2. Privacy-by-Design and Data Minimization

The ZODIAC platform is designed so that identifiable patient data remains under the control of the participating institute.

• DICOM and clinical data are anonymized locally in the user’s web browser before upload.
• Original DICOM files and original clinical data are not uploaded to the ZODIAC platform.
• Only anonymized DICOM files and anonymized clinical metadata selected by the user are transmitted.
• Local mapping or traceability files remain at the participating institute and must not be uploaded.
• Clinical identifiers such as Patient_ID and Study_ID are anonymized consistently with the corresponding DICOM metadata so that the anonymized records can still be matched.
• Date, age, demographic, and clinical fields are handled according to the selected anonymization profile. The exact rules can be reviewed through the View Rules link in the interface.

This workflow helps reduce re-identification risk while preserving the information needed for ZODIAC analysis and review.