Generic DICOM Device Setup

This guide covers the general principles for connecting any DICOM-capable imaging device to Cortex. It applies to digital radiography (CR/DR), ultrasound, dental X-ray, and endoscopy devices from vendors including IDEXX, Sound-Eklin, GE, Mindray Vetus, Esaote, Planmeca, Schick, and Olympus.

1. Prerequisites

• Confirm the device supports DICOM Storage (C-STORE SCU) — this is the standard for sending images to a PACS
• Confirm the device is on the same local network as the Cortex daemon
• Note your Cortex daemon IP address — Cortex listens on TCP port 104 (standard DICOM port) by default
• Windows users: TCP port 104 must be open in Windows Defender Firewall
• Prepare the following values before configuring the device:

2. Device Settings

DICOM configuration is found under different menu names depending on vendor. Look for:

• DICOM Setup / DICOM Configuration
• PACS Settings / PACS Configuration
• Image Server / Storage Server
• Network → DICOM Storage

Configure the following values on the device:

After saving, perform a DICOM Echo (C-ECHO) test from the device if the option is available — a successful echo confirms the connection is established before sending real images.

3. Test Transmission

1. Acquire a test image or open an existing study on the device
2. Use the device's Send to PACS / Store / Export to Server function
3. Open Cortex Studio → Devices tab — the device should appear as Online
4. Navigate to the patient record in Cortex Studio — the study should appear under Imaging

4. Troubleshooting

C-ECHO fails (DICOM Echo not successful)

• Verify the Called AE Title is exactly VETIGEN_PACS (case-sensitive)
• Confirm the IP address and port 104 are correct
• Open TCP port 104 in Windows Defender Firewall:

netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="Cortex DICOM 104" dir=in action=allow protocol=TCP localport=104

Images sent but not appearing in Cortex

• Check that the Calling AE Title (your device name) is registered in the Cortex daemon allowed-device list
• Check Cortex daemon logs for association rejections: cortex tail
• Confirm the patient ID in the DICOM study matches a patient in Vetigen

"Association rejected" error

The most common cause is an AE Title mismatch:

• Called AE on device must be VETIGEN_PACS exactly
• If the Cortex daemon requires the Calling AE to be pre-registered, add your device's Calling AE Title in Cortex Studio → Settings → DICOM Devices

Images arrive but display incorrectly

• Some modalities (dental, ultrasound) use vendor-specific DICOM SOPs — Cortex supports standard DICOM Part 10 files
• Contact Vetigen support with a sample DICOM file if display issues persist

5. Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Which DICOM services does Cortex support? A: Cortex acts as a DICOM Storage SCP (C-STORE), accepting images from devices. Worklist (MWL) support is available for order-driven workflows — check your Cortex version release notes.

Q: Does Cortex support DICOM Modality Worklist (MWL)? A: Yes. When MWL is enabled, devices can query Cortex for pending orders before acquisition, pre-filling patient demographics on the modality. Enable MWL in Cortex Studio → Settings → DICOM Worklist.

Q: Can I change the Cortex DICOM port from 104? A: Yes. Port 104 is the default but is configurable in Cortex daemon settings. Note that ports below 1024 may require elevated privileges on some operating systems.

Q: Can multiple imaging devices connect simultaneously? A: Yes. Each device is identified by its Calling AE Title. Multiple devices can store images concurrently.

Q: My device uses DICOM TLS. Is it supported? A: Encrypted DICOM (TLS) support depends on your Cortex daemon version. Check the release notes or contact Vetigen support.

Q: The device only supports analog output. Can it connect to Cortex? A: Analog devices require a digitizer with DICOM output capability. Once digitized to DICOM, the setup is the same as above.