DICOM Anonymizer

Strip patient data from .dcm files — entirely in your browser

Anonymize DICOM Files In Your Browser — Free, Private, Instant

Remove patient names, IDs, birth dates and other personal health information from CT and MRI DICOM (.dcm) files before sharing them with doctors, researchers or AI services. Files are processed on your computer — nothing is uploaded.

1
Pick the folder containing your DICOM (.dcm) files
2
Files are parsed locally in your browser — patient metadata is shown so you can verify what will be removed
3
Preview each series in the built-in DICOM viewer
4
Click Anonymize to overwrite all personal tags with safe ReadYourLab template values
5
Download a ZIP of the anonymized files, ready to share or analyze

100% Client-Side

No Upload

Remove personal information

Select Your DICOM Folder

Choose the folder containing your .dcm files — they stay on your device

How to find your DICOM folder

What is DICOM Anonymization?

DICOM files (.dcm) embed rich metadata alongside the medical image — patient name, ID, date of birth, the referring physician, the institution and many other identifiers. Sharing raw DICOM files therefore exposes protected health information (PHI). Anonymization (also called de-identification) replaces these tags with placeholder values so the imaging data can be safely shared with doctors, researchers, or AI services without revealing who the patient is.

Why Client-Side Matters

Most online anonymizers upload your files to a server before stripping the data — which means the personal information is exposed in transit and on a third-party machine before it is removed. ReadYourLab's anonymizer runs entirely in your browser using JavaScript. Your DICOM files never leave your device, which is the strongest possible privacy guarantee — no server, no logs, no risk.

Built for Privacy and Compliance

Everything you need to share medical imaging without exposing patient identity.

Pure Browser, Zero Upload

Processing happens entirely on your device using JavaScript. Your DICOM files never touch a server, log file, or third-party machine.

Standard PHI Tag Coverage

Replaces all DICOM PS3.15 Basic Application Confidentiality Profile tags — patient name, ID, birth date, institution, physicians, accession numbers and more.

Visual Verification

Preview each series with the built-in DICOM viewer and inspect every metadata field that will be replaced before you anonymize.

Folder Structure Preserved

The anonymized ZIP keeps your original Patient/Study/Series folder layout, so the files drop straight back into your radiology workflow.

Works on CT, MRI, X-Ray and More

Any standard DICOM modality is supported — CT, MRI (T1/T2/FLAIR), CR, DX, US, MG, NM, PT and OT scans.

Free Forever

No account, no credit card, no upload limits. Anonymize as many DICOM folders as you need at no cost.

Tags Replaced by the Anonymizer

Industry-standard PHI tags from DICOM PS3.15 Basic Application Confidentiality Profile.

PatientName

(0010,0010)

PatientID

(0010,0020)

PatientBirthDate

(0010,0030)

PatientSex

(0010,0040)

OtherPatientIDs

(0010,1000)

OtherPatientNames

(0010,1001)

PatientAge

(0010,1010)

PatientSize

(0010,1020)

PatientWeight

(0010,1030)

EthnicGroup

(0010,2160)

PatientComments

(0010,4000)

AccessionNumber

(0008,0050)

InstitutionName

(0008,0080)

InstitutionAddress

(0008,0081)

ReferringPhysicianName

(0008,0090)

StationName

(0008,1010)

InstitutionalDepartmentName

(0008,1040)

PhysiciansOfRecord

(0008,1048)

PerformingPhysicianName

(0008,1050)

NameOfPhysiciansReadingStudy

(0008,1060)

OperatorsName

(0008,1070)

RequestingPhysician

(0032,1032)

ScheduledPerformingPhysicianName

(0040,0006)

Need an AI Reading on Your Anonymized Scan?

Once your DICOM files are anonymized, run them through Google MedGemma for a free, plain-language radiology report — no credit card required.

Try AI CT & MRI Analysis Learn how the AI works

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about DICOM de-identification, what tags get removed, and how this compares to server-side anonymizers.

What does the DICOM anonymizer actually remove?

The anonymizer overwrites the standard PHI (Protected Health Information) tags from the DICOM PS3.15 Basic Application Confidentiality Profile — including PatientName (0010,0010), PatientID (0010,0020), PatientBirthDate (0010,0030), AccessionNumber (0008,0050), InstitutionName (0008,0080), ReferringPhysicianName (0008,0090) and several more. The pixel data (the actual image) is left untouched.

Are my DICOM files uploaded anywhere?

No. Anonymization happens entirely in your browser using JavaScript. Your .dcm files are read with the native File API, parsed with the dicom-parser library, modified locally and packaged into a ZIP on your device. Nothing is sent to ReadYourLab or any third party.

Does the anonymizer use blank values or template values?

Mandatory tags (such as PatientName and PatientID) are replaced with neutral ReadYourLab template values like 'ANONYMIZED^READYOURLAB' so that strict DICOM viewers and PACS systems still accept the files. Optional tags are replaced with empty padded values.

Will burned-in pixel annotations be removed?

No. This anonymizer only removes metadata tags, not text that has been physically rendered into the image pixels (a common issue with ultrasound or screen-captured scans). For burned-in annotations you need a dedicated pixel-level redaction tool. Always visually inspect anonymized scans before sharing.

Is browser-based anonymization HIPAA / GDPR compliant?

Because the data never leaves your device, browser-based anonymization aligns very well with both HIPAA's minimum-necessary principle and GDPR's data-minimization principle. ReadYourLab does not see, store, or process your files. That said, compliance is ultimately about your full workflow — consult your privacy officer for a formal determination.

Are the unique identifiers (UIDs) regenerated?

By default the anonymizer keeps StudyInstanceUID, SeriesInstanceUID and SOPInstanceUID untouched so that the series remains coherent and viewable. UIDs themselves are not directly identifying, but if your threat model requires them to be reissued, follow this with a dedicated UID-remapping tool.

Can I anonymize CT, MRI, X-ray and ultrasound scans?

Yes. The tool works on any standard DICOM file regardless of modality — CT, MRI, CR (computed radiography), DX (digital X-ray), US (ultrasound), MG (mammography), NM, PT and others. The PHI tags being replaced are common to all DICOM modalities.

What happens to the folder structure?

The anonymized ZIP preserves the exact folder structure you uploaded — Patient / Study / Series subfolders included. You can drop the extracted folder straight into a PACS workstation or another viewer.

Can I get an AI analysis on the anonymized files?

Yes. After downloading the anonymized ZIP, head over to our AI DICOM analysis page and upload the files for a free Google MedGemma radiology report. Because they are already anonymized, no PHI ever reaches the analysis pipeline.