DICOM Attribute

Series Instance UID (0020,000E)

Keyword
SeriesInstanceUID
VR
UI
VM
1

Definition

Unique identifier of the Series.

From NEMA PS3.3 §C.7.3.1.

Attribute Metadata

Tag
(0020,000E)
Keyword
SeriesInstanceUID
Name
Series Instance 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 15 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.uid (0020,000E)

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

Series Instance UID is required on Store and is a Series-level QIDO-RS matching key on all three platforms.

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

  • 1.3.6.1.4.1.5962.1.3.1.1.20040119072730.12322 CT_small.dcm
  • 1.3.6.1.4.1.5962.1.3.4.1.20040826185059.5457 MR_small.dcm
  • 1.2.840.113619.2.21.24680000.700.0.1952805748.3.0 ExplVR_BigEnd.dcm

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

Mirth Connect Example

Series Instance UID validation — DICOM UIDs must be ≤64 chars and contain only [0-9

DICOM UIDs must be ≤64 chars and contain only [0-9.]. Some bad implementations emit UIDs with spaces or trailing nulls — validate before propagating.

// (0020,000E) Series Instance UID — strict validation
var uid = String(msg.dataset.attr.(@tag == '0020000E').value).replace(/[\u0000-\u001F]/g, '').trim();
if (!/^[0-9.]{1,64}$/.test(uid) || uid.length > 64) {
  logger.error('Invalid Series Instance UID: "' + uid + '" — rejecting');
  destinationSet.removeAll();
  return;
}
channelMap.put('series_uid', uid);

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 Series InstanceUID re-used across modalities

    Diagnosis: Modality firmware regression generates SeriesInstanceUIDs that aren't actually unique — same UID emitted for different series within a study or across studies. PACS series count drops; downstream viewers show incorrect series organization.

    Fix: Run a daily integrity check: `SELECT series_uid, COUNT(*) FROM instances GROUP BY series_uid HAVING COUNT(*) > N` (where N is your typical max instances per series). Alert when above threshold. Push the modality vendor for a firmware patch.

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).

DICOM Integration Services

Saga IT builds production DICOM integrations across Mirth Connect, FHIR gateways, and cloud imaging platforms. If you're working with SeriesInstanceUID or the broader (0020,000E) context: