DICOMserier

DICOM series, or DICOM serier in some languages, is a fundamental grouping in the DICOM information model. In DICOM, medical imaging data are organized into studies, series, and instances. A series is a collection of related image instances acquired with the same modality and under the same imaging protocol, within a single study, and it is identified by a Series Instance UID. The images in a series share properties such as patient position, body part examined, and imaging parameters. Each image, or instance, has its own SOP Instance UID and an Instance Number.

Common metadata associated with a series includes Series Description, Modality, Body Part Examined, Series Date and Time, Series Number, and potentially equipment manufacturer. A study may contain multiple series of varying modalities (for example CT, MR, or ultrasound) or multiple series within the same modality if different acquisition settings are used.

In clinical practice, radiologists and other clinicians navigate studies by series to review images, compare different acquisitions, and generate reports. PACS and radiology information systems rely on the study/series/instance hierarchy to organize storage, retrieval, and display. DICOM software can also perform queries at the series level, returning all images within a chosen series.

For exchange, DICOM defines network services to transfer series between systems. The Series Instance UID, together with the Study Instance UID and SOP Instance UIDs, ensures unique identification across repositories. Data governance considerations include privacy and de-identification practices when sharing or archiving series.

DICOM series are a core concept in radiology informatics, enabling structured, efficient management of diagnostic images across devices and institutions. See also DICOM, PACS, Study, and Instance.