DICOM MCP Server

DICOM MCP Server for Medical Imaging Systems 🏥

Thedicom-mcpserver enables AI assistants to query, read, and move data on DICOM servers (PACS, VNA, etc.).

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--------------------------------------------------------------------- 🧑‍⚕️ User: "Any significant findings in John Doe's previous CT report?" 🧠 LLM → ⚙️ Tools: query_patients → query_studies → query_series → extract_pdf_text_from_dicom 💬 LLM Response: "The report from 2025-03-26 mentions a history of splenomegaly (enlarged spleen)" 🧑‍⚕️ User: "What's the volume of his spleen at the last scan and the scan today?" 🧠 LLM → ⚙️ Tools: (query_studies → query_series → move_series → query_series → extract_pdf_text_from_dicom) x2 (The move_series tool sends the latest CT to a DICOM segmentation node, which returns volume PDF report) 💬 LLM Response: "last year 2024-03-26: 412cm³, today 2025-04-10: 350cm³" ---------------------------------------------------------------------

# Clone and set up development environment git clone https://github.com/ChristianHinge/dicom-mcp cd dicom mcp # Create and activate virtual environment uv venv source .venv/bin/activate # Install with test dependencies uv pip install -e ".[dev]"

dicom-mcprequires a YAML configuration file (config.yamlor similar) defining DICOM nodes and calling AE titles. Adapt the configuration or keep as is for compatibility with the sample ORTHANC Server.

nodes: main: host: "localhost" port: 4242 ae_title: "ORTHANC" description: "Local Orthanc DICOM server" current_node: "main" calling_aet: "MCPSCU"

[!WARNING] DICOM-MCP is not meant for clinical use, and should not be connected with live hospital databases or databases with patient-sensitive data. Doing so could lead to both loss of patient data, and leakage of patient data onto the internet. DICOM-MCP can be used with locally hosted open-weight LLMs for complete data privacy.

If you don't have a DICOM server available, you can run a local ORTHANC server using Docker:

Clone the repository and install test dependenciespip install -e ".[dev]

cd tests docker ocmpose up -d cd .. pytest # uploads dummy pdf data to ORTHANC server

Add to your client configuration (e.g.claude_desktop_config.json):

{ "mcpServers": { "dicom": { "command": "uvx", "args": ["dicom-mcp", "/path/to/your_config.yaml"] } } }

{ "mcpServers": { "arxiv-mcp-server": { "command": "uv", "args": [ "--directory", "path/to/cloned/dicom-mcp", "run", "dicom-mcp", "/path/to/your_config.yaml" ] } } }

dicom-mcpprovides four categories of tools for interaction with DICOM servers and DICOM data.

- query_patients: Search for patients based on criteria like name, ID, or birth date.
- query_studies: Find studies using patient ID, date, modality, description, accession number, or Study UID.
- query_series: Locate series within a specific study using modality, series number/description, or Series UID.
- query_instances: Find individual instances (images/objects) within a series using instance number or SOP Instance UID

- extract_pdf_text_from_dicom: Retrieve a specific DICOM instance containing an encapsulated PDF and extract its text content.

- move_series: Send a specific DICOM series to another configured DICOM node using C-MOVE.
- move_study: Send an entire DICOM study to another configured DICOM node using C-MOVE.

- list_dicom_nodes: Show the currently active DICOM node and list all configured nodes.
- switch_dicom_node: Change the active DICOM node for subsequent operations.
- verify_connection: Test the DICOM network connection to the currently active node using C-ECHO.
- get_attribute_presets: List the available levels of detail (minimal, standard, extended) for metadata query results.

The tools can be chained together to answer complex questions:

Tests require a running Orthanc DICOM server. You can use Docker:

# Navigate to the directory containing docker-compose.yml (e.g., tests/) cd tests docker-compose up -d

# From the project root directory pytest

Use the MCP Inspector for debugging the server communication:

npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector uv run dicom-mcp /path/to/your_config.yaml --transport stdio

- Built usingpynetdicom
- UsesPyPDF2for PDF text extraction

Query and analyze data with MotherDuck and local DuckDB