orthicon

The orthicon was an early electronic camera tube used in television technology. It was an improvement over the iconoscope, offering greater sensitivity by using a low-velocity electron beam to scan the image.1

Similar to other camera tubes of its time, the orthicon converted an optical image into electrical signals for transmission. It worked by scanning a light-sensitive surface within the tube with an electron beam. This process allowed for the generation of television picture signals. The image orthicon was a further development, utilizing secondary emission and electron multiplication to enhance signal production. These tubes were crucial in the early success of television before being largely replaced by solid-state imagers.23