Sterling expands DR to 14 x 17 format

Film and digital imaging vendor Sterling Diagnostic Imaging willshowcase its latest work in Direct Radiography, a work-in-progresstechnology for direct conversion of x-rays into digital data.Sterling debuted DR at the RSNA meeting last year in the company'sprevious incarnation as Du Pont's Medical Products group (SCAN12/13/95).

Since then, Sterling, of Glasgow, DE, has worked on expandingthe size of the DR detector to 14 x 17 inches, according to DeborahDuBois, senior vice president and business manager of the DR program.Sterling will demonstrate a 14 x 17 version of DR, and is stilltargeting a commercial release date of 1998 for DR products, DuBoissaid.

Other news at Sterling's booth is the company's major investmentin new printing technology. Sterling in October announced a dealwith Polaroid in which Sterling would buy the assets of Polaroid'sHelios dry-process laser imaging technology (SCAN 11/6/96). Sterlingwill take over manufacturing and marketing of Helios printers,although Polaroid will continue to manufacture Helios film. Sterlingplans to begin selling Helios by January.

In addition to Helios, Sterling last month released detailson its work developing a new non-laser dry printer with Tektronix(SCAN 11/20/96). The as-yet unnamed printer is based on ink-jettechnology developed by Tektronix and adapted for the medicalimaging market by Sterling. Shipments of that product, which willoccupy a lower price point than Helios, are expected in the thirdquarter of 1997.