Retrofitting for a digital age

When technologists invent new solutions they often ignore what's there.

While it's cheap and easy to toss an old Kodak or Polaroid camera in the garbage for a new digital unit, that's not true for doctors and dentists, who rely on x-ray machines to do their jobs.

So this is not sexy, but it's necessary and it's great. It's called the Carestream DRX-1, and it replaces all the analog gear in a doctor's current x-ray rig. It's a digital plug-in, no muss no fuss.

It comes out early next year, and while the $125,000 price may sound high, that's 75% less than retrofitting an existing room or buying a completely new unit.

With this kind of retrofitting the future does not have to look much different from the past or present. The innovation is inside, and transparent.

Just something else to look for next time you visit the doctor's office. Not everything is as it seems.