When compared to computed radiography (CR), digital radiography (DR) is:

• A. Slower, produces higher quality images
• B. Faster, but produces lower quality images
• C. Slower, but produces lower quality images
• D. Faster, produces higher quality images

Answer: (D)

Digital radiography offers faster image capture and typically higher image quality than computed radiography because of its flat-panel detectors that convert X-ray energy directly into a digital signal, with near-immediate display for viewing and processing. This eliminates the cassette-based processing step that CR requires, which uses a photostimulable phosphor plate that must be scanned to read out the image—adding delay and potential losses in throughput. Additionally, DR detectors generally have higher detective quantum efficiency and a wider dynamic range, which improves contrast resolution and reduces noise at comparable or even lower radiation doses. So the system is both quicker to obtain and capable of producing higher-quality images compared with CR.