Safer X-Rays and Radiation Therapy With Curved X-Ray Detectors
To remove the problems of using flat panels detectors for X-rays, key design rules have been identified for making curved X-ray detectors. The use of digital flat panel detectors allows quick examination of X-rays and enables immediate decision-making for medical diagnosis as compared to examining X-rays with sensitive photographic films. But not all human body shapes are the same; some are complex than others. And for such body types, flat panels are not suitable as they lead to distortion around the edges of images. [1]
Figure 1. Safer X-Rays and Radiation Therapy With Curved X-Ray Detectors
Figure 1 shows flat panels also prevent an accurate registration of the X-ray that is delivered, a key feature towards enabling safer radiation therapy and minimising secondary tumours. [1]
The main differences between flat panel detectors and curved detectors:
For nearly three decades, digital imaging systems have relied on flat imaging detectors, also called flat-panel detectors. Before that, X-ray imaging was carried out using X-ray film which could be bent to follow the curvature of a subject. So far, there have been few successful demonstrations of using the bendability of X-ray film and the real-time imaging capability of flat-panel detectors. There is a gap and indeed a need for what we like to call “digital film”.
The benefits of producing curved X-ray detectors:
In most real-world applications, the objects we try to image are not flat and can have complex geometries. For example, think of the curves of the human body. While flat-panel detectors can perform well up to a certain point, they can lead to distortions and other aspects such as vignetting, which requires additional corrections. The use of curved detectors helps to bypass these issues and will hopefully lead to better diagnostics and treatment in medical imaging and cancer therapy and in many other sectors. [2]
Although the use of digital flat panel detectors has enabled radiographers to examine X-rays much more quickly compared with old-fashioned X-ray sensitive photographic films and to make quicker diagnoses, flat panels are ill-suited to the complex shape and geometry of the human body. The reliance purely on flat panels means there is unavoidable distortion around the edges of images. Flat panels also prevent an accurate registration of the X-ray dose delivered, a key feature towards enabling safer radiation therapy and minimizing secondary tumors. [3]
References:
- https://www.electronicsforu.com/news/whats-new/safer-x-rays-and-radiation-therapy-with-curved-x-ray-detectors
- https://www.azooptics.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=2079
- https://www.itnonline.com/content/safer-x-rays-and-radiation-therapy-step-closer-thanks-surrey-research
Cite this article:
Thanusri swetha J (2022), Nokia X50 2022 in India, pp. 89