Patent ID: 7544962

Claim:
A method for reading out information stored in a phosphor layer, where the phosphor layer is stimulated into emitting emission light by stimulation light produced by a light source and the emission light emitted from one or more linear areas of the phosphor layer is collected by a detector, which comprises a line of detection elements, moved relative to the phosphor layer and converted into corresponding emission light signals, the method comprising: switching off the light source momentarily at least once during the movement of the detection elements of the detector relative to the phosphor layer between collection of the emission light from successive linear areas of the phosphor layer; when the light source is switched off, collecting a background at each one of the detection elements of the detector for an entire linear area extending across the phosphor layer during the movement of the detection elements of the detector relative to the phosphor layer with each of the detector elements collecting the background light from a different region of the linear area, said background being caused by ambient light and/or dark currents in the detector, and converting the background into a corresponding background signal for each detection element; when the light source is switched on, collecting emission light at each one of the detection elements of the detector for the entire linear area extending across the phosphor layer during the movement of the detection elements of the detector relative to the phosphor layer and generating an emission light signal for each detection element with each of the detector elements collecting the emission light from a different region of the linear area; using the background signal from each detection element to correct an emission light signal from the detection elements to reduce an influence of the ambient light and/or dark currents in the detector; switching on the light source for a stimulation period T s and collecting the emission light emitted from the linear areas with the detector during an integration period T 1 ; and collecting the background at each one of the detection elements of the detector for an entire linear area extending across the phosphor layer during a background integration period T u after a delay after the stimulation period T s has ended to allow afterglow to fade before collection of the background.