SCHOTT North America

Medical

Digital X-Ray Applications

The main areas where fiber optic tapers and faceplates have found widespread use is in medical and dental imaging applications. In most medical radiography applications, a scintillating coating (e.g. cesium iodide, CSI) is deposited on the large end of the taper and converts an x-ray image to visible light. The light is then transferred and reduced through the taper and coupled to a digital chip for image processing.

Dental X-Ray

SCHOTT Lighting and Imaging produces fiber optic plates that are an integral part of this technology. A small rectangular faceplate is used to couple the x-ray image formed on a radioluminescent screen in contact with the input surface of the fiber optic to the CCD. This is encapsulated in a plastic housing small enough to fit in the mouth and image one or two teeth. The image is instantly available on a display and permanent print can be made in a few seconds. Alternative units using faceplates and tapers are being made for external panoramic imaging of the entire jaw or skull.

Further Applications

SCHOTT produces faceplates with larger dimensions for use in digital x-ray procedures outside of dentistry. These more extensive faceplates can be used in applications such as mammography.

XL Faceplate Datasheet High Tech Solutions for the Healthcare Industry Fused Fiber Optic Taper Datasheet Fused Fiber Optic Faceplates Datasheet

SCHOTT Lighting and Imaging is ISO 9001:2000, ISO 13485:2003 registered

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