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Tech Explained

Standards in Medical Imaging

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PCQ Bureau
New Update

If you’ve ever had an MRI, CT scan, or even an X-Ray done, you probably know the hassles involved. First, you get the permission for the scan, then you wait for the report and a copy of the scan on film to be generated. When you finally get these, you go to the doctor with them for consultancy. Later, you take your reports back and keep them in a safe place for future appointments. This is a typical scenario in most radiology labs and hospitals in the country. However things are changing thanks to IT. Now, any scan can be stored digitally on computers and transferred across a network. This has been made possible by a standard called DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine), which was developed by NEMA (National Electrical Manufacturers Association).

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The DICOM standard defines the parameters for the exchange and processing of of medical images, like MRI and CT scans, in digital form

The standard defines the parameters for the exchange and processing of medical images (like images from CT scan and MRI) in digital form. Sources like imaging systems and image archiving systems from different vendors can be connected to a central repository and/or other information management systems in a consistent manner, if they comply with the DICOM standards.

These devices have a DICOM-compliant interface that can be connected to other compatible devices. The latest in these standards is the DICOM 3.0 standard. Here is what it does.

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The DICOM standard goes far beyond defining an exchange format for medical image data. It also standardizes other important things like:

n Network-oriented services like image transmission, query of an image archive and printing of images



n Formats for storage media exchange which include data parameters like compression schemes (uncompressed, lossy JPEG,

lossless JPEG etc) and type of storage media 



n A special DICOM directory, which enables quick browsing of data on the storage media


n Requirements for devices and programs which are designed to be DICOM compliant

The other side of tragedy
The early history of medicine is replete with examples of how the good or bad experiences of a few people with diseases led to major medical breakthroughs. There are many parallels in later later years, too, with many techies contributing to the effort after personal brushes with the medical world.Professor Brady of the University of Oxford (Brady subsequently formed Miranda) started his path-breaking work on standardizing mammograms, after his mother died of breast cancer. Bill Clark started Medical Simulations and work on SimSuite after his father died at the hands of an inept physician.
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The DICOM standard has been implemented by most medical system providers. It’s also becoming popular in nuclear medicine. GE Medical Systems and Siemens Medical Systems lead the pack as far DICOM compliance goes. 

So the next time you visit your doctor, you don’t have to worry about carrying your reports. The doctor would probably have your complete medical history along with any scans you had done!

Ankit Khare

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