Image
(0020,0037)
Image Orientation (Patient)
Keyword: ImageOrientationPatient
Direction cosines of the first row and first column of the image with respect to the patient. Six values: row_x, row_y, row_z, col_x, col_y, col_z.
Tag Attributes
- Tag ID
- (0020,0037)
- Compact
- 00200037
- Keyword
- ImageOrientationPatient
- VR
- DS — Decimal String
- VM
- 6
- Retired
- No
Module(s)
Image Plane Module
Engineering Notes
Defines the image plane in patient 3D coordinates. Combined with Image Position (Patient), fully specifies the image plane. Critical for PACS orientation labels and 3D rendering.
Troubleshooting
Wrong orientation labels (e.g., Anterior/Posterior swapped) in PACS are caused by incorrect Image Orientation (Patient) values. Verify that direction cosines match the acquisition plane.
Common Values
| Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1\0\0\0\1\0 | Axial (standard orientation) |
| 1\0\0\0\0\-1 | Coronal |
| 0\1\0\0\0\-1 | Sagittal |