DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine) is an international standard for medical images and related information (ISO 12052). It defines medical image formats that can be used for data exchange at a quality that meets clinical needs.
DICOM is widely used in radiology, cardiovascular imaging, and diagnostic radiology equipment (X-ray, CT, MR*** vibration, ultrasound, etc.), and is increasingly used in other medical fields such as ophthalmology and dentistry. With tens of thousands of medical imaging devices in use, DICOM is one of the most widely deployed medical information standards. Approximately ten billion DICOM-compliant medical images are currently in clinical use.
Since the release of the first version of the DICOM standard in 1985, DICOM has revolutionized the practice of radiology, with X-ray film being replaced by an all-digital workflow. Just as the Internet has become a new platform for information dissemination applications, DICOM has enabled advanced medical imaging applications that have "changed the face of clinical medicine". For example, in emergency departments, cardiac stress tests, and breast cancer screening, DICOM serves both the physician and the patient, and is the standard for effective medical imaging.