DicomAnonymizer

Python package to anonymize DICOM files. The anonymization answer to the standard . More information about dicom fields for anonymization can be found here.

The default behaviour of this package is to anonymize DICOM fields referenced in dicomfields.

Dicom fields are separated into different groups. Each groups will be anonymized in a different way.

Group	Action	Action definition
D_TAGS	replace	Replace with a non-zero length value that may be a dummy value and consistent with the VR**
Z_TAGS	empty	Replace with a zero length value, or a non-zero length value that may be a dummy value and consistent with the VR**
X_TAGS	delete	Completely remove the tag
U_TAGS	replaceUID	Replace all UID's number with a random one in order to keep consistent. Same UID will have the same replaced value
Z_D_TAGS	emptyOrReplace	Replace with a non-zero length value that may be a dummy value and consistent with the VR**
X_Z_TAGS	deleteOrEmpty	Replace with a zero length value, or a non-zero length value that may be a dummy value and consistent with the VR**
X_D_TAGS	deleteOrReplace	Replace with a non-zero length value that may be a dummy value and consistent with the VR**
X_Z_D_TAGS	deleteOrEmptyOrReplace	Replace with a non-zero length value that may be a dummy value and consistent with the VR**
X_Z_U_STAR_TAGS	deleteOrEmptyOrReplaceUID	If it's a UID, then all numbers are randomly replaced. Else, replace with a zero length value, or a non-zero length value that may be a dummy value and consistent with the VR**

How to build it ?

The sources files can be packaged by using: python .\setup.py bdist_wheel

This command will generate a wheel package in dist folder which can be then installed as a python package using pip install .\dist\DicomAnonymizer-0.0.1-py2.py3-none-any.whl

Installing this package will also install an executable named dicom-anonymizer. In order to use it, please refer to the next section.

How to use it ?

This package allows to anonymize a selection of DICOM field (defined or overrided). The way on how the DICOM fields are anonymized can also be overrided.

[required] InputPath = Full path to a single DICOM image or to a folder which contains dicom files [required] OutputPath = Full path to the anonymized DICOM image or to a folder. This folder has to exist. **[optional] **ActionName = Defined an action name that will be applied to the DICOM tag. [optional] Dictionary = Path to a JSON file which defines actions that will be applied on specific dicom tags (see below)

Default behaviour

You can use the default anonymization behaviour describe above.

dicom-anonymizer Input Output

Custom rules

You can manually add new rules in order to have different behaviors with certain tags. This will allow you to override default rules :

Executable:

dicom-anonymizer InputFilePath OutputFilePath -t '(0x0001, 0x0001)' ActionName -t '(0x0001, 0x0005)' ActionName2

This will apply the ActionName to the tag '(0x0001, 0x0001)' and ActionName2 to '(0x0001, 0x0005)'

Note: ActionName has to be defined in actions list

For example, the default behavior of the patient's ID is to be replaced by an empty or null value. If you want to keep this value, then you'll have to run :

python anonymizer.py InputFilePath OutputFilePath -t '(0x0010, 0x0020)' keep

This command will override the default behavior executed on this tag and the patient's ID will be kept.

Custom rules with dictionary file

Instead of having a big command line with several new actions, you can create your own dictionary by creating a json file dictionary.json :

{
    "(0x0002, 0x0002)": "ActionName",
    "(0x0003, 0x0003)": "ActionName",
    "(0x0004, 0x0004)": "ActionName",
    "(0x0005, 0x0005)": "ActionName"
}

Same as before, the ActionName has to be defined in the actions list.

dicom-anonymizer InputFilePath OutputFilePath --dictionary dictionary.json

Custom actions from dictionary file

If you use the file anonymizer.py, then you can add custom actions:

{
    "(0x0002, 0x0002)": "ActionNameNotReferenced",
    "(0x0003, 0x0003)": "ActionNameNotReferenced",
    "(0x0004, 0x0004)": "ActionNameNotReferenced1",
    "(0x0005, 0x0005)": "ActionNameNotReferenced2"
}

Then, modify your file anonymizerUser.py :

import dicomanonymizer.anonymizer

# Functions need to have in input a dataset and a tag
def ActionNameNotReferenced(dataset, tag):
    # Extract the element from the dataset :
    element = dataset.get(tag)
    # You can update the value as here :
    element.value = ''
	print('custom action')
def ActionNameNotReferenced1(dataset, tag):
	print('custom action 1')
def ActionNameNotReferenced2(dataset, tag):
	print('custom action 2')

actionsTagMap = {
	(0x0001, 0x0001): "keep", #will use the default method in the dicom anonymizer
	(0x0002, 0x0002): ActionNameNotReferenced,
	(0x0003, 0x0003): ActionNameNotReferenced2
}

# Generate a custom dictionary that will be override the default one
actionsMap = dicomanonymizer.anonymizer.generateActionsDictionary(actionsTagMap)

# Send the map to the main function
dicomanonymizer.anonymizer.anonymize(actionsMap)

In your own file, you'll have to define:

• Your custom functions. Be careful, your functions always have in inputs a dataset and a tag
• A dictionary which map your functions to a string

Overrides actions for default tags

You can have the need to keep some tags, for example UID. Then, instead of replace it (replaceUID action) then you can override it :

UIDActionMap = dicomanonymizer.simpledicomanonymizer.generateActions(dicomanonymizer.dicomfields.U_TAGS, "keep")
dicomanonymizer.anonymizer.anonymize(inFile, outFile, actionsMap)

All the listed actions below can be used with generateActions function by using a string. If the second parameter of the generateActions actions is a string and doesn't belong to the actions list, then the default behaviour will be to keep the tag.

Actions list

Action	Action definition
empty	Replace with a zero length value, or a non-zero length value that may be a dummy value and consistent with the VR**
delete	Completely remove the tag
keep	Do nothing on the tag
clean	Don't use it for now. This is not implemented
replaceUID	Replace all UID's number with a random one in order to keep consistent. Same UID will have the same replaced value
emptyOrReplace	Replace with a non-zero length value that may be a dummy value and consistent with the VR**
deleteOrEmpty	Replace with a zero length value, or a non-zero length value that may be a dummy value and consistent with the VR**
deleteOrReplace	Replace with a non-zero length value that may be a dummy value and consistent with the VR**
deleteOrEmplyOrReplace	Replace with a non-zero length value that may be a dummy value and consistent with the VR**
deleteOrEmptyOrReplaceUID	If it's a UID, then all numbers are randomly replaced. Else, replace with a zero length value, or a non-zero length value that may be a dummy value and consistent with the VR**

** VR: Value Representation

Work originally done by Edern Haumont