Digital X-rays

Why Digital X-ray Imaging ?

X-ray imaging (which includes CT-SCAN and fluoroscopy) accounts for nearly
80% of all medical imaging. The advantages of capturing and storing x-ray
images digitally rather than on film are overwhelming. Digital x-ray imaging
has many advantages :
(a) The images can be stored in a very compact manner without risk of loss
or deterioration in quality.
(b) The images can be easily enlarged and "suspicious" areas of an image can
be more easily studied.
(c) The images can be easily retrieved, and can be transmitted
electronically to an expert or to another medical practitioner in the same
hospital or to an insurance company for reimbursement purposes.
(d) Over a period of time, pattern recognition software can be developed to
aid easy diagnosis.
(e) The expense of x-ray film and the chemicals used for development as well
as the environmental problems associated with the disposal of film can be
entirely avoided.
Problems Associated With Digital X-ray Imaging

X-rays are a form of energy which do not fall within the visible light
spectrum, and must first be converted to light in order to be recorded in
either digital or analog form. X-rays used for medical imaging are scattered
in all directions at two distinct points of impact: first, by the anatomical
features being imaged, and then by a screen (the scintillator) which
converts the x-rays emerging fromr the body into light. As at present, there
is no known method to minimize the scattering of x-rays by the anatomic
features being imaged. However, x-ray scattering at the second point of
impact (i.e. at the scintillator) can be minimized by collimating the
emerging x-rays. An other problem in x-ray imaging has been the efficient
absorption and conversion of x-rays by the scintillator before the x-rays
hit the recording media which may be either film or a CCD (Charge Couple
Device) or CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) chip used for
digital recording.

Solutions Discovered And Implemented By NIC


NIC has successfully created a novel scintillator based on a micro-channel
plate containing between 2-3 million channels per square inch. Each channel
contains NIC's proprietary blend of highly efficient phosphors. This
scintillator, the creation and design of which is protected by several
patents, collimates impacting x-rays and also converts/absorbs them so that
the highly sensitive CCD or CMOS is not damaged. A high resolution digital
image is obtained by integrating the scintillator with the CCD or CMOS. NIC
technology improves x-ray imaging by improving the high-resolution imaging
efficiency. High-resolution efficiency is particularly important in the
mammography and dental x-ray imaging markets. For a given x-ray exposure,
NIC technology uncovers finer features and structures. NIC enabled x-ray
systems extract more diagnostic information, leading to more accurate, cost
effective, and potentially life-saving diagnosis. See digitaly recorded
images below.



The resolution of an image is measured by the number of distinct,
adjacent black and white lines within one millimeter ( line-pairs) which the
human eye can resolve when looking at an enlargement of the image. The
picture above shows a comparison of resolution-performance of MR (Kodak
Min-R screen), CsI (Cesium Iodide process used by GE/Siemens) and NIC
scintillator technology. Bar-test patterns of an x-ray imaging phantom at
10,15,and 20 lp/mm show the superior resolution of the NIC scintillator. NIC
will continue to improve its image quality beyond the level shown above. The
other two processes have certain inherent scientific limitations.




A comparison of CT-Scan of a mouse
showing the detailed view of spinal canal area.
The NIC-CT image was taken
at 1/250 dosage of the Conventional CT The blood vessels of a pig's
lung show resolution of about 35 microns using a contrast agent for X-Ray
enhanced images


NIC's First Digital X-ray Imaging Product

NIC's first commercial product is a scintillator to be used as a part of a
dental imaging sensor manufactured by other vendors. This product has been
tested by the leading manufacturers of dental imaging sensors in Europe and
Japan. They found that NIC's dental scintillator helps them to achieve
superior image resolution. It is anticipated that sales of the scintillator
to foreign manufacturers will commence in fall 2002.

NIC's First Comercial Product - Digital Dental Imaging Sensor

NIC is also working towards integrating its scintillator with CCD/CMOS to
create a complete digital dental imaging sensor. This product will be ready
for the market in the latter part of 2003. This unit can be used in
conjunction with existing film imaging equipment already in place. Based
upon current retail price of sensors sold by other manufacturers, it is
anticipated that this unit will retail between $6000 to $7000. There are
approximately 160,000 dentists in the United Sates and 700,000 dentists
worldwide. About 8% of dentists in USA use a digital imaging system even
though the saving of the dentist's time as well as the convenience of such a
system is obvious. The reason is poor digital image quality. Dentists
overseas have barely begun to use digital imaging systems in significant
numbers. Endodontists in particular favor digital imaging because of their
need for real time images.

NIC selected the dental market for its initial medical market entry because
of:
(a) ease of FDA approval (150 days);
(b) no major manufacturer sells into this market (12 small players with
non-proprietary scintillators compete on price in a fragmented market having
less than 10% digital penetration);
(c) image quality of existing digital dental systems is still inferior to
film;
(d) NIC's images are superior by a factor of 100% in terms of
resolution/contrast and, importantly, reduced x-ray exposure (about 20% of
film); and
(e) dental practices are entrepreneurial in nature and will be sensitive to
superior image quality, convenience of real time, digital storage and
transmission, avoiding development of film, savings in time;

Other Digital X-ray Imaging Products

The basic technology platform created by NIC can be rapidly deployed to
create products for other medical imaging modalities such as:

Mammography : NIC's next area of concentration will be in mammography
imaging. This medical application is especially suited for NIC's high
resolution capabilities. It is also anticipated that NIC's end user cost of
a superior digital mammography sensor will be approximately one-third of
that of the competition.

Osteoporosis : The digital modality is also well suited for the osteoporosis
( bone density mapping ) market.
Micro CT-SCAN. High resolution micro CT-SCAN equipment will be of great help
to take images of laboratory mice which are used for testing drugs in
development. At present, mice have to be killed and frozen sections analyzed
under a microscope to track the impact of the drug. The capability to image
cellular structures without killing the mouse will reduce the time required
for drug development by approximately 40%

Cardiac Imaging :The real-time high-resolution and high-contrast x-ray
images would help the cardiologists to perform catheterization and in
particular the manipulation of catheter and placement of stents. Next
generation cardiac imaging systems are expected to observe plaque formation.

Oncology Imaging : The high-contrast and high-resolution should help us to
locate the boundaries of cancer growth for radiation therapy treatment.

These products will be introduced over the next five years.

NIC's Long Term Vision: Digital Desktop Medical Imaging

NIC long term vision in the area of medical imaging is to create affordably
priced desktop digital x-ray imaging systems which depend on very low x-ray
dosage and hence can be placed in the average physician's office. This
revolution in medical imaging will greatly expand the worldwide market for
such products.

Industrial Imaging

The technology platform developed by NIC for medical imaging can also be
used in various industrial imaging applications such as electronic chip
inspection, high sensitivity security imaging, fault inspection in critical
castings etc. As at present, NIC has no plan to address this market in view
of its initial concentration on the medical market. NIC will nevertheless be
alert to exploit licensing and/or strategic partnering opportunities as they
arise.



greenbuck <greenbuck@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Can you explain me how it works???

thanks
Joel M. Eichen wrote:
> "greenbuck" wrote in message
> news:1113282868.188796.104720@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > Hi,
> >
> > Any body is having idea of intra oral xray and how it works.
> >
> > Thanks
> >
>
> Yup, many types and many users right here!
>
> Joel



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