[IGSTK-Developers] Multi-frame single-file DICOMs

[David Gobbi]

Hi Andinet,

Some ultrasound machines produce multi-frame 3D DICOM files, and I think 
that all 3D nuclear medicine images are multi-frame.

I'm pretty sure that CT, MR and PET images are never multi-frame, unless 
the frames are used for cine.  If conversion utilities create 
multi-frame 3D MR or CT images, then those utilities are probably 
stretching the DICOM standard, if not breaking it outright.

So the images that we have to worry about for IGSTK are 3D ultrasound 
scans.  I've used a 3D ultrasound machine, and it produces multi-frame 
3D image files.  I don't know if all 3D ultrasound machines produce 
multi-frame 3D DICOM files, but some of them certainly do.

All the answers about what is standard and what isn't are in Chapter 3 
of the DICOM standard.  My 2003 copy of the standard only mentions 3D 
multi-frame images for nuclear medicine.  I suspect that the standards 
for 3D ultrasound were still in draft then, since 3D ultrasound is a 
very recent modality.

 - David


Andinet Enquobahrie wrote:
> Folks,
>
> On the tcon last week, we discussed about the need to modify the dicom 
> reader to allow multi-frame single-file DICOMs.  Luis and I looked at 
> the changes that need to be made in the  DICOMImageReader class state 
> machine design to support this type of dicom files. Supporting this 
> type of dicom files necessitates adding a new state and several 
> changes in the transition matrix. .
>
> This significant change in the design made us think about the 
> motivation behind this feature add-on. We learnt from Julien that he 
> made this request due to the MRI dicom file he generated from an MRI 
> image he has in Meta data format. Julien used ITK Image IO filter for 
> this conversion. In close inspection of the image file writer, we 
> realized that the filter was doing the conversion incorrectly. The 
> image file writer will be fixed soon. Hence,  Julien wont have a 
> problem with his MRI dicom after the fix. But, the bigger question is 
> how common are multi-frame single dicom files to justify the changes 
> in igstk DICOM image reader class?
>
> Any thoughts?
>
> -Andinet
>
> _______________________________________________
> IGSTK-Developers mailing list
> IGSTK-Developers at public.kitware.com
> http://public.kitware.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/igstk-developers
>