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Where to get patient images

"I am at the planner's Upload Images page, but it won't accept my patient images" or "I don't seem to have the right images for the case"

 

Purpose 

A guide for New users or users new to medical imaging. Obtaining the necessary imaging for planned cases requires understanding the basics and asking the right questions.

Prerequisites / Pre-checks

  • Ask the healthcare provider. There may be established processes for accessing patient imaging.

Imaging formats

Medical imaging uses the DICOM format to maintain full image quality, machine settings, and scale information. Unlike consumer formats (JPEG, GIF, TIFF), DICOMs are organized in a specific hierarchy:

  • Patient --> Study (Exam) --> Series --> Instance (Image)

Both DICOM and TIFF X-ray images can be used with PeekMed web planner. If the imaging center provides TIFF images, there will be fewer issues if the images are between 2 and 15 Mb. Converting images to TIFF from JPEG is not recommended.

Requesting Images

Contact the File Clerk, PACS Administrator. The Diagnostic Imaging Technicians can also be helpful.

⚠️ Attention: Check the Projection and acquisition technique Poor patient positioning can affect bone measurements and planning

 💡 Tip: PeekMed does not require identifiable imaging and case identifiers.  Case details can be any identifier, including anonymized ones.  And your institution may provide anonymized information and it will work as long as the images are valid DICOMs.
💡 Tip: Maintaining a good rapport with the imaging center is essential.

Data Delivery Methods

  • Cloud Portals: Tools like Ambra, PowerShare, and LifeImage allow secure inter-institution sharing and downloads. The imaging center can grant access to the portal with download rights. Depending on the institution, the account is often free for image recipients.

  • Imaging Center exports: Electronic Medical Records (EMR/RIS) systems like EPIC often have a download option for TIFF images. Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS) export images in DICOM format.

    • Physical Media (CD/USB): CDs are a good option. Imaging files can be retrieved from a DICOM sub-folder.

      📝 Note: many institutions discourage the use of USB sticks and email for security reasons, but these may still be viable options.

  • Direct Upload: If file clerks want to perform the uploads themselves, they can be granted a "Scan Tech" accounts to upload files directly to the platform.

  • Avoid: Screenshots or Printed films or other non-DICOM formats (JPEG, PNG, PDF), as these lack diagnostic resolution and essential metadata.

DICOM Viewers

  • Here are some examples of viewers:
  • RadiAnt, MicroDICOM (Windows, lightweight)
  • OsiriX / Horos (Mac)
  • Weasis (open-source)
  • PACS-integrated viewers included on the CD

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Why DICOMs? Only DICOM files should be used for diagnostics and planning. TIFFs or screenshots are lower quality (tilted, pixelated, reformatted, or lossy compressed) and may extra lines and text that could interfere with planning.

  • Unreadable CDs? It may be damaged or blank. Contact the imaging center for a replacement.

Compliance and Privacy

Most DICOM files and PDFs containing patient details are Protected Health Information (PHI). Please note that PeekMed does not require identifiable information. Patient identifiers can be anonymous values.

References

The imaging center is your best resource. If a technician cannot answer a specific question, ask to speak with the PACS administrator or their PACS vendor.

How to upload patient images from a CD


Rev 1 2026-2-20 15:40 -07:00