DICOM Attribute

Series Number (0020,0011)

Keyword
SeriesNumber
VR
IS
VM
1

Definition

A number that identifies this Series.

From NEMA PS3.3 §C.7.3.1.

Attribute Metadata

Tag
(0020,0011)
Keyword
SeriesNumber
Name
Series Number
Value Representation (VR)
IS
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 IS with multiplicity 1.

Used in 18 Modules

This attribute uses the IS 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.number (0020,0011)

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 Queryable
  • Azure DICOM Queryable
  • Google Cloud Healthcare Queryable

Series Number 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 CT_small.dcm
  • 0 ExplVR_BigEnd.dcm
  • 2 rtplan.dcm

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

Mirth Connect Example

Series Number collision detection across multi-study imports — Series Number is NOT globally unique — only unique within a Study

Series Number is NOT globally unique — only unique within a Study. When merging series from multiple studies under a new Study UID, collisions break Q/R by series.

// (0020,0011) Series Number — IS, expected unique within a study
var sn = parseInt(String(msg.dataset.attr.(@tag == '00200011').value).trim(), 10);
if (isNaN(sn)) { channelMap.put('invalid_series_number', 'true'); return; }
// Track seen numbers during multi-study merge
var seenKey = 'seen_series_' + channelMap.get('target_study_uid');
var seen = JSON.parse(globalChannelMap.get(seenKey) || '[]');
if (seen.indexOf(sn) >= 0) {
  // Collision: remap by shifting into a high range (10000+) to avoid displacing originals
  var shifted = 10000 + seen.length;
  tmp.dataset.attr.(@tag == '00200011').value = String(shifted);
  channelMap.put('series_remapped', sn + ' -> ' + shifted);
  sn = shifted;
}
seen.push(sn);
globalChannelMap.put(seenKey, JSON.stringify(seen));

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 SeriesNumber or the broader (0020,0011) context: