title: Direct digitization of optical images using a photostimulable phosphor system.
abstract: The authors describe a method for directly digitizing optical images with a photostimulable phosphor (PSP) system. A PSP plate is initially charged with an exposure to a uniform x-ray field, and is then exposed to an optical image which discharges the plate in relation to the amount of incident light. Two applications were investigated: a contact-print technique for digitizing film radiographs, and a projection technique for digitizing transparent objects such as histology slides. Spatial uniformity was found to be adequate, and linearity of optical density response was excellent from 0.0-2.9 o.d. after look-up table correction. Spatial frequency response was degraded with the optical technique relative to the x-ray imaging properties of the plates, but was restorable by Fourier filtering. Image noise following spatial enhancement was satisfactory at intermediate to high optical densities using a high-resolution PSP plate, but was somewhat degraded at low densities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710.
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Dobbins
authors.forename: H G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Chotas
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Benveniste
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D008674:Metals, Rare Earth; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D008674:Metals, Rare Earth