HDF5-Based Data Format for Archiving Complex Neuro-monitoring Data in Traumatic Brain Injury Patients

Modern neuro-critical care units generate high volumes of data. These data originate from a multitude of devices in various formats and levels of granularity. We present a new data format intended to store these data in an ordered and homogenous way.

The adopted data format was based on the hierarchical model, HDF5, which is capable of dealing with a mixture of small and very large datasets with equal ease. It is possible to access and manipulate individual data elements directly within a single file, and this is extensible and versatile.

The file structure that was agreed divided the patient data into four different groups: 'Annotations' for clinical events and sporadic observations, 'Numerics' for all the low-frequency data, 'Waves' for all the high-frequency data and 'Summaries' for the trend data and calculated parameters. The addition of attributes to every group and dataset makes the file self-described. More than 200 files have been successfully collected and stored using this format.

The new file format was implemented in ICM+ software and validated as part of a collaboration with participating centres across Europe.