DenOptix QST
032-0265-EN Rev 1A-2
How Storage Phosphor Imaging Plates Work
Each DenOptix QST Imaging Plate is made up of a very thin layer of tiny storage
phosphor crystals that are bonded together and coated on a flexible sheet of
plastic. These storage phosphor crystals have the ability to capture the energy of
X-rays and store the pattern as a latent image (see diagram).
In essence, they act as an “energy trap,
”
storing X-ray energy. The amount of
energy stored is directly proportional to the amount of X-ray energy the crystal was
exposed to. The DenOptix QST scanner further excites the phosphor crystals to an
unstable state by exposing them to a red laser. The phosphor crystals then release
a blue light and return to their stable ground state. The DenOptix QST scanner
reads this blue light and, with the imaging software, produces an image.
This process does not completely erase the
imag
ing plate. Some crystals remain
as “energy traps.” This information can be erased by exposing the imaging plate
to light. A few seconds of low levels of light will usually not effect the image quality.
Once erased, the imaging plate can be re-exposed and the process can begin
again. With proper handling, DenOptix QST Imaging Plates can be continually
reused.
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