How to read DICOM Image files in Java (Tutorial)

In this post, we will be showing you how to read DICOM image files using a Java Dicom Library.

Dicom is the standard for storing, transmitting and managing managing medical images across healthcare systems. It is an important part of enterprise imaging, the strategy to look after all imaging data across an organization.

ImageIO does not support DICOM file types by default so you will need to use an ImageIO plugin or an external library. We will demonstrate using an Open source ImageIO plugin called TwelveMonkeys (which extends ImageIO to provide DICOM reading support), and using the JDeli Image Library.

How to read in Java with ImageIO’s Dicom Library

1. Download dcm4che plugin and install it.
2. Create a File handle, InputStream or URL pointing to the DICOM image.
3. ImageIO will now be able to read a DICOM file into a BufferedImage.

and the Java code to read DICOM in ImageIO…

File file = new File("/path/to/outputFile.dcm"));

BufferedImage image = ImageIO.read(file);

JDeli: Java Dicom Library

1. Add JDeli to your class or module path. (download the trial jar).
2. Create a File handle, InputStream pointing to the DICOM image. You can also use a byte[] containing the image data.
3. Read the DICOM image into a BufferedImage

and the Java code to read DICOM with JDeli…

File file = new File("/path/to/image.dcm"));

BufferedImage image = JDeli.read(file);

 
This article explained how you could use different Java Dicom libraries to read the format. You can also read more about the Dicom format, and how it plays a crucial part in your enterprise imaging processes.