The two most used types of radiography in veterinary practices are CR – computed radiography, and DR - Direct radiography. Both options are a huge developmental jump from film radiography, where you had to balance time management across taking the x-ray, developing the x-ray, and waiting for those x-rays to develop to then discover you needed to re-take the image because you hadn’t captured what was required. It was also a huge storage and disposal issue. Storing physical images with patient records often led to limited storage space, which became a fire hazard, and disposing of the used chemicals was a challenge in itself.

CR made it possible to get rid of these chemicals and store images with patient records on the computer. It was the first instance of it becoming easy to find a patient’s images and show them on the screen to an owner whilst running through a diagnosis. And it cut out a lot of time spent on X-rays. The cassette simply needed to be processed by the CR reader to view the images.

But DR has taken another leap forward for digital radiography. One that is less time-consuming, can provide better images for a quick diagnosis and enables radiography to be a viable option in any environment.

Mobile Examion X-Ray Case

How does DR radiography work?

Simply put, a DR detector panel captures the X-ray image and directly transmits it to the control console through cable or Wi-Fi, depending on which system you go for. No need for a separate, bulky processing unit and the ability to instantly view significantly reduces the time needed for re-takes.

Benefits of upgrading to DR

Free up staff time
Although CR radiography cuts out development time, DR goes a big step further by stripping back some of the most time-consuming parts of radiography. This not only benefits the practice, freeing up staff to move on to other tasks, but it also improves clinical benefits, minimising the amount of time that the patient is under anaesthesia. When the volume of X-rays grows to the point where CR is time-consuming, DR is the next logical step.

  • · Define setting pre-sets for specific patients or areas, enabling settings to be suitably adjusted with the click of a button.
  • · Check images for accuracy instantly, dramatically reducing timely re-takes.
  • · No processing time is required; images are available as soon as the x-ray is taken.
  • · In-depth image analysis using functions such as zoom, measurements and comparisons to past images may give instant information, such as a different angle being required, this can then be resolved instantly instead of bringing the patient back in.

A cost-effective investment with environmental benefits
Upgrading to DR is often questioned due to the high cost of the equipment. But it can be argued that, as a long-term investment, DR actually pays for itself a lot quicker than CR. Fewer costly parts need to be regularly replaced, such as cassettes, and there is a lower probability of downtime. If a CR machine has a fault, it must be sent in for repair, whereas a lot of DR faults can be fixed remotely, reducing repair costs and practice x-ray downtime. It also allows you to carry out more in-depth X-ray examinations in a day, so for a practice that has an ever-increasing X-ray appointment list, it is an invaluable piece of equipment.

It is also incredibly environmentally friendly, removing the challenge of disposing of used chemicals and cassette replacements.

Improved patient records
Add your patient’s name to images, then easily save these to the patient record. This patient record can hold any related DICOM images taken in practice, be it ultrasound, endoscopy, or x-ray. These can be searched for and viewed at any time for referral or comparison. It also makes it easy to bring these images up on the screen to run through with the owner.

Ideal for equine/ large animal radiography
DR is now the go-to choice for large animal practices. Where a horse may need to be assessed in a field, DR makes this easy. Simply use the panel and generator to take an x-ray that can be seen there and then on a laptop. Meaning any extra angles etc can be assessed and carried out at the time, dramatically reducing diagnosis time frames. This reduces the stress of the patient, improves treatment times and staff safety.

Is Direct radiography (DR) for me?
DR is perfect for all veterinary X-ray imaging due to a wide range of available systems. It is suitable for small animal, equine, and mixed practices.

Examion Static Classic System

How do I choose which type of DR system I need?

Type 1: DR Panel-only retrofits – Upgrade your existing small animal X-ray system.

Ideal if you already have a bucky X-ray system.

This is the cheapest route to direct radiography due to their compatibility with your existing conventional X-ray generator equipment. This is simply an upgrade to your existing system that will upgrade it to the latest DR technology.
These panels come with a range of options.

  • • Cabled or Wi-Fi
  • • Size – This is dependent on what size you require for your existing system,  medium, large, and extra-large sizes are available.
  • • Premium or Standard – The Premium panel is one of the latest additions to the Examion range, made from a new, more flexible material, this panel is even lighter to carry around, yet a lot stronger, providing more resistance against intense loads and cover against liquid infiltration. Its improved extremely low pixel size of 100 also offers outstanding image quality.

Panel retrofit options:
NEW Examion Wi-Fi Premium panels – The premium panel option is an even lighter-weight design, yet stronger, providing more resistance against intense loads, and cover against liquid infiltration. An extremely low pixel size of 100 offers outstanding image quality.

Examion Wi-Fi Standard panels – This Large DR detector panel captures the X-ray image and ‘directly’ transmits it to the PC through its Wi-Fi connection. With a pixel pitch of 150 micron, this panel provides accurate x-ray images instantly.
The Cheapest way to upgrade to a DR solution:

Type 2: Fully integrated DR stations – Ideal for small animal practices

Perfect for small animal practices

  • • Complete, out-of-the-box solution, with a generator and floating table, quickly installed and simply plugged into the wall.
  • • Integrated control of the X-ray system and detector via the main touchscreen interface.
  • • Complete compatibility, and the latest technology
  • • Ideal for a complete system upgrade or new practice

Complete DR Station options:

Type 3: DR case solutions – Ideal for mixed and equine practices

Fully wireless and mobile, ideal for large animal image capture

  • • Portable case solutions with detector and laptop, efficient and ready within seconds
  • • Complete wireless connectivity
  • • Special equine workflows
  • • A lightweight, highly flexible option, very suited for large animal image capture.

Portable case options:


NEW portable case with full surface AED panel: This portable case features the latest DR technology, with full surface AED, along with a low pixel size of just 100 microns for the highest quality images + it is extra robust. The whole system fits in one compact backpack.


CR Solutions

We still provide and fully support CR solutions. Our favourite Dental solution is the Fire CR due to its compact size, affordability and the high quality imagery it provides.

Check out the Examion Fire CR System - Burtons | Examion Fire CR - Vet Dental Dental CR Reader