How each one works
Computed radiography (CR) keeps the familiar cassette. Inside is a reusable phosphor imaging plate instead of film. After the exposure, a technician carries the cassette to a reader that scans the plate and produces a digital image. The plate is erased and used again.
Digital radiography (DR) replaces the cassette with a flat panel detector connected to the computer. The image appears on screen moments after the exposure, with nothing to carry or scan.
Side by side
| Feature | CR | DR |
|---|---|---|
| Image on screen | About 30 seconds with the IWV CR eco, after carrying the cassette to the reader | 2 to 5 seconds with System X; image capture in 3 to 5 seconds with the IWV FP |
| Retakes | Repeat the cassette, carry and scan | Retake while the patient is still in position |
| Existing table | Works with your current table | IWV FP fits most tables; System X includes a new one |
| What you add | A reader, cassettes and a workstation | A detector, or a complete room |
| Daily handling | Cassettes and plates to manage | No cassettes |
| File formats | DICOM 3.0, TIFF, BMP, JPEG (IWV CR eco) | DICOM 3.0 (System X) |
When CR is the right call
CR gets a practice with a sound table off film without replacing the table. The IWV CR eco is compact (6 x 18 x 32 inches), produces 16-bit images with 65,536 levels of grey, and reads plates flat so they are never bent.
When DR pays for itself
The time difference repeats on every study. In a busy practice, seconds instead of a walk to the reader add up to less time under anesthesia, faster answers for clients and more studies in a day. If your table is sound, the IWV FP upgrades the image without a new room. If you are replacing the room, System X installs a complete DR system on a 110 V circuit.
Moving from CR to DR
IWV offers trade-in and trade-up incentives for practices moving off CR, and System X and the IWV CR eco are DICOM 3.0 compatible so your images keep moving to specialists and your practice software.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between computed radiography and digital radiography?
Computed radiography (CR) captures the image on a reusable phosphor plate inside a cassette, which a reader then scans into a digital image. Digital radiography (DR) captures the image on a flat panel detector that sends it straight to the computer, with no cassette to handle.
Is DR faster than CR?
Yes. With IWV systems a CR plate is processed in about 30 seconds after you carry it to the reader, and a DR image is on screen in 2 to 5 seconds with System X, or captured in 3 to 5 seconds with the IWV FP.
Can I keep my x-ray table with CR or DR?
Yes for both. The IWV CR eco works with your current table, and the IWV FP flat panel fits most existing tables. A complete DR room like System X replaces the table as well.