
How to Understand Photometric Interpretation in DICOM Images
DICOM images are a standard format for medical imaging that contains various information about the image and its acquisition. One of the important tags in a DICOM file is the Photometric Interpretation (0028, 0004), which describes how the pixel data should be interpreted and displayed.
In this article, we will explain what Photometric Interpretation means, what are the different types of values it can have, and how to use them correctly. We will also show you an example of a DICOM image with the Photometric Interpretation value of “MONOCHROME2”, which is one of the most common values for this tag.
What is Photometric Interpretation?
Photometric Interpretation is a tag that specifies the color space or the color model of the image. It tells the viewer how to map the pixel values to colors or shades of gray. For example, if the Photometric Interpretation value is “RGB”, it means that the pixel data represents a color image with three channels: red, green, and blue. Each channel has a range of values from 0 to 255, where 0 means minimum intensity and 255 means maximum intensity of that color.
There are different types of Photometric Interpretation values, depending on the number of samples per pixel (0028, 0002) and the type of image. Samples per pixel is a tag that indicates how many color channels or planes are present in the image. For example, if samples per pixel is 1, it means that there is only one channel or plane, which can be either grayscale or color. If samples per pixel is 3, it means that there are three channels or planes, which are usually RGB or YCbCr.
The type of image can be either monochrome or color. Monochrome images have only one channel or plane, which can have different shades of gray or colors depending on the Photometric Interpretation value. Color images have three channels or planes, which can have different color models depending on the Photometric Interpretation value.
What are the different types of Photometric Interpretation values?
According to the DICOM Standards Committee, there are 12 possible values for Photometric Interpretation:
- MONOCHROME1: Pixel data represent a single monochrome image plane. The minimum sample value is intended to be displayed as white.
- MONOCHROME2: Pixel data represent a single monochrome image plane. The minimum sample value is intended to be displayed as black.
- PALETTE COLOR: Pixel data represent a single monochrome image plane which is to be interpreted by reference to a palette color lookup table specified in Palette Color Lookup Table Descriptor (0028,1101-1104) and Palette Color Lookup Table Data (0028,1201-1204).
- RGB: Pixel data represent a color image described by red, green, and blue image planes. The minimum sample value for each color plane represents minimum intensity of the color.
- HSV: Pixel data represent a color image described by hue, saturation, and value image planes.
- ARGB: Pixel data represent a color image with an alpha channel described by alpha, red, green, and blue image planes.
- CMYK: Pixel data represent a color image described by cyan, magenta, yellow, and black image planes.
- YBR_FULL: Pixel data represent a color image described by one luminance and two chrominance image planes. The full range of RGB component values are produced when these planes are converted according to internationally accepted standards such as CCIR Recommendation 601-1.
- YBR_FULL_422: Pixel data represent a color image described by one luminance and two chrominance image planes. The chrominance planes have half as many columns as the luminance plane; that is each chrominance value applies to two adjacent luminance values.
- YBR_PARTIAL_422: Pixel data represent a color image described by one luminance and two chrominance image planes. The chrominance planes have half as many columns as the luminance plane; that is each
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