Photostimulable storage phosphor (PSP) plates in digital radiography have which characteristic?

• A. They require scanning the plate to convert to a digital image
• B. They provide immediate chairside images
• C. They are unaffected by light before scanning
• D. They are reusable without processing

Answer: (A)

PSP plates store the captured X-ray energy in a phosphor layer until readout. To produce a digital image, the plate must be scanned with a laser in a PSP reader. The laser stimulates the stored energy, releasing light that is detected and converted into a digital image. Because this readout step is required, you don’t get an immediate chairside image; the scanner is essential to convert the stored information into a viewable digital format. PSP plates are sensitive to light before scanning, so exposure to ambient light can erode or fog the latent image, requiring protection from light until read. They are reusable, but only after the readout and subsequent erasure processing in the scanner, not without processing. Therefore, the defining characteristic is that they require scanning to convert to a digital image.