Modality (0008,0060)

Mirth Connect Example

// (0008,0060) Modality — route to vendor-specific PACS channels
var modality = String(msg.dataset.attr.(@tag == '00080060').value).trim().toUpperCase();
var routes = {
  'CT':  'CT_PACS',
  'MR':  'MR_PACS',
  'US':  'Ultrasound_VNA',
  'NM':  'NM_PACS',
  'CR':  'CR_PACS',
  'DX':  'CR_PACS', // share with CR
  'MG':  'Mammo_VNA'
};
var targetChannel = routes[modality];
if (targetChannel) {
  router.routeMessageByChannelName(targetChannel, message.getRawData());
} else {
  logger.warn('Unhandled modality: ' + modality);
}

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

• medium Modality 'OT' (Other) instead of expected code

  Diagnosis: Legacy modality emits Modality='OT' for everything. Downstream routing channels can't distinguish CT from MR from US.

  Fix: Fall back to (0008,0016) SOP Class UID lookup — derive the modality from the Storage SOP Class. Maintain a SOP Class → Modality map in the channel's configurationMap.

• medium Modality mismatch between SOP Class and (0008,0060) tag

  Diagnosis: DICOM file has SOP Class = CT Image Storage but Modality = 'MR'. Often caused by a faulty modality conversion or operator override at the modality console.

  Fix: QC check: in Mirth, fail-fast when the SOP Class's expected modality doesn't match (0008,0060). Route to quarantine + notify radiology IT.

Reference only — validate before applying a fix. Scenarios are drawn from common DICOM/HL7 v2 integration patterns; reproduce against your environment before acting on any diagnosis. See NEMA PS3.6 + your vendor conformance statement for authoritative specification. Severity levels: high (data-loss / patient-safety), medium (workflow disruption), low (cosmetic).