Abstract: Disclosed are a method and apparatus for producing a real-time electronic signal which represents a radiation image. The apparatus includes a source of radiation which bombards a human or other body being examined and produces a radiation image. The radiation image strikes a luminescent phosphor screen thereby ionizing the phosphor and storing information therein which indicates the intensity or total quantity of the ionizing radiation. A scanning laser beam having a high intensity beam is used to very rapidly stimulate the phosphor screen. An emission detector measures the intensity or total quantity of emission from the phosphor screen and creates an electronic signal. The electronic signal is synchronized with information about the position of the scanning laser beam and the delay associated with the phosphor stimulation. An electronic video signal is thereby produced which can be displayed on a conventional video display, recorded or digitized for storage, analysis and enhancement with computers.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for rapidly stimulating luminescent phosphors using laser beams. The laser beam must strike the luminous phosphor with an intensity sufficient to cause rapid release of luminescent energy stored within the phosphor as a result of previous exposure to ionizing radiation. Emission of the luminescent energy can occur within very brief peiods of time, for example, less than 100 nanoseconds. The invention also includes a method for determining the amount of ionizing radiation to which a luminescent phosphor was exposed. Also disclosed is an apparatus for carrying out these methods.