Which artifact is least likely to be seen on a PSP plate?

• A. Ghost images
• B. Edge halos around high-contrast edges
• C. Dust
• D. Scratches

Answer: (B)

Photostimulable phosphor (PSP) plates are subject to artifacts that originate from the physical plate, its erasure process, or the reader. Ghost images are a classic pitfall: if the plate isn’t properly erased, a residual latent image from a previous exposure can appear on subsequent radiographs. Dust on the plate surface or within the reader shows up as small spots or specks where the laser reading is blocked or scattered, and scratches produce visible lines along the plate’s surface from handling or cleaning.

Edge halos around high-contrast edges, however, are not typical artifacts caused by the PSP plate itself. They tend to arise from post-processing or image-display algorithms in digital systems (such as edge enhancement effects) rather than from the plate’s physical properties. Therefore, this type of artifact is least likely to be seen on a PSP plate.