dbdicom.merge

dbdicom.merge(records: list, into: Record | None = None, inplace=False) → Record

Merge a list of records into a single new record.

Parameters:

• records (list) – list of Records of the same type

• into (Record, optional) – location for the merged series. If None is provided, the merged series is created in the parent of the first record in the list. Defaults to None.

• inplace (bool, optional) – If set to True, the original series will be removed and only the merged series retain. If set to False the original series will contine to exist. Default is False.

Returns:

the merged record.

Return type:

new_record (Record)

See also

copy copy_to

Example

The first patient in the hollywood demo database currently has two studies

>>> database = db.dro.database_hollywood()
>>> jb = database.patients(PatientName = 'James Bond')[0]
>>> len(jb.studies())
2

If we merge them together, the patient now has three studies, the original MRI and Xray studies, and the new merged study:

>>> new_study = db.merge(jb.studies())
>>> len(jb.studies())
3
>>> jb.StudyDescription
['MRI', 'New Study', 'Xray']

Since the original MRI and Xray studies had two series each, the new study now has 2+2=4 series:

>>> len(new_study.series())
4

We have used here the default setting of inplace=False, so the original series are preserved. To see what happens with inplace=True, lets merge all 3 studies of the patient:

>>> single_jb_study = db.merge(jb.studies(), inplace=True)

Since we have merged in place, the original 3 studies have been removed and there is now only one study left.

>>> len(jb.studies())
1

The new study now groups the 8 series that were in the original 3 studies:

>>> len(single_jb_study.series())
8