PSP plates are based on which technology?

• A. Photostimulable phosphor technology
• B. Photodiode technology
• C. Photomultiplier tube
• D. Solid-state detector technology

Answer: (A)

PSP plates are based on photostimulable phosphor technology. After X-ray exposure, the phosphor layer traps some energy in metastable states, creating a latent image. Reading it out involves scanning the plate with a laser, which stimulates the trapped electrons to release their energy as light (photostimulated luminescence). A detector then converts that light into a digital signal to form the image. This storage-and-readout approach distinguishes PSP from direct solid-state detectors that convert X-rays straight to an electrical signal, photodiode-only light detection systems, or readout schemes that don’t use a storage phosphor layer.