Cardiology de-identification is the removal of patient identifiers from the file. UK GDPR Art. 9 and the DPA 2018 govern health data. anonym.plus runs it on your device. The echo findings stay, but no person is named.
When this applies
An echocardiogram case fits a teaching set. The measurements can stay, yet the name, the dates, and the corner banner have to be hidden first.
How anonym.plus handles it
- Open the file (PDF, image, or scan) on your machine.
- Local OCR reads any text printed on the view.
- The tool flags names, dates, IDs, and the banner line.
- Review each flag and keep the chamber values.
- Swap each ID for a token, or box it out.
- Save the clean study. The source stays with you.
What you need to provide
- The file (PDF, JPEG, PNG, or image scan).
- An operator: Replace (swap), Redact (remove), or Mask (partial).
- Optional: a name map for serial studies.
Patient data entity types detected
| Category | anonym.plus entity type | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Names | PERSON | Soren Holt → [PATIENT_1] |
| Dates | DATE_TIME | Echo 05/06/2026 → [DATE] |
| Record IDs | MEDICAL_RECORD_NUMBER | MRN 770654 → [MRN] |
| Identifiers | ID | Accession C-8830 → [ACCESSION] |
| Age | AGE | Age 61 → [AGE] |
| Contact | PHONE_NUMBER | +44 113 496 0155 → [PHONE] |
Compliance achieved
- Anonymisation under UK GDPR Art. 9 & DPA 2018.
- Once truly anonymous, the file leaves UK GDPR scope under Recital 26.
- Assessed against the ICO motivated-intruder test.
- Working files are kept safe with AES-256-GCM.
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Limitations & cautions
Echo frames often show a banner with the name. OCR catches most of it. Verify each frame before release, since one missed banner undoes the rest.
Frequently asked questions
Will ejection fraction and other values stay?
Yes. Those are clinical numbers, not patient IDs. They stay in place so the study still teaches the finding.
Does the banner on each frame get hidden?
Yes. Local OCR reads the corner banner. You box the text so the chamber view stays clear while the name goes.
Can I keep serial studies linked?
Yes. A name map gives one patient a stable token. Repeat studies stay grouped with no real name shown.