DICOM

Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) is the standard for the communication and management of medical imaging information and related data. DICOM is most commonly used for storing and transmitting medical images enabling the integration of medical imaging devices such as scanners, servers, workstations, printers, network hardware, and picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) from multiple manufacturers. It has been widely adopted by hospitals, and is making inroads into smaller applications like dentists' and doctors' offices. Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) is the standard for the communication and management of medical imaging information and related data. DICOM is most commonly used for storing and transmitting medical images enabling the integration of medical imaging devices such as scanners, servers, workstations, printers, network hardware, and picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) from multiple manufacturers. It has been widely adopted by hospitals, and is making inroads into smaller applications like dentists' and doctors' offices. DICOM files can be exchanged between two entities that are capable of receiving image and patient data in DICOM format. The different devices come with DICOM Conformance Statements which clearly state which DICOM classes they support, and the standard includes a file format definition and a network communications protocol that uses TCP/IP to communicate between systems. The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) holds the copyright to the published standard which was developed by the DICOM Standards Committee, whose members are also partly members of NEMA. It is also known as NEMA standard PS3, and as ISO standard 12052:2017 'Health informatics -- Digital imaging and communication in medicine (DICOM) including workflow and data management'. DICOM is used worldwide to store, exchange, and transmit medical images. DICOM has been central to the development of modernradiological imaging: DICOM incorporates standards for imaging modalities such as radiography, ultrasonography, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and radiation therapy. DICOM includes protocols for image exchange (e.g., via portable media such as DVDs), image compression, 3-D visualization, image presentation, and results reporting. The DICOM standard is divided into related but independent parts. DICOM is a standard developed by American College of Radiology (ACR) and National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA). In the beginning of the 1980s, it was very difficult for anyone other than manufacturers of computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging devices to decode the images that the machines generated. Radiologists and medical physicists wanted to use the images for dose-planning for radiation therapy. ACR and NEMA joined forces and formed a standard committee in 1983. Their first standard, ACR/NEMA 300, entitled 'Digital Imaging and Communications', was released in 1985. Very soon after its release, it became clear that improvements were needed. The text was vague and had internal contradictions.