B-SPID: An object-relational database architecture to store, retrieve, andmanipulate neuroimaging data

We propose a hardware and software architecture to respond Co crucial probl ems in the neuroimaging field: storage, retrieval, and processing of large datasets. The B-SPID project, here discussed, concerns the processing of ne uroimages and attached components stored in an object-relational multimedia database management system (DBMS). Advanced bioinformation concepts are ex ploited in this project such as large scale data storage, high level el gra phical user interfaces and 3D graphical processing and display of data. Our database implementation is based on standard programming components, runs on several UNIX platforms and is written to be evolutive. Queries on this d atabase are designed to obtain and display from neuroimaging data several t ypes of results (pictures, text or 3D graphical shapes) on heterogeneous sy stems. (C) 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.