PyNIfTI

If you're looking for a Python library that provides easy access to NIfTI image data, PyNIfTI is a great option to consider. This library uses SWIG-generated wrappers for the NIfTI reference library, allowing you to access the data in a Pythonic way using the NiftiImage class.

For those unfamiliar with NIfTI, it's a newer data format proposed by the NIfTI Data Format Working Group as a way to facilitate inter-operation of functional MRI data analysis software packages. Many popular toolkits, including FSL, AFNI, SPM, Freesurfer, and Brainvoyager, are NIfTI-aware, making this format increasingly popular in the neuroimaging community.

One of the strengths of PyNIfTI is that it allows for direct conversion of DICOM images into the NIfTI format using the dicomnifti module. While PyNIfTI is not yet complete and doesn't support every feature of the C library, it provides access to the most important capabilities of the libniftiio and NIfTI-1 data format.

It's also worth noting that PyNIfTI is developed, provided, and licensed under the terms of the MIT License, so you can use it freely and enjoy its benefits without worrying about complicated licensing agreements.