Radiology Display Technology

Progress Over Time and the Role of Standards Today

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.59667/sjoranm.v21i1.28

Keywords:

digital image information chain, PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication System), electronic devices with suitable displays, projectors, beamers, computer screens, tablets, televisions, smartphones, diagnostic significance, digital revolution from 1987 to 2025

Abstract

Radiographic images were traditionally recorded on film. Once processed, film offered limited scope for image manipulation compared with digital systems. The introduction of a digital image chain from detector to display separated acquisition, processing, storage, and presentation and substantially expanded the options for post-processing.

Digital radiology distributes images through PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication System) within radiology departments and across emergency rooms, operating rooms, wards, and outpatient clinics. Patient and referrer portals extend access beyond the hospital, while desktops, tablets, smartphones, and other displays support a wide range of viewing tasks.

Display requirements should reflect the intended clinical use. Primary diagnostic interpretation, clinical image review, education, and patient access involve different demands. This narrative review examines the development of display technologies and the evidence concerning their use in radiology.

We argue that quality-control procedures should be proportionate to the clinical task, the display's validated performance, and the viewing environment. Modern displays and integrated calibration tools may reduce manual testing effort. However, comparisons of selected displays do not establish that ongoing quality assurance is unnecessary. Resource-efficient programmes should retain appropriate acceptance testing, validated automated monitoring, and periodic verification in accordance with applicable requirements.

Author Biographies

  • Frank Mosler, Department of Diagnostic, Interventional and Pediatric Radiology, Inselspital, University Hospital of Bern, University of Bern

    Board-certified Radiologist & Neuroradiologist; Senior Consultant, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital

    Dr. med. Frank Mosler is a board-certified radiologist and neuroradiologist with more than 30 years of clinical and academic experience across major European university centers. He completed his medical education and early specialty training in radiology and neurosurgery at Charité University Hospital in Berlin. He later specialized in interventional neuroradiology at Alfried Krupp Hospital in Essen, where he also held senior leadership responsibilities.

    His professional career has included academic medicine, diagnostic and interventional radiology, neuroradiology, healthcare management, quality assurance, and scientific publishing in Germany and Switzerland. Since 2017, he has been affiliated with the Department of Diagnostic, Interventional and Pediatric Radiology (DIPR) at Inselspital, Bern University Hospital.

    As Editor-in-Chief of the Swiss Journal of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Dr. Mosler leads the journal's editorial and scientific strategy and holds overall responsibility for editorial policy, publication standards, scientific integrity, and final editorial decision-making.

    Institutional affiliation: University Institute of Diagnostic, Interventional and Pediatric Radiology, Inselspital
    Location: Bern, Switzerland
    ROR: 01q9sj412

  • Gerd Nöldge, Institut für Diagnostische und Interventionelle Radiologie, Katholisches Marienkrankenhaus gGmbH, Alfredstraße 9 in D-22087 Hamburg, Germany, Marienkrankenhaus Hamburg

    Founding Editor & Honorary Editor
    Switzerland & Germany
    Senior Consultant Radiology, University Hospitals Heidelberg & Bern

    Prof. Dr. med. Gerd Nöldge is a renowned German radiologist and pioneer in interventional radiology. As former Senior Consultant at Heidelberg University Hospital, he made groundbreaking contributions to gastrointestinal artery embolization, for which he received the inaugural Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen Prize in 1985. He played a key role in advancing kyphoplasty techniques for osteoporotic vertebral fractures, providing long-term evidence for the efficacy and stability of calcium phosphate cement in vertebral body augmentation.

    Prof. Nöldge has also significantly contributed to the clinical development and refinement of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) procedures, improving outcomes in patients with portal hypertension. His dedication to education and international collaboration has fostered enduring partnerships, including medical exchange programs with leading institutions in China.

    As Founding Editor of the Swiss Journal of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Prof. Nöldge played a decisive role in the establishment and early development of SJORANM. His appointment as Honorary Editor recognizes his founding contribution, his longstanding scientific commitment, and his lasting importance to the journal. 

    Former institutional affiliation: University Hospital Heidelberg – Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology
    Location: Heidelberg, Germany & Bern, Switzerland
    ROR: 013czdx64

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SJORANM article cover, Vol. 21 No. 1 (2025). Holographic symbolic illustration for article 76.

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Published

2025-07-31

Data Availability Statement

This narrative review discusses radiology display technology and standards using the published sources cited in the article.

Issue

Vol. 21 No. 1 (2025)

Section

Research Articles

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Copyright (c) 2025 Dr. med. Frank Mosler, Prof. Dr. med. Gerd Nöldge

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How to Cite

Mosler, F., & Nöldge, G. (2025). Radiology Display Technology: Progress Over Time and the Role of Standards Today. Swiss Journal of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, 21(1), 51-65. https://doi.org/10.59667/sjoranm.v21i1.28

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