NIfTi Format#
Introduction to NIfTI#
The NIfTI (Neuroimaging Informatics Technology Initiative) format is a derivative of the ANALYZE format, which was originally developed for medical imaging.
Why NIfTI?#
Before NIfTI, medical imaging data was stored in a variety of formats, including ANALYZE, MINC, and DICOM [1].
- ANALYZE
- ANALYZE is a proprietary format developed by the Mayo Clinic.
- ANALYZE files are not widely supported and are often difficult to work with.
- MINC
- MINC (Medical Image NetCDF) is a newer format developed by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
- MINC files are widely supported and can be easily shared and distributed.
- DICOM
- DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine) is a standardized format for medical imaging data.
- DICOM files are widely supported and can be easily shared and distributed.
General Information#
- NIfTI files will typically be stored in a single file, with the extension
.nii
or.nii.gz
. - NIfTI files are typically used for medical imaging data, such as MRI, CT, PET, and fMRI.
- NIfTI files are widely supported and can be easily shared and distributed.
Diagrams#
NIfTI-1: https://nifti.nimh.nih.gov/nifti-1/documentation/hbm_nifti_2004.pdf
NIfTI structure diagram: https://nifti.nimh.nih.gov/nifti-1/documentation/nifti1diagrams_v2.pdf
References and Resources#
- Medical Image File Formats, Michele Larobina, 2014. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10278-013-9657-9
- The NIFTI file format
- NIfTI-2
- NiBabel - NIfTI images
- NiBabel - Coordinate Systems
- NIFTI plain and simple
- NIfTI NIH site