Laser imaging

Published on 12/06/2015 by admin

Filed under Radiology

Last modified 22/04/2025

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6 Laser imaging

Lasers

Light and the Laser White light

Laser light

The First Laser Pulsed laser
In 1960, Theodore Maiman, working at the Hughes Aircraft Electronic Research Laboratory, built the first laser

The Operation of a Laser

The Basic Physics
Inside a Laser
Continuous Wave Gas Laser

The Original Laser Imagers

 
Operator Keypad This allows control of the parameters for imaging at the time of the examination
These can include:

Exposure The patient is imaged
Memory Store All the digital image information required for one ‘film’ must be put into the memory store, before the image recording can start

An Interface Transmits the digital information from the memory store to the laser

An Acoustic-optical Modulator Modulates the laser beam in terms of brightness, grey levels, etc.
The Laser
An Optical System A lens system is used to focus the laser beam onto a scanner
A (Mechanical) Scanner A very accurate and fast Galvano scanner used to move the laser beam from side to side across the imaging field
A Mirror Horizontal scanning

A (Mechanical) Film Transport System Vertical imaging

Imaging Takes between 8 and 30 seconds
Film Characteristics
Note
It is important that the correct film is purchased to match the type of laser used to obtain optimum results

Processing
Digital Input Signal

It is possible for the imagers to receive input signals at the same time as they are ‘writing’ an image and therefore there is no processing delay

Imaging Plates

Imaging Plate Construction
Imaging Plate Cassettes

Use of the Imaging Plate

Image Erasure
Exposure The imaging plate can either:

When the plate is exposed to radiation:

Image Reading
Principle of Photostimulated Luminescence

Dry Film Processing

  Technology is available which utilises direct laser printing to produce an image without the use of processing chemicals
Film Characteristics
Imaging
Imaging System Characteristics