LEADTOOLS Multimedia SDK has made a name for itself by offering high level controls that take the complexity out of developing DirectShow and Media Foundation applications. Most core operations such as conversion, capture and playback can be done with only a few lines of code. In addition to the high level features, LEADTOOLS is flexible enough for any advanced application with more difficult scenarios and still offers as much or as little control as desired over the graphs and topologies under the hood.

The ConvertCtrl is a perfect example of this. By setting a source file, destination file and format you can make an audio/video conversion application in minutes. Developers who wish to dive deeper can supply their own media samples and process the conversion frame by frame.

More often than not, DICOM files are loaded from a location on disk due to the size and complexity of the files. However, no environment and scenario is the same and we periodically get requests regarding how to load DICOM files from memory, more specifically a byte[] rather than a Stream. Due to the way that .NET garbage collection works we must use a .NET GCHandle object when passing an IntPtr to the overloaded DicomDataSet.Load function.

private byte[] loadedFile; // byte array for DICOM file from database, server, etc.
private DicomDataSet dicomDS;
private DicomElement element;

// Pin object so it is not garbage collected before work is done.
GCHandle gch = GCHandle.Alloc(loadedFile);

// Load DicomDS from byte[] using IntPtr of array.
dicomDS.Load(Marshal.UnsafeAddrOfPinnedArrayElement(loadedFile, 0),
   loadedFile.Length, DicomDataSetFlags.None);

// Unpin object.
gch.Free();

// Get image from DicomDS.
element = dicomDS.FindFirstElement(null, DicomTag.PixelData, true);
rasterImageViewer1.Image = dicomDS.GetImage(element, 0, 0,
   Leadtools.RasterByteOrder.Gray, DicomGetImageFlags.None);

To download the entire C# example project for versions 17.5 and 18, check out this forum post.

Digital healthcare is a huge industry, and for good reason. Not only is there an incredible amount of opportunities for businesses, but it also feels good to know you're a part of something that helps improve people's health. But for some providers it's not yet an option to upgrade their equipment, but still want the ability to take advantage of Meaningful Use incentives. How can these institutions continue using their legacy systems and devices but still provide the highest level of care for their patients?

Print to PACS, a powerful feature offered in LEADTOOLS Medical Imaging SDKs, is a perfect solution to these situations. In this white paper we will explore the benefits, scenarios, and easy to use code that will allow you to integrate any legacy system into your digital PACS and EHR systems and round off your launch into the digital healthcare age.

Streaming audio/video multimedia content takes a prominent place in today's culture. It is everywhere from home entertainment services, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), security and surveillance systems, and even baby monitors. What you might not know is that one format powers a large majority of those systems and products. MPEG-2 Transport Stream is at the heart of many streaming technologies you use and benefit from on a daily basis.

Naturally, LEADTOOLS has some powerful SDK features that can help you implement and take advantage of the many benefits of MPEG-2 Transport Stream. Check out this month's white paper for a detailed look into the world of MPEG-2 Transport Stream and how to use it in your application to send and receive live audio/video streams with KLV metadata, DVR and more.