A Dicom Java Viewer Project .

Java language is simple yet powerful for imaging applications. One of its major feature is its multiplatform ability that makes it possible to run in almost every multimedia computer ( PC's, Macs and unix workstations ) . The major drawback is its slow speed when compared to native applications. In fact, java applications are written for a universal Java Virtual Machine and then interpreted into a platform dependent, native computer language. But as time goes by, these virtual machines language translators run faster and there is no doubt that in the future we will see these programs running nearly as fast as native ones. As a matter of fact, Apple JIT 's VM and Microsoft 's Windows JIT are yet very fast and steady.

So what has Java language to do with Dicom ?
By now, all the physicians , radiologists, and people who are working with medical images are looking at radiographic films which are displayed on big and roomy lightboxes. But these radiographic films are expensive, they reject chemical polluting agents such as silver nitrates and are heavy and difficult to store. Meanwhile, medical imaging use more and more digital imaging technologies for creating images such as CT, US, MRI, angiography, digital radiography and fluoroscopy ... All these modalities , originally viewed on computers screens are translated into conventional films in order to let other physicians view them on lightboxes !

Since the ACR-NEMA or Dicom (Digital Imaging Communication in Medicine ) is getting to be a standard for digital image storage in medicine, the idea is to replace the old physician lightbox by a simple DicomViewer which uses few room in your doctor's computer's memory and let him read the images like the radiologist : on a computer screen.

The application

I have made an Application to read Dicom images, as well as GIF or JPEG images, some image processing are implemented .

Warning ! it is not an applet and you won't see anything on this page ! but there is now the DicomApplet page which can show you this viewer running as an applet





If your platform is a PC or Solaris or any unix compatible :
 

It can be downloaded by either clicking on these links :

  • SJDR.zip (which stands for Simple Java Dicom Reader version JDK 1.02)
  • or SJDR113.zip if you have Java 1.1 or InternetExplorer 4 installed

Requirements :


A Java Virtual Machine should be installed , usually Internet Explorer (version 3 or more) have already installed a Virtual Machine on your computer and all you have to do is :

1 -UNZIP the file SJDR.zip .

You'll have a folder named "JDicomViewer" containing the following files :

DicomSample [ a sample Dicom image]
Lisez-moi.txt [ the french version of this text ]
Read-Me.txt [ the text that you are reading]
ReadMeFast.txt [ A fast installation instructions]
RunWithIE4.bat [ Double click here to launch the application!]

RunWithJRE.bat [ Requires the Sun JRE to be installed ]
AppClasses.zip [ Don't unzip this folder ]


2 -Double click on the file RunWithIE4.bat.
[ which contains the commanline :jview -cp SJDR.zip MainClass ]

3 -If it does not work, unzip the AppClasses.zip file , go to the AppClasses Folder and double-click on the file RunWithJre.bat

4 -If it still does not work send me an e-mail

5 - Send me an e-mail to tell me if its working !

   

If your platform is a MacIntosh :

If you use an Apple MacIntosh with the MRJ installed, this file which let you view a Dicom images directly on you MacIntosh, provided it is equipped with the Apple Java Implementation (MRJ) which comes whith macOs8 or is freely downloadable from http://applejava.apple.com.
 

Mac users download this file :

If you don't have any Dicom Image here are two samples :


E Mail :

If you wish to reach me by e-mail please do not hesitate ! Any comment or help will be welcome !

Other links in java medical imaging .



NIH Image Home Page

A MacIntosh dicom viewer, an excellent must-have freeware from Wayne Rasband from the very serious NIH org.

Image/J

The same author had the idea of making a java Imaging program !

A DICOM Applet :

You can try my DicomApplet ( do you know another one ? )

Tonny Espeset

The imageProcessor class is based on his very good book : "KickAss Java // Programming".

Netscape Pugin for Dicom Imaging :

http://www.j-mac.co.jp/vdp/ver-e.html but you can also try my DicomApplet !!!

George Grevera's Home Page

Some java code from a computer medical imaging specialist.


Medical Image Format FAQ

This document contains answers to the most Frequently Asked Question on alt.image.medical - how do I convert from image format X from vendor Y to something I can use ? In addition it contains information about various standard formats, including DICOM.



DICOM: The Value and Importance of an Imaging Standard

Dicom is the industry standard for transferral of radiologic images andother medical information between computers... some explanations and links from the radiological society of north america organization.



Philips ImagingSystems Nederlands

DICOM image samples:ftp://ftp.philips.com/pub/ms/dicom/Medical_Images/
DICOM Implementors'Cookbook ftp://ftp.philips.com/pub/ms/dicom/DICOM_Information/CookBook.pdf


Papyrus and Osiris: freeware Dicom tools that run under every platform .


Some power point slides about Dicom :

http://www.jfcr.or.jp/DICOM/what_is_dicom.html





Le 14/07/98 Serge Derhy e-mail : sderhy@imaginet.fr