https://doi.org/10.1140/epjp/s13360-025-06707-0
Regular Article
A robust encryption algorithm for DICOM image protection using a new chaotic map and O-shaped scanning
Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Necmettin Erbakan University, Konya, Türkiye
a
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Received:
30
December
2024
Accepted:
31
July
2025
Published online:
24
August
2025
The need for encryption techniques capable of ensuring the security of medical images is increasing due to the frequent exchange of these images among healthcare professionals and institutions. Ensuring the security of Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) images is highly critical, as this standard is widely adopted for exchanging medical imaging data. The proposed medical image encryption method enables secure and robust encryption of grayscale or color images of any size and depth. The encryption algorithm is based on a newly created chaotic map. The classical Chirp signal has been modified to exhibit chaotic behavior, and this modification is referred to as the hyperbolic Chirp signal based chaotic map (HCBCM). The bifurcation and phase diagrams of the HCBCM function are presented, alongside comparative analyses of Lyapunov exponent and entropy plots against other recently developed chaotic maps. Performance evaluations demonstrate that HCBCM possesses strong cryptographic characteristics. Additionally, a novel algorithm utilizing O-shaped scanning, combined with permutation and diffusion, has been introduced for encrypting DICOM images. Testing with DICOM images of various modalities, sizes, and depths validates the algorithm's effectiveness, with security analysis confirming its reliability for medical image encryption.
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© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Società Italiana di Fisica and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2025
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
