DICOM

Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) is a technical standard for the digital storage and transmission of medical images and related information. It includes information object definitions (i.e. message formats); service definitions; a file format definition, which specifies the structure of a DICOM file; and a network communication protocol that uses either TCP/IP or HTTPS to communicate between systems. The primary purpose of the standard is to facilitate communication between the software and hardware entities involved in medical imaging, especially those that are created by different manufacturers. Entities that utilize DICOM files include components of picture archiving and communication systems (PACS), such as imaging machines (modalities), radiological information systems (RIS), scanners, printers, computing servers, and networking hardware. The DICOM standard has been widely adopted by hospitals, large clinics, and the medical software industry. It is sometimes used in smaller-scale applications, such as dentists' and doctors' offices. DICOM is also used in veterinary medicine and in research. The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) holds the copyright to the published standard, which was developed by the DICOM Standards Committee (which includes some NEMA members). It is also known as NEMA standard PS3 and as ISO standard 12052:2017: "Health informatics – Digital imaging and communication in medicine (DICOM) including workflow and data management".