Port :104DICOM

DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine), originally specified by ACR/NEMA, defines a comprehensive standard that governs the communication and management of medical imaging information and related data across diverse hardware and software systems. It prescribes a communication protocol, file format, and data structure to ensure accurate exchange of diagnostic images, waveform data, annotations, reports, and patient information. The protocol typically operates over TCP/IP networks, primarily utilizing port 104, for secure and reliable data transmission between modalities, PACS servers, and viewing workstations.

DICOM supports various imaging modalities such as MRI, CT, X-rays, ultrasound, and nuclear medicine, offering interoperability between equipment regardless of vendor. The standard specifies data encoding rules and service classes for functions including image query/retrieve, storage, print management, and modality worklist management. Its extensible architecture permits the integration of additional services over time, aligning with advances in medical imaging technology.

Port 104 is often used as a default listener on PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication System) servers, where imaging modalities send or request DICOM-formatted files. While TCP is standard for reliable transfer, DICOM services can be transferred over UDP in some scenarios, though the emphasis is generally on reliable, orderly, connection-oriented communication.