What is the composition of the phosphor layer in a computed radiography (CR) imaging plate?

The phosphor layer in a computed radiography (CR) imaging plate is primarily composed of barium fluorohalide. This specific composition is crucial because barium fluorohalide has the ability to efficiently capture and store the energy from x-ray photons. When the imaging plate is exposed to radiation, the barium fluorohalide crystals absorb the latent image, which can later be processed by a reader that releases the stored energy as light in proportion to the original x-ray exposure.

This process allows for high-quality digital images, making barium fluorohalide the ideal choice for CR systems. The efficiency and accuracy of the image capture directly contribute to the overall performance of computed radiography, which is heavily utilized in medical imaging. Other materials listed, such as calcium tungstate or silver halide crystals, are found in different types of imaging systems, but they do not serve as the active phosphor layer in CR imaging plates.