Setting up imaging devices

Because Dentrix Ascend Imaging is a web-based application, it is available immediately for use once you have purchased it and it is enabled by Software of Excellence. However, for each computer that you want to acquire images from, you must install the following on that computer:

• Drivers - The drivers for the intraoral and/or extraoral acquisition devices that you want to use. For the complete list of acquisition devices that are supported by Dentrix Ascend Imaging, see "Supported Acquisition Devices."

• Acquisition agent - A small application that runs in the background and handles the communication between your acquisition devices and Dentrix Ascend Imaging. You do not need to install the acquisition agent on computers that you will be using to only view images.

  Notes: During the installation of the acquisition agent, a security certificate is installed automatically to allow for secure communication between the browser running Dentrix Ascend Imaging and the acquisition agent.

Note: If you do not perform the necessary setup on a computer that you want to acquire images from before attempting to acquire images, when you attempt to begin acquiring images (see step 2 of "Acquiring Images"), you will be asked to perform the necessary setup and will not be allowed to proceed with the acquisition until the setup is complete.

To install and configure the acquisition agent (Windows only)

Mac users: To install the acquisition agent, please contact our support team at 01634 266800.

Important: Prior to installing the acquisition agent, verify that the Microsoft .NET 4.0 framework is installed. If .NET 4.0 is not installed, you must install it before you attempt to install the acquisition agent.

1. Run Acquisition Agent Installer.exe.

2. On the welcome screen, click (or tap) Next.

3. On the Choose Components screen, leave Acquisition Agent selected, and then click (or tap) Next.

4. On the Choose Install Location screen, leave the default Destination Folder selected, or click (or tap) Browse to select a different location. Then, click (or tap) Install.

5. On the completion screen, click (or tap) Finish.

6. If you need to change the default settings of the acquisition agent (even though the defaults should suffice), after you complete the installation, right-click (or tap and hold) the Acquisition Agent icon in the notification area of the Windows task bar, and then click (or tap) Preferences.

   The Preferences dialogue box appears.

7. Set up any of the options on the following tabs as needed:

   • General

     General tab

     

     • Joystick - If you use a "Generic" intraoral camera with a joystick button interface instead of proprietary buttons, select the Use Joystick with Generic Camera check box. The camera button will use a specific joystick number. This is typically zero if no other joysticks are installed on the computer. Enter a number from 0 - 10 for Joy Number.

       Note: If you use a Digital Doc camera, and it has been installed to use a port other than zero, you must specify the appropriate joystick number.

     • Still Pin - If you use a "Generic" intraoral camera with a still pin to initiate captures, you must instal still pin support for that camera. Make sure that the camera is plugged in and that all the necessary drivers for that device are installed before you attempt to instal still pin support. Click (or tap) Install Still Pin Support, click (or tap) OK on the message that appears, select the camera that you want to install still pin support for, and then press the Enter key when the installation is complete. The Use still pin with Generic Camera check box is selected automatically, but you can clear the check box if at any time you decide that you do not want to use a still pin camera.

     • Grayscale JPEG Compression - By default, Dentrix Ascend Imaging uses PNG lossless compression for grayscale images (intraoral and extraoral X-ray images). For each acquisition device, you can specify whether Dentrix Ascend Imaging should use JPEG lossy compression on X-ray images. The JPEG lossy compression that Dentrix Ascend Imaging uses has been optimized for grayscale images and uses a Q factor of 96 to obtain near-perfect-quality images. To specify the compression method for a device, select that Device, and then select or clear the Use JPEG Compression check box. Repeat this as needed for any other devices.

     • Show Log Files - The acquisition agent logs actions that it performs for debugging, troubleshooting, and performance monitoring. To view the log, click (or tap) Show Log Files.

   • Digital Sensor

     Digital Sensor tab

     

     • DEXIS:

       • Use Binned Acquisition - In the Dexis imaging software (versions 9 and 10), "binned" is the default operating mode for Dexis sensors, so this check box is selected by default for Dentrix Ascend Imaging.

       • Correction Path - This is the location of the calibration files for Dexis sensors. The default is C:\Dexis\Flashdir.

     • Hamamatsu Correction Path - This is the location of the calibration files for Hamamatsu sensors. The default is C:\Program Files (x86)\Acquisition Agent\Correction Files.

     • e2v Correction Path - This is the location of the calibration files for e2v sensors. The default is C:\Program Files (x86)\Acquisition Agent\Correction Files.

     • Hamamatsu - The Gamma correction value defines the relationship between a pixel's numerical value and its actual luminance; use it to redistribute the tonal levels of a raw image to be closer to how human eyes perceive them (on a standard monitor). The Integration Time, Incidence Threshold, and Integration End Threshold options determine how Dentrix Ascend Imaging control the integration timing and triggering of sensors. You may want to change these settings if, for example, you use a low-dose, portable X-ray machine.

     • Planmeca - For Planmeca sensors, "binned" is the default operating mode, so the Use Binned Acquisition check box is selected by default for Dentrix Ascend Imaging.

     • e2v Settings - Click (or tap) the button to configure the following settings for size 1 and size 2 e2v sensors:

       • Use Binned Ascquisition - Controls whether "binned" operating mode is on or off.

       • Sensor Gain - Controls the output signal strength from sensors.

       • Integration Time - Determines how Dentrix Ascend Imaging controls the integration timing of sensors. You may want to change this if, for example, you use a low-dose, portable X-ray machine.

       • Triggering Level - Determines how Dentrix Ascend Imaging controls the triggering of sensors. You may want to change this if, for example, you use a low-dose, portable X-ray machine.

       • Gamma Level - Defines the relationship between a pixel's numerical value and its actual luminance; use it to redistribute the tonal levels of a raw image to be closer to how human eyes perceive them (on a standard monitor).

   • Phosphor Plate

     Phosphor Plate tab

     

     • ScanX - These are filters to use with a ScanX phosphor plate scanner. The Gamma correction value defines the relationship between a pixel's numerical value and its actual luminance; use it to redistribute the tonal levels of a raw image to be closer to how human eyes perceive them (on a standard monitor). The Intraoral Mode, Panoramic Mode, and Cephalometric Mode values indicate the scanning modes being used for intraoral, panoramic, and cephalometric images, respectively. The mode affects image resolution.

     • Optime Settings - Click (or tap) the button to configure the IAM settings for an Optime scanner.

     • OP30 Settings - Click (or tap) the button to configure the IAM settings for an OP30 scanner.

     • VistaScan - The Device Type (the default is IMDA) and the Registered Device of a VistaScan scanner. You can leave the Registered Device box blank to use the first device found that matches the specified type.

   • TWAIN

     TWAIN tab

     

     • TWAIN - The Use Buffered TWAIN Transfer option is selected by default as the transfer method for images from acquisition devices that use a TWAIN driver. If there are issues with TWAIN sources delivering images properly to the acquisition agent, clear this check box to use the native transfer mode, which some TWAIN sources require or recommend.

     • TWAIN Categories - For each TWAIN source, you can specify the applicable acquisition types. Select a TWAIN source from the Device list, and then select the applicable acquisition types (Digital Sensor or Phosphor Plate, Panoramic, Cephalometric, and/or Intraoral Camera). The selected TWAIN source will only be available for selection in the device list when someone is acquiring images for one of the selected acquisition types. Repeat this as needed for any other TWAIN sources.

     • TWAIN Rotation - For each TWAIN source, you can specify the default orientation (rotation and/or flip) to apply to images by acquisition type prior to those images being delivered to Dentrix Ascend Imaging. Select a TWAIN source from the Device list, select an acquisition type (Digital Sensor, Phosphor Plate, Panoramic, Cephalometric, or Intraoral Camera) from the second list, and then select an orientation option (No Rotation, Rotate 90, Rotate 180, Rotate 270, Mirror, Rotate 90 + Mirror, Flip, or Rotate 90 + Flip) from the third list. Repeat this as needed for any other TWAIN sources.

   • Software Bridge

     Software Bridge tab

     

     • DEXIS - If someone selects the Dexis software bridge from the device list when acquiring an image, the Application Path (where the Dexis software is installed; the default is C:\DEXIS) and the Images Path (where the Dexis software stores images; the default is C:\DEXIS\DATA) must be correct, so Dentrix Ascend Imaging can open the Dexis software and have bi-directional communication with it. The Dexis software must be installed to use this software bridge.

     • SIDEXIS - If someone selects the Sidexis software bridge from the device list when acquiring an image, the Application Path (where the Sidexis software is installed; the default is C:\Program Files\Sirona\SIDEXIS4), the SLIDA Mailbox Path (the location of the SLIDA mailbox file; the default is C:\PDATA), the Ascend Mailbox Path (the location of the Dentrix Ascend mailbox file; the default is C:\ProgramData\Acquisition Agent), the SLIDA Mailbox File name (the default is siomin.sdx), and the Dentrix Ascend Mailbox File name (the default is Ascend.sdx) the must be correct, so Dentrix Ascend Imaging can open the Sidexis software and have bi-directional communication with it. The Sidexis software must be installed to use this software bridge.

   • Filters

     Filters tab

     

     • Acquisition Filters - For each acquisition device, you can specify a set of filters to apply to images to fine tune those images more than what Dentrix Ascend Imaging does by default. Select a Device, and then set up the following filters as needed:

       • Apply Gamma Correction - To customise this filter, select the check box, and then enter the amount of Gamma correction. The gamma correction value defines the relationship between a pixel's numerical value and its actual luminance; use it to redistribute the tonal levels of a raw image to be closer to how human eyes perceive them (on a standard monitor).

       • Apply Pre Smoothing - To customise this filter, select the check box, and then enter the Strength of the smoothing effect.

       • Apply Sharpening - To customise this filter, select the check box, and then enter the Effect and the Strength of the sharpening effect.

       • Apply Post Smoothing - To customise this filter, select the check box, and then enter the Strength of the smoothing effect after the sharpening filter is applied. The Apply Post Smoothing check box is available only if the Apply Sharpening check box is selected.

       Repeat this as needed for any other devices.

     • Schick Filter - You can specify the following types of sharpness adjustments to apply to an image that is acquired with a Schick device, according to the type of image that is acquired: General Sharpness, Endodontic Sharpness, Periodontic Sharpness, Caries Sharpness, and Hygiene Sharpness.

8. Click (or tap) Done.

Tip: To check for newer versions of the acquisition agent later on, click (or tap) the Acquisition Agent icon in the Notification Area of the Windows taskbar to view a menu, and then click (or tap) Check For Updates. If an update is available, in the Agent Auto Update dialogue box that appears, click (or tap) Download And Install. When the update is complete, on the message that appears, click (or tap) OK.

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