Evaluation Background: Mobile Radiographic Units with Wireless Digital Detectors

Here's background for our Evaluations of mobile radiographic units with wireless digital detectors. This article gives a rundown of the key aspects of the technology that are critical to making wise purchasing decisions. It provides a summary of our product ratings and explains how the technology is used, what factors we test for, and which product specs are important and why. We also report on hospitals' interest in each manufacturer, typical costs of ownership, and more.

Mobile radiographic units equipped with wireless digital detectors are used for performing all standard radiographic studies at the point of care.

A mobile radiographic unit comprises a self-contained, powered cart that carries the following:

1. Batteries (lead-acid or lithium)

2. X-ray generator

3. X-ray tube mounted on a column and extendable arm

4. Collimator. Some units have automated collimators with individually controlled leaves.

5. Computer workstation. Some units have more than one computer on the cart.

6. Touchscreen flat-panel display. Some units have a secondary touch-enabled display on the tube head and a stylus for the main touchscreen.

7. Digital detectors. Detectors have their own power supply that is charged when the detector is in the cart. An additional battery and stand-alone charger...