your C-arms have served your doctors well. So why would you
upgrade to flat-panel detectors that can cost around 2 to 3 times more
than your trusted image intensifiers?
In a few words: superior image quality with minimal dose. Not only
are flat-panel detectors more streamlined (think smaller and lighter),
they also provide clearer, sharper images, even of small structures,
while exposing patients and staff to less radiation. Flat-panel detec-
tors, introduced in the United States in 2009, also run cooler than
image intensifiers and have a longer usable life. Here are 6 points to
keep in mind when choosing between a system with an analog image
intensifier and a system with a flat-panel digital detector.
1. Image quality. Flat-panel C-arms will give you optimum image
quality, without degradation, for a very long time.
"A flat-panel detector can show much more minute detail —
superfine details — than an image intensifier," says John Alexander,
RT, (R), (CT), CPC, radiology systems administrator at OrthoCarolina
in Charlotte, N.C.
Flat-panel technology achieves higher spatial resolution in compari-
son to conventional C-arms. Due to the high level of resolution, the
flat panel emits less distortion that negatively effects the image quali-
ty. This is especially true when magnification mode is used during flu-
oroscopy.
"In the old systems, you took an X-ray and turned it into light so that
it could be seen on the TV screen. Now, with digital, the photo sen-
sors are taking the place of the TV systems and electronically turn
them into images directly," says Rick Perez, director of radiology and
imaging services at NYU Winthrop Hospital in Mineola, N.Y.
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