What does the DICOM Series Preflight skill do?

It performs a header-only preflight check on a DICOM series folder, validating the metadata before conversion or inference.

Can this skill be used for clinical purposes?

No, this skill is not intended for clinical deployment or regulatory compliance; it is strictly for preflight checks.

What type of output does this skill generate?

The skill generates a JSON report detailing the preflight status, including inventory, orientation axcodes, and any PHI flags.

What are the limitations of this skill?

It does not decode pixel data, handle multiple studies in one directory, or perform de-identification.

How do I run the DICOM Series Preflight skill?

You can run the skill using the command `python scripts/preflight_series.py PATH_TO_DICOM_DIR` with the appropriate path to your DICOM directory.

DICOM Series Preflight

Name: DICOM Series Preflight
Availability: InStock
Author: nvidia

OfficialFree

Quickly validate DICOM series folders before processing.

by nvidia2.8k stars on nvidia/skills

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Updated Aug 7, 2026

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Free · Opens the source repo

What DICOM Series Preflight does

The DICOM Series Preflight skill is designed to perform a header-only preflight check on a DICOM series folder prior to any conversion or inference tasks. This tool is essential for developers and data scientists working with medical imaging data, as it ensures that the DICOM files meet necessary criteria before they are processed further. The skill operates by scanning a specified directory containing DICOM files, extracting metadata, and generating a JSON report that includes important information such as inventory, orientation axcodes, and flags for potential PHI issues.

To use the DICOM Series Preflight skill, users run the provided Python script, scripts/preflight_series.py, with the path to the DICOM directory as an argument. The output is a structured JSON file that details the preflight status, which can indicate a pass, warn, or fail verdict based on the checks performed. This allows users to quickly assess the quality of their DICOM data before proceeding with more resource-intensive operations. The skill is particularly useful in environments where data integrity is paramount, such as in research or clinical settings, although it is not intended for clinical deployment or regulatory compliance.

The skill has specific limitations; it does not decode pixel data or handle complex scenarios like multiple studies within a single directory. Additionally, it does not perform de-identification or clinical clearance, making it unsuitable for use cases requiring those functionalities. Users are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the skill's documentation, especially the skill_manifest.yaml, to understand the input requirements and output expectations fully.

Overall, the DICOM Series Preflight skill is a valuable tool for anyone needing to ensure the readiness of DICOM series folders for subsequent processing, providing a straightforward way to validate data integrity without delving into the complexities of the DICOM format.

When to use it

Use this skill when you need to quickly assess the integrity of a DICOM series folder before further processing steps.

When not to use it

This skill is not suitable for clinical deployment or any scenario requiring de-identification or detailed analysis of pixel data.

What you can build with it

Preprocessing DICOM Data

Before running machine learning models on DICOM images, validate the data integrity using this skill.

Quality Control for Imaging Studies

Ensure that DICOM series folders meet the necessary criteria for research studies by performing a preflight check.

Streamlining DICOM Workflows

Integrate this skill into your DICOM processing pipeline to automatically validate data before further analysis.

How to install DICOM Series Preflight

View source

1. Install with the skills CLI

npx skills add nvidia/skills/dicom-series-preflight --agent claude-code

2. Or install it manually

Download the skill folder and drop it into ~/.claude/skills/ for all projects, or .claude/skills/ to scope it to one repo. Restart Claude Code so it picks up the new skill.

Anthropic's agentic coding CLI, and the reference implementation of Agent Skills. Drop a skill folder into ~/.claude/skills and Claude Code loads it automatically whenever a task matches the skill's description. Claude Code docs

Inside SKILL.md

Written by nvidia

DICOM Series Preflight

Purpose

Used for header-only preflight of one DICOM series folder before conversion or inference. Not for de-identification or clinical clearance.
Use the wrapper exactly as documented; do not replace the upstream entrypoint with a handwritten implementation.
Manifest I/O: inputs are dicom_dir; outputs are preflight_json.

Instructions

Read skill_manifest.yaml before changing arguments, side effects, or validation gates.
Run scripts/preflight_series.py through the documented command below; keep outputs under a caller-provided run directory.
If a host agent exposes run_script, use run_script("scripts/preflight_series.py", args=[...]); otherwise run the Bash/Python command shown below.
Check the emitted JSON and paired verifier guidance before treating the run as evidence.

Available Scripts

Script	Purpose	Arguments
`scripts/preflight_series.py`	Primary entrypoint declared by skill_manifest.yaml.	`PATH_TO_DICOM_DIR`

Prerequisites

Runtime requirements: Python packages listed in runtime.side_effects.pip_packages.
Run commands from the repository root unless an existing section below says otherwise.

Limitations

Header-only; does not decode pixel data or detect burnt-in PHI.
Canonical orientation gate assumes LPS-derived CT axcodes L,P,S.
Compressed transfer syntax and multi-frame instances are warned, not decoded.
Single-directory scan; does not reconcile multiple studies in one tree.
Not for clinical deployment, regulatory de-identification, autonomous diagnosis, production ingestion without a vetted converter.

Troubleshooting

Error	Cause	Fix
Missing dependency or import error	Runtime package drift from `skill_manifest.yaml`.	Install the packages declared in the manifest or use the documented setup command.
Empty or schema-invalid output	Wrong input path, unsupported modality, or upstream failure.	Re-run with a known fixture and inspect the wrapper JSON plus stderr.
Validation gate failure	Output violated a declared engineering invariant.	Keep the failed evidence pack and use the gate message to repair inputs or wrapper code.

Scans a DICOM directory (one series per folder) without decoding pixels. Emits JSON with inventory, orientation axcodes, PHI flags, findings, and a preflight.verdict of pass, warn, or fail.

python scripts/preflight_series.py PATH_TO_DICOM_DIR

Pair with verifiers/dicom_preflight_quality_v1 for a trusted preflight pack:

make run-trusted SKILL=dicom_series_preflight \
  FIXTURE=skills/dicom-series-preflight/fixtures/clean_no_phi \
  OUT=runs/dicom_preflight_demo

Flagship workflow:

make run-workflow \
  WORKFLOW=examples/workflows/dicom_preflight_gate.yaml \
  WORKFLOW_INPUT=skills/dicom-series-preflight/fixtures/clean_no_phi \
  WORKFLOW_OUT=runs/dicom_preflight_gate

Not for de-identification, private-tag review, or clinical clearance.

Frequently asked questions about DICOM Series Preflight

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