DQE

Detective Quantum Efficiency — how efficiently a detector converts incoming X-rays into useful signal. Higher DQE = better image quality at the same dose.

Why it matters to buyers: Higher DQE means you can use lower dose for equivalent image quality — the headline metric when comparing new detectors.

Why it matters to engineers: DQE degrades as panels age. a-Se detectors (Hologic mammo, some DR) age faster than CsI.