The Panoura 18S and its Direct Conversion Sensor: for Dental Professionals who want to maximize the information from their panoramic x-rays, and DESPISE retakes.
What’s so great about a Direct Conversion Sensor? Most Panoramic CMOS sensors use lower-cost materials that are less sensitive to x-ray. Therefore, these sensors must convert x-ray to light before converting to a digital signal. This can result in image blurriness because the extra conversion step can cause the radiation to “fan out” and inadvertently trigger surrounding pixels. The Panoura 18S utilizes a Direct Conversion (sometimes referred to as “Cadmium Telluride”) sensor that converts x-ray directly to digital, which contributes to a much sharper image.
Every scan captures over 50 different panoramic layers! With most panoramic x-ray units, the arch of the patient needs to be exactly where the machine wants: along the path where the beam is focused.
If positioning is not precise, a poor image can result.
If the patient shifts slightly during the time the operator walks out to initiate the scan, a poor image can result.
If the patient’s arch doesn’t match the trajectory of the scan, certain anatomy may not be in focus.
The emergence profile of the anteriors could make it difficult to capture both mandibular and maxillary apices clearly in the panoramic scan.