The
sensors, which have wired and wireless options, are
manufactured with a technology that combines leaded
fiber optic plates, a high-resolution CCD, and a
new CSI scintillator screen. According to the manufacturer,
this combination allows Krystal-X Easy
sensors to acquire high-quality images at a low dose.
Ease of Use
Six dentists participated in the evaluation of the
Krystal-X Easy digital sensor. When they were asked
about the importance of ease of use when purchasing
a digital sensor, all 6 said it is very important. The
evaluators were then asked to rate Krystal-X Easy
sensors on ease of use. All of the evaluators rated the
sensors as excellent to very good. One evaluator
said, “The system is easy to use for anyone who has
a little computer use exposure.”
Speed
The evaluators rated the speed of the Krystal-X
Easy sensor very highly—4 rated it as excellent and 2
rated it as very good. They all said speed is an important
attribute to consider when purchasing a digital
sensor. One evaluator said of the Krystal-X Easy sensor,
“The image acquiring speed is very fast.”
Image Quality and Diagnostic Capability
According to the manufacturer, the image area of
the Krystal-X Easy sensor is optimized for its size. It
can be used horizontally or vertically. The resolution
of the images is greater than 20 lp/mm. In “Paro”
mode, the sensor provides a detailed image in 4096
shades of gray. In the “Endo” mode, the Krystal-X
creates a specially contrasted image that is useful,
according to the manufacturer, for postoperative follow-
up of endocanalar treatment.
When the evaluators were asked to rate the
Krystal-X Easy sensor on image quality and diagnostic
capability, 1 rated it as excellent and 5 rated it as
very good. One evaluator said, “Quality and capability
can be easily refined, enlarged, and sharpened to
enhance the quality and aid in diagnosis.”
Ease of Infection Control
Because it is made of a biocompatible polyamide,
the Krystal-X Easy sensor is totally water resistant
it is rated IPX7 for cold sterilization. In
addition, the adapter between the connection
cable and the body of the sensor
is designed to resist mechanical
damage as a result of frequent use and
cleaning.
When the evaluators were asked to
rate the sensor on ease of infection control,
3 rated it as excellent and 3 rated it
as very good. One evaluator commented
that “the sensor’s upkeep is easy
using the standard barrier technique for
each patient and regular wipe down
after every use.”
Sensor Comfort and Patient
Satisfaction
According to the manufacturer, the
Krystal-X Easy sensor is compact and
comfortable. Sensor comfort was rated
as very important to all of the evaluators.
When they were asked to rate the
Krystal-X Easy sensor on comfort, 5
rated it as very good and 1 rated it as
good. With regard to patient satisfaction,
2 evaluators reported that patients
rated the sensor as excellent and 4 evaluators’
patients rated it as very good.
One evaluator said, “Patients are very
happy with the sensor. There is no waiting
time for processing and images
appear as soon as the x-rays are taken.”
One evaluator said he wished “the sensor
was thinner to accommodate children’s
mouths.”
Overall Satisfaction
Five of the evaluators said that they
would definitely recommend Krystal-X
Easy digital sensors to their dental colleagues
and 1 said he would probably
recommend them. When asked if they
would purchase the sensor in the future,
4 said definitely and 2 said probably. In
addition, all of the evaluators said that
the Krystal-X Easy sensors are much or
somewhat better than similar sensors
offered by other companies.
At the end of the evaluation, the dentists
who participated were asked to give
their overall satisfaction rating for the
Krystal-X Easy sensors. One evaluator
rated them as excellent, 4 rated them as
very good, and 1 rated them as good. One
evaluator said that his staff “is very happy
with the system, the initial learning curve
is the only hurdle to overcome.” This
same evaluator said that his purchase
experience with the sensor was “very
pleasant and the support system during
the training process was excellent.”
