Evaluation of a new type of direct digital radiography machine.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate a recently developed low-dose, large-field, direct digital X-ray scanning system for medical use.


METHODS
Radiation dose, image quality, diagnostic capability and clinical utility of the unit were compared with those of conventional radiography.


RESULTS
Radiation doses ranged from 3% to 5% of conventional radiographic values, and a mean of 1 line-pair per millimetre could be detected. Ease of use, anatomical coverage and tolerance to patient motion were advantages. However, image quality was inferior to that of conventional radiographs, with limited fine detail visibility and penetration. Only 67 of 156 (42.9%) pathological features seen on conventional radiographs were detected, including 13 of 41 fractures (31.7%) and 11 of 18 pneumothoraces (61.1%).


CONCLUSIONS
Although image quality and diagnostic performance were not ideal, potential roles in triage, foreign body detection and possibly screening were promising. Radiographic factors may have affected sensitivity. This machine demonstrated useful attributes that may, with improvement, be beneficial in the imaging of trauma and other patients.
Beningfield
S J
SJ
Department of Radiology, Groote Schuur Hospital.
Potgieter
J H
JH
Bautz
P
P
Shackleton
M
M
Hering
E
E
de Jager
G
G
Bowie
G
G
Marshall
M
M
Cox
G
G
Pagliari
G
G
Coetzee
N
N
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004867:Equipment Design / Q000592:standards; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008875:Middle Aged; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000592:standards; D011860:Radiography, Abdominal / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D014948:Wounds, Gunshot / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014951:Wounds, Stab / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging