Abstract
BackgroundAn image sharing framework is important to support downstream data analysis especially for pandemics like Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Current centralized image sharing frameworks become dysfunctional if any part of the framework fails. Existing decentralized image sharing frameworks do not store the images on the blockchain, thus the data themselves are not highly available, immutable, and provable. Meanwhile, storing images on the blockchain provides availability/immutability/provenance to the images, yet produces challenges such as large-image handling, high viewing latency while viewing images, and software inconsistency while storing/loading images. ObjectiveThis study aims to store chest x-ray images using a blockchain-based framework to handle large images, improve viewing latency, and enhance software consistency. Basic ProceduresWe developed a splitting and merging function to handle large images, a feature that allows previewing an image earlier to improve viewing latency, and a smart contract to enhance software consistency. We used 920 publicly available images to evaluate the storing and loading methods through time measurements. Main FindingsThe blockchain network successfully shares large images up to 18 MB and supports smart contracts to provide code immutability, availability, and provenance. Applying the preview feature successfully shared images 93% faster than sharing images without the preview feature. Principal ConclusionsThe findings of this study can guide future studies to generalize our framework to other forms of data to improve sharing and interoperability.
Highlights
As the COVID-19 pandemic persists among us, it is crucial for healthcare institutions to share COVID-19 related data representing symptoms and side-effects to aid downstream processes that find and maintain the best prevention methods and treatments [1,2,3,4,5,6]
To improve code consistency across multiple sites, we developed a smart contract, which is a digital and immutable set of programs deployed on certain blockchain platforms such as Ethereum [29], to store and load image pieces and preview images on the blockchain
Our results support the use of permissioned blockchain as a solution to share images through on-chain image storage to provide immuta bility, availability, and provenance to the images themselves while addressing the challenges of on-chain storage
Summary
As the COVID-19 pandemic persists among us, it is crucial for healthcare institutions to share COVID-19 related data representing symptoms and side-effects to aid downstream processes that find and maintain the best prevention methods and treatments [1,2,3,4,5,6]. Current public centralized image sharing mechanisms, such as hos pital image databases or open-source image sharing websites, enable collaborative and shareable image repositories [14]. Existing decentralized image sharing frameworks do not store the images on the blockchain, the data themselves are not highly available, immutable, and provable. Objective: This study aims to store chest x-ray images using a blockchain-based framework to handle large im ages, improve viewing latency, and enhance software consistency. Main Findings: The blockchain network successfully shares large images up to 18 MB and supports smart contracts to provide code immutability, availability, and provenance. Principal Conclusions: The findings of this study can guide future studies to generalize our framework to other forms of data to improve sharing and interoperability
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