For instance, as a mechanical engineer and physicist, we think Roentgen would wonder at the development of dual-layer flat-panel detectors and recent work to improve their usability by a group at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Researchers there have built a device with a liquid filter that can be quickly drained when these detectors are used for nonspectral imaging. This could improve radiation safety and clinical adoption of dual-layer flat-panel detectors, they suggest.

Also, researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) continue to exploit the very nature of x-ray beams with their prototype dark-field chest x-ray machine. Collaborators from the TUM group will discuss the experimental approach in two presentations. One concerns how dark-field chest x-ray imaging compares with conventional x-ray when diagnosing pulmonary emphysema, and the second suggests that the approach stacks up against CT for diagnosing COVID-19.

However, there's no doubt that artificial intelligence algorithms developed using x-ray images lead the show in terms of studies to be presented. There are more studies this year evaluating the performance of commercially available algorithms. In one, researchers assessed the performance of an algorithm designed to assess hip dysplasia. In another, a PACS-integrated algorithm designed to detect pneumothorax on routine chest x-rays improved radiologist reporting times.

In addition, interventional radiology (IR) will make another strong appearance at RSNA 2022, with one study we've highlighted below finding that the use of the specialty has increased significantly among U.S. veterans. In so doing, IR has improved survival outcomes in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the researchers noted.

In another IR session, results will be presented from a multicenter study in Germany that suggests bone mineral density may be considered a prognostic factor for patients with HCC undergoing transarterial chemoembolization.

Keep reading for highlights of these and other digital x-ray presentations and posters scheduled for this year's meeting. You can also view the complete 2022 scientific and educational program on the RSNA 2022 website.