Clean Pixel Data option
Optionally strip or clean pixel data during anonymization.
Problem
Beyond metadata scrubbing, DICOM pixel data can contain embedded PHI — burned-in annotations, overlay planes, and private pixel data blocks. The +Pixel anonymization profile extends the standard metadata scrub with pixel-level cleansing: stripping overlay planes, removing burned-in annotation data, and optionally cleaning the pixel data itself. You want to apply this deeper level of de-identification when metadata-only scrubbing is insufficient.
Steps
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Open your DICOM file (⌘O) and switch to Anon mode (⌘2).
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Select the +Pixel profile — click the +Pixel button in the profile picker. Note that the rule count differs from Basic and HIPAA, reflecting the additional pixel-level rules.
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Verify the pixel rule — confirm that the rule list includes
(60XX,XXXX), indicating that overlay plane groups are targeted for removal. -
Apply the anonymization.
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Switch to Edit mode (⌘3) to verify metadata changes, and review the viewport to confirm pixel-level cleansing (overlay planes removed, burned-in annotations stripped).
Expected Result
- The +Pixel profile includes all rules from the Basic/HIPAA profiles plus overlay and pixel data cleansing rules.
(60XX,XXXX)overlay plane groups are stripped.- The rule count is higher than Basic and different from HIPAA, confirming the additional pixel-level operations.