Anonymization

Clean Pixel Data option

Use the +Pixel profile to remove overlay plane groups (6000-60FF) during anonymization.

The Clean Pixel Data option in DICOM PS3.15 Annex E is about identifying information that is part of the image rather than its header, such as a name or ID burned into the pixels. In dcmage it takes two steps. The +Pixel profile removes the overlay plane groups (6000 to 60FF), which can hold text and graphics drawn over the image. Text burned into Pixel Data (7FE0,0010) itself needs redaction regions, which set the pixels inside each box to zero on export.

Problem

Beyond metadata scrubbing, a DICOM file can carry PHI in overlay planes: groups 6000 to 60FF can hold graphics and text drawn over the image. The Basic profile already removes Overlay Data (60xx,3000) and Overlay Comments (60xx,4000), as DICOM PS3.15 requires. The +Pixel profile removes the whole overlay range. It does not change Pixel Data (7FE0,0010). Text burned into the image pixels needs redaction regions instead (see black-box redaction and OCR text detection).

Steps

  1. Open your DICOM file (⌘O) and switch to Anon mode (⌘3 in the Mac app, ⌘⇧A in the browser).

  2. Select the +Pixel profile. Click +Pixel in the profile picker. The rule list replaces Basic’s two overlay rules with one rule for the whole range.

  3. Check the overlay rule. The rule list includes (60XX,XXXX) Overlay Data Groups with the remove action.

  4. Apply the anonymization.

  5. Verify. Switch to Edit mode (⌘2 in the Mac app) and confirm that no 60xx rows remain.

Result

The +Pixel profile applies the Basic rules and deletes every top-level attribute in groups 6000 to 60FF. Pixel Data is unchanged, so burned-in text stays in the image unless you also redact it.