Metal-organic glass enables safer, scalable, and highly sensitive X-ray detection

Medical imaging faces a persistent challenge: creating X-ray detectors that combine high sensitivity with practical usability. Current technology forces an uncomfortable trade-off between performance and practicality. Hospital X-ray machines typically use either scintillators that inefficiently convert X-rays to visible light before detection, or direct detectors containing toxic lead compounds. These systems often require complex manufacturing processes and produce rigid, limited-size devices that compromise between detection quality and practical implementation.