Digital Radiography

Digital radiography, also known as direct digital radiography, uses x-ray–sensitive plates that directly capture data during the patient examination, immediately transferring it to a computer system without the use of an intermediate cassette as is the case with CR. Commonly referred to as plates, these flat panel detectors use a combination of amorphous silicon detectors with cesium or gadolinium scintillators that convert X-ray to light which is ultimately translated by thin film transistors into digital data (Fig. 2-38). This technology is significantly more expensive than CR technology, but the images are of the highest quality and are seamlessly sent to a computer display. These systems are popular in dedicated imaging facilities and hospitals with high workloads