DICOM Attribute

Instance Number (0020,0013)

Keyword
InstanceNumber
VR
IS
VM
1

Definition

A number that identifies this image. This Attribute was named Image Number in previous releases of this Standard.

From NEMA PS3.3 §C.7.6.1.

Attribute Metadata

Tag
(0020,0013)
Keyword
InstanceNumber
Name
Instance 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 21 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.instance.number (0020,0013)

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

Instance Number is an Instance-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
  • 21 693_J2KI.dcm

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

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 InstanceNumber or the broader (0020,0013) context: