DICOM PS3.17 2024d - Explanatory Information

O.2 Functional Use Cases

Multi-Modality Fusion: A workstation or modality performs a registration of images from independent acquisition modalities-PET, CT, MR, NM, and US-from multiple series. The workstation stores the registration data for subsequent visualization and image processing. Such visualization may include side-by-side synchronized display, or overlay (fusion) of one modality image on the display of another. The processes for such fusion are beyond the scope of the Standard. The workstation may also create and store a ready-for-display fused image, which references both the source image instances and the registration instance that describes their alignment.

Prior Study Fusion: Using post processing or a manual process, a workstation creates a spatial object registration of the current Study's Series from prior Studies for comparative evaluation.

Atlas Mapping: A workstation or a CAD device specifies fiducials of anatomical features in the brain such as the anterior commissure, posterior commissure, and points that define the hemispheric fissure plane. The system stores this information in the Spatial Fiducials SOP Instance. Subsequent retrieval of the fiducials enables a device or workstation to register the patient images to a functional or anatomical atlas, presenting the atlas information as overlays.

CAD: A CAD device creates fiducials of features during the course of the analysis. It stores the locations of the fiducials for future analysis in another imaging procedure. In the subsequent CAD procedure, the CAD device performs a new analysis on the new data. As before, it creates comparable fiducials, which it may store in a Spatial Fiducials SOP Instance. The CAD device then performs additional analysis by registering the images of the current exam to the prior exam. It does so by correlating the fiducials of the prior and current exam. The CAD device may store the registration in Registration SOP Instance.

Adaptive Radiotherapy: A CT Scan is taken to account for variations in patient position prior to radiation therapy. A workstation performs the registration of the most recent image data to the prior data, corrects the plan, and stores the registration and revised plan.

Image Stitching: An acquisition device captures multiple images, e.g., DX images down a limb. A user identifies fiducials on each of the images. The system stores these in one or more Fiducial SOP Instances. Then the images are "stitched" together algorithmically by means that utilize the Fiducial SOP Instances as input. The result is a single image and optionally a Registration SOP Instance that indicates how the original images can be transformed to a location on the final image.

DICOM PS3.17 2024d - Explanatory Information