DR

DR (Digital Radiography) is an x-ray imaging technology using direct capture detectors rather than film or CR plates.

DR came to fruition in the late 90’s. There are two basic technologies for DR; the scintillation method and the photoconductor method. The scintillation method includes an extra step to convert x-rays into electrical energy and data to be exchanged and viewed. It first converts the image to light, which is then captured by a photo-electric diode that converts it into electrical energy. The photoconductor method converts the x-ray directly into a charge that is read out.

Digital mammography is an important application of DR technology, especially because it allows for CAD.