Local-first medical image viewer, report organizer, and AI-assisted annotation tool. Runs entirely on your own computer — Windows, macOS, or Linux.
⚠️ Not a medical device. Not a diagnosis. ScanContext helps you organize, view, and understand medical imaging and reports, and prepare questions for your doctor. It does not diagnose any condition. Every result — especially anything AI-suggested — must be confirmed by a qualified clinician.
Quick links: ⬇️ Download · 🎬 See it in action · 🐳 Docker Desktop · 🐞 Report a problem · ☕ Donate
No GitHub account and no source code needed — and on Windows and macOS, no
terminal either. On Linux the bundle uses a short sh ./start.sh command, or
install the .deb / .rpm launcher for a click-only setup.
There are two ways to run ScanContext — pick whichever you prefer. Both need Docker Desktop, so do Step 1 either way.
ScanContext runs inside Docker. Install Docker Desktop for your system:
https://www.docker.com/products/docker-desktop/
- Windows: https://docs.docker.com/desktop/install/windows-install/
- macOS: https://docs.docker.com/desktop/install/mac-install/
- Linux: https://docs.docker.com/desktop/install/linux/
After installing, open Docker Desktop once and wait until it says "running". You only ever do this once.
All downloads are on the Releases page.
A small desktop app that starts and stops ScanContext for you with one click — no scripts, no files to manage. Download the installer for your system:
| System | Download | Install |
|---|---|---|
| Windows | ScanContext_<version>_x64-setup.exe |
Double-click, follow the installer |
| macOS | ScanContext_<version>_<arch>.dmg |
Open the .dmg, drag ScanContext to Applications |
| Linux | ScanContext_<version>_amd64.AppImage |
chmod +x the file, then double-click — or install the .deb / .rpm |
Then open ScanContext like any other app. It checks Docker, downloads the app on first run, and starts it. When it is ready, click Open ScanContext to launch it in your browser. Use the window — or the tray / menu-bar icon — to Start, Stop, and Open ScanContext any time.
First launch — unsigned app warning. These installers are not yet code-signed, so your system may warn you the first time:
- macOS: right-click the app → Open → Open. (Or System Settings → Privacy & Security → Open Anyway.)
- Windows: on the blue SmartScreen prompt, click More info → Run anyway.
You only need to do this once.
If you have Windows Package Manager (winget), open PowerShell or Windows Terminal and run:
winget install NikolaReljin.ScanContextInstalls through Microsoft's trusted channel — no SmartScreen warning, no manual download.
If you would rather not install an app, download the bundle and double-click a start file:
-
Download
ScanContext-<version>.zipfrom the Releases page and unzip it anywhere (Desktop, Documents…). -
Open the unzipped folder and start it:
System Do this Windows Double-click Start ScanContext.batmacOS Double-click Start ScanContext.commandLinux Run sh ./start.shin the folder
The first start downloads the app (a few minutes). When it is ready your browser opens ScanContext, and a short guided tour begins. Reopen help any time with the "?" button.
- App (Option A): click Stop in the window or the tray / menu-bar icon.
- Bundle (Option B): double-click
Stop ScanContext.bat(Windows) or runsh ./stop.sh(macOS / Linux).
Your studies and data are always kept between runs.
- Windows 10/11, macOS 12+, or a modern Linux desktop.
- Docker Desktop installed and running.
- ~4 GB free disk space for the app images, plus room for your studies.
- A modern browser (Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or Safari).
- Import DICOM studies, images, ZIPs, PDFs, and text reports.
- View images and DICOM in a web viewer; draw and save annotations.
- Extract and (optionally) translate non-English reports to English.
- Optionally use AI to summarize reports and suggest regions to review — clearly labeled "candidate findings, not a diagnosis".
- Export a doctor-friendly summary to share at an appointment.
Your data stays on your machine. Nothing is uploaded anywhere unless you explicitly turn on a cloud AI provider in Settings. AI is off by default.
Everything below is a real walkthrough of ScanContext, captured from the built-in demo study — a fully fictional CT chest scan with invented patient details. No real medical data is shown anywhere.
New users get a short guided tour the first time they open ScanContext.
The dashboard lists every study you have imported, with import status and the active AI provider.
Open a study to scroll through slices, zoom, and adjust window/level in the built-in viewer.
Mark regions yourself, or accept AI-suggested candidate regions. Confirmed marks show solid blue; AI suggestions awaiting your review show dotted amber.
Imported reports are shown exactly as received, with optional English translation and an AI summary.
Turn on an AI provider and let ScanContext analyze a study — it picks the most relevant slices and suggests regions worth a closer look, always labeled "candidate findings, not a diagnosis".
Export a study as a doctor-friendly ZIP — a readable report plus the marked images. Tick Anonymize to strip patient names, institutions, and dates before the file leaves your machine.
A built-in Help drawer has guides, an FAQ, a safety summary, and a button to replay the guided tour.
The complete screenshot set is in
docs/showcase/screenshots/.
AI is off by default and entirely optional — ScanContext works fully without it. When you turn it on, it can summarize reports, translate non-English reports, and suggest regions of an image worth a closer look — always labeled "candidate findings, not a diagnosis".
You can use any one of these providers:
| Provider | Get a key / install | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Google Gemini | https://aistudio.google.com/apikey | Recommended — free tier to try, paid tier for real use |
| Anthropic Claude | https://console.anthropic.com/settings/keys | Paid API |
| OpenAI | https://platform.openai.com/api-keys | Paid API |
| Ollama | https://ollama.com/download | Fully local — no key, nothing leaves your computer |
When a cloud provider is enabled, image/report data for the study you choose may be sent to that provider — ScanContext strips patient identifiers first. Ollama keeps everything on your machine.
1. Get an API key. Open https://aistudio.google.com/apikey, sign in with
a Google account, click Create API key, and copy it (it looks like
AIza…). Keep it private — treat it like a password.
2. Turn on billing — important for medical privacy. A new key starts on the free tier. Open the key's Google Cloud project and enable billing (the paid tier):
⚠️ Anonymization only protects you on the paid tier. ScanContext strips patient identifiers before sending anything to Gemini — but on the free tier, Google may still use your (anonymized) images and reports to improve its models. Only the paid tier stops that. The anonymization step does not give you real privacy on the free tier — for actual medical data, use the paid tier.
- The most thorough model (
gemini-2.5-pro) and reliable speed need the paid tier. - You can set a budget cap in Google Cloud so there are no surprises.
3. Add the key in ScanContext (no files to edit). Open ScanContext, click the Settings link in the top bar, then:
- AI provider: pick Gemini
- Paste your API key into Gemini API key (it's stored locally, never shown back in full — only the last 4 characters)
- Turn Cloud AI enabled on
- (Recommended) leave Anonymize before AI on
- Click Save settings
Changes apply immediately — no restart needed. The Settings page is also where you switch providers later, change the model, or remove a saved key.
Then open a study and use Analyze study; you confirm cloud use per study.
Advanced — set the key in .env instead
For unattended / scripted setups, the same values can be written to the
.env file. After editing it you must Stop, then Start ScanContext so it
reloads.
AI_PROVIDER=gemini
CLOUD_AI_ENABLED=true
GEMINI_API_KEY=AIza...your-key...
GEMINI_MODEL=gemini-2.5-flashWhere the .env file lives:
| How you installed ScanContext | .env location |
|---|---|
Download bundle (.zip) |
Inside the unzipped ScanContext-<version> folder |
| ScanContext app — Windows | %APPDATA%\com.nikolareljin.scancontext\.env |
| ScanContext app — macOS | ~/Library/Application Support/com.nikolareljin.scancontext/.env |
| ScanContext app — Linux | ~/.local/share/com.nikolareljin.scancontext/.env |
If both are set, the in-app Settings value wins.
| You want… | Set GEMINI_MODEL to |
|---|---|
| Cheap, fast, good for everyday use | gemini-2.5-flash (default) |
| The most thorough analysis | gemini-2.5-pro |
Gemini charges per use, and ScanContext only calls it when you ask it to analyze a study. The cost per study is capped by design — ScanContext reviews at most about a dozen sampled images no matter how many slices a scan has, so a huge scan costs the same as a small one.
| Model | Cost to analyze one scan / series |
|---|---|
gemini-2.5-flash |
roughly 2–3 cents |
gemini-2.5-pro |
roughly 10–20 cents |
Even heavy use — 100 studies in a month — is about $2–3 on Flash or $10–20 on Pro. Summarizing or translating a text report costs a fraction of a cent. Prices are set by Google; current rates: https://ai.google.dev/pricing.
- "Docker is not installed" / "not running". Install Docker Desktop, open it, and wait until it says "running" — then start ScanContext again.
- The app says Docker is missing but it is installed (macOS). Make sure Docker Desktop has been launched at least once; the ScanContext app looks for it in the standard locations.
- A port is already in use. The packaged app uses ports
5173and8000on your machine (Orthanc runs internally and is not exposed). If5173is taken, changeFRONTEND_PORTin the.envfile and start again.8000is built into the app and must stay free — if it is occupied, free it rather than changingBACKEND_PORT. - First start is slow. The first run downloads the app images (a few minutes). Later starts are fast.
- Still stuck? Open an issue: https://github.com/nikolareljin/scancontext/issues
If Docker Desktop shows "failed to start because virtualisation support wasn't detected", it is a Windows / PC setup issue. Two independent fixes — most people only need one:
Fix A — turn on virtualization in your PC's BIOS/UEFI. Restart and press the setup key shown on the boot screen (usually Del, F2, F10, or Esc). Find the virtualization setting — Intel: Intel Virtualization Technology / VT-x; AMD: SVM Mode / AMD-V (under Advanced, CPU Configuration, or Security) — set it Enabled, save & exit, and reopen Docker Desktop.
Fix B — repair the Windows features and WSL.
- Press the Windows key, type
Windows features, open Turn Windows features on or off, untick Hyper-V and Virtual Machine Platform, click OK and restart. - Open Windows PowerShell (Search box → type
Windows PowerShell) and runwsl --update. If it says WSL is not installed, runwsl --install(right-click PowerShell → Run as administrator) and restart. - Open Docker Desktop and click Try Again.
Docker's own guide: https://docs.docker.com/desktop/troubleshoot-and-support/
ScanContext is free and built by one independent developer. If it saved you time or worry, a one-time $10 donation keeps it maintained and improving — any amount helps:
☕ https://ko-fi.com/nikolareljin
- ScanContext is not a diagnostic tool and not a substitute for professional medical advice.
- Medical files may contain personal health information. Keep your downloaded folder and any exports private.
- Cloud AI is opt-in. When enabled, image/report data may be sent to the provider you choose; ScanContext strips patient identifiers first.
- That anonymization only gives you real privacy on a paid provider plan. On Google Gemini's free tier, your anonymized data may still be used by Google to improve its models — use the paid tier for genuine medical data, or use Ollama to keep everything on your own machine.