Based at Teknopark Istanbul, Quantum Cloud Computing has developed a "24/7" system that reduces the radiology and imaging reporting process to mere minutes.
With no initial, hardware, or maintenance-support costs for hospitals, the system allows a doctor in Sivas to report an X-ray of a patient in London. Over the past month, more than 300,000 reports have been processed using the ECloudPacs system.
Imaging systems such as X-rays and tomography are widely used in the diagnosis and treatment of many diseases today. The images or films taken are evaluated and reported by radiologists. The report is then sent to the patient's physician, who begins treatment. However, due to backlogs in reporting, the start of treatment can be delayed. This process needs to be extremely fast, especially for emergency patients.
Quantum Cloud Computing, one of Teknopark Istanbul's companies, has developed a 24/7 accessible system that reduces the reporting process in imaging systems like X-rays and tomography to just minutes. The cloud-based system, called ECloudPacs, allows radiology procedures performed in one hospital to be evaluated by a radiologist in another city or country. This significantly reduces the diagnosis time, saving lives, particularly in emergency situations.
Yunus Cemil Eşme, founder of Quantum Cloud Computing, explained the advantages of the system to İstanbul Ticaret.
Can you briefly introduce your company? How did the idea come about?
We founded Quantum Cloud Computing in August of last year. Our company aims to integrate cloud technologies into healthcare services, increasing efficiency in operational processes and finding solutions to existing problems. My team and I had previously worked at a company offering teleradiology services, taking on various roles in different areas. During the pandemic, as the number of patients increased and operational issues became more apparent, we realized that adapting modern technologies to the radiology field could produce better outcomes for a larger number of patients. With this insight, we established Quantum Cloud Computing, which develops end-to-end radiology solutions, within Teknopark Istanbul. Our initial goal was to merge traditional PACS systems, which have been in use for years, with cloud technologies, creating a platform that would lay the foundation for our future objectives in the healthcare sector.
CLOUD-BASED SOFTWARE
What is PACS, and what is it used for?
PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication Systems) can be thought of in the simplest terms as the photo archive on your phone. However, the images here are obtained using various methods such as high-frequency, magnetic resonance, or X-rays. Each image contains embedded data, such as patient information, the procedure performed, when, where, and on which device. These images can number in the thousands, depending on the type of procedure. PACS is the system that ensures all of these images are stored without interference, allowing radiologists to review them and make diagnoses. With ECloudPacs, we are transforming these systems into a cloud-based software service.
IN MINUTES
Can you provide information about your product or service?
Typically, PACS systems work on servers installed within a hospital, accessible only within the hospital. This requires a high initial investment, continuous IT support, and preparation for hardware issues. Additionally, data comes with the need for protection against cyber threats, which adds another layer of cost and workload. However, with our ECloudPacs platform, a hospital can meet all its needs in minutes, without any initial costs, hardware requirements, or installation processes. Furthermore, it offers data backup against loss, protection against cyber threats, and, most importantly, allows authorized users to access data anytime, anywhere. This is one of the key benefits of cloud technology: accessibility from anywhere, at any time. I would like to emphasize that making PACS software a service is not our ultimate product or goal, but we are laying the foundation needed for long-term transformations in the health tech sector. As imaging technologies become more accessible and radiology becomes increasingly essential in diagnostic processes, it brings along significant operational burdens. The time it takes to acquire MRI or CT scanners is much shorter than the time required to train radiologists and gain the necessary experience. While you can provide hospitals with 24/7 operating devices, the same doesn’t apply to radiologists unfortunately. This leads us to our starting point: having access to data whenever needed, from anywhere, is the first step toward solving operational issues.
With ECloudPacs, we are making PACS systems more accessible and efficient, considering the complexity and importance of radiology imaging processes. For instance, a radiology imaging procedure conducted in one hospital can be evaluated by a radiologist in another city or country in real-time, thanks to our cloud-based system. This significantly reduces diagnosis time and can be life-saving, especially in emergencies.
300,000 REPORTS
Can you describe how the system is currently being used?
Our system is currently primarily used in teleradiology companies on a B2B basis. Hospitals partner with companies that employ multiple radiologists to evaluate radiology images. We provide the infrastructure for these teleradiology companies. For example, when a patient in Hatay has a CT scan following a traffic accident, a radiologist in Istanbul or the United States can simultaneously evaluate the images and send the results back to the hospital in Hatay. In September 2023, we were preparing 30,000 reports monthly with our partners on the platform. By February, this number had reached 190,000. With the data from July, we reached over 307,000 reports in one month. And of these July reports, 155,549 were for emergency patients, meaning they were high priority. The results for these patients were ready in less than 60 minutes. Honestly, reaching these numbers within one year while still in the phase of introducing our platform to the industry is a great source of pride for us.
WE WILL CREATE AN ECOSYSTEM
What would you like to say about the commercial future of your product?
As the number of patients referred to radiology to determine more accurate treatment processes increases, and access to imaging services becomes easier, it is becoming essential to find solutions to the growing workload with more up-to-date approaches. Shared journeys, orders placed in seconds from the other side of the world, e-commerce platforms made up of thousands of small stores, subscription-based music and digital streaming platforms—all of these bring service providers and users under one roof. Similarly, as the number of hospitals and radiologists integrated into our system grows, we will build an ecosystem where users can easily organize and connect not only with us but also with each other. For example, while we are taking care of routine vehicle maintenance, inspections, and insurance, let's think about how often we get routine health check-ups for various health issues. When patients, doctors, and healthcare institutions are all involved on our platform, we will ensure that processes are more cost-effective and accessible. This will create a satisfying commercial space for both us and service providers. However, the ecosystem still needs some more time and industry acceptance to mature.
MOTIVATION SOURCE AT TEKNOPARK ISTANBUL
What benefits does being located at Teknopark İstanbul provide?
Being at Teknopark İstanbul allows us to better feel where our ideas and dreams can take us, especially when we are alongside other successful and constantly evolving companies. This environment enhances our motivation and the strength to continue, helping us achieve our goals.
24/7 ACCESS FROM ANYWHERE
What are the advantages of your system compared to traditional PACS systems?
No initial investment cost
No hardware, IT, or maintenance support costs
Backup and cybersecurity solutions to prevent data loss
24/7 access from anywhere at any time
