Quick Guide: Viewing DICOM Images on Your Mac with QuickTime

Need to view DICOM files on your Mac but don’t have advanced specialty software? Don’t worry. You can use DICOM medical imaging data with QuickTime Player, which is included for free on every Mac.

Here’s a quick guide to get started viewing DICOM images using QuickTime.

What is DICOM?

First, a fast DICOM overview. DICOM stands for Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine. It is the universal standard format for storing and transmitting medical images and related data, such as patient demographics and radiation dose information.

DICOM files are generated by imaging modalities like CT, MRI, ultrasound, X-ray, and PET scanners. The DICOM format encapsulates the image data along with text header information in a single file, allowing DICOM files to store both medical images and important metadata together.

Without compatible viewing software, DICOM files appear gibberish. That’s where QuickTime comes in for basic DICOM viewing on Mac.

A Quick Guide to Viewing DICOM with QuickTime

Thanks to QuickTime, every Mac comes equipped to handle DICOM images right out of the box. Here are the quick steps:

1. Download your DICOM images and save them to your Mac.
2. Open QuickTime Player (located in your Applications folder).
3. Click File > Open File and select your DICOM file.
4. Use the playback controls to scroll through axial slice images frame by frame.
5. Adjust the image contrast and brightness with filters under the Edit menu.
6. Zoom in/out on images using the 100% and Fit to Screen viewing options.
7. Export single frame snapshots as JPGs via File > Export.

Some key tips for working with DICOM in QuickTime:

● QuickTime can open single and multi-frame DICOM files. Multi-frame files contain multiple images in a single file, like an MRI with hundreds of axial slices.

● Use the scroll wheel or frame slider to move through slices and cine loops frame-by-frame.

● Edit contrast and measurement tools are limited compared to advanced DICOM viewers.

● Exporting single frames as JPGs preserves image pixel data but loses other metadata.

● QuickTime can’t query or edit DICOM header information like patient details.

While QuickTime isn’t a full medical image viewer, it provides easy basic DICOM viewing and export options in a free app included with every Mac.

Guide Sections:

Opening DICOM Files in QuickTime

● Locate DICOM files and open them with QuickTime Player

● Single vs. multi-frame DICOM support

● Scrolling through slices and cine loops

Adjusting the Image View

● Zoom options like Fit to Screen

● Edit brightness, contrast, filters

● Limitations vs. advanced DICOM viewers

Exporting and Sharing DICOM Images

● Save single-frame exports as JPGs

● Share exported images with colleagues

● Loss of header metadata in exports

DICOM Capabilities to Keep in Mind

● Can’t edit or query header information

● Support for common modalities like CT, MRI, PET

● Handy basic viewer but not a full DICOM workstation

QuickTime offers a simple way to access DICOM images right on your Mac. While it lacks advanced tools for radiologists, it provides a free option for basic viewing of DICOM medical images.