---
id: ome-types
version: "0.6.3"
license: MIT
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: aging
---

# ome-types — Python dataclasses for the OME data model

License: permissive · Maintenance: aging · Downloads: 178.5K/mo

## What it is and what it does

ome-types is a pure-Python library that converts OME-XML microscopy metadata into fully-typed Python dataclasses and back again. It parses OME-XML files or extracts metadata from OME-TIFF images into an object model where all OME concepts (Image, Plate, Pixels, Channel, etc.) are accessible as snake_case attributes on Python objects. You can then read, modify, or construct new metadata programmatically and serialize it back to valid OME-XML.

The library depends on pydantic, pydantic-core, pydantic-extra-types, and xsdata for schema validation and XML handling. It does not require a Java virtual machine, making it lightweight for Python-native workflows. Most of the model code is generated at install time from the OME schema, ensuring consistency with the OME-2016-06 specification.

Use it for:

- Extract and inspect microscopy acquisition metadata from OME-TIFF files in Python without external tools.
- Programmatically modify OME metadata (e.g., update physical pixel sizes, add instrument details) and write back to OME-XML.
- Validate OME-XML documents against the OME schema and convert between XML and Python object representations.
- Build OME-compliant metadata from scratch by constructing Instrument, Microscope, Objective, and Image objects.
- Integrate OME metadata handling into scientific image processing pipelines written in Python.

## Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts above — verify before relying.

Parse and manipulate OME-XML microscopy metadata as fully-typed Python objects, and serialize them back to valid OME-XML format without requiring a Java runtime.

Yes, if you work with OME-XML or OME-TIFF microscopy data in Python. The library is stable, has no known vulnerabilities, and low install friction. The aging maintenance status (261 days since last release) is a minor concern for long-term schema compatibility, but the package remains functional and the repository is not archived. Install with optional dependencies (lxml, pint) only if you need XML validation or unit quantity support.

## Install

pip install ome-types
uv add ome-types
poetry add ome-types

## Installing ome-types

Before you install: Low install friction with a pure-Python wheel. Maintenance status is aging—last release was 261 days ago and the repository shows minimal activity (1 star), though it remains actively maintained with a recent commit on 2026-02-12.

License in practice: MIT license is permissive, allowing commercial and private use with minimal restrictions; attribution is required but no copyleft obligations apply.

Quickstart:

pip install ome-types

from ome_types import from_xml
ome = from_xml('path/to/file.ome.xml')
print(ome.images[0].pixels.physical_size_x)

Requires Python 3.9 or later. Optional dependencies (lxml, pint, xmlschema) needed for XML validation or unit quantity properties.

Verify before relying:

- Whether the aging maintenance status (261 days since release) poses risk for long-term compatibility with evolving OME schema versions.
- Performance characteristics when parsing large or deeply nested OME-XML documents.
- Completeness of OME-2016-06 schema coverage and support for newer OME schema versions.

## Package facts

- License: MIT (permissive)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: aging
- Downloads: 178.5K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

ome-xml parsing python, microscopy metadata dataclasses, ome data model types, ome-tiff metadata extraction, xml to python objects microscopy, microscopy-metadata, ome-xml, schema-validation

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