Solid-state drive failure in medical research institutions

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Jan-16,2026

Solid-state drive failure in medical research institutions


Client Background: A medical research institution in Qingdao.

Disaster Scenario: An NVMe solid-state drive storing eight years of cancer research data suddenly became inaccessible. The data included:

  • Digital images of pathological slides from over 3,000 patient cases.

  • Raw genome sequencing data (approximately 200GB per patient case).

  • Long-term follow-up records of clinical trials.

  • Raw data for an important research paper slated for imminent publication.

Recovery Challenges:

  • New model NVMe SSD with a complex controller chip encryption mechanism.

  • The TRIM command had been executed, marking some data blocks for erasure.

  • The research data contained a vast number of small files, making recovery extremely difficult.

  • The data involved patient privacy, requiring special confidentiality handling.

Recovery Process:

  1. Chip-Level Processing: Removed the NAND flash memory chips in a cleanroom environment.

  2. Signal Reconstruction: Used professional equipment to read raw signals from the chips and reassemble data blocks.

  3. Encryption Breakthrough: Analyzed the controller chip's encryption mode and designed a dedicated decryption solution.

  4. Defragmentation: Reassembled fragmented data based on file signature characteristics.

  5. Privacy Protection: The entire recovery process was conducted within an isolated network environment.

Successful Outcome:

  • Recovered 99.2% of the research data.

  • Achieved 100% recovery of critical pathological image data.

  • Attained a 98.5% recovery rate for genomic data.

  • Ensured the research project continued as scheduled, avoiding losses from research interruption.

Recovery Time: 6 days
Data Recovered: Approximately 4.5TB

Client Testimonial: "These data represent the hopes of thousands of patients. Datech not only saved the data but also rescued years of our research efforts and the treatment opportunities for our patients."



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