Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM)
Oleg S. PianykhDigital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM)A Practical Introduction and Survival GuideSecond Edition
Oleg S. Pianykh, Ph.D.Harvard Medical SchoolBeth Israel Deaconess Medical CenterDepartment of RadiologyBrookline Ave. 33002215, Boston MassachusettsUSAISBN 978-3-642-10849-5 e-ISBN 978-3-642-10850-1DOI 10.1007/978-3-642-10850-1Springer Heidelberg Dordrecht London New YorkLibrary of Congress Control Number: 2011939482© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2012This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifi cally the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfi lm or in any other way, and storage in data banks. Duplication of this publication or parts thereof is permitted only under the provisions of the German Copyright Law of September 9, 1965, in its current version, and permission for use must always be obtained from Springer. Violations are liable to prosecution under the German Copyright Law.The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specifi c statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use.Product liability: The publishers cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information about dosage and application contained in this book. In every individual case the user must check such information by consulting the relevant literature.Printed on acid-free paperSpringer is part of Springer Science+Business Media (www.springer.com)
To my parents
vii Preface: DICOM in Radiology Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) standard is the backbone of modern image display, equivalent only to fi lm in the pre-digital era. Since the inception of this standard some 20 years ago, it has become the driving force behind the entire imaging workfl ow. DICOM truly controls all parts of digital image acqui-sition, transfer, and interpretation, and many radiologists and other imaging specialists and users may not realize to what extent their work relies on DICOM capabilities. We depend on DICOM extensively. We use DICOM to collect the original medical images. This process is much more complex compared to X-ray fi lm but is also more accurate and complete. We use DICOM to send, distribute, and store images, irrespective of machine, manufacturer, or modality. DICOM controls proper image display, and without DICOM we would not have any image post-processing – whether it is simple multiplanar reconstruction, or more advanced perfusion analysis, virtual colonoscopy, volume segmentation, or computer-aided diagnosis. We owe to DICOM much of the ease and fl exibility that we enjoy in our work. As digital medicine becomes increasingly complex and imaging projects global-ize, knowledge of DICOM basics for any healthcare professional becomes crucial. Whether you are thinking about your next PACS upgrade, or a new teleradiology project, or simply about installing a new digital modality, DICOM should be the crucial reference. Standard, DICOM-based workfl ow is the only way to build a robust and effi cient radiology practice. It is also the only way to integrate your medical imaging into a complete enterprise-wide electronic patient record solution. This book, written from a hands-on angle, gives the healthcare professional a comprehensive introduction to the evolving and multifaceted standard that is DICOM. It may become your daily reference, a teaching guide, or a tool to prepare you for dealing with the intricacies of original DICOM volumes and supplements. Take full advantage of it, and take full advantage of DICOM. Vassilios Raptopoulos, M.D. Vice Chair of Clinical Services Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Professor of Radiology, Harvard Medical School