DIGITAL PANORAMIC X-RAY DEVICE

ROTATIONAL PANORAMIC RADIOGRAPHY IS A WELL-ESTABLISHED RADIOGRAPHIC TECHNIQUE THAT IS WIDELY USED IN DENTISTRY. THIS TECHNIQUE DISPLAYS THE ENTIRE MAXILLOMANDIBULAR REGION ON A SINGLE FILM. WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF DIGITAL COMPUTERS AND SUITABLE RADIATION DETECTORS, IT HAS BECOME POSSIBLE TO DEVELOP DIGITAL SYSTEMS FOR THE RECORDING AND DISPLAY OF X-RAY IMAGES. THE PURPOSE OF THIS RESEARCH IS TO EVALUATE AN ELECTRONIC SYSTEM THAT HAS BEEN DEVELOPED FOR PRODUCING A PANORAMIC X-RAY IMAGE OF THE MAXILLOFACIAL COMPLEX. USING AN ELECTRONIC SENSOR TO CAPTURE THE IMAGE IN A DIGITAL FORMAT OFFERS SEVERAL ADVANTAGES OVER FILM-BASED SYSTEMS: (1) A DIGITAL SYSTEM REQUIRES NO PROCESSING SYSTEM, MAKING IMMEDIATE VIEWING OF THE X-RAY POSSIBLE; (2) BECAUSE THE IMAGE IS IN DIGITAL FORMAT, IMAGE-PROCESSING ROUTINES CAN BE USED TO ANALYZE OR ENHANCE THE IMAGE; (3) THE COST OF STORING AND RETRIEVING THE IMAGE IS REDUCED AND TRANMISSION TO REMOTE LOCATIONS IS POSSIBLE; AND (4) GREATER SENSITIVITY OF ELECTRONIC SENSORS SHOULD MAKE POSSIBLE A REDUCTION OF X-RAY DOSE TO THE PATIENT. IN PHASE I, THE ELECTRONIC IMAGING SYSTEM WILL BE EVALUATED AS TO IMAGE QUALITY, MAGNIFICATION, DISTORTION, AND PATIENT-ABSORBED DOSE. IN PHASE II, THE SYSTEM WILL BE EVALUATED IN A LARGE-SCALE CLINICAL SETTING, AND THE POTENTIAL FOR INTRAORAL CAPABILITY WILL BE EXPLORED.