DICOM Attribute

SOP Class UID (0008,0016)

Keyword
SOPClassUID
VR
UI
VM
1

Definition

Uniquely identifies the SOP Class. See for further explanation. See also .

From NEMA PS3.3 §C.12.1.

Attribute Metadata

Tag
(0008,0016)
Keyword
SOPClassUID
Name
SOP Class UID
Value Representation (VR)
UI
Value Multiplicity (VM)
1
Status
Active
Source
NEMA PS3.6 (table_6-1)

This attribute is part of the current DICOM Standard. Its value representation is UI with multiplicity 1.

Used in 3 Modules

This attribute uses the UI Value Representation. Multiplicity 1 governs how many values may be encoded.

Integration Notes

Real-world integration guidance for engineers implementing this attribute in Mirth Connect, FHIR gateways, HL7 v2 bridges, and cloud DICOM services. Authoritative source data where available; reference examples and operational notes where they add value.

FHIR Mapping

  • ImagingStudy.series.instance.sopClass (0008,0016)

Source: HL7 FHIR R5 ImagingStudy (CC0).

HL7 v2 Equivalent

No standard HL7 v2 equivalent published for this attribute. Imaging-only attributes (Image Pixel data, technical acquisition parameters, modality-specific values) typically have no HL7 v2 carrier.

Cloud DICOM Support

  • AWS HealthImaging Required
  • Azure DICOM Required
  • Google Cloud Healthcare Required

SOP Class UID is required on Store. Instance-level QIDO-RS matching key on all three platforms — also drives content-type handling on retrieval.

Per-vendor source URLs and verification date in src/content/dicom/cloud-support.json#_meta. Status taxonomy: required (mandated on Store), queryable (QIDO-RS matching key), preserved (stored as-is), promoted (AWS top-level metadata), unsupported (stripped/rejected).

Real-World Sample Values

  • 1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.2 CT_small.dcm
  • 1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.4 MR_small.dcm
  • 1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.6.1 ExplVR_BigEnd.dcm

Extracted from pydicom test fixtures (MIT, de-identified).

Mirth Connect Example

Filter DICOM by SOP Class UID (whitelist storage SOP classes) — Mirth channels often need to drop non-image SOP Classes (Encapsulated PDFs, Stru

Mirth channels often need to drop non-image SOP Classes (Encapsulated PDFs, Structured Reports) at the perimeter and forward them to dedicated channels.

// (0008,0016) SOP Class UID — whitelist filter
var sopClass = String(msg.dataset.attr.(@tag == '00080016').value).trim();
var imageStorageClasses = [
  '1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.2',     // CT Image
  '1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.4',     // MR Image
  '1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.6.1',   // Ultrasound Image
  '1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.7',     // Secondary Capture
  '1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.20'     // Nuclear Medicine
];
if (imageStorageClasses.indexOf(sopClass) === -1) {
  router.routeMessageByChannelName('NonImage_DICOM', message.getRawData());
  destinationSet.removeAll();
  return;
}

Reference only — validate before production. Snippets are starting points, not turnkey solutions. Always test against your channel's specific message structure and your facility's interface specification. See Mirth Connect User Guide + NEMA PS3.6 + your vendor conformance statement for authoritative specification.

Common Operational Errors

Operational error patterns for the most-queried tags will be added as coverage expands.

DICOM Integration Services

Saga IT builds production DICOM integrations across Mirth Connect, FHIR gateways, and cloud imaging platforms. If you're working with SOPClassUID or the broader (0008,0016) context: