DICOM Attribute

Frame of Reference UID (0020,0052)

Keyword
FrameOfReferenceUID
VR
UI
VM
1

Definition

Uniquely identifies the Frame of Reference for a Series. See for further explanation.

From NEMA PS3.3 §C.7.4.1.

Attribute Metadata

Tag
(0020,0052)
Keyword
FrameOfReferenceUID
Name
Frame of Reference 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 5 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

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 Preserved
  • Azure DICOM Preserved
  • Google Cloud Healthcare Preserved

Frame of Reference UID — preserved by all three. Establishes coordinate-system identity across Series for registration and fusion workflows.

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

  • 1.3.6.1.4.1.5962.1.4.1.1.20040119072730.12322 CT_small.dcm
  • 1.3.6.1.4.1.5962.1.4.4.1.20040826185059.5457 MR_small.dcm
  • 2.22.222.2.222222.2.2222222222222222222222222222.2 rtdose.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

  • medium Frame of Reference UID changes mid-study — registration broken

    Diagnosis: Series within a single study have different FrameOfReferenceUID. Cross-series registration (e.g., MR to CT for radiation therapy) fails because the coordinate systems aren't declared linked.

    Fix: On perimeter: compute FrameOfReferenceUID histogram per study. If multiple FORs in one study, route to RT planning team for explicit registration step. Don't blindly assume linkage.

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 FrameOfReferenceUID or the broader (0020,0052) context: