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AXS Vault

AXS Vault is a centralized cloud platform designed to bring together all digital patient data for dental professionals. Its core purpose is to empower clinicians, designers, and labs by providing a single, secure storage solution that connects with various scanners, dental planning, and design applications. This integration streamlines workflows, reduces the hassle of data sharing between different systems, and enhances collaboration across the dental ecosystem.

Overview​

AXS Vault enables seamless integration with major Practice Management Systems (PMS) and offers the following key features:

  • Centralized Storage: All patient data—scans, files, demographics, and structured dental states—are stored in one place.
  • Seamless Integration: Connects with Straumann products, third-party scanners (e.g., 3Shape, Ivoclar, Rapid Shape), and dental applications, enabling easy data import/export and reducing manual steps.
  • Collaboration: Facilitates real-time collaboration between clinicians, designers, and labs by making patient data accessible and shareable.
  • Improved Workflow Efficiency: By centralizing and standardizing data, AXS Vault helps dental professionals work more efficiently and deliver better patient care.

Key Capabilities​

AXS Vault serves as the backbone for Straumann's clinical web apps by:

  • Centralizing patient data for seamless workflows.
  • Enabling secure and compliant file storage and management.
  • Supporting integrations with third-party systems to enhance functionality.
  • Providing APIs and libraries for developers to build on its capabilities.

Technical Details​

Architecture Overview​

AXS Vault is built on a modular, service-oriented architecture with the following main components:

  • Patient Service: Manages all patient-related data, including demographics and treatment history.
  • File Management Server: Handles storage, retrieval, and management of patient files (scans, CBCT, documents, etc.).
  • File Processors: Extract structured information from files, such as generating 3D dental models from scans.
  • Message Bus: Supports asynchronous communication and notifications between services and applications.

Solution Architecture (C4 Level 1)​

  • Microservices: Core services are implemented as microservices, primarily using Java Spring Boot and .NET.
  • Polyglot Persistence: Combines SQL (for structured data like patient records) and NoSQL (for unstructured data like images and documents) to support complex data structures and real-time analytics.
  • APIs: Exposes RESTful APIs for integration with external systems and applications. End-user authentication is enforced, typically via OAuth.
  • Event-Driven: Uses event-based communication for file processing, notifications, and integration with other platforms.

Data Model​

  • Patient-Centric: The patient is the root entity, with associated dental treatments, charts, history, and files.
  • Dental State: Represents the position and condition of individual teeth, linked to treatments like crowns or implants. Dental states can be structured outcomes derived from scan files.
  • Files and Scans: All types of files (scans, CBCT, documents) are linked to patients and treatments, and can be processed to extract structured data.

Logical Data Entities​

  • Patient: ID, name, age, gender, contact info.
  • Dental Scan: Scan ID, patient ID, date, file reference.
  • Dental Model: 3D model derived from scans.
  • Dental Treatment: Treatment plans, descriptions, costs.
  • Files: Any digital asset linked to the above entities.

Integration and Interoperability​

  • APIs for Data Exchange: AXS Vault and Smilecloud expose APIs for secure data sharing. Users must connect their AXS account to access files across platforms.
  • FHIR Compatibility: The data model aligns with FHIR standards for dental data exchange, supporting interoperability with other healthcare systems.
  • Device and Case Linking: Supports linking/unlinking of Smilecloud cases and AXS patients, with granular control over data visibility and access.

Security and Access Control​

  • Authentication: End-user authentication via OAuth.
  • Permissions Engine: Fine-grained access control for files and patient data.
  • Audit Logging: Tracks access and changes for compliance and traceability.

Scalability and Performance​

  • Designed for Scale: Supports up to 10PB of data storage, with mechanisms for easy migration, integration, and monitoring.
  • Cache Management: Implements cache eviction policies and dynamic updates based on user group changes.

Development and Deployment​

  • Microservices: Java Spring Boot and .NET for backend services.
  • Frontend: React-based micro frontends for user interfaces.
  • Kubernetes: Some services (e.g., migration jobs) run as Kubernetes jobs for scalability and reliability.
  • Open Repositories: Core libraries and services are maintained in dedicated repositories for modular development and testing.

Current Status​

  • File Storage and Patient modules are in production and actively used.
  • Continuous improvements and new integrations are being developed to expand its functionality.

AXS Vault is a critical component of Straumann's digital ecosystem, ensuring efficient, secure, and patient-focused solutions for clinical workflows.