A referring practice sends you a CBCT case as a single file ending in .inv, and the free InVivoDental Viewer that used to open it is nowhere to be found on the developer’s website. That is not a mistake on your side. Anatomage moved its dental 3D business into Osteoid Inc. in 2021, and Osteoid no longer offers the old desktop viewer.
The short answer: you have three working routes. Open the file in Invivo Workspace, Osteoid’s browser platform; ask the sender to save the scan as standard DICOM, which any DICOM viewer reads; or, as a stopgap, use a viewer that travels with the case (an “egg” file) or an old viewer install you already have. Ordinary DICOM viewers cannot read .inv, so one of these three has to happen.
What an .inv file actually is
Osteoid’s knowledge base describes four file types that come out of an Invivo workflow. Knowing which one you were sent saves a lot of back-and-forth with the sender.
| File | What it holds | What opens it |
|---|---|---|
| DICOM (.dcm) | The raw scan exported from the CBCT or CT machine | Any DICOM viewer or dental planning program |
| Invivo file (.inv) | The patient’s scan data and the work-up data in one proprietary file | Invivo software or Invivo Workspace |
| Project file (.apj) | Work-up data only: nerve tracings, implant placements and similar. The source scan must sit in the same folder. | Invivo software |
| Anatomage file (.amg) | The finished case returned by surgical guide and model technicians | Invivo software or Invivo Workspace |
An .inv file is not DICOM with a different extension. Renaming it does nothing, and a general viewer will reject it.
Your options at a glance
| Route | What you need | Licence | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Invivo Workspace in a browser | A Workspace account and an internet connection | Commercial platform that can be tried free: shareware (conditionally free) | Seeing the case as the sender prepared it, on Windows or Mac |
| DICOM from the sender, opened in Sante DICOM Viewer Lite | The sender re-saves the scan as multi-file DICOM | Free | Reading the scan itself: slices, MPR, measurements |
| DICOM from the sender, opened in OnDemand3D | The same DICOM export and a Windows PC | Shareware (conditionally free) | Dental views and your own implant planning |
| Egg file from the sender | A Windows PC; the sender uses Invivo’s Lay Egg function | Viewer travels with the case | Offline review on a disc or USB stick |
| An existing InVivoDental Viewer install | A Windows PC that already has the legacy viewer | Free, discontinued | Older .inv files only |
Option 1: Open the file in Invivo Workspace
This is the route Osteoid itself recommends for viewing Invivo files without Invivo installed. Workspace is a cloud platform for sharing, viewing and discussing cases, and nothing is installed on your PC. Osteoid describes its 3D web viewer as FDA-cleared and the platform as HIPAA-compliant.
Besides .inv, Workspace accepts DICOM (single-file and multi-file), .amg files, STL, OBJ and PLY meshes, and PDF, JPG, PNG and BMP images.
If the sender uses Invivo
- Ask the sender to share the case rather than attach a loose file. In the Invivo desktop software this is File > Send File or Account > Send file to Invivo Workspace.
- They pick you as a professional contact. You receive an email with a link to view the case or to sign up for Workspace.
- After you sign in, the case appears at the top of your case dashboard, waiting for approval.
If you already hold the .inv file
- Log in to Workspace and press New Case on the case dashboard, or open an existing case’s menu and choose the option to upload files to that case. Osteoid says not to zip the files first.
- Open the case and move the pointer over the file icon.
- A blue Preview label means the file opens in the Invivo Viewer in a new browser tab. Plain images show View. A yellow Preview Unavailable label means the web viewer cannot display that file.
Before uploading a patient’s scan to any cloud service, check that this fits your practice’s privacy policy and local rules.
Option 2: Ask the sender for standard DICOM
If all you need is the scan, DICOM is the cleanest answer, because it frees you from Invivo altogether. Osteoid documents the steps for the sender:
- Create an empty folder for the patient.
- Open the case in Invivo.
- Choose File > Save As.
- Select Multi-file DICOM with .dcm extension and point it to the new folder.
- Select Uncompressed and confirm.
The result is a folder of .dcm slices that the sender can zip and transfer through whatever secure channel you both use. For a disc, Invivo has File > Export to CD… with the DICOM Uncompressed option.
On your side, open the folder in Sante DICOM Viewer Lite, which is free on Windows and macOS and gives you axial, coronal and sagittal MPR plus distance and angle measurements. If you want a panoramic curve, cross-sections and an implant library, load the same folder into dental planning software such as OnDemand3D. Other choices are compared in our guide to dental DICOM viewers and PACS tools.
One caveat: a DICOM export carries the images. The sender’s work-up (nerve tracings, implant positions) lives in the Invivo formats, so if the plan matters, ask for a report or screenshots as well, or use Workspace.
Option 3: Egg files and old viewer installs
Invivo has a function called Lay Egg. It builds an executable file that packs the open scan together with a small 2D viewer, the EggViewer, with section, arch section and gallery views. It exists for exactly this situation: handing a case to someone without Invivo on a CD, DVD or flash drive.
There is one known trap. Osteoid states that if the sender runs Invivo 6.0.2 or earlier and the recipient is on Windows 10 or later, the viewer may not open. The fix is on the sender’s side: update Invivo to 6.0.3 or later and create the egg again, or share through Workspace instead.
As for the old InVivoDental Viewer: if it is already installed on a Windows PC, it can still open older cases. The developer no longer publishes it, so copies on download catalogues are unverified, and nothing guarantees that files saved by current Invivo versions will load in it.
Can you convert .inv to DICOM yourself?
Not with an official tool, unless you own Invivo. Osteoid’s knowledge base says file conversion is not currently supported in Invivo Workspace: it is for communicating, viewing and managing cases. Conversion happens in the Invivo desktop software through the Save As route above, which is why the request has to go back to the sender or to anyone who has Invivo licensed. Invivo 7 is commercial software for Windows and Mac.
An unofficial Python script called inv2dcm appeared on GitHub in March 2026 and says it converts .inv volumes to Enhanced CT DICOM. It is a small personal project, not a vendor tool, and it comes with no validation or support. It is not something to put between a patient’s scan and a clinical decision.
Limitations
- No current free desktop program opens .inv files. The supported free-to-try route is a browser platform that requires an account and an upload.
- Workspace does not convert between .inv and DICOM.
- The EggViewer is a 2D viewer, not a planning tool, and eggs made in Invivo 6.0.2 or earlier may fail on Windows 10 and later.
- General DICOM viewers show the scan but not the sender’s Invivo work-up.
- A project file (.apj) on its own is useless without the scan it refers to.
FAQ
Is there an InVivo Dental Viewer for Mac?
No Mac build of the free legacy viewer is listed by the developer. On a Mac, open the case in Invivo Workspace in a browser, or ask for a DICOM export and use Sante DICOM Viewer Lite for macOS. The commercial Invivo 7 also runs on Mac.
Can I view an .inv file online?
Yes. Upload it to a case in Invivo Workspace, or have the sender share it there. Files that show a blue Preview label open in the web-based Invivo Viewer in a new tab.
How do I convert an .inv file to DICOM?
In the Invivo desktop software: File > Save As > Multi-file DICOM with .dcm extension > Uncompressed. Invivo Workspace does not convert files, so without an Invivo licence you need the sender to do it.
Why will the Invivo egg viewer not open?
Most often because the egg was created in Invivo 6.0.2 or earlier and you are on Windows 10 or later. Osteoid’s advice is for the sender to update to 6.0.3 or later and create it again, or to share the case through Workspace.
Is there an Invivo Workspace download?
No download is needed. Workspace and its viewer run in the web browser, which is the main difference from the retired desktop viewer.
Last updated: 1 October 2026 · SoftProDents editorial team. Licence, version and platform details are checked against each developer's official documentation; none of the tools listed here should be treated as a certified medical device unless its vendor says so.
