1. A radiographic image reader for acquiring electronic signals corresponding to a latent image of an object produced by radiation exposure of a photoreceptive medium within a cassette, comprising: a light-tight enclosure with at least one access port for inserting and removing the cassette; a scanning subsystem mounted within the light-tight enclosure for scanning the photoreceptive medium within the cassette to initiate the acquisition of the electronic signals representative of the latent image; and a cassette registration and interface subsystem within the light-tight enclosure comprising an electronic interface structure for electronically connecting the photoreceptive medium within the cassette to an electronic component external of the cassette to obtain the electronic signals corresponding to the latent image within the photoreceptive medium.