Modifying dicom header attributes before store to PACS

[AlexanderLysenko]

Hello!

Our software allows customers to store dicom studies into PACS systems.
Customers asked if they can edit some dicom attributes before storing, like:

Patient ID (0x0010, 0x0020)
Accession number (0x0008, 0x0050)
Study description (0x0008, 0x1030)

Pixel data and another attributes remains the same.

I am looking for information in dicom standard(preferred) or some article that describes rules to match dicom standard when performing such changes.

After reading Dicom standard Part 10: Media Storage and File Format for Media Interchange, Table 7.1-1 DICOM File Meta Information I have concluded that in addition to above 3 attributes from DataSet our software must modify following 2 attributes in meta-header:
Implementation Class UID (0002,0012)
Implementation Version Name (0002,0013)

These 2 attributes will be set to
Implementation Class UID: 1.2.276.0.7230010.3.0.3.6.0
Implementation Version Name: OFFIS_DCMTK_360

Also I have searched for answer in this google group and found following topic:
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searc ... HsMAYgWPQJ

Above topic referes to http://gdcm.sourceforge.net/wiki/index. ... COM_Images

Does it mean that we need to insert Original Attributes Sequence (0400,0561)
element and set all attributes:
-Source of Previous Values (0400,0564)
-Attribute Modification Datetime (0400,0562)
-Modifying System (0400,0563)
-Reason for the Attribute Modification (0400,0565)
-Modified Attributes Sequence (0400,0550)
this element will include list of updated attributes

Question is:
What are additional attributes that must be changed as part of edit operation?

As far i understand it is mandatory to change also Sop/Series/StudyInstanceUID, since these edited study files represent different set of data compare to original study, right?

Best regards, Alexander

[Michael Onken]

Hi,

I think the DCMTK part of the message is missing

Those tags resemble the DICOM implementation that wrote the file (and does not have to be the same as the creator of the object, i.e. the modality). Implementation Class UID and Name are set by DCMTK whenever it writes a DICOM file, no matter whether you change any tag or not.

It is considered good style to insert the Original Attributes Sequence, since it makes it possible to have a log of what your software changed. This is not required by DICOM (but in IHE if you want to conform to some of their best-practice rules laid down in IHE Integration Profiles).

The SOP Instance UID has to be modified (i.e. created newly) if you change the medical interpretation of the image object. It is up to you to decide whether this is the case for your workflow. I guess you only correct data, so probably you do not need or want to create a new one. However, if you actually want to create a copy of the original file and send the copy plus the original image file, then you must provide a new SOP Instance UID, since otherwise for the PACS it would appear to be the same object (my understanding however is that you want to change the original file and only send the modified one to the PACS, i.e. the PACS or anyone else will never see the original one).

Study Instance and Series Instance UID do not have to adapted, unless you want to put the file into a new Series, or a new Study (in the latter case you have to change both, Study as well as Series Instance UID).

HTH,
Michael