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How to Convert a DICOM File to JSON using DicomJsonSerializer

How to Convert a DICOM File to JSON using DicomJsonSerializer

This tutorial demonstrates how to convert DICOM files to JSON format using C#. JSON output is essential for integrating DICOM metadata with modern web services, REST APIs, and healthcare information systems.

Benefits of Converting DICOM to JSON

  1. Web Integration:
    • JSON is the standard format for REST APIs and web services.
  2. Data Analysis:
    • Easily process DICOM metadata in data analytics pipelines.
  3. Interoperability:
    • Share metadata with systems that don’t support native DICOM formats.

Prerequisites: Preparing the Environment

  1. Set up Visual Studio or any compatible .NET IDE.
  2. Create a new .NET 8 console application project.
  3. Install Aspose.Medical from the NuGet Package Manager.

Step-by-Step Guide to Convert DICOM to JSON

Step 1: Install Aspose.Medical

Add the Aspose.Medical library to your project using NuGet.

Install-Package Aspose.Medical

Step 2: Include Necessary Namespaces

Add references to the required namespaces in your code.

using Aspose.Medical.Dicom;
using Aspose.Medical.Dicom.Serialization;

Step 3: Load the DICOM File

Load the DICOM file you want to convert.

DicomFile dcm = DicomFile.Open("patient_scan.dcm");

Step 4: Serialize to JSON

Use the DicomJsonSerializer.Serialize method to convert the DICOM file to JSON.

string json = DicomJsonSerializer.Serialize(dcm);

Step 5: Save or Use the JSON Output

Save the JSON to a file or use it directly in your application.

// Save to file
File.WriteAllText("patient_scan.json", json);

// Or use directly
Console.WriteLine(json);

Complete Code Example to Convert DICOM to JSON

Here is a complete example demonstrating how to convert a DICOM file to JSON:

using Aspose.Medical.Dicom;
using Aspose.Medical.Dicom.Serialization;

// Load the DICOM file
DicomFile dcm = DicomFile.Open("patient_scan.dcm");

// Convert to JSON
string json = DicomJsonSerializer.Serialize(dcm);

// Save to file
File.WriteAllText("patient_scan.json", json);

Console.WriteLine("DICOM file converted to JSON successfully!");
Console.WriteLine($"Output saved to: patient_scan.json");

Pretty-Printed JSON Output

For human-readable JSON with indentation, use the writeIndented parameter:

using Aspose.Medical.Dicom;
using Aspose.Medical.Dicom.Serialization;

DicomFile dcm = DicomFile.Open("patient_scan.dcm");

// Serialize with indentation for readability
string prettyJson = DicomJsonSerializer.Serialize(dcm, writeIndented: true);

File.WriteAllText("patient_scan_pretty.json", prettyJson);

Console.WriteLine("Pretty-printed JSON saved successfully!");

Converting Dataset Instead of DicomFile

You can also convert just the Dataset portion:

using Aspose.Medical.Dicom;
using Aspose.Medical.Dicom.Serialization;

DicomFile dcm = DicomFile.Open("patient_scan.dcm");

// Serialize only the dataset (without file meta information)
string datasetJson = DicomJsonSerializer.Serialize(dcm.Dataset);

File.WriteAllText("patient_dataset.json", datasetJson);

Example JSON Output Structure

The JSON output follows the DICOM PS3.18 standard. Here’s an example of what the output looks like:

{
  "00080005": {
    "vr": "CS",
    "Value": ["ISO_IR 100"]
  },
  "00080020": {
    "vr": "DA",
    "Value": ["20240115"]
  },
  "00080030": {
    "vr": "TM",
    "Value": ["143022"]
  },
  "00100010": {
    "vr": "PN",
    "Value": [
      {
        "Alphabetic": "DOE^JOHN"
      }
    ]
  },
  "00100020": {
    "vr": "LO",
    "Value": ["12345"]
  }
}

Stream-Based Serialization

For large files or web applications, use stream-based serialization:

using Aspose.Medical.Dicom;
using Aspose.Medical.Dicom.Serialization;

DicomFile dcm = DicomFile.Open("large_scan.dcm");

// Write directly to a file stream
using (FileStream fs = File.Create("large_scan.json"))
{
    DicomJsonSerializer.Serialize(fs, dcm.Dataset);
}

Console.WriteLine("Large DICOM file serialized to JSON stream!");

Integration Example: Sending JSON to Web API

Here’s how to integrate DICOM to JSON conversion with an HTTP client:

using Aspose.Medical.Dicom;
using Aspose.Medical.Dicom.Serialization;
using System.Net.Http;
using System.Text;

DicomFile dcm = DicomFile.Open("patient_scan.dcm");
string json = DicomJsonSerializer.Serialize(dcm);

// Send to web API
using HttpClient client = new();
var content = new StringContent(json, Encoding.UTF8, "application/json");

HttpResponseMessage response = await client.PostAsync(
    "https://api.example.com/dicom/metadata",
    content
);

if (response.IsSuccessStatusCode)
{
    Console.WriteLine("DICOM metadata successfully sent to API!");
}

Usage Tips

Debugging DICOM Metadata

Use JSON conversion to inspect DICOM tag values:

DicomFile dcm = DicomFile.Open("unknown_scan.dcm");
string json = DicomJsonSerializer.Serialize(dcm, writeIndented: true);
Console.WriteLine(json);

Sending to Web Front-End

JSON is ideal for displaying DICOM metadata in browser-based viewers:

// In ASP.NET Core controller
[HttpGet("dicom/{id}/metadata")]
public IActionResult GetMetadata(string id)
{
    DicomFile dcm = DicomFile.Open($"storage/{id}.dcm");
    string json = DicomJsonSerializer.Serialize(dcm);
    return Content(json, "application/json");
}

What’s Included in JSON Output

The JSON output includes:

  • All DICOM tags with their values
  • Value Representations (VR) for each tag
  • Sequence items as nested JSON objects
  • Binary data references (BulkData) for pixel data

Additional Information

  • The JSON format follows DICOM PS3.18 Web Services specification.
  • Large binary values (like pixel data) are typically referenced rather than embedded.
  • Consider using custom serialization options for specific integration requirements.

Conclusion

This tutorial has shown you how to convert DICOM files to JSON format in C# using Aspose.Medical. JSON output enables seamless integration with modern healthcare APIs, web viewers, and data analytics systems.

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