Optimized storage phosphor erase time

In a storage phosphor imaging system including a scanner for scanning a storage phosphor storing an x-ray image to produce an x-ray light image, a converter for converting the x-ray light image into a digital x-ray image signal having a range of code values, and a storage phosphor erase light assembly for erasing said storage phosphor of substantially all residual image, an apparatus for controlling said erase light assembly, said apparatus comprising;

• a digital image processor for determining the maximum code value of a digital x-ray image signal which is produced from an x-ray image stored in a storage phosphor to be erased;
• a controller for controlling the time of actuation of said erase light assembly as a function of said determined maximum code value;
• wherein said digital image processor produces a histogram of the code values of said digital x-ray image signal and determines said maximum code value from said histogram;
• and
• wherein said controller includes a set of lookup tables, one for each size of storage phosphor read by said system, wherein each of said lookup tables is a table of code value vs. time of actuation, which maps the determined maximum code value to the time of actuation of said erase lamp assembly and further includes a multiplier or scale factor for each of a plurality of different storage phosphor compositions.