Scout/localizer purge
Remove scout/localizer series that aren't needed for review or archival.
Problem
Your DICOM folder includes scout/localizer images — low-dose planning scans used for slice positioning — alongside the diagnostic CT series. Scouts are not diagnostic quality but they inflate the series count, confuse automated processing pipelines, and take up storage space. You want to automatically detect and purge all scout series from the study.
Steps
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Open the files (⌘O) — load a folder containing both a diagnostic CT series and a scout/localizer series (e.g.
test.dcmandscout-test.dcm). -
Switch to the Files tab in the right rail. Verify that two study headers are visible (scouts typically have a different Study Instance UID from the diagnostic series).
-
Check the Purge button — a Purge scouts button is visible in the Files panel toolbar. The button shows the count of detected scout series, e.g. Purge scouts (1).
-
Click Purge scouts — the scout study is removed from the tree. Only the diagnostic CT study remains.
-
Verify — the Purge button counter drops to
(0), and the study header count decreases.
Result
Scout/localizer series are detected and counted by the Purge scouts control; purging leaves only diagnostic series, updates the count, and is reversible with ⌘Z.