Lesson(1): DICOM Definition and basic setup

Lesson (1): Dicom

DICOM stands for: Digital Imaging and Communication in Medicine.

In Very..very..basic (VVB) way, we can say that DICOM is a set of rules some people agreed on to make our lives (PACS Admins) easier !! They just wanted to make Medical Image Exchange between modalities, Diagnostic Workstations, and PACS (for example) much much easier.

In fact, most part of DICOM standard talk about how two different DICOM devices when communicating on a network to exchange Medical Images..

DICOM Services

DICOM people tried to summarize medical image exchange (communication) in a limited number of services.

1. DICOM verification 2. Image Store service. 3. Image query/retrieve Service. 4. Image print service. 5. Modality Worklist Service . 6. .... and more and more .... (they are beyound the V.V.B course) .

DICOM Association

Generally any DICOM service will have the following process between to DICOM devices.

a. The device which started the DICOM communication will ask to verify All DICOM services (see UP) b. The other party will reply by listing all DICOM services it supports. c. First device will ask permission to use some service. d. Second device will confirm (yes/no) .. e. First Device will start the service like sending the image data or sending patient information for modality worklist. f. First device have to say END of service when done from (for example) sending all data.

Setup for DICOM Association

In General, You need to set three or Four parameters on (usually) both sides.

1. Destination Hostname (Some times only) 2. Desitnation IP address. 3. Destination Port No. 4. Desitnation Application Entity Title (AET, or AE Title)

1, and 2 are Operating system dependant. 3, and 4 are DICOM software dependant (Modality console, DICOM WS software)

So, a good practice for PACS admins is to keep record of all four parameters in excel sheet in a safe place for futuer reference. Do not allow vendor engineers to choose there own IP addresses. Choose for them your self (If not using Dynamic IP's) Summary In summary, DICOM is a standard made to unify communicatin between medical imaging devices. DICOM is a set of no. of services. To setup a Dicom association between two DICOM devices we need to set four parameter at least on one side. Those parameters are the IP address, Port No. , AE.Title, and some times the hostname.