Harmonize

Research datasets often use inconsistent Series Description names for similar exams (“CHEST WO”, “CT thorax”, etc.). Harmonize analyzes a CT series and suggests a standardized description based on which body regions are visible and whether IV contrast appears to be present. Descriptions follow the RSNA Radiology Playbook (RadLex) style, for example combining regions like Chest+Abdomen and contrast such as IV Contrast.

Important: Harmonize only updates the SeriesDescription DICOM tag. It does not change the pixel data.

What you need before using it

1. On the Welcome screen, click AI Features.
2. Check Harmonize.
3. Click Download for anatomy segmentation models if prompted (this may take several minutes and requires internet once).
4. On macOS, install libomp via Homebrew if the status mentions XGBoost or OpenMP.
5. Save your settings.

Which studies qualify

• Modality: CT only.
• Geometry: Standard axial (or suitable) multi-slice volumes work best. Scout images, MIP series, or very short stacks may be skipped or produce limited results.
• The series must already be imported into your project.

How it works (in plain terms)

1. The tool builds a 3D view of the CT series.
2. It runs anatomy segmentation to see which structures (lungs, liver, brain, etc.) are present.
3. It estimates whether the exam used IV contrast (contrast phase analysis).
4. It combines region and contrast information into a suggested SeriesDescription string.
5. Results are cached on disk so repeating Harmonize on the same series is faster unless you force a refresh.

Using Series View (one series)

1. Open Series View for a CT series.
2. Click Harmonize Description.
3. A dialog shows the suggested description, body regions found, and contrast information.
4. Choose Apply to write the new description to the anonymized series metadata, or cancel to leave tags unchanged.

Batch processing many studies

See AI Batch Process. Select Harmonize in the batch dialog. For each eligible CT series, the tool computes or reuses a harmonized description and applies it automatically.

Clearing cached results

• If you re-import slices or change a series, cached harmonize data may be stale.
• Series View and batch processing can force re-analysis when needed; cache folders live under each series directory in storage.

Limitations and tips

• Harmonize is a suggestion tool — review descriptions before publishing a dataset.
• Non-CT modalities (MR, US, XR) are not supported.
• First run on a large study takes longer; later runs use cached segmentation where possible.
• Harmonize does not replace clinical reporting or protocol naming from the original site.

Related help pages

• AI Features
• AI Batch Process