Apparatus and method for scanning transparent phosphors

摘要

Apparatus for scan-stimulating a transparent image-storage phosphor to recover a latent image previously formed therein by, for example, an imagewise exposure to x-radiation. Such apparatus includes a source of stimulating radiation and optical apparatus for causing the stimulating radiation to appear (to the storage phosphor) to diverge from the same position in space as the source (x-ray) used to form the latent image in the phosphor. By scanning the phosphor with stimulating radiation propagating along the same path as that traversed by the imagewise-exposing radiation, the recovered image is significantly sharper than prior art techniques.