Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM)

Oleg Pianykh received his graduate training in Applied Math and Computer Science, but has been fascinated by medical imaging since his early student years. This led to his first appointment at Louisiana State University Medical Center in 1998, and has kept him in the medical field ever since – as a developer, researcher, faculty member, business owner, and clinical project manager. These diverse endeavors have helped Dr. Pianykh to learn about DICOM imaging from many various and sometimes unexpected angles. His experiences range from the ground work in DICOM workgroups and committees to hands-on imaging projects in remote community hospitals. In August 2005, soon after being appointed Chief Information Officer for Louisiana Healthcare Network, Dr. Pianykh had to work on rebuilding the statewide PACS grid that was devastated by hurricane Katrina. A year later, he joined Harvard Medical School, where he serves as a clinical faculty member and researcher, teaches medical informatics, and heads DICOM imaging projects. Dr. Pianykh participates in many international projects, provides consultation to DICOM users and companies, and enjoys every single aspect of practical medical informatics.

Introduction to DICOM: What is DICOM?- How does DICOM work?- Where do you get DICOM from?- A Brief History of DICOM.- DICOM and Clinical Data: Parlez-vous DICOM?- Medical Images in DICOM.- DICOM Communications: DICOM SOPs: Basic.- DICOM SOPs: Beyond Basic.- DICOM Associations.- DICOM Media and Security: DICOM Media: Files, Folders, and DICOMDIRs.- DICOM Security.- Incompatibility of Compatible.- Advanced Topics: DICOM and Teleradiology.- Standards and System Integration in Digital Medicine.- Disaster PACS Planning and Management.- DICOM Software Development.- DICOM Implementation Plans.- DICOM FAQs.- Appendix.

From the reviews:

"This book covers the structure and application of the DICOM standard in enough detail to be helpful to the general user of medical images, as well as to a programmer who is developing an image management system. ... the text can also serve as a reference for those getting more involved with applications that use DICOM or those who want to develop their own DICOM application. ... I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the DICOM standard." (Donald Peck, The Journal of Nuclear Medicine, Vol. 50 (8), August, 2009)

"There have been many books trying to explain the wonders of Dicom ... . This book goes to a lot of detail ... . descriptions contained provide a useful resource when trying to integrate systems. ... The charts and graphics are easy to use and explain the mysteries well. ... I would recommend this book as a good practical introduction and survival guide ... . I would recommend this book, along with a practical Dicom course ... for those starting out in this area." (Chris Bull, RAD Magazine, July, 2009)