Dependency of dose response of five charge-coupled device-based digital intra-oral radiographic systems on tube voltage

Objective: To compare the dependency of dose response of five CCD-based digital intra-oral radiographic systems on tube voltage. Methods: Characteristic curves for Sens-A-Ray (old and new generations; Regam Medical Systems, Sundsvall, Sweden), Computed Dental Radiography (Schick Technologies, Long Island City, NY, USA), CompuRay (Yoshida, Tokyo, Japan), and VIXA (Dentsply/Gendex, Des Plaines, IL, USA) were generated between 60 and 90 kVp at intervals of 10 kVp and corrected by subtraction of dark current. Their sensitivities were compared. Results: The sensitivity of the old generation Sens-A-Ray decreased with increase in tube voltage whereas in the other systems it increased. Conclusion: In the newer systems using a rare earth intensifying screen as a scintillator, the sensitivity increases with increase in tube voltage, thus reducing the radiation dose to the patient.