DICOM Cleaner

Complete anonymisation with DICOM Cleaner

The MAC version of DICOM Cleaner is a bit of an effort, but does give you complete anonymisation and strip off all the unnecessary DICOM tags from the studies. The complete anonymisation is ridiculously difficult on OsiriX, as you would have to edit each DICOM tag under the metadata to get rid of all the tags. The 'Anon Icon' within the osirix is good but not complete and for those who are paranoid about not having any patient detail are better off with DICOM Cleaner.

Website and Help:                http://www.dclunie.com/pixelmed/software/webstart/DicomCleanerUsage.html

Download for MAC:              http://www.dclunie.com/pixelmed/software/macexe/DicomCleanerMac.zip

Download for PC:                http://www.dclunie.com/pixelmed/software/winexe/DicomCleanerWithOwnJRE.zip

Installation Guide:

1. Download DC software

2. Make sure you are running java ( when you click DC for the 1st time it will prompt you to download and install java if it is not already installed on your mac)

3. Click system preferences-Security and Privacy

4. Change the bottom settings under general to - Allow applications downloaded from ----Anywhere ( you would need admin login to change this setting: same pass word as you would enter to boot your Mac)

5. Now double click the DC app and it will launch

6. You can drag the icon to Dock for quick access for future use :)

Working with DICOM Cleaner: 

I would recommend you to follow these steps to use DICOM Cleaner run neatly on a Mac

1. On your desktop, create 2 folders: 1. edit and 2. cleaned (important step)

2. Export the case from osirix into the 'folder edit' as DICOM 

3. Launch DICOM Cleaner, CLICK IMPORT---explore to the first folder-EDIT.

(You will have to navigate as ----MACINTOSH HD---USERS---MAC NAME---DESKTOP---EDIT)

4. Click to highlight the case, assign the new PATIENT NAME and PATIENT ID as your registration code: Eg SAMSHA-0001 (sequentially thereafter)

Check all boxes except for series description and zip exported files as in the image below

5. Click CLEAN 

6. You will see that the cleaned case is now on the right hand side

7. Now click to select the cleaned case and click EXPORT---and select the destination as the second folder that you created on the desktop (CLEANED)

8. Once you see export done message, minimise or close DICOM Cleaner

9. Launch OsiriX and Import the cleaned folder as usual (drag and drop folder to Osirix icon on the dock or use Import icon in the toolbar to navigate to the CLEANED folder.

10. You will see a fully cleaned renamed case in the OsiriX database

(example case from SAMSHA-0183 cleaned to SAMSHA-1234)

11. You can trash the cases on your desktop and the original case as you no longer need them.

Tip:    Exploring DC in Mac version is a bit clunky and you must create a folder before you export

Hope you like this :)

Author: Dr Sameer Shamshuddin