We use Dentrix Ascend with Schick 33 intraoral sensors. After taking a few X-rays and switching to a different sensor size, the system usually reports a "device error" instead of detecting the new sensor. It only acquires successfully about 20% of the time, and we typically have to restart the computer before continuing.
We have already tried replacing the sensors, replacing the AE USB 3.0 bridge, using different USB ports, adding a powered USB hub, installing a new USB card, and testing on another computer. Dentrix support has not been able to identify the cause. It seems possible that the Ascend acquisition agent is not unloading the previous sensor driver during a sensor swap. Has anyone found a reliable fix, or would it make more sense to switch imaging software or use different sensors?
3 Answers
You can potentially keep Dentrix Ascend for practice management and cloud image storage while using a separate imaging application, depending on the integration options available for your office. That may provide a more stable sensor workflow, though it could mean manually uploading images instead of having the acquisition agent save them automatically. Before switching, confirm which sensors and imaging programs are officially supported with your current Ascend setup.
If Ascend support cannot resolve the driver handoff, the practical option may be changing sensors rather than replacing all the computers and USB equipment again. Jazz sensors are worth investigating because they advertise integration with Ascend and include a replacement program, although compatibility can vary by imaging software version and office setup. I would ask Dentrix which sensor models they have tested successfully with your specific Ascend acquisition-agent version before buying anything.
This sounds more like an acquisition-agent problem than faulty sensors or USB hardware. As a quick test, after taking the first images, swap sensors, log out of Ascend, close the browser, reopen it, and sign back in. You may also be able to restart just the acquisition-agent service from its desktop shortcut instead of rebooting the entire workstation. It is not an ideal workflow, but it could confirm whether the agent is holding onto the first sensor driver.
That matches our suspicion that the acquisition agent is failing to release the old driver when we change sensor sizes. We are also considering separate imaging software, but manually capturing and uploading the image may be acceptable if it avoids restarting the workstation every time.