DICOM standard for medical imaging, file formats, and image data management
Deleting the patient name from a DICOM file feels like anonymization. It is not. A cardiac CT study I once pulled for a teaching file had a blank PatientName, a scrubbed PatientID, and a perfectly readable date of birth sitting three tags down in a private block the vendor never documented. The header looked clean. … Read more
Understanding DICOM Coordinate Systems and Image Orientation: Why Your 3D Volume Looks Upside Down 1. Introduction — Why Orientation Matters Have you ever opened a medical image and found the anatomy upside down or mirrored? It’s not your viewer’s fault — it’s about geometry. DICOM files contain not only pixels, but also the mathematical information … Read more
In a previous blog post, we explored how to read the content of a DICOM file, including its numerous tags. These tags provide insights into the study type, characteristics, and all relevant patient and study information. Now, we’ll focus on the most crucial tag—the one containing the images. A typical study can include anywhere from … Read more
DICOM stands for Digital and Communications in Medicine and is used for managing medical data. One of the most common uses of this format is the storage, transfer, and display of diagnostic images like X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs. While there are variations depending on the type of image and the manufacturer of the equipment … Read more