Informal definitions are provided for the following terms used in this Conformance Statement. The DICOM Standard is the authoritative source for formal definitions of these terms.

Abstract Syntax

The information agreed to be exchanged between applications, generally equivalent to a Service/Object Pair (SOP) Class. Examples: Verification SOP Class, Modality Worklist Information Model Find SOP Class, Computed Radiography Image Storage SOP Class.

Application Entity (AE)

An end point of a DICOM information exchange, including the DICOM network or media interface software; i.e., the software that sends or receives DICOM information objects or messages. A single device may have multiple Application Entities.

Application Entity Title (AET)

The externally known name of an Application Entity, used to identify a DICOM application to other DICOM applications on the network.

Application Context

The specification of the type of communication used between Application Entities. Example: DICOM network protocol.

Association

A network communication channel set up between Application Entities.

Attribute

A unit of information in an object definition; a data element identified by a tag. The information may be a complex data structure (Sequence), itself composed of lower level data elements. Examples: Patient ID (0010,0020), Accession Number (0008,0050), Photometric Interpretation (0028,0004), Procedure Code Sequence (0008,1032).

Information Object Definition (IOD)

The specified set of Attributes that comprise a type of data object; does not represent a specific instance of the data object, but rather a class of similar data objects that have the same properties. The Attributes may be specified as Mandatory (Type 1), Required but possibly unknown (Type 2), or Optional (Type 3), and there may be conditions associated with the use of an Attribute (Types 1C and 2C). Examples: MR Image IOD, CT Image IOD, Print Job IOD.

Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG)

A set of standardized image compression techniques, available for use by DICOM applications.

Media Application Profile

The specification of DICOM information objects and encoding exchanged on removable media (e.g., CDs).

Module

A set of Attributes within an Information Object Definition that are logically related to each other. Example: Patient Module includes Patient Name, Patient ID, Patient Birth Date, and Patient Sex.

Negotiation

First phase of Association establishment that allows Application Entities to agree on the types of data to be exchanged and how that data will be encoded.

Presentation Context

The set of DICOM network services used over an Association, as negotiated between Application Entities; includes Abstract Syntaxes and Transfer Syntaxes.

Protocol Data Unit (PDU)

A packet (piece) of a DICOM message sent across the network. Devices must specify the maximum size packet they can receive for DICOM messages.

Security Profile

A set of mechanisms, such as encryption, user authentication, or digital signatures, used by an Application Entity to ensure confidentiality, integrity, and/or availability of exchanged DICOM data.

Service Class Provider (SCP)

Role of an Application Entity that provides a DICOM network service; typically, a server that performs operations requested by another Application Entity (Service Class User). Examples: Picture Archiving and Communication System (image storage SCP, and image query/retrieve SCP), Radiology Information System (modality worklist SCP).

Service Class User (SCU)

Role of an Application Entity that uses a DICOM network service; typically, a client. Examples: imaging modality (image storage SCU, and modality worklist SCU), imaging workstation (image query/retrieve SCU).

Service/Object Pair Class (SOP Class)

The specification of the network or media transfer (service) of a particular type of data (object); the fundamental unit of DICOM interoperability specification. Examples: Ultrasound Image Storage Service, Basic Grayscale Print Management.

Service/Object Pair Instance (SOP Instance)

An information object; a specific occurrence of information exchanged in a SOP Class. Examples: a specific x-ray image.

Tag

A 32-bit identifier for a data element, represented as a pair of four digit hexadecimal numbers, the "group" and the "element". If the "group" number is odd, the tag is for a private (manufacturer-specific) data element. Examples: (0010,0020) [Patient ID], (07FE,0010) [Pixel Data], (0019,0210) [private data element].

Transfer Syntax

The encoding used for exchange of DICOM information objects and messages. Examples: JPEG compressed (images), little endian explicit value representation.

Unique Identifier (UID)

A globally unique "dotted decimal" string that identifies a specific object or a class of objects; an ISO-8824 Object Identifier. Examples: Study Instance UID, SOP Class UID, SOP Instance UID.

Value Representation (VR)

The format type of an individual DICOM data element, such as text, an integer, a person's name, or a code. DICOM information objects can be transmitted with either explicit identification of the type of each data element (Explicit VR), or without explicit identification (Implicit VR); with Implicit VR, the receiving application must use a DICOM data dictionary to look up the format of each data element.