DICOM Attribute

Position Measuring Device Used (0018,980C)

Keyword
PositionMeasuringDeviceUsed
VR
CS
VM
1

Definition

Describes the type of position measuring device used in the acquisition of the image, if any. This gives an indication of the degree of precision of Pixel Spacing (0028,0030) and the spacing between adjacent planes. Required if Volumetric Properties (0008,9206) is VOLUME and Volume Based Calculation Technique (0008,9207) is NONE. May be present otherwise. The actual precision will depend on a variety of factors such as the tracking technology used and the quality of the calibration. Enumerated Values: RIGID The image was acquired with a position measuring device that rigidly connects the transducer to a Frame of Reference. TRACKED The image was acquired using freehand motion of the transducer with an associated position measuring device (i.e., tracked freehand transducer). FREEHAND The image was acquired using freehand motion of the transducer without a position measuring device.

From NEMA PS3.3 §C.8.24.3.

Attribute Metadata

Tag
(0018,980C)
Keyword
PositionMeasuringDeviceUsed
Name
Position Measuring Device Used
Value Representation (VR)
CS
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 CS with multiplicity 1.

Used in 1 Module

This attribute uses the CS 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

No direct FHIR ImagingStudy mapping published for this attribute. Some tags map indirectly via the Patient, Endpoint, or ImagingSelection resources — Phase 2b will expand coverage to those.

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, Azure DICOM, and GCP Healthcare DICOM coverage rolls out by attribute. The QIDO-RS matching keys + Patient/Study/Series core (~50 attributes) are documented; lower-traffic attributes will be added as Saga teams encounter them in production.

Real-World Sample Values

No representative sample value available — this attribute isn't present in the de-identified pydicom fixture set. Add a fixture covering this attribute to expand coverage.

Mirth Connect Example

JavaScript transformer snippets for the most-queried tags will be added as coverage expands.

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 PositionMeasuringDeviceUsed or the broader (0018,980C) context: