(Note: Functionality for these submission methods will be available on or after April 1, 2024.)


Rather than entering one case at a time, via manual data entry, you may upload many cases at once using the batch data file upload process.


Note: You may upload data for multiple facilities simultaneously; however, if you leave the Facility ID blank for a row, that row will be uploaded to the Facility ID selected in the facility picker.


All data files must be either Excel (.xlsx) or pipe-delimited text files. If desired, you may start with a blank Excel worksheet and follow the layout to add each field according to the format and values specified or use the upload template. If this is your first time creating a file and you prefer to upload as a text file, you may need to configure your computer to use the ‘|’ (vertical bar) character when converting the file.



NOTE: On the NRDR portal, ACR has created templates which can be used to upload a file using an .XLSX format, where no file conversion is necessary before submitting.


NOTE: When uploading an Excel file, please ensure it does NOT have any formulas in the cells.

This will cause the file to reject and potentially not allow the log file to be accessed. 

Make sure you name your file according to the naming conventions outlined in the upload specifications.


File Specifications

The 3D Printing Case data file specifications are as follows:

  • The maximum recommended file size is 40 MB.

  • The filename extension should be .xlsx or .txt.

  • The data file must contain at least one record.

  • Each line must contain one and only one record; the record delimiter is the CARRIAGE RETURN character followed by the LINE FEED character.

  • A header row is not required; if you are using the template, the header row is rejected during the upload, however, the remaining patient data are retained.

  • Each record must begin at the first position of a line.

  • Each record must have the correct number of data elements; blank data elements must be represented by a null character, not a space.

  • Each data element must be positioned in the order specified in the 3D Printing Data Mapping document.

  • If converting to a text file, each data element is separated by the vertical bar character ‘|’; if there is no answer for a data element you should write the ‘|’ character immediately after the previous ‘|’. Do not use the SPACE character to substitute for a null value. For example, using the first 11 data elements (as listed in the File Layout) as an example, a case where a 23-year-old man who underwent a CT of the head should be written as:


1.0||ABC123|2023|M|23||1||0|1


File Layout

The 3D Printing Data Mapping describes the format, valid values, and business rules for each data element. Some important guidelines to keep in mind:

  • Acceptable values: The 3D Printing upload process validates values and formats for most data elements. Refer to the Valid Values/Format column in the file layout for the acceptable values and data formats. 

  • Data elements that accept more than one value: If a data element accepts multiple answers, each value must be separated by the comma character ‘,’ in the data file. These data elements are indicated as “Select all that apply” in the Mapping/Definitions column. 

  • Data dependency: Some data elements may need to be populated depending on whether another element is populated or the value of another element. These conditions are listed in the Business Rules column of the file layout. For example:

    • If Modality is 9, then Modality, Other, Specify is required. Otherwise, Modality should be left blank.

  • Optional data elements: Data elements marked as Optional under the Business Rules column are not required to upload a record; that is, a record is not rejected if an optional field is missing. However, we do expect you to provide all data elements if the data are available. This expectation of complete data is specified in the participation agreement signed by all participating facilities and is essential to help make the 3D Printing data set as robust as possible.

The Business Rules column applies to all data submission methods and defines the fields required to create a complete case and move the case status to Submitted. A case remains In Progress until all required fields have been populated. You can update missing data elements by resubmitting the exam via Data File Upload or by manually entering the missing data.


Updating Records

The key identifiers for a case record are the Facility ID and Institution Case identifier (ID). If you want to update an existing record in the 3D Printing database, you can submit new record(s) with the same key identifiers. The system ignores data elements with no values in the subsequent fields. To clear any values, you must use the 3D Printing Case form on the NRDR portal to manually remove them.


When a case record is uploaded with data missing for one or more required or conditionally required data elements, warning messages are generated in the log file and the case is created with an In Progress status. You must use the 3D Printing Case form on the NRDR portal to manually populate the missing data and then submit the case to change the status to Submitted. Alternatively, you can also upload a new record with the same key (Facility ID and Institution Case ID) and with all valid data for all required elements to change the status to Submitted.


Note: You must submit all Required or Conditionally Required data elements, as indicated in the Business Rules column of the file layout, in order to move the exam from In Progress to Submitted status.



Uploading the File

Once your file is ready, follow the Data File Upload process to upload the file to the registry. Be sure to check the file status to see if there are errors you need to investigate or correct.