Analysis of signal propagation in optically coupled detectors for digital mammography: I. Phosphor screens.

The angular emission of light from turbid phosphor screens has been measured and modelled. As a first approximation, turbid phosphor screens have traditionally been modelled as Lambertian sources; however, Giakoumakis et al have previously shown that light emission from turbid phosphor screens is in fact more forward peaked. In this article, we extend the theory of Giakoumakis to include turbid phosphor screens that incorporate a transparent overcoat. The refractive index of the optical coupling medium in contact with the overcoat is shown to have a direct effect on both light output and angular emission from the screen. It was found that simple laws of refraction adequately describe this phenomenon. To model the angular emission of light from such phosphor screens, a term was included to describe the refraction from the overcoat into the adjacent coupling medium. The data obtained are required to calculate the propagation of the signal in a digital mammography detector in which a phosphor screen is optically coupled to a charge-coupled device (CCD) image array.