Viewing medical images like X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs on your DICOM viewer Windows 10 computer is easy with a DICOM viewer.
This guide will teach you how to display DICOM files in your browser using free tools.
Why View DICOM Images in Your Browser?
There are several key reasons you may want to view DICOM images in a web browser on your Windows 10 computer rather than using specialized medical software:
- Convenience – Using a browser-based DICOM viewer allows you to quickly check scans anywhere without installing software. This gives you flexibility to view images on any internet-connected device.
- Accessibility – Browser-based tools are ideal for patients wanting to view their own scans at home. You don’t need expensive PACS workstations.
- Sharing – It’s easier to share study images with colleagues and doctors by sending a simple URL link rather than very large DICOM files.
- Integration – Web-based viewers make it easy to integrate DICOM images into patient portals, research databases, applications and more.
As long as you have a DICOM file, modern browsers like Chrome and Firefox can display your medical images without specialized software.
Free Browser-Based DICOM Viewers
There are a few excellent free DICOM viewers available online that allow you to easily view DICOM images in your browser on Windows 10:
DICOM Library Viewer
DICOM Library has an excellent standalone DICOM viewer that runs directly in your browser using HTML5 and JavaScript.
It makes it easy to drag and drop DICOM files, folders or CDs to instantly view images. Handy tools are available for changing brightness, zooming, panning, measuring and more.
DICOM Library Viewer works great in any major browser on Windows 10 without needing to install any software. It can also handle very large studies containing thousands of DICOM images without performance issues.
Weasis DICOM Viewer
The Weasis open-source DICOM software has a web-based viewer that works directly in desktop and mobile browsers.
It offers complete tools for basic viewing of DICOM and non-DICOM images including window level presets, zoom, pan, scale, angle measurement and more. Studies can be cached locally for faster loading.
Being built on Java, Weasis does require at least Java 8 installed to work properly in your browser on Windows 10. But it remains a handy cross-platform option.
OHIF Viewer
The free OHIF Viewer (Open Health Imaging Foundation DICOM Viewer) allows multi-frame viewing of medical images in browsers.
It’s perfect for analyzing scans like MRIs and CTs with tools for changing layouts, zoom/pan, synchronizing series, making measurements, adding overlays and more.
OHIF does requires more advanced set up and coding skills to run than other web DICOM viewers. But it’s a very powerful open-source choice.
Envi by iCAD DICOM Web Viewer
Envi allows secure cloud sharing of any type medical images. A standout feature of Envi is a highly responsive and intuitive viewer interface.
It excels at seamless side-by-side comparisons of studies. The cross-bridge alignment tool simplifies matching corresponding views from different time points for easy change detection. No downloads or browser plugins are needed.
Envi uses state-of-the-art cloud cybersecurity protocols to prioritize protecting your images and data.
Tips for Viewing DICOM Files in Your Browser
Here are some handy tips for getting the best experience viewing DICOM images in your browser on Windows 10:
- Use the latest version of Chrome or Firefox browser – older browsers struggle.
- Ensure you have a good internet connection for smooth image loading.
- For best quality, view scans on a large high resolution display rather than laptop screens.
- Enable fullscreen mode in the viewer for easier analysis without on-screen distractions.
- Change opacity settings if viewing multi-frame MRIs/CT scans with overlapping anatomy.
- Bookmark favorite DICOM images to quickly revisit important scans later.
DICOM Viewer System Requirements
Most browser-based DICOM viewers will work fine on pretty much any modern Windows 10 computer. But here are the recommended system requirements:
OS: Windows 10 or higher
CPU: Dual core processor
RAM: 2+ GB
Browser: Latest Chrome, Firefox or Edge
Screen: 1920 x 1080 Full HD resolution or higher
Newer and more powerful PCs will provide you with the best viewing experience for big DICOM studies. Using SSD storage rather than just HDD on laptops will also vastly speed up loading times.
