Getting
ThereThe DICOM browser provides convenient access to DICOM files in the DICOM server or any other specified repository. Reconstructions can be started from the DICOM browser and files may also be exported.
Getting
ThereThree different methods exist for reaching the DICOM browser.
The first method is to use the DICOM Database thumbnail in the Main Window.
The second method is to go to "Open DICOM data..." under the File menu.
The third method is to use the keyboard shortcut "Ctrl+D". For more on keyboard shortcuts in IVS, please see Keyboard Shortcuts.
The DICOM browser's main window is split into four regions -- Repository, Filter, Data, and Study Browser.
The repository displays the DICOM browser or local folder from which DICOM files are currently being displayed in the Study Browser. See DICOM Configuration for more information on configuring your DICOM browser, including the use of projects in an iPACS repository.
As a DICOM database grows, the Filter tool becomes useful for sifting through studies to find just the right one. Options for filtering** include Patient's Name, Patient ID, Study Description, and Study Date. After entering values in these available fields, simply hit "Update" to refresh the Study Browser. Want to view all of the data again? Simply hit "Clear" to empty the fields and "Update" again to refresh the Study Browser.
**Note that filtering uses a Unix-like naming structure. Therefore, if you want to find all studies that begin with Mouse, enter Mouse* in the filter for Patient's Name. In addition, if you wanted to find any study containing I123, enter *I123* in the filter for Patient's Name.
Also available in the filter options is the "X" function, used to expand or collapse the entries currently displayed in the DICOM browser. The first click will expand all data at the patient/study level; the second click will then expand at the series level; the third click will collapse the series level; the fourth click will collapse patients/studies.
Before expansion:
After one click of the "X button":
After the second click of the "X" button:
Expanding large numbers of datasets can take several minutes.
The Data section provides several functions for manipulating data, including sorting, finding, and opening.
| Show data type: | This pull-down menu can limit the data displayed in the Study Browser to a single modality (i.e., CT) or data type (i.e., reconstructions). |
| Open | This button is used to open the data highlighted in the Study Browser. If a single data file is highlighted, it will be opened as the Reference image. If an entire Study is highlighted, the Open button recognizes which data file is the CT and sets it as the Reference. Use of the Open button unloads data currently in IVS and replaces it with the highlighted data. More information on the relationship between the Study Browser and the Open button can be found in the Study Browser documentation. |
| Append | This button is used to append the data highlighted in the Study Browser to the data sets already loaded into InVivoScope. For example, if two data sets are selected in the DICOM Browser and three data sets are already loaded into IVS, then appending the two highlighted data sets will cause them to appear as data sets 4 and 5 in the Data Manager. Use the Open button to unloaded data currently loaded in IVS and replace it with the highlighted data. |
| Find | Enables a search of the Study Browser by looking for user-defined text in one of the available columns (Patient's Name, Study Date, Study Description, or patient ID). |
| Import | Allows DICOM data from a local folder to be imported into another local folder, DICOM repository, or iPACS repository. |
| Export | Allows DICOM data to be copied to a local folder. |
| Apply default shift | If checked, a pre-defined shift will be applied to reconstructed SPECT data when it is opened. See Reorientation for more details on setting default shift values. |
| Auto-start reconstruction | If checked, CT and NM reconstructions will begin automatically when the Open button is applied to projection data in the Study Browser. |
The Study Browser displays the DICOM data found in the selected Repository. The Filter, Show Data Type, and Find options can be used to limit the data displayed in the Study Browser. in all cases, the data is opened with either the Open button or the Append button. The Open button will unload data currently open in IVS and load the highlighted data as Reference, Input 1, Input 2, etc. The Append button will leave the currently loaded data unchanged and append the highlighted data. This appended data may be accessed via the Data Manager.
At the top level, multiple files may be opened into the Main Window simultaneously. The DICOM browser recognizes the files in the study and opens them accordingly, setting the CT image as the Reference. If extra data is found, the DICOM browser provides the message, "Ignoring extra data sets."
At the next level, single data sets from a study may be selected for viewing.
This nested structure continues, depending on the format in which the data is saved. For example, for CT data saved in Single Frame format, single slices may be selected for viewing.
"Ctrl-click" and "Shift-click" options are also implemented to simplify data selection. This feature is useful both for selecting subsets of studies to load into the Main Window and also for selecting large groups of studies to Export.
The right-click function of the DICOM browser is used as a shortcut for opening/exporting CT or NM data and sending it to a batch job (HiSPECT or BatchCT for SPECT and CT data, respectively), reconstruction or DICOM dump. Finally, when working in a local repository (i.e., a local folder as opposed to DICOM or iPACS servers), the right-click option may be used to delete data.
To use this function, highlight either the CT or NM data and right-click. A box with a number of functions is then displayed. The options vary depending on the type of projection data selected.
Right-click on the Helical CT scan of interest
There are various options depending on the data type available with this tool.
| Option | Description |
| Open | Opens the selected data set in IVS and loads it as the reference (see Open Reference). |
| Append | Adds selected data to the already loaded data sets |
| Send to CTReco | Sends the X-ray projection data to the CT reconstruction software (see CT Reconstruction). |
| Send to BatchCT | Sends the X-ray projection data to the BatchCT application where files can be organized for automatic reconstruction (see BatchCT). |
| Export data | Allows DICOM data to be copied to a local folder or to another DICOM or PACS repository. |
| Dump Header | Sends the file to the DICOM dump tool, which displays the information contained in the DICOM headers. |
Right-click on the Helical SPECT scan of interest
There are various options depending on the data type available with this tool.
| Option | Description |
| Open | Opens the selected data set in IVS and loads it as the reference (see Open Reference). |
| Append | Append data to already loaded data |
| Send to HiSPECT | Sends the SPECT projection data to the HiSPECT reconstruction software. |
| Send to BatchTool | Sends the SPECT projection data to the HiSPECT BatchTool Generator. |
| Export data | Allows DICOM data to be copied to a local folder. |
| Dump Header | Sends the file to the DICOM dump tool, which displays the information contained in the DICOM headers (see DICOM dump). |
When working in a local repository (i.e., a data folder as opposed to a DICOM or iPACS server), the right-click button may also be used to delete data.
