vdcme − edits tags and removes confidential information in VisionX DICOM files

vdcme [-H] [if=<inputfile>] [of=<outputfile>] [b=<string>] [n=<string>] [-d] [-q] [-v] [rso=<uid>] [sfr=<uid>] [rff=<uid>] [rlf=<uid>] [i=<number>] [std=<uid>] [ser=<uid>] [for=<uid>] [sop=<uid>] [ins=<uid>] [smf=<uid>] [guid=<uid>] [uid=<uid>] [trn=<uid>] [cf=<configfile>] [-c] [sd=<date>] [-m] [t=<hextagnumber>] [v=<string>] [na=<string>] [mr=<string>] [-r] [-p] [vf=<verbose-output-file>]

Vdcme changes the information contained in the tags of DICOM files. Currently the program implements three modes of operation.

If one of the t=, na=, or mr= options is specified, it operates in the mode of the older version of the vdcme program, editing a single tag in the image. The tag to edit is specified by t=, and v= is the value to change the specified tag to. na= and mr= can be used as a shortcut to the commonly changed name and medical record numbers, where the value is the value to change the string to, and the tag number is implicitly determined. If t= is specified with the -r flag, the tag specified by t= is deleted from the file. If -p option is specified, all the private fields which are charactreized by odd group number are deleted.

If one of the -c or cf= options is specified, the program operates in a thorough blinding mode, removing confidential information from DICOM files. The cf= parameter specifies a configuration specifying which tags are to be kept in the image file, and what is to be done with them. The -c flag can be used to denote a CT Image instead of manually specifying a configuration file with the cf= parameter. Unrecognized (i.e manufacturer specific tags) are removed, as are any tags not present in the configuration file, if the "deltags" flag is set to "true" in the first line of the configuration file. Most UID flags can be assigned to blind any UID from the commandline, except for the sop=, ser=, and std= tags, which have meaning in the meta-file elements and in blinding the VisionX history, and should always be associated with the appropriate tags. If the file is a VisionX file, the program also overwrites the Study Instance UID tag and Series Instance UID tag in the VisionX history element of the file, and overwrites instances of the Study Instance UID tag and SOP Instance UID tag which may occur in the VisionX commandline history.

If none of -c, cf=, t=, na= or mr= are specified, the program operates in a more limited blinding mode, as implemented by the original vdcmb program. This mode requires that the b= parameter be specified. The b= parameter specifies the string that the patient name should be blinded with. The n= parameter specifies the string that the medical record number should be blinded with. If the n= parameter is not specified, the medical record number is blinded with the b= string. If the -m option is specified, these are the only tags blinded. If the -m option is not specified, a number of confidential tags are blinded with the string NA.

The input may either be a DICOM part 10 file or a VisionX file with a VX_DICOM element in it. If the input is a file, vdcme will try both file formats. The default filetype is VisionX, so if the input comes from a pipe, the -d flag must be set to indicate that it is DICOM. The output format is the same as the input format.

if=<input filename>

Specifies name of a DICOM Part 10 input file or VisionX file with a VX_DICOM element.

of=<output file>

Specifies the output filename.

b=<string>

Blinding string, typically used to replace the patient name. Used only in the blinding modes.

n=<string>

Blinding string, typically used to replace the medical record number. Used only in the blinding modes.

-d

Specify that the filetype is DICOM, not VX_DICOM (only required with pipes).

-q

Quiet operation. Suppresses certain warning messages.

-v

Verbose operation. Prints some runtime information.

rso=<uid>

Tag typically used for blinding the Referenced SOP Instance tag. Should be no more than 64 characters long. Used only in the thorough blinding mode.

sfr=<uid>

Tag typically used for blinding the Synchronization Frame of Reference tag. Should be no more than 64 characters long. Used only in the thorough blinding mode.

rff=<uid>

Tag typically used for blinding the Referenced Frame of Reference tag. Should be no more than 64 characters long. Used only in the thorough blinding mode.

rlf=<uid>

Tag typically used for blinding the Related Frame of Reference tag. Should be no more than 64 characters long. Used only in the thorough blinding mode.

i=<number>

Initial value of a variable that increments through a sequence of images, used for the SOP Instance and Media Storage SOP Instance UIDs. Appended onto the sop= value if specified, otherwise sop= value is used unchanged. Used only in the thorough blinding mode.

std=<uid>

Tag used for blinding the Study Instance UID tag. Should be no more than 64 characters long. Used only in the thorough blinding mode.

ser=<uid>

Tag used for blinding the Series Instance UID tag. Should be no more than 64 characters long. Used only in the thorough blinding mode.

for=<uid>

Tag typically used for blinding the Frame of Reference UID tag. Should be no more than 64 characters long. Used only in the thorough blinding mode.

sop=<uid>

Tag used for blinding the SOP Instance UID tag. Should be no more than 64 characters long. Used only in the thorough blinding mode.

ins=<uid>

Tag typically used for blinding the Instance Creator UID tag. Should be no more than 64 characters long. Used only in the thorough blinding mode.

smf=<uid>

Tag typically used for blinding the Storage Media File-Set UID tag. Should be no more than 64 characters long. Used only in the thorough blinding mode.

guid=<uid>

General purpose UID blinding string. Should be no more than 64 characters long. Used only in the thorough blinding mode.

uid=<uid>

Tag typically used for blinding the UID tag. Should be no more than 64 characters long. Used only in the thorough blinding mode.

trn=<uid>

Tag typically used for blinding the Transaction UID tag. Should be no more than 64 characters long. Used only in the thorough blinding mode.

cf=<file>

Configuration file used to specify which tags are to remain in the file, and how they should be handled (blinded with a string, blinded from a command line parameter, or left untouched). Causes the program to operate in extended blinding mode.

-c

Use the CT Image configuration, which is built into the program. Causes the program to operate in extended blinding mode.

-m

Specifies minimal blinding mode, which blinds only the patient name and medical record number. Used only in the limited blinding mode.

sd=<date>

Changes all the date fields in the DICOM headers with the supplied DICOM date string. If the b= parameter is supplied, name and MRN are updated, too, and a light de-intentification is performed as well.

t=<hextagnumber>

Specifies the tag to be edited. Should be an 8-digit hexidecimal number corresponding to the number of the DICOM tag to be edited. Causes the program to enter single tag editing mode.

v=<string>

The value that the tag being edited should be overwritten with. Must be used in conjunction with the t= option. Used only in single tag editing mode.

na=<string>

Shortcut tag to edit just the patient’s name. For compatibility with the older version of vdcme. Causes the program to enter single tag editing mode.

mr=<string>

Shortcut tag to edit just the medical record number. For compatibility with the older version of vdcme. Causes the program to enter single tag editing mode.

-r

Specifies that the tag indicated in t= should be deleted. Used only in single tag editing mode.

-p

Specifies that all private fields should be deleted from the file.

of=<output file>

Specifies the filename for all verbose outputs (implies -v).

Vdcme takes a configuration file specifying which tags to keep and how to treat these tags. One line of the configuration file should contain the text "deltags=true" or "deltags=false" indicating whether or not tags not specified in the configuration file should be deleted. The value defaults to "false" if unspecified. The configuration file has the format of lines consisting of an eight digit code representing the four hexidecimal digits corresponding the number of the tag (formatted as xxxxxxxx), an equals sign, and the action to be performed for that tag. Comments can be added, and begin with a "#". Each tag should be defined on its own line. Possible actions are:

<string>

Blinds the tag using the value <string>.

$<cmd line option>

Blinds the tag using the value contained in the command line option <cmd line option>.

$nc

No change (the tag is left untouched).

vdcmtovx(1), vdcmb(1)

W. J. Kostis, B.G. Stein, B.M. Kressler & A. Biancardi