PAMINA

PAMINA (Piattaforma per l’Analisi Multimediale Integrata in Neuroscienze Applicate) (Platform for Integrated Multimedia Analysis in Applied Neuroscience) is a web-based hardware and software platform designed specifically to collect, manage, recover, display and process data and metadata in a modern neuroimaging laboratory. The system is intended for the clinical research field on human brain functions (from acquisition to final processing), but can also be used in the clinical and diagnostic fields.

PAMINA is a compelling operational example of the transfer of scientific and technological knowledge between clinical / fundamental research and companies. PAMINA allows high-level data processing and visualization based on the user’s qualification and professional goals, with the only objective the patient health protection. The system is particularly optimized for clinical and basic research on human brain functions, from acquisition to final analysis.

Designed and validated in the operational context of the Magnetic Resonance for Brain Investigation Laboratory of the Centro Fermi and of the Neuroimaging Laboratory of the Santa Lucia Foundation in Rome, it presents several interesting aspects of technological innovation, including the creation of a multimodal analysis environment integrated with an intelligent repository that allows the maintenance of all the information in each step of the processing, from raw data to the final result.

PAMINA combines the following components in a single solution:

A DICOM 3.0 compliant Open Source (Conquest) server
An open source PACS server (Conquest)
An EEG loader EDF (European Data Format) compliant
A DICOM-Nifti converter
A classifier of DICOM sequences
A processing module consisting of several components: LONI pipeline server (open source application) integrated with the main processing SW (Matlab, FSL, Afni ..) and configurable on open source GRID (sun grid engine), a service for execution of the processes and one of ‘Purge’ for the automatic cancellation of dated processing
A backend web server
A front end web server that uses the open source Apache 2.2 HTTP server, openSSL and PHP to generate the encrypted web user interface

Therefore:

Interfaces with DICOM and EDF biomedical equipment (MRI, PET and TC tomographs, electroencephalographs)
Makes newly acquired raw data available, classified by type, in a hierarchy oriented to research users, also in Nifti interchange format suitable for use by the main analysis software
Allows robust and adequately performing data processing through a grid calculation approach
garantisce un accesso utente semplice e sicuro attraverso interfaccia web based integrata con metodi di autenticazione sicuri e standard.
Ensures simple and secure user access through a web based interface integrated with safe and standard authentication methods.

PAMINA allows to process for a specific subject multiparametric protocols data for clinical use, both applied to the isolated investigation and to the longitudinal execution of the same investigation at different times. In the same way, it is possible to manage protocols aimed at the statistical study of brain function or morphology on very large groups of healthy subjects or patients suffering from neurological or psychiatric diseases. The platform is also suitable for the longitudinal monitoring of clinical trials for the development of new treatments or new drugs, thanks also to the web tools that allow the coordination and collaboration between different Research Centers, through the exchange of information and data on encrypted channels