DICOM PS3.17 2024d - Explanatory Information

KKK Use-cases For Conversion of Classic Single Frame Images to Legacy Converted Enhanced Multi-frame Images (Informative)

KKK.1 Introduction

Traditionally, images from cross-sectional modalities like CT, MR and PET have been stored with one reconstructed slice in a single frame instance. Large studies with a large number of slices potentially pose a problem for many existing implementations, both for efficient transfer from the central store to the user's desktop for viewing or analysis, and for bulk transfer between two stores (e.g., between a PACS and another archive or a regional image repository).

There are two primary issues:

  • Transporting large numbers of slices as separate single instances (files) is potentially extremely inefficient due to the overhead associated with each transfer (such as C-STORE acknowledgment and database insertion).

  • Replicating the Attributes describing the entire patient/study/series/acquisition in every separate single instance is also potentially extremely inefficient, and though the size of the this information is trivial by comparison with the bulk data, the effort to repeatedly parse it and sort out what it means as a whole on the receiving end is not trivial.

The Enhanced family of modality-specific multi-frame IODs is intended to address both these concerns, but there is a large installed base of older equipment that does not yet support these, both on the sending and receiving end, and a large archive of single frame instances.

An interim step, a legacy transition strategy for a mixed environment containing older and newer modalities, PACS and workstations, is described here. It is predicated on the ability to "convert" single frame instances into new "enhanced multi-frame instances".

DICOM PS3.17 2024d - Explanatory Information