[Insight-developers] DICOM UID generation

[Miller, James V (Research)]

With the addition of GDCM to ITK, we can now write DICOM files.  However, we
have no mechanism for generating the UIDs that are needed within a DICOM
file. From what I can see, these UIDs are be thought of being composed of a
prefix and suffix.  The prefix is assigned to an organization by some
governing body.  The suffix is something unique that ITK (or GDCM) would
have to generate.  Usually the suffix is a combination of a device number,
device type (for ITK, perhaps a secondary capture device or an imaging
workstation), a datestamp, etc. The rules of DICOM indicate the suffix is
NOT TO BE PARSED to determine any information (for instance slice number).
 
The prefix is composed of a set of numbers that identify the organization,
the granting organization, and the country of origin.  For ITK, we could
have an organization number assigned by ANSI. Below is a link to ANSI site
on this matter.  ANSI will grant a numeric and/or an alphanumeric
identifier.  To write DICOM files, we need the numeric identifier.  The cost
for a numeric identifier is $1000. Is enough of the legal entity of the
Insight Software Consortium established that we could request a numeric
organization number from ANSI?
 
http://www.ansi.org/other_services/registration_programs/reg_org.aspx?menuid
=10
<http://www.ansi.org/other_services/registration_programs/reg_org.aspx?menui
d=10> 
 
There are some "free" alternatives for getting a unique organization number.
There are people who have organization numbers that are willing to grant a
subspace of their number to other organizations. There are also some
European organizations that may grant a unique organization number free of
charge.
 
Given that ITK was developed under NIH resources, I think we should go the
ANSI route to obtaining an organization number.
 
My understanding of the DICOM UID process is based on a few minutes of
google searches, so I may be off base.  If anyone knows anything in more
detail, please speak up.
 
 
 

Jim Miller 
_____________________________________
Visualization & Computer Vision
GE Research
Bldg. KW, Room C218B
1 Research Circle, Schenectady NY 12309-1027

millerjv at research.ge.com <mailto:millerjv at research.ge.com> 

james.miller at research.ge.com
(518) 387-4005, Dial Comm: 8*833-4005, 
Cell: (518) 505-7065, Fax: (518) 387-6981 

 
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://www.itk.org/mailman/private/insight-developers/attachments/20050105/f2135197/attachment.htm