Rapid growth in the retrofit market for flat-panel digital radiography (DR) detectors is predicted to signal a new era in modular x-ray for general radiography, according to a report from market research firm InMedica. The company predicts that revenue for retrofit flat-panel digital detectors will grow more than 250% by 2016.
Concerns about wireless DR detectors and security since their introduction in 2008 have been overcome, and second-generation systems offer greater flexibility and choice of x-ray equipment configuration in radiographic imaging rooms, InMedica said.
The report also noted that the lifespan of existing analog x-ray equipment can be extended with a retrofit digital flat-panel detector, and the cost is about one-third of purchasing a new digital x-ray system.
Implementing modular general x-ray retrofits makes the most sense in countries in Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia, according to InMedica; sharing wireless panels between rooms or systems can significantly reduce costs. Shipments of retrofit flat-panel detector systems in emerging regions are predicted to grow tenfold in the next five years, said senior analyst Stephen Holloway.
