Which device in the reader detects the light released from the PSP plate during reading?

• A. Photodetector
• B. Charge-coupled device
• C. Photomultiplier tube
• D. Light sensor

Answer: (A)

When the PSP plate is read, the light that is released must be captured and turned into an electrical signal for image formation. The device that does this is a photodetector—the component designed to sense photons and convert them into an electrical signal. In many CR readers this role is fulfilled by a highly sensitive photodetector, often a photomultiplier tube, but the general term for the detector is photodetector. A CCD is a different type of image sensor used in other imaging systems, and a light sensor is a broad term that doesn’t specify the detector’s function as directly as photodetector.