Schick 33: A Different Sensor, No Matter Which Way You Look At It

As product manager at Sirona, Joe Goldstone is responsible for knowing all the ins and outs of all of their platforms. Recently, he took the time to discuss the Schick 33 sensor. This is a two-part series, the second of which will be appearing on July 16.

On the fifth floor of an innocuous looking building in Queens, N.Y., visitors are often surprised to discover one of the most innovative R&D and manufacturing facilities in the U.S.

Intraoral imaging products have been designed and manufactured at this location since the first Schick sensors entered the market in 1994. Those sensors were the first in the industry to come in three film-like sizes and to use a CCD imaging chip. While the principles of digital radiography remain the same, the technology involved has come a long way in today’s Schick 33 range of sensors.

The Schick 33 sensor was designed with three key elements in mind: to provide the greatest image resolution possible, to be robust enough to withstand the wear and tear of daily practice use, and to provide the highest level of patient comfort without sacrificing imaging area.

To achieve its incomparable image resolution, Schick 33 employs the second generation of its patented CMOS-APS imaging chip (the first generation was introduced in 1998). The chip, combined with the low noise, high light signal yield of a Cesium Iodide scintillator, enables the Schick 33 sensor to capture images with a line pair resolution of up to 28lp/mm. This high-resolution output ensures that the sensor’s images can be run through various image enhancements to improve contrast and sharpness levels critical to diagnostics while maintaining industry leading resolution levels.

The sensor’s durability comes from being housed in an outer casing made of polyarylamide, which allows the sensor to not only withstand repeated drops onto tile surfaces, but also to resist flexing in the middle of the sensor. This prevents damage to both the casing and the internal elements by a patient biting down on the sensor.

To achieve maximum patient comfort, Schick 33’s designers focused on minimizing the non-active area of the sensor. They rounded off the corners and edges of the outer casing without cutting the corners of the active area, thereby preserving the sensor’s ability to obtain critical diagnostic information. In addition, the sensor is available in three different sizes to ensure maximum imaging area for a variety of patient sizes.