Secure DICOM workflows for cloud, on premise and hybrid use support@dicom.link
Knowledge Base

DicomProxy Overview

What DicomProxy is, its key features, and the most common deployment scenarios.

dicom.link DicomProxy is a highly specialised solution that combines the full DICOM standard with web technologies, standard cryptography, and modern scripting. It lets PACS administrators patch every aspect of their infrastructure, improve workflows, automate tasks, and add or improve functions to existing DICOM-compatible software and hardware.

Key features

  • DICOM cache server, load balancer, router, proxy, and user management gateway.
  • Vendor-neutral approach to storage, database access, and connectivity — you have full control of the generated data.
  • Full integration with dicom.link SecurePACS systems: upload studies, access from anywhere, manage your DicomProxy from the SecurePACS GUI, query/view studies, upload/download from PACS, add workstations, set up your own user management system.
  • Full support for DICOM SCP/SCU & DICOMWeb protocols, as well as other non-standard APIs.
  • Rule-based distribution of DICOM data across a network (scriptable): link to multiple AETs based on time schedules, modalities, attribute evaluation, etc.
  • API available for developers — power up your app.
  • Embedded PACS server using SQLite (default), extended by plugins (MySQL, SQL Server, PostgreSQL, etc.).
  • Real-time collaboration with other physicians via instant sharing and notification through SecurePACS.
  • Full TCP + TLS stack: encrypt connections, use certificate authentication, expose internal (LAN) ports to the internet without setting up your firewall or forwarding ports.

Most common use cases

  • Load balancer for DICOM-based applications.
  • DICOM cache server for frequently accessed studies.
  • Add missing connectivity to your main PACS (e.g., DICOMweb, C-GET, TLS).
  • Test and debug your existing DICOM infrastructure.
  • Encrypt connections to/from PACS using certificate-based encryption and client authentication via the embedded CA — eliminating the need for VPN tunnels between local and remote networks.
  • Forward ports from inside your firewall to the internet; access your PACS from anywhere, even if it's behind a firewall with no ports forwarded.
  • Simultaneous query, retrieve, or store to multi-vendor DICOM archives.
  • Reuse an existing connection to your main PACS without contacting the vendor and paying for extra ports or workstations.
  • Add extra DICOM nodes to your network without reconfiguring your main PACS — DicomProxy does the routing.
  • On-the-fly transcoding: compress images between the PACS and workstation to reduce bandwidth.
  • On-the-fly anonymisation before sharing or archiving.
  • Connect to other DICOM servers or DicomProxy instances and automate tasks like routing, backup, and pre/post-fetching.
  • Seamless secure DICOM communication between different medical devices in distinct institutions.
  • Allow secure transfer of DICOM data from patients or other professionals via a web interface to your PACS or DICOM archive.
  • Advanced (Lua) scriptable DICOM image forwarder, processor, cache, image modifier, filter, and converter.

For setup and configuration, see Setting Up DicomProxy.