Europe's OSIC launches unique global Data Repository for Interstitial lung diseases

The Open Source Imaging Consortium (OSIC) is launching its global, data-rich repository of anonymized HRCT scans and clinical information regarding interstitial lung diseases (ILDs). This first-of-its-kind database is the world's largest and most diverse, with a plethora of real world clinical and imaging data that is both multi-ethnic and multi-center.

The OSIC Data Repository currently houses close to 1,500 anonymized and quality-controlled scans with accompanying data, and has an additional 5,000 in the quality control queue. It is on track to reach its goal of 15,000 anonymized scans, available to OSIC members, by first quarter 2022.

OSIC is a global, not-for-profit cooperative effort between academia, industry and patient advocacy groups – was created to enable rapid, open-source advances in the fight against idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), fibrosing ILDs, and other respiratory diseases, including emphysematous conditions.

Radiologists, clinicians, computational scientists, and industry competitors from around the world collaborated for almost three years on the development of the database itself, and are working together to advance digital imaging biomarkers for accurate imaging-based diagnosis, prognosis, and prediction of response to therapy. Any OSIC-created algorithms will be made open source for the benefit of patients everywhere.

In spite of rapid developments in advanced medical imaging analysis, the major obstacle to harnessing technology to study pulmonary fibrosis is the lack of large diverse imaging repositories needed for computer training. OSIC addresses this unmet need by providing researchers with the data needed to develop AI-based applications for improving patient care and facilitating precision medicine. It will assist in reliably predict Progress in pulmonary fibrosis in patient and subsequent diagnosis.

The OSIC Data Repository was built with images and clinical data from a variety of sources, and every scan has been anonymized with a personal and automated quality control check. The organization is seeking additional scans from governmental agencies, patient advocacy groups, and through direct patient outreach. The database has been vetted by two global GDPR/HIPAA privacy firms, has Central IRB and multiple institution IRB approvals, and will be managed in compliance with all applicable privacy laws, regulations, consents and related restrictions.