DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine) is a standard used to transmit, store, and display medical imaging information. One critical aspect of the DICOM standard is the concept of Transfer Syntax. This refers to the format and encoding rules that dictate how the data in a DICOM file is structured and transmitted. Transfer Syntax ensures that medical images and associated data can be accurately shared across different systems and devices.
What is Transfer Syntax?
Transfer Syntax defines two main aspects of DICOM files:
- Data Encoding: This specifies how the data elements within a DICOM file are encoded. This predominantly affects the image compression algorithm, which can affect file size and quality.
- Byte Order: This determines how multi-byte data types (like integers and floating-point numbers) are represented in the file. The two common byte orders are Little Endian and Big Endian.
By utilizing different Transfer Syntaxes, DICOM ensures compatibility across various platforms and devices used in medical imaging.
Importance of Transfer Syntax
- Interoperability: Different imaging devices and software from various manufacturers can work together seamlessly based on Transfer Syntaxes they both support.
- Efficiency: By using compressed formats, images can be transmitted more quickly and take up less storage space.
- Flexibility: Users can choose a Transfer Syntax based on their specific needs, such as lossless or lossy compression.
Available DICOM Transfer Syntax UIDs
A Transfer Syntax is represented by a Transfer Syntax UID.
The following table lists the available DICOM Transfer Syntax UIDs as of the 2024d revision of the DICOM standard.
