EVALUATION OF A NEW LOW-DOSE DIGITAL X-RAY SYSTEM

The Siberian digital radiographic device (SDRD) is in clinical use in Novosibirsk and Moscow where it produces images of high diagnostic val ue at considerably lower dose levels than conventional film-screen com binations. We have made contrast-detail measurements to compare its im aging performance with film-screen systems used in clinical practice i n the UK. We have also compared clinical doses for Russian SDRD examin ations with doses for the equivalent examinations in die UK. The SDRD performs better than the UK film-screen systems for large low-contrast objects at all exposure levels, and requires lower doses, by up to tw o orders of magnitude, when compared for a range of common examination s.