An image data compression technique is disclosed in which image data compression
is based at least partially upon information encoded in a descriptive portion of
an image data file. The descriptive portion may be a header appended to image data.
In medical diagnostic applications the descriptive data may include DICOM compliant
data specifying imaging modality, anatomy or other features viewable in the reconstructed
images, image matrix size, and so forth. Based upon the descriptive data, the image
data files are analyzed and optimal compression algorithms are identified and selected.
The image data files are then compressed in accordance with the selected algorithms.
The algorithms may include appropriate compression code tables, desired lengths
of subregions into which the image data stream is divided for compression, predictor
algorithms used to determine relative entropy levels within the image data, and
so forth.
