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| Keywords: Scout Image, Localizer Image, Reference Lines, Scout Lines, Slice Lines |
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| Localizer (scout) Images |
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Localizer images, also called scout images, are used in MR and CT studies to identify the relative anatomical position of a collection of cross-sectional images. A localizer can be acquired as a separate image, as is often done for CTs, or it can be dynamically generated, as is done for MRs.
In a localizer image, scout or reference lines indicate the position of each cross-sectional image. These lines may be "burned into" the image by replacing actual image pixels, stored as a separate overlay, or, ideally, generated dynamically by workstation software. In the last case, clinicians may be able to display specific cross-sectional images by clicking the appropriate scout or reference line in the localizer image.
To dynamically generate scout lines, the workstation software must use orientation and slice location information in each cross-sectional image, as well as reference information in the localizer. Unfortunately, this information may be encoded differently from one modality to another, making some implementations mutually incompatible. Problems in this area can be minimized by using DICOM and IHE conformance documents to ensure that workstations can properly interpret the localizer and slice data. |
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