IMAGE MACHINE USING A LARGE AREA ELECTRON MULTIPLIER

The imaging machine which may form part of a photocopier, scanner or the like has a light source, a platen ( 21 ) consisting of an upper, light transparent plate ( 23 ) and beneath the upper plate an image collector unit ( 25 ) and an image data processor ( 30 ). The image collector unit ( 25 ) consists of a photosensitive sheet arranged above an array of electron multiplier channels. Light reflected from an object laid on the surface ( 24 ) of the upper plate ( 23 ) is converted by the photosensitive sheet into electrons that are multiplied by the electron multiplier channels to amplify the image of the object resting on the upper plate. The surface area of the electron multiplier array corresponds to the imaging area of the imaging machine making it possible for a complete image to be captured simultaneously across the entire imaging area rather than by means of scanning optics. Moreover, the use of the electron multiplier array enables lower powered light sources to be employed.