DICOM receivers and non DICOM files

[Mark Sullivan]

Do DICOM receivers process non DICOM files?  e.g. wrap them

If not, what would a DICOM receiver do if it got both DICOM and non dicom files?

Mark

[Harry Solomon]

Mark - 

You need to clarify your question - what are you trying to do? 

A "DICOM receiver" is an application that receives DICOM objects via the DICOM network protocol. As that protocol only transfers DICOM objects, a DICOM receiver application does not receive non-DICOM files. There are applications that process DICOM objects (via the DICOM protocol), and also process non-DICOM objects received through some other means. 

But there are literally hundreds of different types of DICOM objects, from images created by various modalities, to image analytic results, to image presentation controls, to radiation dose reports, to radiation therapy plans ... What a application does with them is totally a matter of what the application is - it is not defined by the DICOM Standard. 

So back to your question - what types of DICOM objects (and non-DICOM files) are you discussing, and what "process" are you expecting the application to do with them?

- Harry Solomon

Past Co-chair, DICOM Standards Committee