Using digital watermarking to enhance security in wireless medical image transmission

This is the published version of the article. Copyright 2010 Mary Ann Liebert Inc.During the last few years, wireless networks have been increasingly used both inside hospitals and in patients’ homes to transmit medical information. In general, wireless networks suffer from decreased security. However, digital watermarking can be used to secure medical information. In this study, we focused on combining wireless transmission and digital watermarking technologies to better secure the transmission of medical images within and outside the hospital. Methods: We utilized an integrated system comprising the wireless network and the digital watermarking module to conduct a series of tests. Results: The test results were evaluated by medical consultants. They concluded that the images suffered no visible quality degradation and maintained their diagnostic integrity. Discussion: The proposed integrated system presented reasonable stability, and its performance was comparable to that of a fixed network. This system can enhance security during the transmission of medical images through a wireless channel.The General Secretariat for Research and Technology of the Hellenic Ministry of Development and the British Council

Application of texture analysis to muscle MRI: 1-What kind of information should be expected from texture analysis?

Several previous clinical or preclinical studies using computerized texture analysis of MR Images have demonstrated much more clinical discrimination than visual image analysis by the radiologist. In muscular dystrophy, a discriminating power has been already demonstrated with various methods of texture analysis of magnetic resonance images (MRI-TA). Unfortunately, a scale gap exists between the spatial resolutions of histological and MR images making a direct correlation impossible. Furthermore, the effect of the various histological modifications on the gray level of each pixel is complex and cannot be easily analyzed. Consequently, clinicians will not accept the use of MRI-TA in routine practice if TA remains a “black box” without clinical correspondence at a tissue level. A goal therefore of the multicenter European COST action MYO-MRI is to optimize MRI-TA methods in muscular dystrophy and to elucidate the histological meaning of MRI textures.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Smart Sensors and Virtual Physiology Human Approach as a Basis of Personalized Therapies in Diabetes Mellitus

Diabetes mellitus (DM) has a growing incidence and prevalence in modern societies, pushed by the aging and change of life styles. Despite the huge resources dedicated to improve their quality of life, mortality and morbidity rates, these are still very poor. In this work, DM pathology is revised from clinical and metabolic points of view, as well as mathematical models related to DM, with the aim of justifying an evolution of DM therapies towards the correction of the physiological metabolic loops involved. We analyze the reliability of mathematical models, under the perspective of virtual physiological human (VPH) initiatives, for generating and integrating customized knowledge about patients, which is needed for that evolution. Wearable smart sensors play a key role in this frame, as they provide patient’s information to the models

A first proposal for secure data storage into DNA molecules compliant with biological constraints

International audienceenvisioned in 2025. To respond to associated storage needs, technologies as flash memoryand hard drives reach their limits in terms of: density; energy and ecological costs; durabilityfor long term storage. In this context, data storage on DNA molecules has recently been shownas very promising. DNA storage could be 106 times more dense than hard drives, with alifetime 10 to 20 times longer and an energy consumption closed to zero (molecules can bekept at room temperature with no maintenance).In this work, we are interested in securing archived data. DNA storage being a new technology,the opportunity presents itself to integrate this critical aspect at the biological level, contrarilyto what has been done for electronical storage means. In fact, information must be securedat every step of the DNA data storage chain. Data integrity and confidentiality are among themain issues with threats like data modification (e.g. writing of new data) or the theft of theDNA storage support by an attacker. Herein, we propose a solution for writing encrypted dataonto synthetic DNA molecules considering DNA synthesis and the error-correction codeconstraints. Indeed, DNA sequences should conform to structural constraints dictated by thisbiological process and sequencing

Relevance of Watermarking in Medical Imaging

Because of the importance of the security issues in the management of medical information, we suggest to use watermarking techniques to complete the existing measures for protecting medical images. We discuss the necessary requirements for such a system to beacceptedbymedical staff and its complementary role with respect with existing security systems. We present different scenarios, one devoted to the authentication and tracing of the images, the second to the integrity control of the patient's record

Analyse et décision en électromyographie

Une description de la chaîne diagnostique mise en oeuvre pour le traitement des informations neurologiques, en particulier le signal électromyographique (EMG), est proposée à travers une synthèse des derniers travaux réalisés. L'accent est mis sur l'intégration des méthodes de représentation, d'analyse statistique et de techniques d'interprétation. Ces dernières peuvent intervenir dans la modélisation et la conduite du processus global de résolution en s'appuyant sur des connaissances symboliques. Elles peuvent aussi faciliter les étapes bas niveau d'identification des signaux élémentaires et de leurs mélanges

Landmark Localization for Cephalometric Analysis using Multiscale Image Patch-based Graph Convolutional Networks

International audienceAccurate and robust cephalometric image analysis plays an essential role in orthodontic diagnosis, treatment assessment and surgical planning. This paper proposes a novel landmark localization method for cephalometric analysis using multiscale image patch-based graph convolutional networks. In detail, image patches with the same size are hierarchically sampled from the Gaussian pyramid to well preserve multiscale context information. We combine local appearance and shape information into spatialized features with an attention module to enrich node representations in graph. The spatial relationships of landmarks are built with the incorporation of three-layer graph convolutional networks, and multiple landmarks are simultaneously updated and moved toward the targets in a cascaded coarse-to-fine process. Quantitative results obtained on publicly available cephalometric X-ray images have exhibited superior performance compared with other state-of-the-art methods in terms of mean radial error and successful detection rate within various precision ranges. Our approach performs significantly better especially in the clinically accepted range of 2 mm and this makes it suitable in cephalometric analysis and orthognathic surgery

Medical record search engines, using pseudonymised patient identity: an alternative to centralised medical records

Purpose The purpose of our multidisciplinary study was to define a pragmatic and secure alternative to the creation of a national centralised medical record which could gather together the different parts of the medical record of a patient scattered in the different hospitals where he was hospitalised without any risk of breaching confidentiality. Methods We first analyse the reasons for the failure and the dangers of centralisation (i.e. difficulty to define a European patients' identifier, to reach a common standard for the contents of the medical record, for data protection) and then propose an alternative that uses the existing available data on the basis that setting up a safe though imperfect system could be better than continuing a quest for a mythical perfect information system that we have still not found after a search that has lasted two decades. Results We describe the functioning of Medical Record Search Engines (MRSEs), using pseudonymisation of patients' identity. The MRSE will be able to retrieve and to provide upon an MD's request all the available information concerning a patient who has been hospitalised in different hospitals without ever having access to the patient's identity. The drawback of this system is that the medical practitioner then has to read all of the information and to create his own synthesis and eventually to reject extra data. Conclusions Faced with the difficulties and the risks of setting up a centralised medical record system, a system that gathers all of the available information concerning a patient could be of great interest. This low-cost pragmatic alternative which could be developed quickly should be taken into consideration by health authorities