Overcoming performance limitations
Oncosoft is a South Korean medical AI startup that specializes in AI-based image analysis software for radiation oncology. They have developed OncoStudio, an Oncology Information System designed to support the multidisciplinary teams involved in caring for cancer patients.
While developing OncoStudio 2.0, the team needed to tackle some limitations identified in the first version of the system. Specifically, the initial version experienced performance issues that hindered real-time control and processing of high-resolution 3D medical images.
Our biggest challenge was enabling real-time processing of complex medical images while maintaining an intuitive user interface, says Seonggong Moon.
Oncosoft conducted extensive research on potential solutions and discovered that most alternatives did not meet their needs. Some featured outdated UI components and event-handling methods, making development cumbersome. Others lacked resources and community expertise for high-resolution image processing and pipeline integration. Overall, most alternatives provided limited support in the local market.
The company required a more robust solution to meet its goals of fast rendering, multi-interaction capabilities, and a customizable user interface.
Ultimately, we discovered the Slicer 3D community, built with Qt, and the community’s maturity, technological relevance, and scalability convinced us that OncoStudio 2.0 should be developed using Qt and C++, continues Seonggong Moon.
Transitioning to Qt for Enhanced Performance
Qt was ultimately chosen to develop OncoStudio 2.0. The ability to create a simple UI and render large 3D medical images with interactive visualization was crucial to the project's success.
OncoStudio 2.0 is developed as a CMake-based C++ and Qt application, integrating with major open source libraries such as VTK, ITK, and DCMTK. Qt plays a central role for Oncosoft in resource management, multilingual support, signal-slot-based event handling, and multi-threaded stability, ensuring the reliability and scalability of the development environment.
For startups like ours, long-term scalability and maintainability are more critical than upfront costs. In that regard, Qt was the best choice. Its modular structure allowed us to meet complex UI requirements without heavy customization, resulting in higher customer satisfaction, says Seonggong Moon.
Qt also enabled Oncosoft to customize more efficiently based on customer requirements, as different hospitals have varying needs for medical imaging.
Before Qt, tasks such as structured data visualization in graphs and tables, custom formats, theme customization, and printing were managed through external libraries or custom development. With Qt, all of this is easily integrated, and customizations are completed more quickly.
After adopting Qt, we also noticed improved collaboration among developers. Qt features a consistent architecture and a clear coding style, which facilitates faster onboarding for new developers and simplifies module dependency management, stresses Seonggong Moon.
Doubling productivity and ensuring industry-leading QA
Since adopting Qt, Oncosoft has reported significant technical and operational improvements.
- Increased Developer Efficiency – Before using Qt, implementing a new UI feature would take weeks. Now, prototypes are ready within one week, enhancing productivity by over 100% and accelerating time to market.
- Reduced Bugs - UI-related bugs have decreased by about 20%, leading to a more stable and reliable software product.
- Faster Customization - Custom feature delivery is now 25% quicker, allowing Oncosoft to meet the diverse needs of hospitals and research facilities more effectively.
Qt also positively impacted Oncosoft's recruitment of skilled developers, further enhancing its development capabilities.
Looking ahead, Oncosoft plans to develop OncoStudio into a comprehensive radiation therapy platform that encompasses treatment planning, analysis, and reporting. The company is actively pursuing integration with external treatment planning systems (TPS) and support for radiopharmaceutical therapy workflows.
Oncosoft is also using Axivion, Squish, and Coco to improve quality assurance and test coverage.
Although Qt's licensing cost may seem high initially, the long-term benefits in stability, maintainability, and ecosystem support far outweigh the cost. Qt is more than just a UI tool; it serves as the technological backbone of OncoStudio, shaping its future evolution, concludes Seonggong Moon.
About Oncosoft
Oncosoft is a pioneering medical technology company based in Seoul, South Korea. It specializes in the development of advanced software solutions for radiation oncology. Founded in 2019, Oncosoft aims to streamline radiation oncologists' workflows, enhancing efficiency and accuracy in cancer treatment.
Their flagship product, OncoStudio, automates critical tasks such as treatment site detection and organ contour generation, allowing doctors to focus more on patient care. OncoStudio is designed to be universally compatible with all commercially available hardware and software, adhering to global standards like DICOM and HL7 FHIR.
Oncosoft is committed to innovation and excellence, continuously improving products based on feedback from clinical experts and users. With a strong focus on customer satisfaction, they provide tailored solutions that meet the specific needs of each institution. Their dedication to advancing radiotherapy has earned them recognition, including the prestigious K-BioHealth Award for three consecutive years.
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