Thursday, November 15, 2012
Tru-Align is not exactly a high tech device. On the other hand it isn’t low tech. It is somewhat mid-tech.
It is a device to collimate the x-ray beam and align the tube and sensor exactly. Tru-Align first collimates the round beam produced by the x-ray head into a rectangular beam that is a closer match to the shape of our sensors. This is important for two reasons, better images and reduced patient exposure.
Eliminating the broad swath of the scatter radiation inherent in a round beam can reduce patient exposure by as much as 60% or 70%. Of course this varies depending on the sensor type and the area of exposure but whatever the number it is a lot less than a round beam. Dentists should follow the ALARA principle when using x-rays, As Low As Reasonably Achievable.
Reducing patient exposure is always a good thing and may be just the element you need to convince reluctant patients to have needed radiographs taken. The Tru-Align website even has a section with patient education material to help patients understand “the truth about radiation”.
The second benefit is improved quality of the image. A focused beam delivers a crisper, more diagnostic image.
Rectangular collimation is not new. However in the past it has been so hard to align a rectangular beam that very few dentists used it. The hassles of aligning the cone and frequent retakes eliminated any advantage the rectangular beam had to offer.
This is where the mid-tech Tru-Align comes in. The aiming device uses lasers and magnets to perfectly align the cone and the sensor. When it is aligned properly it beeps and snaps into place. Even a rookie can take perfect radiographs with virtually no retakes.
Tru-align is a great adjunct to what is a truly high tech system, digital radiography. One of the complaints about digital radiography sensors has been the lack of good aligners and the difficulty of placing the sensors compared to film. Tru-Align to the rescue. Plus the combination of lower exposure with a digital sensor and reduced scatter from the collimator makes the x-rays even safer.
Stop taking x-rays like we did last century, the future is coming and it will be amazing!