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Overview

This guide provides detailed instructions on how to connect to a DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine) server without a site machine. Using example configurations from Sante DICOM Viewer and RadiAnt DICOM Viewer, it also includes step-by-step instructions for retrieving connection information from a dcm4chee PACS server and Orthanc PACS Server. Following this guide will teach you the necessary prerequisites, configuration steps, and troubleshooting tips to successfully establish a connection to various DICOM servers.

1. Connecting Without Site Machine:

Certain key pieces of information are required to connect to a DICOM server. This section outlines the necessary details and steps to establish a connection using an example configuration from Sante DICOM Viewer. The instructions provided here can be easily adapted for other DICOM servers such as dcm4chee, Orthanc, RadiAnt, etc.

2. Prerequisites

Before attempting to connect to a DICOM server, ensure you have the following:

1. IP Address or Hostname: The IP address or hostname of the DICOM server which should be accessible from your network or the internet.
2. Port Number: The port number on which the DICOM server is listening for connections.
3. AE Title: The Application Entity (AE) Title used to identify the DICOM server.
4. TLS Information: Whether the connection should use TLS (Transport Layer Security) for encryption.

3. Example Configuration

The following is an example configuration using the Sante DICOM Viewer and Radiant DICOM Viewer. This example demonstrates the information needed and the configuration process.

3.1. Sante DICOM Viewer Configuration

1. Open the Sante DICOM Viewer: Launch the Sante DICOM Viewer application.
2. Network Setup: Navigate to the Network menu and select Network Setup.

Configuration Details

1. This DICOM Node
   • AE Title: SANTE1
   • Port 1: 11112
   • Port 2 (TLS): 11113
   • IP Address: 172.31.9.81
   • Port for OHIF Viewer: 8080
2. List Of DICOM Servers
   • AE Title: Test-account
   • IP / Hostname: 172.177.91.110
   • Port: 8080
   • TLS: No
   • Password

After configuration, your Sante DICOM Editor should be as shown in Figure 1 below:

                                               Figure 1: Sante DICOM Viewer Configuration

3.2. Configuration For Radiant Dicom Viewer

The following is an example configuration using the RadiAnt DICOM Viewer.

1. Open RadiAnt DICOM Viewer: Launch the RadiAnt DICOM Viewer application.
2. Open PACS Configuration: In the main window, locate and click on the PACS configuration icon (represented by a gear or similar icon) in the toolbar. This will open the PACS configuration window.

Configuration Details

• IP address: Enter the IP address of your PACS server (e.g., 172.189.112.991).
• Port: Enter the port number used by the PACS server (e.g., 3300).
• AE title: Enter the AE title of the PACS server (e.g., Local-PACS).
• Description: Enter a brief description of the PACS server (e.g., LOCAL).
• Password

3.3. Troubleshooting

• Connection Issues: Ensure that the IP address and port number are correct and that there are no network issues preventing the connection.
• AE Title Mismatch: Verify that the AE titles match on both RadiAnt DICOM Viewer and the PACS server.
• Firewall Settings: Check if any firewall settings are blocking the communication between RadiAnt DICOM Viewer and the PACS server.

Figure 2 shows how you can configure your PACS

                                                                  Figure 2: PACS configuration

4. Example: Retrieving Connection Information for dcm4chee PACS Server

4.1. Introduction

dcm4chee is an open-source PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication System) server that supports the storage, retrieval, and management of DICOM images. This guide provides detailed instructions on how to retrieve connection information from a dcm4chee PACS server.

Prerequisites

Before attempting to connect to a dcm4chee PACS server, ensure you have the following:

1. Access to the dcm4chee PACS server: You need the IP address or hostname, port number, and Application Entity (AE) Title of the PACS server.
2. Administrative Access: You should have the necessary permissions to view and manage PACS server configurations.

4.2. Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Access dcm4chee Web Interface

1. Open a Web Browser: Launch your preferred web browser.
2. Navigate to dcm4chee Web Interface: Enter the URL of the dcm4chee web interface in the address bar. The URL typically looks like http://<server-ip>:<port>/dcm4chee-web3 (e.g., http://192.168.1.100:8080/dcm4chee-web3).

Step 2: Log In to dcm4chee

1. Enter Credentials: Provide the username and password for your dcm4chee PACS server. If you do not have these credentials, contact your system administrator.
2. Log In: Click the login button to access the dcm4chee web interface.

Step 3: Access Configuration Settings

1. Navigate to Configuration Section: Once logged in, look for the configuration or settings section. This may be labelled as "Configuration," "Admin," or similar.
2. Open AE Titles Configuration: Locate the section where AE Titles (Application Entities) are configured. This is where you can find the connection information for the PACS server.

Step 4: Retrieve Connection Information

1. View AE Titles: In the AE Titles configuration section, you will see a list of configured Application Entities.
2. Identify Relevant AE Title: Locate the AE Title that corresponds to your PACS server. The entry will typically include:
   • AE Title: The identifier for the PACS server (e.g., DCM4CHEE).
   • Hostname/IP Address: The network address of the PACS server (e.g., 192.168.1.100).
   • Port: The port number on which the PACS server is listening (e.g., 11112).

Step 5: Document Connection Information

1. Note Down Details: Write down the AE Title, IP address/hostname, and port number for the dcm4chee PACS server.
2. Verify Details: Ensure that the information is correct and matches the configurations used by other systems that need to connect to the PACS server.

4.3. Example of Retrieved Connected Information

Here is an example of what the connection information might look like:

• AE Title: DCM4CHEE
• Hostname/IP Address: 192.168.1.100
• Port: 11112
• TLS: No
• Password:

4.4. Network and Security Considerations

• Network Accessibility: Ensure that the IP address or hostname is accessible from your network or the internet.
• Firewall Rules: Verify that the port number is open and not blocked by any firewall rules.
• AE Title Matching: The AE Title must be correctly configured on both the client and server to establish a successful connection.
• TLS Configuration: If using TLS, ensure that the appropriate certificates are installed and configured.

4.5. Detailed Configuration Parameters

• AE Title: The identifier for the DICOM server or client. Example: Test-account
• IP / Hostname: The network address of the DICOM server. Example: 172.177.91.110
• Port: The port number on which the DICOM server is listening. Example: 8080
• TLS: Specifies if the connection should use TLS for security. Example: No

4.6. Additional Important Considerations

• Ensure the IP address or hostname is accessible from your network or the internet.
• Verify the port number is open and not blocked by any firewall rules.
• The AE Title must be correctly configured on both the client and server to establish a successful connection.
• If using TLS, ensure the appropriate certificates are installed and configured.

By following these steps, you should be able to retrieve the connection information for a dcm4chee PACS server successfully. If you encounter any issues, consult the dcm4chee documentation or contact your system administrator for additional support.

5. Example Retrieving Connection Information for Orthanc PACS Server

Orthanc is an open-source, lightweight DICOM server for healthcare and medical research. It provides a REST API to manage DICOM files and connect with other DICOM-compatible systems. This guide provides detailed instructions on how to retrieve connection information from an Orthanc PACS server.

5.1. Prerequisites

Before attempting to connect to an Orthanc PACS server, ensure you have the following:

1. Access to the Orthanc Server: You need the IP address or hostname, port number, and Application Entity (AE) Title of the Orthanc server.
2. Administrative Access: You should have the necessary permissions to view and manage Orthanc server configurations.

5.2. Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Access Orthanc Configuration

1. Locate Configuration File: Orthanc’s configuration is typically defined in a JSON file. The default location of this file is /etc/orthanc/orthanc.json on Linux systems or C:\\\\Orthanc\\\\Configuration\\\\orthanc.json on Windows systems.
2. Open Configuration File: Open the configuration file using a text editor of your choice.

Step 2: Retrieve Connection Information

1. IP Address or Hostname: Locate the IP address or hostname of the server running Orthanc. If Orthanc is running on the same machine you are working on, the address is likely 127.0.0.1 (localhost).
2. Port Number: Look for the HttpPort parameter in the configuration file. This specifies the port number on which Orthanc is listening for HTTP requests. The default port is 8042.
3. AE Title: Find the DicomAet parameter, which specifies the AE Title of the Orthanc server. The default AE Title is ORTHANC.

Example snippet from orthanc.json configuration file:

{
  "Name" : "Orthanc",
  "HttpPort" : 8042,
  "DicomAet" : "ORTHANC",
  "DicomPort" : 4242
}

• HttpPort: The port number for HTTP requests (default: 8042).
• DicomAet: The AE Title of the Orthanc server (default: ORTHANC).
• DicomPort: The port number for DICOM requests (default: 4242).

5.3. Example Configuration

Here is an example of what the connection information might look like:

• AE Title: ORTHANC
• Hostname/IP Address: 176.998.217.109
• HTTP Port: 8042
• DICOM Port: 4242
• TLS: No (unless explicitly configured)
• Password

5.4. Important Considerations

• Network Accessibility: Ensure that the IP address or hostname is accessible from your network or the internet.
• Firewall Rules: Verify that the port numbers are open and not blocked by any firewall rules.
• AE Title Matching: The AE Title must be correctly configured on both the client and server to establish a successful connection.
• TLS Configuration: If using TLS, ensure that the appropriate certificates are installed and configured.

By following these steps, you should be able to retrieve the connection information for an Orthanc PACS server successfully. If you encounter any issues, consult the Orthanc documentation or contact your system administrator for additional support.

6. Conclusion

Connecting to a DICOM server requires specific information such as the server's IP address, port number, and AE Title. This guide provides detailed instructions for configuring connections using Sante DICOM Viewer and RadiAnt DICOM Viewer. Additionally, it includes steps to retrieve connection information from a dcm4chee PACS server and Orthanc PACS Server, ensuring a successful and secure setup for managing DICOM images across different platforms.