Detectorfilm

Detectorfilm is a general term for photographic film used as a recording medium in radiation detectors and imaging systems. It consists of a silver halide emulsion coated on a transparent base, which records the passage of ionizing radiation by forming a latent image that is developed chemically into a visible photograph. Detectorfilm is designed to translate exposure into a permanent image that can be analyzed and archived.

In medical radiography, detectorfilm has historically been used with intensifying screens to convert X-ray photons into light that exposes the film. After development, areas with higher exposure appear darker, producing a radiographic image of anatomy. In radiotherapy and dosimetry, calibrated detector-film pieces are employed to measure dose distributions, a technique known as film dosimetry, which provides high spatial resolution.

Beyond medicine, photographic films were used in nuclear and particle physics to record tracks left by charged particles, a tradition that traces back to early emulsion detectors. Such films require chemical development and specialized scanning to extract quantitative track information.

Advantages of detectorfilm include high spatial resolution and a well-established processing pipeline. Limitations include the need for chemical processing, non-linear and energy-dependent response, sensitivity to development conditions, and longer turnaround times compared with digital detectors. As digital imaging technologies have advanced, detectorfilm has largely been replaced in routine practice, though it remains in use for archival purposes, quality assurance, and scenarios where digital systems are unavailable or impractical. See also radiographic film, film dosimetry, photographic emulsion.