Dental Hygienics Training guide · Dürr Dental VistaScan Mini Easy 2.0 and VistaSoft

Dürr VistaScan and VistaSoft: your step-by-step training

From packing an image plate to a finished X-ray on screen: an animated walkthrough, short lessons with Dürr Dental's own videos, cleaning instructions and a full fault-finder, all taken from the official manuals.

Start the animated walkthrough Fix an image problem
6-step walkthroughfrom image plate to X-ray on screen
30 minutesthe time you have to scan a plate after exposure
16 official videosfrom Dürr Dental's own channel

How an X-ray flows

The VistaScan reads the X-ray stored on a reusable image plate, sends it to VistaSoft on your computer, then erases the plate ready for the next patient. This guide covers the VistaScan Mini Easy 2.0 with VistaSoft.

  1. PackClean plate into a new light protection cover, sealed.
  2. ExposeLight blue side towards the X-ray tube.
  3. DisinfectWipe the cover, let it dry, clean hands.
  4. ScanPatient selected in VistaSoft, plate into the scanner.
  5. ViewCheck, enhance and save the image in VistaSoft.
  6. ReuseThe plate is erased automatically. Repack it.

Animated walkthrough: from plate to picture

The whole routine in about a minute. Pause, step back, or click any step on the right to replay it.

This is a simplified illustration made by Dental Hygienics to guide you. Your scanner and the real VistaSoft screens look different.

    1 · Know your image plates

    Image plates are reusable several hundred times if you look after them. Most image problems start with how a plate was handled.

    SideLooks likeRule
    ActiveLight blue, with a positioning aid that shows on the X-rayAlways faces the X-ray tube.
    InactiveWhite, printed with back, the size and the maker's detailsVisible through the cover. Faces you when you feed the scanner.

    Always

    • Use a new light protection cover for every exposure, the same size as the plate.
    • Use only Dürr Dental IQ image plates. The scanner cannot read other types.
    • Match the plate guide on the scanner to the plate size (S0 to S4). The size is marked on the guide.
    • Erase a plate before first use, or if it has been stored for more than a week.
    • Store plates in a cover, away from sunlight, heat, moisture and X-rays.

    Never

    • Never put a plate in the mouth without a cover. Plates are toxic if swallowed.
    • Never reuse a cover.
    • Never bend, scratch or press on a plate.
    • Never handle an exposed plate outside its cover. Light erases the image.
    • Never take an X-ray in the same room while the scanner is reading a plate.
    Replace a plate if the protective layer is damaged, it has visible scratches, or the tag on the back is damaged or peeling. Scratches show up as marks on every image.
    Official Dürr Dental video: Image plate handling · YouTube ↗
    Official Dürr Dental video: How to clean an image plate · YouTube ↗

    2 · Take the X-ray and scan the plate

    The full routine, in the order the Dürr Dental manual gives it.

    Before the X-ray

    1. Switch the scanner on by tapping the on/off switch. It is ready when the switch lights blue and the start screen shows (allow 20 to 30 seconds).
    2. Check the plate is clean and undamaged. Slide it fully into a new cover with the white back side visible.
    3. Pull off the adhesive strip, fold the flap down and press the cover firmly shut.
    4. Disinfect the cover with a suitable wipe just before it goes in the mouth, and let it dry.

    The X-ray

    1. Wearing gloves, position the covered plate with the light blue (active) side towards the X-ray tube. Use a holder with no sharp edges.
    2. Set the exposure on the X-ray unit and take the image. You now have 30 minutes to scan it.

    Before scanning

    1. Remove the covered plate from the mouth. If it is heavily soiled, wipe it clean with a dry cellulose cloth first.
    2. Disinfect the cover and your gloves with a suitable wipe, and let the cover dry completely.
    3. Take off your gloves, disinfect your hands and remove any glove powder.
    4. Tear the cover open, leaving the plate inside it.

    Scanning

    1. In VistaSoft, select the patient and click the image type (for example intraoral). Choose the device and acquisition mode if asked.
    2. Watch the scanner display. Only insert a plate when the bar is green. Wait while it is blue.
    3. Place the cover on the plate guide, centred and straight: open end down, white back side facing you.
    4. Slide the plate down out of the cover until the scanner draws it in. The cover stays behind.
    5. The image goes to VistaSoft. The plate is erased and drops into the collection tray.
    6. Scan any further plates for this patient, then click Finish imaging.
    Official Dürr Dental video: VistaScan Mini Easy 2.0 handling · YouTube ↗
    Official Dürr Dental video: Mini Easy 2.0 presentation and handling · YouTube ↗
    Why 30 minutes? The image on the plate is not permanent. Light, natural radiation and stray X-rays all fade it, so the longer you wait, the less detail you get.
    Wrong way round? The scanner detects a plate fed in with the blue side facing you and shows a message. Turn the plate over and feed it straight back in.
    Make sure the right patient is open in VistaSoft before you feed a plate. The image is saved to whoever is logged in.
    Changing plate size: press a finger into the recess and tilt the plate guide forwards to remove it, then drop in the guide for the new size from above. Don't change it during a scan.
    Erase only: for a new plate, or one stored for over a week, choose the special ERASE mode in the software and feed the plate as normal. No image is read.
    Switching off: tap the on/off switch and wait for it to shut down. Wait 10 seconds before switching back on. If it has frozen, hold the switch for about 5 seconds.

    3 · VistaSoft basics

    Finding your way around, working with patients, and viewing, improving and exporting images. Based on the VistaSoft 4.0 manual.

    The screen at a glance

    AreaWhereWhat it is for
    Menu barTopPatients, image import, X-ray and video acquisition on the left. Reports, configuration and help on the right.
    Patient data barBelow the menuShows who is logged in, with the log-out button.
    Image inspectorLeftThe patient's image archive, grouped by date, newest first.
    Light tableCentreWhere the images you select are displayed, side by side if you pick several.
    Light table menuAbove the light tableLayouts, undo/redo, export, print, cloud upload, delete.
    ToolboxRightFilters, corrections, measurements, drawings and annotations.
    Status barBottomMessages, progress and notifications.

    Patients

    1. The Patient records flyout opens when VistaSoft starts. Search by name, number or date of birth, or pick from the recently used list.
    2. Select the patient and log in (or double-click the entry). Their details show in the patient data bar and their images in the image inspector.
    3. New patient? Click the add button beside the search field, fill in at least the mandatory fields and close the flyout. You are logged in to the new record automatically.
    4. Logging in to another patient logs the current one out.

    Viewing and improving an image

    1. Click an image in the image inspector, or drag it onto the light table. Use Multiple selection to compare several.
    2. Mouse wheel zooms. Right mouse button moves the image.
    3. Use the toolbox to adjust the display, apply filters, measure or annotate.
    4. Your changes are saved as the Last change alongside the untouched Original, so you can always go back.

    Exporting

    1. Select the image, then click the export button in the light table menu.
    2. Choose an export mode. The user-defined export lets you set the destination, file name, format and whether to anonymise the data.
    Official Dürr Dental video: VistaSoft overview (shows version 3.0) · YouTube ↗

    The dose indicator

    A coloured bar beside each X-ray in the image archive shows whether the exposure was about right.

    BarMeaning
    GreenExposure is OK.
    Yellow, highSlightly too much. Reduce the dose a little.
    Red, highToo much. Reduce the dose.
    Yellow, lowSlightly too little. Increase the dose a little.
    Red, lowToo little. Increase the dose.

    Exposure settings are a matter for the dentist and your radiation protection arrangements. Ask Dental Hygienics if the bar is regularly off green.

    Automatic rotation: if switched on, VistaSoft turns intraoral images the right way up as they arrive. You can undo it.
    Closing the window does not shut VistaSoft down. It keeps running in the background. Reopen it from the icon in the taskbar, or right-click that icon to shut it down.
    Backups: the ServerManager backup covers patient data and image information, not the images themselves. Make sure your image files are backed up separately. Ask Dental Hygienics or your IT provider to confirm this is in place.

    Cleaning and maintenance

    Wear gloves, follow your local infection control rules, and read the instructions for each disinfectant. Dürr Dental has only tested the products named here.

    ItemHowDürr Dental recommendsNever
    Image plateWipe both sides with a soft, lint-free cloth before every use. Remove stubborn or dried-on dirt with the image plate cleaning wipe. Let it dry completely.Dürr Dental image plate cleaning wipeNo disinfection wipes, no immersion, no steriliser.
    Light protection coverDisinfect before and after it goes in the mouth. Let it dry completely.FD 333 forte wipes, FD 350, FD 322 premium wipesNever reuse a cover.
    Scanner surfacesRemove the plate guide. Wipe off dirt with a soft, lint-free cloth dampened with cold tap water, then disinfect with a wipe.FD 322, FD 333, FD 350, FD 366 sensitiveNever spray the unit or let liquid get inside.
    Plate guideRemove, wipe clean, disinfect with a wipe (or immersion disinfection), refit from above.FD 322, FD 333, FD 350, FD 366 sensitive. Immersion: ID 212, ID 213No thermal disinfector or steam steriliser on any part of the scanner.
    Image plate storage box and trayWipe clean, then disinfect. The storage tray may also go in a thermal disinfector or steam steriliser up to 134°C.Box: FD 366 sensitive. Tray: FD 350, FD 366 sensitive
    Protective (dust) coverWipe with a damp, lint-free cloth. Only fit it to a clean, disinfected scanner.Keep away from children (suffocation risk).
    Do not use products based on phenolic compounds, halogen-releasing compounds, strong organic acids or oxygen-releasing compounds. They can damage the materials.

    Servicing

    Servicing is for trained engineers only. Dürr Dental's recommended schedule, based on about 15 intraoral images a day:

    Book a service with Dental Hygienics

    Troubleshooting: image problems

    Find what you see on screen. Fixes are from the Dürr Dental manual. Tap a problem to open it.

    The image is completely white, or there is no image
    • Plate fed in the wrong way round or not straight: scan it again straight away, the right way round, keeping it out of the light.
    • Image erased by light before scanning: always scan as soon as you can and keep the plate in its cover.
    • Plate not exposed, or not enough: check the X-ray unit and its settings.
    • Wrong plate guide, so the cover was pulled in too: fit the guide for that plate size.
    • Still happening? Contact Dental Hygienics.
    The plate drops out and nothing appears on screen
    It is not an IQ image plate. Use only Dürr Dental IQ image plates.
    The image is too dark
    • The X-ray dose is too high: check the exposure settings.
    • Or adjust brightness and contrast in VistaSoft.
    The image is too bright or washed out
    • The exposed plate caught the light: scan sooner and keep it covered.
    • The X-ray dose is too low: check the exposure settings.
    • Or adjust brightness and contrast in VistaSoft.
    The image is faint and shadowy, or the software can't build a full image
    The dose reaching the plate was too low, or the scanner's settings (amplification, scan mode, threshold) don't suit. Increase the dose within your protocol, and ask Dental Hygienics to check the scanner settings.
    Ghosting or a double image
    • The plate was exposed twice. Expose each plate once only.
    • The plate was not fully erased. If it keeps happening, the erasure unit needs checking by an engineer.
    Stripes across the image
    • The plate was pre-exposed by background radiation or stray X-rays: erase plates stored for more than a week before use.
    • Part of the plate caught the light: keep used plates out of bright light and scan within half an hour.
    • The plate is dirty or scratched: clean it, or replace it if scratched.
    A shadow on the image, or one end looks erased
    The plate came out of its cover before scanning. Do not push the plate out until the torn-open cover is sitting on the plate guide.
    Small bright spots or cloudy patches
    Fine scratches on the plate. Replace it.
    A bulge at the top or bottom, or the image looks skewed
    The plate went in off-centre or at an angle. Feed it centrally and straight.
    One corner looks mirrored
    The plate was bent in the mouth. Don't bend plates.
    Part of the image is cut off
    Something metal was between the tube and the patient, or edge masking in the software is hiding it. Check positioning, and ask us about the edge mask setting.
    The image is stretched with bright horizontal stripes
    The wrong cover or plate was used. Use original Dürr Dental accessories only.
    Light strips, grey horizontal lines, or the image split into two halves
    • Light strips: too much room light during scanning. Darken the room or turn the scanner so light doesn't fall on the slot.
    • Grey horizontal lines past the image edges, or a vertical split: the transport or laser slit needs cleaning by an engineer. Contact Dental Hygienics.

    Troubleshooting: scanner and software

    VistaSoft says the plate "may have been exposed from the wrong side"
    The white (inactive) side was facing the tube when the X-ray was taken. The image is shown mirror-inverted. Check the orientation and image quality carefully before diagnosing, and retake if needed.
    "Too much ambient light"
    Darken the room, or turn the scanner so that no light falls directly into the slot.
    "Incorrect image plate type inserted"
    The plate is ejected without being read. Use only Dürr Dental IQ image plates, and keep the ejected plate out of the light.
    VistaSoft can't see the scanner
    • Is the scanner switched on and past its start-up (20 to 30 seconds)?
    • Check the network cable at both ends, or that the WLAN stick is in place.
    • Refresh the device list. It can take a moment to appear.
    • Still missing? It may be a network address or firewall issue. Contact Dental Hygienics.
    "Overtemperature"
    Switch the scanner off and let it cool.
    The scanner won't switch on, or switches itself off
    Check the mains cable and the power supply plug are pushed in firmly, and check the socket. Use only the power supply that came with the scanner. If it still won't start, contact Dental Hygienics.
    The plate won't fit the slot, or the cover gets pulled in
    The wrong plate guide is fitted. Swap it for the guide that matches the plate size.
    The wireless connection keeps dropping
    Check the WLAN stick is inserted. Move the scanner closer to the router, with fewer thick walls in between. If another network is interfering, your IT provider can change the frequency band.
    VistaSoft is running but won't reopen from the taskbar
    This can happen after a Windows update. Close VistaSoft in Task Manager and start it again. If that fails, restart the computer.
    Where can I get more help?
    In VistaSoft, the Help menu opens the manual and can create a support file. The Windows Start menu's VistaSoft folder also has Dürr Dental's e-Learning link. Or contact Dental Hygienics at dentalhygienics.com.

    Error codes on the scanner display

    What you can safely try yourself. For anything else, or if a code keeps coming back, note the number and contact Dental Hygienics.

    CodeMeaningTry this
    10000Too much light on the unitDarken the room, or turn the scanner away from direct light.
    10015Plate fed in off-centreFeed the plate in centrally.
    10017Unit shutting downWait until it has shut down completely.
    1010Unit too hotLet it cool down. Call us if it returns.
    1024, 1153, 1154, 2Internal communication or start-up faultSwitch the unit off, wait 10 seconds, switch back on. Call us if it returns (a firmware update may be needed).
    1026Incorrect acquisition modeChoose a different acquisition mode in VistaSoft. Call us if it returns.
    1116Drive feed blockedCall us. Do not force anything into or out of the slot.
    1118, 1121Input unit cover open, or fixing missingCall us. This relates to the engineer's cleaning mode.
    1100, 1104, 1117, 1160, 1172, -1171Transport, erasure unit or laser faultStop using the scanner and call us.
    -1008, 1022, 10009Internal fault, usually fixed by a firmware or software updateCall us to arrange the update. With 10009 the unit stays usable.
    -78Storage medium fullTransfer the image data to the computer, or call us.
    E2490 (in VistaSoft)Connection to the scanner was interruptedRestore the connection and repeat.

    Official Dürr Dental video library

    From Dürr Dental's own YouTube channel. Filter by topic or search. Videos open on YouTube. Some show related scanner models or earlier VistaSoft versions, so details can differ.

    No videos match. Try another word.

    Open Dürr Dental's YouTube channel

    Official guides and manuals

    Dürr Dental's own documentation. Always follow the current instructions for your exact model.

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