DICOM Attribute

Photometric Interpretation (0028,0004)

Keyword
PhotometricInterpretation
VR
CS
VM
1

Definition

Specifies the intended interpretation of the pixel data. Enumerated Values: MONOCHROME2

From NEMA PS3.3 §C.7.6.24.

Attribute Metadata

Tag
(0028,0004)
Keyword
PhotometricInterpretation
Name
Photometric Interpretation
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 32 Modules

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 Preserved
  • Azure DICOM Preserved
  • Google Cloud Healthcare Preserved

Photometric Interpretation — preserved by all three. Drives display rendering (MONOCHROME1/2, RGB, YBR_FULL_422, PALETTE COLOR).

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

  • MONOCHROME2 CT_small.dcm
  • RGB ExplVR_BigEnd.dcm

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

Mirth Connect Example

PhotometricInterpretation guard — reject unsupported color spaces — Archive may only accept MONOCHROME2 or RGB; legacy ultrasounds sometimes emit YB

Archive may only accept MONOCHROME2 or RGB; legacy ultrasounds sometimes emit YBR_FULL_422 or PALETTE COLOR that the downstream viewer mis-renders.

// (0028,0004) Photometric Interpretation — CS defined terms
var pi = String(msg.dataset.attr.(@tag == '00280004').value).trim().toUpperCase();
var accepted = ['MONOCHROME1','MONOCHROME2','RGB','YBR_FULL'];
if (accepted.indexOf(pi) < 0) {
  logger.warn('Rejecting PhotometricInterpretation: ' + pi + ' for SOP ' + String(msg.dataset.attr.(@tag == '00080018').value));
  channelMap.put('rejection_reason', 'unsupported_photometric:' + pi);
  destinationSet.removeAll();
  return;
}
channelMap.put('photometric', pi);

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 YBR_FULL_422 from legacy ultrasound renders wrong on modern viewers

    Diagnosis: Legacy ultrasounds emit YBR_FULL_422 color-space images. Older viewers handled this correctly; modern DICOM libraries (dicomParser, cornerstone.js) don't always have YBR_FULL_422 decoders and render the color channels swapped or shifted.

    Fix: On ingress, detect YBR_FULL_422 and transcode to RGB at the Mirth channel. Losless transcoding is trivial with DCMTK's dcmconv. Saves downstream debugging.

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 PhotometricInterpretation or the broader (0028,0004) context: