RadioVisioGraphy (RVG), the fundamental technology behind digital intraoral sensors, turns 40 this year. Carestream Dental is celebrating the 40th anniversary of this technology with special promotions and limited-edition memorabilia.
Back in 1982, Dr. Francis Mouyen set out to develop a digital x-ray system that was small and practical enough for dental applications and that could deliver instant results, a challenge at the time, according to a press release. He patented a way to convert x-ray energy into light and direct it toward a small light-sensitive sensor. The ability to capture x-rays instantly on a monitor, without film processing, was considered a breakthrough.
Dr. Mouyen partnered with engineers at Trophy Radiologie, now owned by Carestream Dental, to commercialize the sensor. The sensor’s design has gone through several iterations over the years, from initially requiring a large tabletop electronic unit with an embedded display screen to the small portable sensor it is today.
“We’ve been using RVG sensors from Carestream Dental since 1999,” said Dr. Miguel Stanley of the White Clinic, according to the release. “This device allows for less radiation but more importantly we get to see our x-rays instantly on the computer screen; and those files will last forever, so they’re not lost over time. It’s an awesome technology and the first step into digital dentistry.”
Advanced sensor technology has reduced dose to patients, and sensor head redesigns have resulted in increased comfort. As the technology evolved, it became the first digital intraoral system to equal or exceed dental film resolution (20 lp/mm true resolution) and was adapted for extraoral imaging systems.
Today, the Carestream Dental RVG sensor is a thin, lightweight, durable device that’s used for everything from a standard check-up to confirming a crown has been seated correctly. RVG sensors are typically the first and last step in treatment and care. The small, portable sensors are often used on mission trips and in mobile clinics.
“Carestream Dental isn’t just an innovator, it’s the inventor of industry-changing technology,” said David Roudergues, product line manager for intraoral imaging, according to the release. “That engineering spirit that started 40 years ago—seeing a need in the industry and inventing a dental-specific solution where none existed—continues to this day. We are constantly driving innovation forward, from the small RVG 6200 sensor to our biggest extraoral imaging system, the CS 9600, to new technologies currently in production.”
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Source: Carestream Dental