3.1.5 Digital media for medical X-rays

Digital cameras have revolutionised the family album. However, the initial driver for CCD imagers in particular was specialised applications such as the capture of high-quality astronomical images, especially on remote satellites and space probes, from where it is unfeasible to collect film and from where continuous, real-time, high-bandwidth data streams are impractical. The CCD camera system, with its combination of high-sensitivity image capture, high-fidelity read-out and long-term storage, provides an excellent solution for remote astronomy.

Similar criteria emerge when you consider other situations where it would be advantageous to make images that can be stored and relayed electronically. Medical imaging with X-rays, for example, fits this scenario.