What is Multiframe image in DICOM?

Question

What is the MultiFrame image in DICOM. How multiframe is different from having multiple images in a single series?

Answer 1

A multi-frame image is typically a more compact representation of a multi-image (single-frame) series. In a single-frame image series, you would need to repeat the same header data (patient information, image properties etc.) in every image; in a multi-frame image the header data is given once.

Multi-frame images inevitably have some limitations in relation to single-frame image series; in particular, all frames in the multi-frame image would need to have the same size, orientation, etc.

Multi-frame images have historically also not been as widely supported by DICOM viewers, PACS systems etc. as single-frame images, although I believe that this situation is improved nowadays.

Answer 2

See link. There are at least three kinds of multiframe, indicated by FIP "Frame Increment Pointer" (0028,0009) and SPP "Stereo Pairs Present" (0022,0028).

• time: each frame is the same location, but different time. You can play the multiframe like a movie. Indicated by FIP="Frame Time" (0018,1063).
• location: each frame is the same time, but different location. Indicated by FIP="Image Position Patient" (0020, 0032).
• stereo: there are only two frames, one for left eye, one for right. Indicated by SPP="YES"

I suppose a modality could combine these, for example a stereo movie or a volume over time. In that case the FIP would be an array, perhaps?