PDF Storage SOP Class

The PDF storage SOP class is used to encapsulate PDF documents into a DICOM object containing text and/or graphics.

In order to exchange and/or handle these documents in an efficient manner in an imaging environment, it is useful to be able to wrap the PDF document in a DICOM container, so it can be exchanged as DICOM objects. Some original data objects (scanned documents, forms, waveforms, measurements, text) could also be exchanged using other, more comprehensive encoding such as a waveform or SR objects. However, DICOM PDF encapsulation is no different than using the secondary capture (SC) object instead of other alternative objects such as XA or US. Furthermore, some forms of data to be exchanged are not yet standardized, for which the PDF is a good place-holder to check PDF SOP Class support by the PACS system as well as on the view stations to make sure it can be archived, retrieved, and displayed.