ASTHECA · PRACTICAL GUIDE
How to prepare a DICOM ZIP with one series
An organized upload starts with selecting one CT series and preserving its original files.
Choose one series
A study may contain several series: localizers, different reconstructions and repeated acquisitions. To prepare an upload, identify the CT series you want to process in your imaging center’s export software. Selecting one series helps avoid mixing images that belong to different volumes. If you are unsure which series to select, ask the team that produced the study.
Keep the original files
Export the DICOM files for that series. A screenshot, PDF or collection of JPEG images cannot replace the volume: it may lose position, orientation or scale information. Keep the files as exported. Do not edit their headers to make an upload pass validation, and retain an unchanged copy of the original study.
Check the ZIP
Place the selected series in a folder and compress it as a ZIP. Leave out viewer installers, administrative documents and unrelated series. Before uploading, open the ZIP and check that it contains the expected files rather than an empty nested archive or a shortcut. Check the size limit displayed by the upload form as well.
After uploading
An initial header check assesses technical information. It does not establish full volume integrity or anatomical suitability on its own. An accepted upload is also not the same as a reviewed segmentation. Keep your order identifier so you can return to the process. DICOM files can contain personal identifiers: use the authorized upload channel for the study and never attach patient files to a commercial inquiry email.