institutions to track submissions and compliance on a real-time basis. The system allows participating institutions track their compliance.
The system utilized various Microsoft technologies including SQL Server 2000 and ASP.NET to implement the tracking protocol of the submitted specimens.
VIRTUAL MICROSCOPY
The Virtual Microscopy Pilot EndeavoR (VIPER) is a custom built software solution that combines several technologies and delivers the means for pathologists to review digital images of slides over the internet. With this capability, patients can quickly obtain input on their tissue from expert pathologists from across the nation. By utilizing Virtual Microscopy (VM), the technique of digitizing microscope slides using common microscope objective magnifications, the BPC is able to provide digital images of diagnostic quality. Project VIPER utilizes various technologies including Apache Tomcat, Hypertext Markup Language, JavaScript, JavaServer Pages, and MySQL to provide a web-based review system.
VIRTUAL INVENTORY
The Virtual Inventory project aims at designing, developing and maintaining a bio-specimen system supporting all disciplines and protocols that require specimen tracking and inventory services. A centralized reference laboratory and repository data warehouse will be designed and developed in respect to the Specimen Profile.
An online reporting tool is developed for administrators to log into and utilize this tool to query information regarding cases, samples, tissue inventory, and specimen information. This online reporting mechanism is highly customizable and provides the ability to run reports based on requests from institutions, CRAs, and investigators.If given the right information, the data from any inventory or warehouse could be extracted. Hence, this tool can be scaled up as the number of participating groups and elements grows. Currently the data from the (solid tumor data and ALL data) and University of New Mexico (ALL data) warehouses are extracted.
The Virtual Inventory project implements Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) utilizing various web-based Microsoft technologies including ASP.NET, VB.NET, and XML Web Services. The reports are generated online dynamically and are displayed using Crystal Reports XI, which enables paging and exporting reports to Excel, PDF or RTF format.