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Description

Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) is the third version of a standard developed by American College of Radiology (ACR) and National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA).

DICOM is a standard for handling, storing, printing, and transmitting information in medical imaging. It includes a file format definition and a network communications protocol. The communication protocol is an application protocol that uses TCP/IP to communicate between systems. DICOM files can be exchanged between two entities that are capable of receiving image and patient data in DICOM format. The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) holds the copyright to this standard. It was developed by the DICOM Standards Committee, whose members are also partly members of NEMA.

DICOM enables the integration of scanners, servers, workstations, printers, and network hardware from multiple manufacturers into a Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS). The different devices come with DICOM conformance statements which clearly state the DICOM classes they support. DICOM has been widely adopted by hospitals and is making inroads in smaller applications like dentists' and doctors' offices.

DICOM is known as NEMA Standard PS3, and as ISO Standard 12052.

Examples of Modalities supported in DICOM are:

- AS: Angioscopy
- BI: Biomagnetic Imaging
- CD: Color Flow Doppler
- CF: Cinefluorography
- CP: Colposcopy
- CR: Computed Radiography
- CS: Cystoscopy
- CT: Computed Tomography
- DD: Duplex Doppler
- DF: Digital Fluoroscopy
- DG: Diaphanography
- DM: Digital Microscopy
- DS: Digital Subtraction Angiography
- DX: Digital X-Ray
- EC: Echocardiography
- ES: Endoscopy
- FA: Fluorescein Angiography
- FS: Fundoscopy
- HC: Hard Copy
- LP: Laparoscopy
- LS: Laser Surface Scan
- MA: Magnetic Resonance Angiography
- MG: Mammography
- MR: Magnetic Resonance
- MS: Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
- NM: Nuclear Medicine
- OT: Other
- PT: Positron Emission Tomography (PET)
- RF: Radio Fluoroscopy
- RG: Radiographic Imaging (Conventional Film Screen)
- RTDOSE (a.k.a. RD): Radiotherapy Dose
- RTIMAGE: Radiotherapy Image
- RTPLAN (a.k.a. RP): Radiotherapy Plan
- RTSTRUCT (a.k.a. RS): Radiotherapy Structure Set
- SR: Structured Reporting
- ST: Single-photon Emission Computed Tomography
- TG: Thermography
- US: Ultrasound
- VF: Videofluorography
- XA: X-Ray Angiography
- XC: eXternal Camera
- ECG: Electrocardiograms