Bulk Raw Data Transfer, Direct iPad-to-PC Backup, and Recovery of Missing Data

[jhuang-jhh]

We have a few questions regarding the most efficient way to transfer and back up our raw data.

Is there a way to connect the iPad directly to a PC and transfer the raw data by simply dragging and dropping the files, rather than downloading the data from the cloud each time?

Alternatively, is there an option on the website to download all raw data in bulk at once, preferably with recognizable file names that allow us to easily identify and organize the data?

We collect data every day, so we are trying to streamline our workflow and make the data transfer and backup process as efficient and reliable as possible. Ideally, we would like to connect the iPad to a PC and transfer all of the raw data at once for local backup and archiving.

We also encountered an issue last week where the cloud backup appeared to fail, even though the app indicated that the data had been successfully uploaded. We can no longer find the data on the iPad, possibly because it was automatically removed after the upload. Is there any way to recover or restore this missing data?

Our goal is to ensure that the raw data is successfully backed up every time and that we have a simple, reliable workflow for transferring and archiving our daily data.

Could you please let us know:

1. Whether direct iPad-to-PC transfer of the raw data is possible.
2. Whether bulk download/export of all raw data is available through the website.
3. Whether the exported files can retain recognizable file names or identifiers.
4. Whether the missing data from last week can be recovered or restored.
5. If there is a recommended workflow for reliably backing up raw data on a regular basis.

Thank you for your help!

[clariusk]

Thanks for the detailed write-up — answering all five.

1. Direct iPad-to-PC transfer — yes, and it's the workflow I'd recommend. The App exposes its Documents folder to iOS file sharing:

• iPad: Files app → On My iPad → Clarius
• Windows: connect over USB, then the Apple Devices app → Files → Clarius
• Mac: connect over USB, then Finder → select the iPad → Files tab → Clarius

Drag the whole folder across in one go. Note that raw data always exports to this Documents location (as do PDF and DICOM) — the Export Location setting only affects images and movies.

2. Bulk download from the website — not available today; raw data downloads one capture at a time. I've logged the request.

3. Recognizable filenames on cloud download — raw data is stored keyed by capture UUID, so a downloaded file doesn't carry a patient/date/study identifier in its name. Also logged. For now this is a further reason to prefer the USB route in (1), where the on-device naming is preserved.

4. The missing data — your instinct is right, and the cause is a setting you control. There's an Exam Auto Purge setting in the App (Settings → Exam Auto Purge): "the number of days before an exam is automatically deleted after successful upload to the Clarius Cloud or to a DICOM Storage server." Options are Never, 60, 30, 10, 2, 1 day, or Immediately. If yours is set short, exams are removed from the iPad that many days after they upload.

Two things worth knowing:

• It only triggers after the App has recorded a successful upload, so the data should exist in the cloud. If it isn't visible there, tell us and we'll check storage directly — there's a known case where a file uploads fine but our record of its arrival doesn't register, which would make it invisible in the web UI while still being safely stored.
• An institution-level policy overrides the local setting. If your institution has a purge policy configured, changing it on the iPad won't take effect — that has to be changed at the institution level.

For your workflow I'd set Exam Auto Purge to Never (or 30–60 days) and delete manually once you've confirmed your local backup.

To chase the specific missing session, send us the approximate date/time, the institution/account, and the probe serial.

5. Recommended workflow — make the USB copy primary, cloud secondary. At the end of each collection day: export raw for the day's exams, connect over USB, copy the Clarius folder across, verify it, and only then let anything be removed from the iPad. With Auto Purge set to Never, nothing disappears on its own, and given (2) and (3) I wouldn't rely on cloud download as the archival route for daily research collection.