Notebook #4

Creating a digital image on an imaging plate PSP from plate

exposure to plate processing:
1. Photostimulable phosphor imaging plate is a rigid sheet with several
layers that are deigned to record and enhance transmission of the
image from a beam of ionizing radiation
2. The imaging plate must have the ability to store and release the image
information in a usable form
a. Barium fluorohalide bromides (85%)
b. Iodides with europium activators (15%)
3. Image Acquisition
a. Begins with x-ray exposure to imaging plate
b. Radiation exposure causes fluorescence of the imaging plate, but
some of the energy of the beam is stored in the plate
i. The stored energy is used to create an image during
reading and processing
ii. Some of the electrons (which are excited by the absorbed
energy) that are trapped in the crystal structure of the
phosphor at higher energy levels
c. A latent image is stored in the imaging plate with a wider latitude
d. The imaging plate needs to be read to release the stored
information
4. Latent Image Production
a. Incident x-ray beam produces a latent image within the
photostimulable fluorohalides that make up the active layer of
the imaging plate (IP) in the cassette
b. When the fluorohalides light up, they dont release all the energy
absorbed from the x-ray beam
i. The phosphors keep sufficient energy in the form of the
latent image
1. The latent image is used to create a digital image for
the computer to record and display
c. Latent image is created by energy transfer during photoelectric
interactions
i. The photoelectrons that are produces then excite several
low-energy electrons to create holes in the crystal
phosphor
ii. About half of the electron holes will recompose and emit
light photons
1. The fluorohalides will hold or trap the other half f the
electrons
a. Creating the holes at the europium sites
i. The europium electron holes are the
actual latent image
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iii. The latent image will lose 25% of its energy in 8

hours, it is important to process the cassette soon
after the exposure
1. Cassettes stored for several days after exposure and
before processing lose most of their latent image
iv. Latent image is processed by loading the cassette into an
image reader device
1. Where the imaging plate is scanned by a helium-
neon laser beam
v. The laser beam scans cause the phosphors to emit the
stored latent image in the form of light photons
1. Which are detected by photosensitive receptors and
converted to an electrical signal
a. Which is then converted to a unique digital
value for that level of luminescence
vi. Once the plate is read, it is erased to remove all vestiges of
the latent image
vii. When a plate is grossly overexposure it may not erase
completely
1. Causing ghosting artifact of the next image

Layer: Function:
Protective layer Insulates the imaging plate from handling trauma
Phosphor layer Hold the photostimulable phosphor
(active component)
Conductor layer Grounds the plate to eliminate electrostatic
problems and absorb light to increase sharpness
Support layer Base on which to coat other layers
Light shield layer Prevents light from erasing data on the imaging
Notebook #4

plate or leaking through the backing, decreasing

spatial resolution

CR Processor:

http://appliedradiology.com/articles/implementation-of-digital-mammography-in-the-
workplace