[Digital radiography--methods and clinical application].

Abstract

The term "Digital Radiography" covers all x-ray techniques which produce a projected image with the help of digital imaging techniques, which are very similar to a conventional x-ray film image. The advantage of "Digital Radiography" is the possibility of digital image processing, like the subtraction technique, the selective material filtering technique and the quantitative image plotting technique. With the equipments now in use, the digital projected image is produced by the line or on an even level. One example of the in-line projected image is the so-called "topogram", produced via computed tomography equipment. With the help of an x-ray video chain, it is possible to produce digital images on an even level. This technique is used, for example, for "digital video subtraction angiography" (DVSA). Today, digital radiography is clinically used only in the "DVSA" and the "topogram" systems. A survey of the clinical use and the improved future possibilities of digital radiography is given, and the special features of the method are discussed.