Film-screen digital radiography.

The anticipated benefits of digitized projection radiographic data to medical imaging has generated much interest and activity. Numerous methods for capturing the radiographic image data prior to digitization are being evaluated. In this paper the excellent performance of the film-screen system as a receptor for projection radiographic data is discussed. An experimental system for obtaining high quality digital radiographic data by laser scanning radiographic films is described. This system is being used to evaluate the clinical utility of various digital image processing algorithms. Future plans include an investigation of quantitative analysis of projection radiographic data. Digital data obtained by film scanning can be used with digital image archiving and communications systems.