Bridge

Bridge is a software and hardware solution developed by Entrolytics for capturing, storing, de-identifying, and sharing intestinal ultrasound (IUS) data. It is designed to address the specific logistical challenges of IUS workflows, where large cine loops generated during assessment of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis create datasets that are difficult to manage, de-identify, and transmit securely. Bridge is intended for clinical trial sites, gastroenterology practitioners, and educators working with IUS in routine clinical practice or research settings.

Conventional PACS systems are often not connected to ultrasound machines, and manual de-identification processes introduce risk, delays, and inconsistent data formatting that can lead to CRO rejections. Bridge provides a purpose-built suite of tools to address these gaps, covering data ingestion, local review, de-identification, calibration, and secure transmission.

Core Capabilities

• Connects directly to the ultrasound system via secure hardware (the Bridge Box), automatically routing IUS series without manual export or conversion.
• Includes a local version of Entrolytics PACS, allowing users to review, organise, calibrate, and annotate IUS studies without data leaving the site.
• Provides de-identification tools to redact sensitive data, update DICOM headers, and block patient identifiers before any data is transmitted externally.
• Supports secure export of de-identified data to CROs, sponsor portals, or the Entrolytics platform.
• Handles large cine loop file sizes generated in Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis without downsampling or compression that could make data unacceptable for clinical trials.
• Maintains a searchable, structured archive with anonymised patient IDs to support longitudinal follow-up and teaching set curation.
• Automatically checks for errors or deviations from imaging guidelines during DICOM header updates.
• Supports annotation of scans, including bowel wall thickness measurements, directly within the local Entrolytics interface.

Intended Users

• Practitioners: Store IUS scans securely, track patient progress over time using GI-specific measurement tools, and conduct side-by-side longitudinal review within Entrolytics.
• Clinical trial sites: Redact, rename, and securely transmit uncompressed trial data in formats acceptable to CROs, reducing study rejections and workflow bottlenecks.
• Educators and students: De-identify and share scans of any size to support training and collaboration, create teaching sets, annotate scans, and provide structured feedback to trainees.

Workflow Steps

1. Acquire: Conduct the IUS study as usual on the ultrasound system.
2. Ingest: Scans are automatically routed to Bridge via secure hardware connected to the ultrasound machine.
3. Review: The local Entrolytics instance allows users to review, organise, and annotate IUS data; sensitive data is redacted and DICOM headers are updated to meet trial or clinical requirements.
4. Upload: De-identified scans are securely transmitted to CROs or the Entrolytics platform, including via USB export to sponsor portals where required.
5. View: Studies are accessible within Entrolytics for longitudinal comparison, training review, or collaborative feedback.

Compliance and Security

• Designed to be GDPR and HIPAA compliant, with full site control over what data leaves the local system.
• Provides a fully audited chain of custody to support GCP-compliant integration where required.
• Does not transmit personally identifiable information (PII) out of the institution; de-identification is completed on-site before any external transfer.
• Can operate fully offline; telemetry connectivity is recommended to support remote assistance but is not required.

Bridge is deployed as a hardware-software combination, with the Bridge Box serving as the physical connection point between the ultrasound system and the local Entrolytics PACS. It integrates with the broader Entrolytics platform for longitudinal review and collaborative workflows, and is suitable for standalone gastroenterology clinics, university hospital training programmes, and multicentre IBD clinical trial sites.