A Charge-Coupled Device image sensor, comprising: a linear array of photodetectors, wherein the linear array of photodetectors includes a single linear row of a plurality of photodetectors (402/402a) having two ends and two opposite sides along the single linear row and arranged into a plurality of sub-arrays (406/408/410) and each sub-array includes two or more photodetectors; and an output channel connected to each sub-array of photodetectors with each output channel including a horizontal CCD shift register (412/414/416) and an output structure (428/430/432) connected to an end of the horizontal CCD shift register in a linear arrangement with respect to each other such that a path of charge transfer through the horizontal CCD shift register and the output structure is substantially linear, wherein output channels are alternately positioned on opposite sides of the single linear row, wherein: each horizontal CCD shift register further comprises: a plurality of shift register elements with one shift register element associated with each photodetector in a respective sub-array characterized in that each horizontal CCD shift register further comprises: one or more additional shift register elements; a transfer mechanism (434/436/438) disposed between each shift register element and respective photodetector (402/402a) such as to have each shift register element receive a charge packet directly from the respective photodetector (402/402a); and a dark reference pixel not included in the linear array of photodetectors and electrically connected to one of said additional shift register elements in the at least one horizontal CCD shift register opposite to the sub-arrays. a linear array of photodetectors, wherein the linear array of photodetectors includes a single linear row of a plurality of photodetectors (402/402a) having two ends and two opposite sides along the single linear row and arranged into a plurality of sub-arrays (406/408/410) and each sub-array includes two or more photodetectors; and an output channel connected to each sub-array of photodetectors with each output channel including a horizontal CCD shift register (412/414/416) and an output structure (428/430/432) connected to an end of the horizontal CCD shift register in a linear arrangement with respect to each other such that a path of charge transfer through the horizontal CCD shift register and the output structure is substantially linear, wherein output channels are alternately positioned on opposite sides of the single linear row, wherein: each horizontal CCD shift register further comprises: a plurality of shift register elements with one shift register element associated with each photodetector in a respective sub-array characterized in that each horizontal CCD shift register further comprises: one or more additional shift register elements; a transfer mechanism (434/436/438) disposed between each shift register element and respective photodetector (402/402a) such as to have each shift register element receive a charge packet directly from the respective photodetector (402/402a); and a dark reference pixel not included in the linear array of photodetectors and electrically connected to one of said additional shift register elements in the at least one horizontal CCD shift register opposite to the sub-arrays. a plurality of shift register elements with one shift register element associated with each photodetector in a respective sub-array characterized in that each horizontal CCD shift register further comprises: one or more additional shift register elements; a transfer mechanism (434/436/438) disposed between each shift register element and respective photodetector (402/402a) such as to have each shift register element receive a charge packet directly from the respective photodetector (402/402a); and one or more additional shift register elements; a transfer mechanism (434/436/438) disposed between each shift register element and respective photodetector (402/402a) such as to have each shift register element receive a charge packet directly from the respective photodetector (402/402a); and a dark reference pixel not included in the linear array of photodetectors and electrically connected to one of said additional shift register elements in the at least one horizontal CCD shift register opposite to the sub-arrays.