Bbs:TechnischOntwerp1.0.0-alpha

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1 Technical Design – Beeldbeschikbaarheid 1.0.0-alpha

1.1 1. Scope and Purpose

1.1.1 Purpose

This Technical Design (TD) describes the architectural approach for cross-community exchange of medical imaging information.

The design focuses explicitly on:

• Cross-community imaging exchange
• Gateway-to-gateway interoperability
• Federated exchange between healthcare communities

1.1.2 Out of Scope

The following aspects are explicitly out of scope:

• Internal systems and workflows within healthcare organizations
• Internal storage mechanisms
• Local technical implementations
• Vendor-specific architectural choices

This TD defines how communities interoperate — not how they implement internally.

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1.2 2. Architectural Principles

This section describes the guiding architectural principles.

1.2.1 Community Boundaries

• Each community is autonomous
• Internal implementation freedom is preserved
• Communities are responsible for their own data governance

1.2.2 Gateways

• Gateways function as trust anchors
• Gateways act as the interoperability boundary
• All cross-community interaction occurs via gateways

1.2.3 Separation of Concerns

• Internal architecture is separated from external interoperability
• The TD does not prescribe internal registry or storage mechanisms
• Only externally exposed capabilities are specified

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1.3 3. Cross-Community Federation

This section describes the federated architecture model.

1.3.1 Cross-Community Query

• Queries are performed via community gateways
• Cross-community querying is based on XCA principles
• Gateways are responsible for forwarding and responding to queries

1.3.2 Imaging Context

• XCA-I applies in imaging-specific contexts
• No SOAP transaction-level details are specified in this document
• No RAD-75 transaction descriptions are included

This TD defines architectural positioning, not transaction specifications.

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1.4 4. Retrieval of Imaging Objects

1.4.1 Retrieval Principle

Retrieval is a gateway-exposed capability.

A gateway SHALL:

• Expose imaging objects for cross-community retrieval
• Support web-based access to DICOM objects
• Enforce applicable security and access control policies

1.4.2 Legacy Mechanisms

• Legacy retrieval mechanisms are acknowledged
• They are discouraged for new implementations

This chapter defines what a gateway exposes — not how imaging data is internally stored.

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1.5 5. Publication and Metadata Management (Contextual)

This chapter ensures architectural completeness without prescribing internal solutions.

1.5.1 Metadata Requirement

Within each community:

• Metadata describing imaging objects MUST exist
• A publication mechanism MUST be present

The TD does not mandate how metadata is created, stored, or indexed.

1.5.2 Non-Normative Examples

Examples of commonly used approaches include:

• XDS-I.b
• MHD
• Other equivalent mechanisms

These examples are illustrative and non-prescriptive.

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1.6 6. Manifest-Based Exchange

1.6.1 Principle

The unit of exchange is a manifest.

1.6.2 Mechanism

• Use of DICOM Key Object Selection (KOS)
• The manifest references imaging objects
• Referenced objects are retrieved via gateway interfaces

1.6.3 Benefits

• Scalable
• Future-proof
• Content-agnostic
• Decouples metadata exchange from object retrieval

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1.7 7. Alignment with European Interoperability Initiatives

This section describes alignment at the semantic and conceptual level.

1.7.1 Xt-EHR Alignment

• Alignment on semantics
• Alignment on metadata concepts
• Alignment on imaging report structures

1.7.2 Explicit Non-Scope

This TD does not prescribe:

• Transport mechanisms beyond gateway interoperability
• Workflow orchestration
• National implementation constraints beyond architecture

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1.8 8. Use Cases

Use cases are mapped to architectural patterns rather than specific technical profiles.

1.8.1 Registry-Based Community

• Community maintains internal registry mechanisms
• Gateway exposes cross-community query capabilities

1.8.2 Federated Cross-Community Exchange

• Multiple communities connected via gateway federation
• Queries are routed across community boundaries

1.8.3 Manifest-Based Retrieval

• Exchange based on manifest objects
• Imaging objects retrieved via gateway-exposed services

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1.9 Version Information

• Version: 1.0.0-alpha
• Status: Draft Technical Design
• Intended publication: End of Q1