System information

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DICOM Extension
Introduction to DICOM
The Informationstechnische Dienstleistung division of Siemens AG in Germany has
developed, in cooperation with Network Instruments, a DICOM Extension for Observer.
This Console decodes and analyzes the interaction procedures for medical/technical
equipment which utilizes DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine
standard).
The DICOM standard is a specification for packet structure, as well as a communication
definition for exchanging data between medical equipment. DICOM relies on industry
standard network connections (TCP/IP) and is an efficient method for communicating
digital images from diagnostic devices to display systems. DICOM is used for CT and MR
including: Nuclear Medicine, Ultrasound, Computed Radiography, Digitized Film, Video
Capture, HIS/RIS information, and connections between networked hardcopy output
devices.
The DICOM protocol was developed through a joint effort between potential users and the
companies that manufacture medical imaging equipment. The development of a decoder
module for a protocol analyzer based on a standard Microsoft platform (PC or notebook)
targets the need for a technician to carry an affordable, portable DICOM diagnostic tool.
Observer’s ease of use, and the addition of DICOM decoding, provides a quick and
efficient troubleshooting tool that technicians can utilize to pinpoint malfunctions in
networked medical environments.
Networks may have many problems and/or configuration issues which can cause
downtime, some of which may be DICOM-related problems. New network installations or
network additions in such environments often produce system malfunctions and hardware
mismatches. These malfunctions can be due to ongoing network traffic problems or even
incompatible systems from different vendors causing communication failures. Observer
DICOM provides a technician or administrator with an inexpensive tool that covers both
general (network) and specific (DICOM) troubleshooting demands—getting your network
back up and running as fast as possible.
Functionality
Observer’s DICOM Protocol Decode and Packet View is shown in three ways:
• Raw Data TCP Packets—the DICOM data within the TCP packets is displayed in
hexadecimal.