Medical Imaging Resources

Although the task of fully integrating your practice into digital may seem daunting, it’s well worth it. The true integration of your diagnostic equipment (including digital radiography) saves time and money, increases client loyalty, provides patients with better medical care, and greatly improves your bottom line.

The global digital x-ray market is growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.5%. In 2020, the industry was worth 7.1 billion, and by 2026, it will be worth $16.4 billion.

Digital x-ray systems can be expensive and thus, should be appropriately cared for at all times.

There is a right and wrong way to ensure this type of equipment is clean, especially after the pandemic. Regulations are tight, and to make your investment last, you should know the best ways to disinfect x-rays.

DR panels are a significant financial investment, so ensuring you get the right one is critical. 

Making the decision to purchase the right DR Panel (Digital Radiography) for your office can be confusing, but we’re here to help. Let's take a look at the main features to consider before buying a new panel for your x-ray system:

What is a DR panel?

If you are new to digital x-ray or just beginning your search for a digital x-ray system, it can be a bit overwhelming. There is a lot of information, some of it is very technical, and there are a lot of potentially unfamiliar terms used. In this article I’m going to take some time to answer a question that I have been asked a few times recently; what exactly is a DR panel? 

In terms of x-ray systems, DR stands for Direct Radiography. You will also see DR as an abbreviation for Digital Radiography. In our x-ray systems, the DR flat panels are the component of the x-ray system that makes the system digital. DR flat panels replace the film in an analog x-ray system and are typically the size of a film cassette. They slide into the space on the bucky where the film cassette would usually be. 

This article will cover how to install a 14 x 17 DR panel into a Chiropractic X-ray room. 

Types of DR Digital Panels

A DR panel stands for Direct Radiography and is the technology that allows you to capture a digital x-ray. DR panels have come a long way in the past 15 years and now come in a variety of sizes, but for the most part, they are cassette-sized. This means that a traditional x-ray system that can use film-based cassettes can now easily be retrofitted with a cassette-sized flat-panel DR system.

Here are some different options currently available with DR panels: