New CsI/a-Si 17" x 17" x-ray flat-panel detector provides superior detectivity and immediate direct digital output for general radiography systems

Abstract

A new 17" x 17" immediate direct digital flat panel detector has been developed to fit the needs of General Radiography. After reviewing a few key aspects of the General Radiography needs (X-ray energy range and associated measurement conditions, system integration and system operation), we describe the new detector Cesium Iodide I Amorphous Silicon based technology, and give measurement results (MTF, DQE, stability). We compare the new detector performance to existing technologies (film I screen combination, storage phosphor devices) and also to other flat panel solutions (Selenium). We conclude that the CsI I a-Si technology is now the best suited one in order to fit the needs of General Radiography, this means all kinds of examinations (chest, abdomen, bones, extremities. ..) which have been up to now done using films.

Clinical evaluation of digital radiography based on a large-area cesium iodide-amorphous silicon flat-panel detector compared with screen-film radiography for skeletal system and abdomen

“…There have been some fundamental investigations of FPD-DR [2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9]. Chaussat et al [3] compared the direct digital flat-panel detector performance to S/F combination, storage phosphor, and also to other flat-panel solutions (selenium). They reported that CsI/a-Si technology was the best suited technology with respect to MTF, DQE, and signal-noise-ratio (SNR), and brings a potential for dose reduction in general radiography.…”

“…This system is expected to reduce the dose of radiation exposure and to adapt to the coming filmless age. Technical and basic evaluations of the digital Bucky system on which a flat-panel detector is mounted have been made [2,3,4,5,6,7,8], and the results of evaluations using a phantom mimicking the human bone have been reported [9,10], but there have been few reports of clinical comparison. Although there have been reports on DR using a small flat-panel in the skeletal region [11] and using a large area flat-panel detector in the chest [12,13,14], there have been only one report for clinical skeletal system with a large-area flat-panel detector [15] and no report for abdominal or pelvic region with it.…”

Flat detectors and their clinical applications

“…The most widely used design of flat detectors as of today is based on a two-level, indirect conversion process [9][10][11][12][13]. The X-ray quantum is absorbed creating a high energy electron via photo absorption (Fig.…”

“…These high level parameters are fundamentally governed by a large set of lower level design and material parameters of the detector. Figure 7 shows an example of a flat detector specifically developed for general radiography [10,12]. This detector with an indirect conversion process is based on a CsI scintillator.…”

Digital radiography with a large-scale electronic flat-panel detector vs screen-film radiography: observer preference in clinical skeletal diagnostics

“…The recently developed flat-panel detector technology, based on amorphous silicon or selenium, allows for direct digital recording of X-ray images without the intermediate step of optical or mechanical scanning [8,9]. Small pixel sizes in combination with a very high detective quantum efficiency (DQE) are promising in view of a markedly improved image quality with low noise and good contrast resolution; however, so far there have only been few studies which explore the image quality of these systems in clinical practice [10,11,12,13,14,15,16].…”