Frequently asked questions

DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine) is the universal standard format for medical imaging. When a hospital, clinic, or imaging centre gives you your scans on a CD, USB drive, or through a patient portal download, they are almost always in DICOM format.

DICOM files are typically a folder of files ending in .dcm, or files with no extension at all. A single CT study might contain hundreds of individual DICOM image files — one per slice. DICOM Reader processes all of them.

From a CD or DVD: Insert it, look for a DICOM or IMAGES folder, and upload that folder to DICOM Reader.

From a patient portal: Many hospitals let you download imaging as a ZIP. Unzip it and upload the DICOM folder.

From a USB drive: Copy the folder to your computer or upload directly from the drive.

If you are unsure whether your files are DICOM, check if the folder contains many files with .dcm extensions or files with no extension but an imaging-related folder name like "CT_CHEST" or "MR_BRAIN".

DICOM Reader supports any standards-compliant DICOM study, including:

CT (computed tomography) — chest, abdomen, pelvis, brain, spine, cardiac, and more
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) — brain, spine, joints, abdominal, and cardiac
X-ray / radiography — chest, bone, dental, plain films
Ultrasound — abdominal, obstetric, cardiac echo, musculoskeletal
Mammography — standard and digital mammogram studies
Angiography and fluoroscopy — vascular and fluoroscopic series

If your study is in standard DICOM format, DICOM Reader can read it.

No. DICOM Reader generates AI-assisted informational summaries — not medical diagnoses. The reports are intended to help you understand your imaging, prepare questions for your doctor, and review findings with frame-level citations for reference.

DICOM Reader is not a medical device. It is not a substitute for a licensed radiologist, physician, or urgent clinical care. Always discuss your imaging results and health concerns with your healthcare provider.

Each report includes:

Structured findings — observations organized by anatomical region, with both medical terminology and plain-English explanations for each
Impressions — a concise, high-level summary of the most notable observations
Frame-level citations — every finding links back to the specific DICOM image frame where the AI observed it
Plain-language summary — a top-line takeaway written for a general audience
Follow-up chat — unlimited questions about your report, answered using your actual uploaded images as context

Most AI tools process a single image. DICOM Reader processes every frame in your uploaded study. When the AI notes a finding in your report — for example, "mild pleural thickening in the lower left lobe" — it links that finding back to the exact DICOM frame where it was observed.

You can click that link to see the raw image side by side with the finding. This lets you verify what the AI saw, show a specific image to your doctor, and have confidence the report reflects your full study — not just one slice.

Yes, in an assistive, informational sense. DICOM Reader can provide a structured AI-assisted review of your imaging that you can compare with your official radiology report or bring to a specialist appointment to discuss specific findings.

It is not a clinical second opinion from a licensed radiologist, and it should not be used as the sole basis for any medical decision. But it can be a genuinely useful tool for preparing more informed conversations with your care team.

DICOM Reader uses a state-of-the-art AI vision model to analyze your images. Like all AI systems, it can miss findings, misinterpret ambiguous images, or produce observations that require clinical context to interpret correctly.

The reports are designed to be informative and helpful — not authoritative. Use them alongside, not instead of, your official radiology report and clinical team. If you notice a discrepancy or have concerns about a finding, raise it with your doctor.

Your uploaded DICOM files and generated reports are encrypted in transit and at rest. Your data is tied to your account and never shared with other users. We do not use your imaging or report data for advertising.

Your images are processed by our AI provider (OpenAI) to generate the report. Data is stored via our infrastructure provider (Supabase). See our Privacy Policy for full details, including how to request deletion of your data.

DICOM Reader is a consumer service, and you are uploading your own health information voluntarily to receive a personal report. If you are concerned about the embedded patient metadata in your DICOM files (e.g., your name, date of birth, or medical record number), you may de-identify them before uploading using free DICOM anonymization tools.

De-identification is not required to use the service, but it is an option if you prefer to minimize the personal data you transmit.

Yes. Your generated reports are saved permanently to your account so you can revisit them, continue the follow-up chat, or share findings with your care team at any time. You can delete individual reports from your account dashboard, or request full account deletion by contacting us.

DICOM Reader uses a credit-based system. Report credits are sold in a single bundle: 3 report credits for $49 as a one-time purchase — no subscription, no recurring charges.

Each report credit lets you upload one DICOM study and generate one full AI report. Once a report is generated, you have unlimited follow-up chat for that report at no extra cost. Your reports are saved to your account permanently at no additional charge.

No. You can create a free account and explore the app without entering payment information. You only need to purchase credits when you are ready to generate your first report.

Always. DICOM Reader is designed to help you understand your results and prepare better questions — not to replace your clinical team. Use it to walk into appointments better informed, not to skip them.

Seek immediate medical attention for any symptoms you consider urgent — chest pain, shortness of breath, neurological changes, severe pain, or anything that feels like an emergency. Do not wait for an AI report if you are unwell.

DICOM Reader is not suitable for making treatment decisions, ruling out disease, or managing ongoing medical conditions independently. It is an assistive, informational tool.