What is the device called that transfers the latent image from the imaging plate to a viewable digital radiograph?

• A. IP reader/digitizer
• B. Plate reader
• C. Developer
• D. Scintillator

Answer: (A)

Transferring the latent image from the imaging plate to a viewable digital radiograph is done by the IP reader/digitizer. In computed radiography, the imaging plate stores the latent image in the phosphor layer until readout. The IP reader scans the plate and uses laser stimulation to release the stored energy as light. The emitted light is then detected and converted into a digital signal, producing the viewable radiograph. This reading and digitizing step is what differentiates the IP reader/digitizer from other components: a developer is used for film, and a scintillator is the material that converts X-rays to light inside a detector, not the device that reads the latent image. A plate reader is a similar concept, but the standard term used in this context is IP reader/digitizer.