Osirix
OsiriX is the Swiss army knife of DICOM tools. OsiriX is available for MacOS only. This document covers only basic setup, query and retrieval.
Installation
Use the Managed Software Center to install a recent version of Osirix on your Mac. For unusual situations ask Andrew for assistance, or submit an IT help desk request.
Configuration
Start OsiriX.
Pull down the Osirix menu and select Preferences…
Click on Listener. This should bring up the Listener preference window.
Set AETitle, Port Number, IP Address and Host Name to the correct values for your workstation. Theses values must match an entry on the PACS. Other settings should match those shown. If you need assistance, contact Andrew.
Click the gear icon (at the top) to return to OsiriX Preferences.
Click Locations.
A location describes the settings OsiriX uses communicate with another DICOM node. You will need to create one line in the upper box for each PACS you wish to connect with. You can edit an existing entry. Only click Add new node if there aren't enough lines.
| Server | Address | AETitle | Port |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legacy PACS (odin) | odin.ad.bangor.ac.uk | DCM4CHEE_ODIN | 11112 |
| New PACS (elli) | elli.ad.bangor.ac.uk | DCM4CHEE_ELLI | 11112 |
| Backup PACS (pmac2752) | pmac2752.ad.bangor.ac.uk | pmac2752 | 11112 |
Q&R should be ticked. Set Retrieve to C-MOVE. Do not tick send. It is unlikely you will ever want to SEND from OsiriX to the PACS. Send Transfer Syntax should be Explicit Little Endean.
Once you've set the values, click on Verify to test your connection to the PACS. The address will turn yellow or red if there is a problem. If you get an error, carefully check for typos. If it still doesn't work, ask for assistance.
Close the Locations window. OsiriX is configured and ready to use.
Query and Retrive
Click the green Query arrow from the top of the main window. This will open the DICOM Query/Retrieve window.
Select the PACS you wish to search from the list of DICOM Nodes. It is possible to search more than one PACS. In the example we are connecting to Elli.
Select the type of search you will run by clicking one of the buttons at the top of the window. Most often you will search on Patient Name but occasionally you may wish to search by Referring Physician.
Next enter the name you wish to search on. In the example we are searching on SS0057*.
Next select the date range. As the PACS may hold several years worth of studies it is best to enter a date rage. By leaving the search box empty you can find all scans from the selected date range.
Click Query. After a short while, the results will appear.
Select This Computer from the Retrieve To pull down. Next, click the green arrow button next to the scan you wish to retrieve. If you click more than one button, OsiriX will retrieve multiple studies in parallel. Retrieving studies can take considerable time. A green dot indicates a study is fully retrieved to the local database. When your retrieves complete, close the Query/Retrieve window.
Exporting Studies
OsiriX retrieves studies to its own local PACS database. Exporting copies data out of the local database to a folder of DICOM files. Select the study or series you wish to export from the list on the Local Database window, then click the Export button. This will bring up the Export dialog.
Navigate to where to export the DICOM file.
Create a New Folder if needed.
Select options as shown. Be sure to choose Decompress all DICOM files. Elli PACS stores images using lossless JPEG-2000. Many image packages are not compatible with JPEG-2000 and produce cryptic error messages when fed JPEG-2000 compressed data. If you are exporting to a memory stick or slow external drive be sure to tick ZIP Package. If you don't, the export will take forever.
Click Choose.
For help converting DICOM to NifTI, see DICOM to NifTI conversion.