DICOMformat

DICOMFormat is a proposed file format specification within the medical imaging domain, designed to store and exchange imaging data in a way that complements the DICOM standard. It defines a self-contained container that combines image data with a structured metadata set, enabling efficient storage, random access, streaming, and interoperability across devices and software used in radiology, cardiology, and related fields.

The format specifies a header that describes the container, followed by a metadata section and a data payload. The metadata uses a defined schema inspired by DICOM attributes, including patient demographics, study and series identifiers, acquisition parameters, image orientation, and temporal information for multi-frame sequences. DICOMFormat supports single-frame images, multi-frame stacks, and volumetric datasets, with mechanisms for progressive loading and region-of-interest access.

Data integrity and privacy are addressed through checksums and optional de-identification pipelines, with encryption options for rest and in transit. Compression is extensible, supporting both lossless and perceptual lossy codecs, including JPEG, JPEG 2000, and newer codecs, with metadata describing the compression parameters.

Interoperability is a core goal: DICOMFormat is designed to interwork with existing DICOM tools via converters and mapping layers, while offering improved performance for large datasets and streaming workflows. It is not intended to replace DICOM but to provide a modern container for DICOM-based imaging information, with open specifications and reference implementations.

Adoption has been gradual, with pilot implementations in selected vendors and research institutions. The format remains under evaluation by standardization bodies, with ongoing work to align it with patient safety, privacy regulations, and clinical workflow requirements.