A Virtual Data Grid Architecture for Medical Data using SRB

We present a method to include anonymized PACS data into data grids. It is based on a simple mechanism, SRB/DICOM driver, for the transparent integration of DICOM compatible PACS in SDSC Storage Resource Broker (SRB) based data grids. The SRB/DICOM driver provides an uniform interface between the SRB server component and medical images archives supporting DICOM Query/Retrieve functionalities. The driver thus allows SRB clients to access transparently, and in user specified data formats, anonymized medical images published by partecipating PACS. We expect this extension to be useful in the construction of general data exchange infrastructures for wide area biomedical data warehouse dedicated to research and clinical purposes.