AI Features

The Anonymizer can use optional AI Features to improve de-identification beyond removing patient names and IDs from DICOM tags. These tools work on the image pixels or on series descriptions and are designed for research datasets where burned-in text, recognizable faces, or inconsistent series names could still identify a patient.

All AI Features are optional. You choose which tools to turn on for your project. None of them run until you enable them and complete any required setup (such as downloading helper files).

Opening AI Features Setup

From the Welcome screen, click the AI Features button to open setup.

The setup window lists each available tool with a short description, an on/off checkbox, and a status line (for example “Ready” or “Models not downloaded”).

First-time setup (all tools)

1. On the Welcome screen, click AI Features.
2. Turn on the tools you plan to use by checking the box next to each name.
3. If a Download button appears, click it and wait until the status shows the tool is ready. Downloads are stored on your computer for future sessions.
4. For Face De-identify only: you must also accept the academic license when prompted (see Face De-identify).
5. Click Save or close the dialog to keep your choices.

An internet connection is needed only while downloading helper files. After that, the tools run locally on your machine.

Available tools

Each tool has its own help page with step-by-step configuration and usage:

• Remove Burnt-in Annotation — finds and removes text burned into the image (patient labels on X-rays, ultrasound overlays, etc.).
• Harmonize — suggests a standard CT series description from anatomy and contrast (RadLex playbook style).
• Face De-identify — blurs the face region on head CT scans to reduce the chance of recognition.
• AI Batch Process — runs one or more of the tools above on many studies at once from the Dataset view.

Where you can run AI Features

• Series View — work on a single series: detect/remove text, harmonize description, or review face blur (see Help/Operation).
• AI Batch Process — on the Dataset view, select studies and run the enabled tools in bulk (see AI Batch Process).

Turning a tool off

• Uncheck the tool in the AI Features setup window (Welcome screen).
• If you disable a tool whose files were already downloaded, the Anonymizer may ask whether to remove those files from disk to save space.
• Disabling a tool does not undo changes already applied to exported images.

If something is not ready

• On the Welcome screen, click AI Features and read the status line under each tool.
• Complete any pending download or license step.
• On macOS, Harmonize may require an extra system library (libomp) for contrast analysis; install via Homebrew if the status message mentions OpenMP or XGBoost.