# An Integrated Software Platform for Accelerating Image-Driven Ophthalmic Research and Driving New Insights and Endpoints to the Clinic

> **NIH NIH R44** · TRANSLATIONAL IMAGING INNOVATIONS, INC. · 2022 · $212,866

## Abstract

Project Summary
Translational Imaging Innovations (TII) is creating an integrated platform for the collection, curation, analysis
and sharing of ocular images and data. Our Integrated Translational Imaging™ platform integrates an electronic
research workflow management system with an image repository, or data lake, and provides methods for
controlling the flow of images and data to a visualization and image processing toolkit. We now address a specific
pain point within the Ophthalmology and Vision community: DICOM conformance. In 2021, the FDA officially
recognized DICOM as a consensus standard for Ophthalmic Image Management Systems, and the National Eye
Institute and American Academy of Ophthalmology issued a call to the ophthalmic device community to accelerate
adoption of DICOM. DICOM for ophthalmology consists of 12 separate standards. Building a DICOM image file
requires a) transforming a proprietary (or non-DICOM) image file into a DICOM image object, and b) populating
DICOM tags with metadata. DICOM specifies required tags and optional tags (even number tags per the standard)
and allows for non-standard proprietary tags (odd-numbered). Non-compliant image formats and proprietary tags
are widespread in ophthalmology, particularly in OCT. We therefore propose to build a DICOM image generator
into the TII ocuVault API and incorporate DICOM rendering into the TII image curation application, ocuLink.
The addition of DICOM reading and translation capabilities into ocuLink and ocuVault solves significant problems
for the ophthalmic research and development community. We provide an engine for providing control of the
images back to the owner. We apply a transparent, harmonized model that ensures that DICOM standard tools
can use .DCM files, while maintaining proprietary information where necessary. We apply the DICOM model to
image modalities where a DICOM supplement does not exist, accelerating the harmonization of new technologies
in constant development in ophthalmology.
Our AIMS are as follows: 1) Implement DICOM rendering into ocuLink; 2) Develop methods to translate proprietary
image formats to DICOM; 3) Develop an ocuVault – to – DICOM metadata mapping software utility; 4) Develop an
any – to – DICOM export method; 5) Develop DICOM-conformant metadata fill utility for files that do not have
embedded metadata; and 6) submit ocuLink and ocuVault for FDA 510(k) clearance as an Ophthalmic Imaging
Management Systems (FDA Product Code NFJ).
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## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10631602
- **Project number:** 3R44EY031198-02S1
- **Recipient organization:** TRANSLATIONAL IMAGING INNOVATIONS, INC.
- **Principal Investigator:** Eric L. Buckland
- **Activity code:** R44 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $212,866
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2020-09-01 → 2023-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10631602

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10631602, An Integrated Software Platform for Accelerating Image-Driven Ophthalmic Research and Driving New Insights and Endpoints to the Clinic (3R44EY031198-02S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10631602. Licensed CC0.

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