Aeskulap is a free, open-source DICOM viewer and DICOM network client for Linux. Clinic IT staff, students and Linux users use it to open series of medical images and to query and fetch studies from a PACS. If you are looking for an Aeskulap download or the Aeskulap DICOM viewer for Linux or Windows, this page explains what exists today and how to install it.
There is no official “Aeskulap Portable” edition. The project released a Linux version and an old Windows installer, and Linux distributions later packaged a development snapshot. Development ended long ago: the last stable release dates from 2006, and the GitHub repository is now archived. Aeskulap still works as a small viewer on the Linux versions that ship it, but it is no longer maintained.
Aeskulap at a glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Latest version | 0.2.1 stable (8 March 2006; Windows installer 25 April 2007). Linux distributions ship the unreleased 0.2.2-beta2 development snapshot |
| Licence | Free and open source, GNU GPL |
| Platforms | Linux (packaged in Debian 12 and Ubuntu 22.04); an old 0.2.1 installer for Windows |
| Developer | Alexander Pipelka; Windows port contributed by Gianluca Ghelli |
| Official website | aeskulap.nongnu.org (source code: github.com/pipelka/aeskulap, archived) |
| Best for | A lightweight DICOM viewer and PACS query tool on Linux workstations |
What it does
- Loads series of DICOM images from local folders for review, including compressed (lossless and lossy), uncompressed and multi-frame files.
- Queries PACS archive nodes over the network (C-FIND) and retrieves studies (C-MOVE), with server groups and a connection test (C-ECHO).
- Handles colour images and applies the rescale slope and intercept tags correctly.
- Offers one-handed mouse navigation for window level, pan, zoom and scrolling, with real-time changes even while a series is looping.
- Lets you save your own window-level presets for recurring study types.
- Shows reference lines (the 3D position of the selected slice) in other open views, which helps you orient yourself between planes.
- Supports lossy compression for transfers over slow network connections.
How dental teams use it
Review a CBCT export on a Linux PC
Export the scan from your CBCT software as standard DICOM (a folder of slices). In Aeskulap, open the folder; the series loads with automatic layout. Scroll through the axial slices with the mouse and adjust the window level to separate bone from soft tissue. Aeskulap shows the slices as acquired. It does not build panoramic curves, cross-sections or 3D models.
Pull a study from the clinic’s PACS
In the preferences, add your PACS with its AE title, host name and port, and use the echo test to check the connection. Then use the search form to find the patient, select the study and retrieve it for viewing. Your PACS administrator must register Aeskulap as a permitted node for retrieval to work.
Teaching and self-study
In a teaching room with Linux PCs, Aeskulap is a quick way for students to scroll through anonymised DICOM cases. Remove patient details from the teaching files before sharing them, because Aeskulap has no anonymisation tool.
Install and first run
- Debian 12 / Ubuntu 22.04: install the
aeskulappackage from the standard repositories with your package manager, then start it from the applications menu or with theaeskulapcommand. - Newer Linux releases: the package was dropped from Debian testing (so it is missing from Debian 13), is not in Ubuntu 24.04, and Fedora retired it. The original source release depends on old libraries such as libglademm and gconfmm, which many current distributions no longer ship, so building it yourself takes effort.
- Windows: the project site still lists the 0.2.1 installer from 2007. It predates Windows 7, so it may not run on current Windows; use a maintained Windows viewer instead.
- macOS: no version exists.
- Gotchas: PACS retrieval needs the correct AE title and port on both sides; and if a folder does not open, check that the files really are DICOM, not JPEG exports.
Limitations
- Not maintained: the last commit is from 2014 and the repository was archived in 2026.
- No 3D rendering, multiplanar reconstruction, panoramic reformatting or implant planning.
- No anonymisation, export to JPEG or CD burning tools.
- Available only on older Linux releases unless you build it yourself.
- No regulatory clearance is claimed; use it for review and teaching, not as a certified diagnostic workstation.
Aeskulap vs alternatives
| Tool | Main difference |
|---|---|
| DicomWorks | A free Windows viewer with anonymisation and JPEG/PowerPoint export; also discontinued. |
| ONIS 2.5 Free Edition | A Windows viewer with MPR and MIP 3D. It is the limited edition of a commercial product (15 patients, single monitor). |
| HorliX | An open-source macOS viewer based on Horos and OsiriX, with 3D and MPR. |
On a modern Linux PC, cross-platform tools such as 3D Slicer are the practical choice when you need 3D views of CBCT data.
FAQ
What is Aeskulap?
Aeskulap is an open-source medical image viewer that opens DICOM series and can query and retrieve studies from a PACS. It was written for Linux and released under the GNU GPL.
Is there an Aeskulap Portable version?
Not from the project. The only official downloads are the Linux packages and source code, plus a 2007 Windows installer. Any “portable” build comes from a third party.
How do I install Aeskulap on Linux?
On Debian 12 or Ubuntu 22.04, install the aeskulap package from the standard repositories. Newer releases no longer include it.
Does Aeskulap work on Windows?
A Windows installer for version 0.2.1 was released in 2007 and is still listed on the project site. It was built for Windows of that era, so on Windows 10 or 11 a maintained viewer is a safer choice.
Is the Aeskulap DICOM viewer free?
Yes. It is free and open source under the GNU GPL, with no paid edition.
Can Aeskulap show CBCT in 3D?
No. It displays 2D slices and reference lines between views, but it has no volume rendering or MPR.
Last checked against official sources: 26 September 2026 (developer website: aeskulap.nongnu.org). Versions and licence terms change — confirm on the developer's site before deploying in a clinic.
