Logos Imaging EPIX Scanner
User Manual
27
Appendix B: Lighting Conditions for Handling or Erasing Imaging Plates
Without light, storage phosphor imaging
would not work. The red light from the laser
scanner excites the exposed imaging plates,
causing them to emit blue light. After your
computer interprets the blue light and changes
it into a digital image, light is used to erase the
residual information from the imaging plate.
Between x-ray exposure and scanning,
however, one must be careful handling the
imaging plates. An imaging plate should never
be removed from its protective sleeve or
cassette and exposed to a strong source of
light. This act would erase the latent image
from the plate. Therefore, you must load
imaging plates onto the carousel under
controlled lighting conditions. The
recommendations below have been developed
to ensure that you obtain excellent image
quality.
Recommendations on Lighting Conditions
for Loading Carousels
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Fluorescent Lights
If loading can be accomplished in less than
60 seconds, the fluorescent lighting in the
area should not exceed 20 lux. If loading
will take longer than 60 seconds, the room
conditions need to be darker. At 10 lux, the
operator has about 5 minutes to accomplish
loading.
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Incandescent Lighting
Incandescent lighting is about half as
efficient as fluorescent lighting at fading
imaging plates. Here, again, we
recommend lighting conditions of around
20 lux. Under incandescent lighting,
however, you have about 2 minutes to
complete the loading process. If it takes
longer than 2 minutes, decrease the amount
of light to 10 lux.
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Sunlight
Sunlight is the most efficient light for
fading imaging plates. Additionally, it is
very difficult to judge the intensity of
sunlight. Loading carousels under sunlight
is not recommended.
If you cannot darken your mounting area to 20
lux or less, contact your local Logos Imaging
representative for suggested mounting times.
