CODEWITHSUNDEEP
dicomdcmtk
niyo66
niyo66

Reputation: 59

How to use DCMTK binaries to send Modality Worklist to modalities without receiving Query from them?

I am using DCMTK storescp.exe to receive images from a CR modality and then process/save them in my DB.

Is it possible to use other DCMTK binary to manually send the PatientName and PatientId to CR modality before the patient goes there?

I have read somewhere that the modality makes a query to get the Modality Worklist. I would like to reverse that flow. I want to directly send the Modality Worklist to the modality, whenever I like, without receiving the query from Modality.

Is that possible? If yes; how can I do that with DCMTK?

Please note that this is not an off-site tool request. I just want to know the DCMTK binary that implements required DICOM service/command.

Upvotes: 3

Views: 1895

Answers (1)

Amit Joshi
Amit Joshi

Reputation: 16409

You are looking for Modality Worklist or MWL service which implements C-FIND command.
SOP Class: 1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.31 [Modality Worklist Information Model – FIND].

But it does not work the way you are expecting; and it should not - for good.

MWL SCU (in your case - CR) initiates the query with the (optional) filters it suits. As usual, association happens and MWL SCP receives the MWL Request. It then fetch the data from its database matching the filters if any. It then sends one MWL Response for each row fetched from database, status for each response is PENDING. When all the rows are transferred, final SUCCESS response is sent. If no rows were found matching the filter, only final response is sent. If something goes wrong, proper failure response is sent. SCU then, sends the Release Request and on receiving Release Response, it closes the association.

Now, why your expected workflow is not possible?

Generally MWL SCP is implemented by RIS systems. These systems have tools/features to register the patient demographic data while/before admission of the patient in hospitals. They also have features to schedule the orders to be executed by Modalities. There might be multiple modalities in given DICOM Network (hospital). Though, RIS have a way to decide which order should go to which modality (based on AE Title if configured and used properly), they cannot push it because they are acting as SCP i.e. Server. As any other server in any network protocol, they have to wait for request from client i.e. SCU.

Further, though SCP may know which order should be sent to which modality, modality may not expecting that order for many reasons. So, the general flow in MWL is the way I explained above. You cannot implement your reverse workflow with any DICOM service/command.

Just for the sake of clarity:

All this has nothing to do with the data you received and stored in DB using storescp.exe. I mean, you do not generally send that data to modality as Modality Worklist.

MWL happens first. When modality get the MWL Worklist item, it conducts the study and acquires images with the demographic data received in MWL Worklist item. This way, errors are avoided, redundant inputs are avoided and flow is bit automated. When done, modality push (C-STORE) the instances (CR images in your case) to C-STORE SCP which is storescp.exe in your case.

Upvotes: 3

Related Questions