CBCTHub Link
Guide: direct connection (DICOM)
How to make the scanner send every exam to CBCTHub Link over the clinic network, and what happens under the hood.
DICOM reception over the network
DICOM is the language imaging devices use to send studies to each other. When a cone beam "sends to a destination", it opens a network connection to another program that speaks that language — usually a PACS — and hands over the images one by one. CBCTHub Link presents itself to the scanner as that destination.
- 1
Link opens a port and waits
On start-up the application listens on the clinic's local network (port 11112 by default) under its own name, the AE Title "CBCTHUB". Those three values — name, PC IP address and port — are all you type into the scanner's DICOM destinations screen. Nothing is opened towards the internet.
- 2
The scanner introduces itself and they negotiate
Before sending images, the scanner states which object types it wants to send (CT volume, radiograph, dose report…) and in which formats. Link accepts the three variants manufacturers use to encode a 3D volume and every common compressed and uncompressed encoding. Without an agreement, some scanners don't fail: they silently downgrade the image to a flat "secondary capture". That is why the accepted list is deliberately long. The scanner's "Verify" or "Echo" button tests exactly this step.
- 3
Slices arrive one at a time
A CBCT is 200 to 600 images, one per slice. Each arrives as an independent file and Link stores it as-is in its queue folder, without decoding pixel data (so the scanner's compression doesn't matter). Slices of the same study are grouped by the study identifier every file carries.
- 4
Waiting for silence
DICOM never says which slice is the last one. Link considers a study complete after 3 minutes without anything new from it. The margin is generous because some scanners open one connection per image (Morita) or send from a queue with pauses of over a minute (Dexis); cutting earlier would split an exam in two.
- 5
Packaging and upload
The slices are compressed into a single package, the exam is created in CBCTHub with the patient name the scanner already had, the package is uploaded over HTTPS and the server is asked to process it. Only when the server confirms is the local copy deleted. If the internet drops halfway, the exam stays on disk and retries on its own.
- 6
What the scanner asks for besides
Some scanners, after sending, request a "storage commitment" or report the "performed procedure step" (MPPS). Link answers yes to both, so the scanner doesn't leave the transfer marked pending or failed.
- —If the same study is sent twice — the technician presses again, the scanner retries — CBCTHub recognises it by its identifier and neither duplicates it nor consumes quota.
- —2D radiographs (panoramic, cephalometric, periapical) arriving this way are created as radiographs, not volumes.
- —Everything that happens on the port is logged: who connected, what they tried to send and what was refused. It is the first thing to check when "Verify" fails.
Configuration by brand
The steps with each manufacturer's menu names. If your scanner isn't listed, the generic guide at the end applies just the same.
Carestream / CS ImagingCS 8100 3D, CS 9600, CS 9300DICOM reception
- 1CS Imaging → CS Monitor → DICOM Setting → Remote DICOM Server.
- 2Add a server using the three values the application provides.
- 3Enable Automatic Transfer so the transfer does not depend on a manual export.
The "Prefers SC images instead of X-Ray 3D" option must remain UNCHECKED. If enabled, the scanner transmits the volume as a secondary capture image and the data required for measurement is lost.
Dentsply SironaOrthophos SL/S, Axeos, Galileos (Sidexis)DICOM reception, with the corresponding module
- 1Network sending is provided by the SIDICOM module, licensed separately from Sidexis.
- 2In SIDICOM settings, Storage block, add a destination.
- 3Worklist and MPPS do not need to be configured: the Storage block is independent.
Sidexis provides five distinct send commands and they do not all generate the same study identifier. Using the same one consistently prevents a study from arriving split in two.
Dexis / KaVoOP 3D, OP 3D Pro (DTX Studio)DICOM reception
- 1DTX Studio Core → DICOM settings.
- 2Add a remote AE using the three values the application provides.
- 3On that AE, enable the 3D modalities and the panoramics.
DTX transmits from a queue with a one-minute delay and retries up to five times. A study taking a while to appear, and repeated activity in the log, are expected behavior.
J. MoritaVeraview X800, 3D Accuitomo (i-Dixel)DICOM reception
- 1i-Dixel → DICOM settings.
- 2Add a storage destination using the three values the application provides.
Morita opens one connection per slice: a 400-slice study means 400 consecutive connections and can take several minutes. This is accounted for — the application waits three minutes of inactivity before treating a study as complete.
The other path: NewTom / Cefla · Other brands
NewTom / CeflaVGi evo, Giano HR, GO (NNT)Folder monitoring
- 1NewTom does not publish technical documentation for its network sending, so folder monitoring is the verified method.
- 2In NNT, identify the study storage directory and select it.
If the practice already operates DICOM sending with another system, network reception can also be evaluated: the application accepts the same configuration as for other brands. Without manufacturer documentation the result is not guaranteed.
Other brandsVatech, Planmeca, Acteon, Owandy…Folder monitoring, or DICOM reception
- 1Folder monitoring is compatible with any scanner: they all store their DICOM files in a local directory.
- 2If the scanner supports network sending, DICOM reception also applies.
Installation, in three steps
- 1
Download and install
No administrator privileges required. It installs in the user profile and is set to start with Windows.
- 2
Pair the account
The application generates a six-character code and opens the browser. You sign in to CBCTHub and confirm with "Connect this device". No credentials are entered on the clinic workstation.
- 3
Select the scanner
Once the brand is selected, the application displays the configuration steps for that software. Synchronization is then enabled.
Troubleshooting
The scanner DICOM verification fails
In most cases this is the Windows firewall. The application includes an "Allow in firewall" action. If it persists, confirm that the workstation and the scanner are on the same network.
A study remains in the queue
The list states the reason: server rejection, awaiting confirmation, or transfer percentage if in progress. A CBCT is 400 to 800 MB and can take several minutes.
The window was closed and it is unclear whether it is still running
The application is still running. The close button hides it in the notification area. Hovering over the icon shows the time of the last upload. To exit: right-click the icon → Exit.
Limits of the application
An application running on the workstation where patient images reside must state its scope precisely.
- ✓It does not move or delete files from the scanner directory. It only reads and copies.
- ✓It exposes no port to the internet. The DICOM port listens only on the clinic local network; outbound traffic is exclusively HTTPS.
- ✓It does not store the account password. Pairing is done with a code, and what remains on the workstation is a credential revocable from CBCTHub at any time.
- ✓It transfers nothing until synchronization is enabled. Selecting a folder starts no upload.
- ✓Items removed from the queue are not deleted: they are moved and remain available for one month.
Support
When reporting an issue, attach the log file; the application includes a "View the log" action that opens it. That file is usually enough to determine the cause without accessing the workstation.
Contact support →