Which device transfers the latent image within the imaging plate to a viewable digital radiograph?

• A. Imaging plate reader/digitizer
• B. PSP
• C. Scintillator
• D. Developer

Answer: (A)

Transferring the latent image from the imaging plate to a viewable digital radiograph is done by the imaging plate reader or digitizer. After exposure, the plate’s phosphor stores the image as trapped energy. The reader scans the plate with a laser; the stimulation releases the stored energy as light, which a detector converts into electrical signals and then a digital image. This device also erases the plate so it can be reused. The imaging plate (PSP) is the storage medium, not the readout device. A scintillator is a component in other detector systems that converts x-rays to light, and a developer is used in traditional film processing, not in this digital CR workflow.