DICOM Metadata Hashing for Medical Image Tamper Verification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Medical image CDs are not forgery-proof, and there is a risk of loss or duplication during delivery, making it difficult to verify the authenticity of medical image data.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus and method using hash values based on metadata of DICOM files to verify forgery and tampering, involving a processor that generates and inserts hash values into specified tag areas of DICOM files, enabling primary and secondary verification.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If medical image data is distributed via physical CDs or mail, then patients can obtain their clinical diagnosis data, but the data is vulnerable to forgery, loss, or duplication during delivery
Solution Approach 1:
The system embeds a digital watermark containing a hash value of the DICOM file metadata into the image data before distribution. This preliminary action creates a forged detection mechanism that is already in place when the medical image is delivered to the patient, enabling verification of authenticity without requiring additional infrastructure during the distribution process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a verification server as an intermediary that stores reference hash values of original DICOM files. When verification is needed, the system compares the embedded watermark hash with the reference hash from the verification server, providing a trusted third-party mechanism to authenticate medical image data without requiring direct trust between the distributing hospital and the receiving party.
2Reliability
If digital watermarking is embedded in all medical image data, then forgery can be detected, but the processing time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts only essential metadata from the complete DICOM file to generate the hash value for the digital watermark. By taking out only the critical identification elements rather than processing the entire file, the system reduces the computational complexity of watermark embedding while maintaining the ability to detect forgeries that would alter the medical image data.
Solution Approach 2:
The verification process uses a two-stage approach: first performing a quick check of the embedded watermark hash against the reference, and only performing full verification when the initial check indicates potential issues. This partial action approach maintains low complexity for routine operations while ensuring thorough verification when needed.
3Measurement precision
If hash values are embedded in every DICOM file, then precise verification is possible, but the file size and storage requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts and embeds only the essential hash value from the complete DICOM file metadata, rather than duplicating the entire file or all its attributes. This extraction approach enables precise verification by comparing hash values while minimizing the additional data stored in each file, thus reducing the storage overhead.
Solution Approach 2:
The digital watermark is embedded in a specific, localized region of the DICOM file structure rather than distributing verification data throughout the entire file. This local quality approach concentrates the verification information in a compact form, enabling accurate forgery detection without proportionally increasing the overall file size.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are an apparatus and method for verifying forgery and tampering of a medical image. An apparatus for verifying forgery and tampering of a medical image according to an embodiment disclosed in this document includes a memory configured to store Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) files for each patient, and a processor functionally connected to the memory, wherein, when an issuance request of a DICOM file is received, search for a DICOM file corresponding to the request among DICOM files for each patient; generate an issuance number related to the issuance; extract some information from metadata of the searched DICOM file; generate a first hash value using the some information and the issuance number; and upon providing a copy of the DICOM file to an external storage device, insert the first hash value as forgery verification information into a specified tag area of the copy.