download & copy hospital scans

flaneurs_lobster

If you just need to send the files to one or two recipients is it worth copying to a cheap USB drive and mailing them?

[Deleted User]

What you have got is a bunch of files sometimes known as DICOM images typically provided on IEP, you can only open them with a Dicom Viewer - the *.dcm files are similar to jpg / gif / bmp etc in that they are just a "photo" except they are specific to medical imagining and normally won't open on a PC/Phone without the DICOM viewer.

Sometimes there will be a DICOM viewer included in the CD/DVD/Zip file - if not just download a free one from a reputable source. 

A 2GB bundle for hi-res / 3d scans is not unusual, it may contain anything from hundreds to thousands of images, all designed to be viewed as a bundle in DICOM viewer software.

Once you got the images open in the viewer, you will see a complex interface designed primarily for medical users. don't let this put you off, there should be a few simple controls to look for. Typically images are grouped either by type / time / date etc so there will be icons for different series of images. Clicking on one of these displays an image that can be manipulated with arrows / zoom / rotate / slice etc to view the series.

Depending on who you need to send them to, there are different solutions as per above - the only things I'd add are:

Is the person / entity you send them to trusted just to be given the link you have to download them so that they can do that?

Or maybe do you want to just send a few of the key images to someone or the whole bundle?

You could just send a few of the images either by saving them from the DICOM viewer in a normal format eg jpg or taking a screen snip of them on the PC?

In terms of storage - remember you can obtain them for free again at any time in the future with a GDPR data subject access request (DSAR) to the holder of the images - eg NHS records dept

cerebus

debitcardmayhem said:

cerebus said:

Easiest way is to upload them them to Google drive, Dropbox etc and share the file with who ever you want   , no need to send anything 

Sadly you have to “send” them to your chosen drive/box etc and at 1GB that is going to be very slow and process depending on your upload speed.

Even at my ultra slow upload speed of 10mbps it only takes 15mins, quicker than the time it will take faffing around trying to shrink them   then email/send them to individuals 

Plus whilst it's uploading you can do other things,  you do not need to watch it

cisko65

bob_a_builder said:

Is it just a single .ZIP file you downloaded ?
You can just upload the .ZIP file to Google Drive and then give whoever you need to the link to that file (Right click in Google Drive to 'Share' it) - they can then download the .ZIP view the files inside  themselves
Windows will show the contents of the file - clicking on one of the files in the .ZIP  will open it up whether its a video or a photo

No point in decompressing the file and uploading separately (unless you don't want them to see all pictures), will just take longer to upload 

Thanks bob_a_builder. I already tried to upload the .ZIP file to Google Drive. It says it would take an hour. 

cisko65

Thanks everybody.
I will need to read, understand and try the various solutions you suggested.

bob_a_builder

cisko65 said:

bob_a_builder said:

Is it just a single .ZIP file you downloaded ?
You can just upload the .ZIP file to Google Drive and then give whoever you need to the link to that file (Right click in Google Drive to 'Share' it) - they can then download the .ZIP view the files inside  themselves
Windows will show the contents of the file - clicking on one of the files in the .ZIP  will open it up whether its a video or a photo

No point in decompressing the file and uploading separately (unless you don't want them to see all pictures), will just take longer to upload 

Thanks bob_a_builder. I already tried to upload the .ZIP file to Google Drive. It says it would take an hour. 

But unless you'e using mobile data, that not really much of an issue is it ?

cisko65

[Deleted User] said:

What you have got is a bunch of files sometimes known as DICOM images typically provided on IEP, you can only open them with a Dicom Viewer - the *.dcm files are similar to jpg / gif / bmp etc in that they are just a "photo" except they are specific to medical imagining and normally won't open on a PC/Phone without the DICOM viewer.

Sometimes there will be a DICOM viewer included in the CD/DVD/Zip file - if not just download a free one from a reputable source. 

A 2GB bundle for hi-res / 3d scans is not unusual, it may contain anything from hundreds to thousands of images, all designed to be viewed as a bundle in DICOM viewer software.

Once you got the images open in the viewer, you will see a complex interface designed primarily for medical users. don't let this put you off, there should be a few simple controls to look for. Typically images are grouped either by type / time / date etc so there will be icons for different series of images. Clicking on one of these displays an image that can be manipulated with arrows / zoom / rotate / slice etc to view the series.

Depending on who you need to send them to, there are different solutions as per above - the only things I'd add are:

Is the person / entity you send them to trusted just to be given the link you have to download them so that they can do that?

Or maybe do you want to just send a few of the key images to someone or the whole bundle?

You could just send a few of the images either by saving them from the DICOM viewer in a normal format eg jpg or taking a screen snip of them on the PC?

In terms of storage - remember you can obtain them for free again at any time in the future with a GDPR data subject access request (DSAR) to the holder of the images - eg NHS records dept

Thanks, before reading all the replies I understood I could open the DICOM images with MainDicom. I saved them in Google Drive, and shared them. I'm pleased what I did matches what you suggested. 

cisko65

Thank you all for your help. Happy to say problem solved.

DullGreyGuy

cisko65 said:

Thank you all for your help. Happy to say problem solved.

Others may appreciate if you say how it was solved so they can jump to the solution and not have to try different things

cisko65

DullGreyGuy said:

cisko65 said:

Thank you all for your help. Happy to say problem solved.

Others may appreciate if you say how it was solved so they can jump to the solution and not have to try different things

It's in my reply to tallmansix, in my post before the general 'thank you' one. Hope if it's needed it can be found.