LONDON, May 15, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — The need to improve the efficiency and quality of X-ray examinations will drive healthcare facilities across Europe to install computed radiography (CR) and digital radiography (DR) systems. The emergence of retrofit systems based on flat panel technology has popularised DR systems, and will sustain investments in the European computed and digital radiography market.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan (http://www.medtech.frost.com), Western and Eastern European Markets for Computed and Digital Radiography, finds that the market earned revenues of more than $388.8 million in 2011 and estimates this to reach $473.9 million in 2016.

The implementation of picture archiving and communications systems (PACS) will contribute to the growth of the CR and DR market in Europe, as healthcare facilities look to fully benefit from the benefits of both PACS and digital X-ray solutions.

“CR and DR technologies’ advantages over analogue X-rays, which include increased patient throughput as well as shorter examination and result analysis times, have also encouraged their adoption,” says Frost & Sullivan Healthcare Industry Analyst Dominika Grzywinska . “The shortage of radiologists further drives uptake, as digital systems enable a radiologist to cater to nearly three times the number of patients served using analogue X-rays.”

Retrofit systems, which facilitate the upgrade of existing X-ray systems without replacing the installed base, are growing popular especially in Western Europe. In fact, many end users prefer retrofit solutions offering high throughput and image quality at reasonable costs, rather than new DR systems that require added investments.