2016 Summer Project Week/DICOM Tractography Results

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  Projects List

Key Investigators

• Michael Onken
• Isaiah Norton (remotely)
• Lauren O'Donnell

Project Description

This software project deals with saving tractography data in DICOM.

Objective

• Add API to DCMTK (library called dcmtract) which allows easy creation and reading of DICOM Tractography Results objects
• Tractography Results objects have been introduced in DICOM with Supplement 181 in 2015.
• From the Supplement: Tractography results are usually calculated based on magnetic resonance diffusion tractography (MR DT). A tracking algorithm produces tracks (i.e. fibers), which are collected into track sets. A track contains the set of x, y and z coordinates of each point making up the track. Depending upon the algorithm and software used, additional quantities like Fractional Anisotropy (FA) values or color etc. may be associated with the data, by track set, track or point, either to facilitate further filtering or for clinical use. Descriptive statistics of quantities like FA may be associated with the data by track set or track.
• This week we will work to discuss and finalize the API of the the library and prepare it for checkin to DCMTK

Approach, Plan

• Discuss existing API and refine it if required
• Discuss naming consistency (track vs tract)
• Discuss how to handle features currently missing from the standard but supported in Slicer (should we prepare a list of conventions to be the basis for a future DICOM change proposal).

Progress

• There is already a version of the dcmtract library in DCMTK