Performance characteristics of a laser scanner and laser printer system for radiological imaging

This paper describes the performance characteristics of a laser scanner and laser printer system for radiological imaging. The laser scanner can digitize a 14'' X 17'' X-ray film to 2000 X 2400 X 10 bit in about 100 s. The laser printer can format 16 images on a 8'' X 10'' or 14'' X 17'' film with up to 2300 X 3050 X 8 bit resolution in about 50 s. Our experiments show that the laser scanner and the laser printer have a spatial resolution of 3 cycles/mm with excellent spatial linearity and flat field response. This system is a major component of a picture archiving and communication system in a digital-based radiology department. As a stand-alone system, it has certain clinical applications such as a contrast enhancement of radiographs and potential dose reduction to the patient.