PixelGuard FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is PixelGuard?

PixelGuard is an advanced software solution designed to deidentify medical images while preserving clinical relevance. It ensures patient confidentiality by removing identifiable data embedded within pixel-level data and metadata. Its AI-enabled technology supports multiple languages for removing pixel data.

2. What types of inputs does PixelGuard support?

PixelGuard accepts a wide range of medical imaging formats, including:

  • DICOM (.dcm)
  • JPEG (.jpg)
  • PNG (.png)
  • NIfTI (.nii, .nii.gz)
  • tiff (.tiff) (coming soon for pathology)

3. What are the outputs of PixelGuard?

Images can be saved in a number of output formats:

  • DICOM (.dcm)
  • JPEG (.jpg)
  • PNG (.png)

Note that a JPEG (.jpg) or PNG (.png) will not be transformed from a lower information state to a higher one (i.e. DICOM .dcm). PixelGuard generates deidentified medical images in the same format as the input. Key features include:

  • Removal of embedded Protected Health Information (PHI) from image metadata (e.g., patient name, ID, DOB)
  • Masking of PHI directly visible in the image (e.g., burned-in text), with support for multilingual text detection and redaction
  • Retention of diagnostic image quality and integrity

4. How does PixelGuard ensure deidentification?

  • Metadata scrubbing (with options for swapping/shifting available)
  • Optical Character Recognition (OCR) and Natural Language Processing (NLP) to detect and redact burned-in text in multiple languages
  • User-configurable deidentification rules to comply with HIPAA, GDPR, or local regulations/needs

5. What are common use cases for PixelGuard?

  • Clinical Research: Deidentify imaging datasets for multicenter studies or public data sharing
  • Education and Training: Prepare deidentified case studies for medical education
  • AI Model Development: Ensure training datasets comply with privacy laws
  • Telemedicine: Share imaging studies securely between providers
  • Quality Assurance: Remove PHI from images submitted for external audits or reviews

6. Does PixelGuard comply with HIPAA and other privacy regulations?

Yes. PixelGuard adheres to requirements including HIPAA, GDPR, and other applicable standards. Its processes are customizable to align with the needs of the end user.

7. Can PixelGuard handle large datasets?

Yes. PixelGuard is optimized for scalability and can process datasets containing thousands or even millions of images efficiently by leveraging parallel processing via elastic scaling and batch workflows. It is also set to handle jobs asynchronously.

8. Does PixelGuard allow user oversight during deidentification?

Yes. Users can review cases (e.g., detected burned-in PHI) to ensure that the appropriate information has been redacted.

9. Is PixelGuard compatible with cloud and on-premises deployments?

While PixelGuard is primarily cloud-based, we can work directly with the end user to ensure flexibility based on organizational needs.

10. How is image quality preserved during deidentification?

PixelGuard employs advanced algorithms to maintain the diagnostic quality of images while securely redacting PHI. This includes decompression and re-compression as appropriate, safeguarding against lossy compression.

11. Can PixelGuard integrate with existing PACS or RIS systems?

Yes. PixelGuard can select data from a user's cloud account as well as upload from specific folder/file locations on a local machine, enabling seamless integration with Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS) or Radiology Information Systems (RIS).

12. What kind of support and training does PixelGuard offer?

  • Comprehensive user guides and tutorials
  • Technical support through email and live chat
  • Onboarding sessions for teams

Additionally, if users have AWS cloud solution architects available as part of their enterprise solutions, they can assist in getting you started.

13. How can I obtain PixelGuard?

PixelGuard is available on the AWS Marketplace. You may also contact our team through our website or email to request a demo, pricing information, or installation instructions.

14. Is PixelGuard customizable?

Yes. Users can customize deidentification settings to fit their specific compliance workflows and organizational needs. This includes selecting which metadata to redact, swap, shift, etc. We also offer various algorithm versions that not only deidentify but also prepare data for AI-based training, with options for shifting, swapping, random assignment, or user-uploaded values for specific PatientIDs or dates.

15. If I need to, can I reconnect the de-identified data to the originals?

Yes! Our solution records any redaction, swapping, or shifting of Patient IDs, dates, etc. in a crosswalk file that includes original filenames and new filenames (if applicable based on user configuration) along with the redacted text.

16. Who should use PixelGuard?

  • Healthcare providers
  • Clinical researchers
  • AI/ML developers in healthcare
  • Medical educators
  • Industry collaborators
  • Regulatory and compliance teams
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