Apple Scanner: Controlling The Lamp During Scans

Is it possible to perform a scan with the Apple Scanner lamp off?

I am trying to scan some X-ray photographs. However, because they are photo-negatives, they are very dark, and the Apple Scanner lamp:

1) Is not bright enough to pick out the white detail.

2) Causes reflections off the shiny surface of the "acetate" film.

I can solve problem "1" by balancing a photographic lightbox on top of the Apple Scanner, but then I have to switch off the Apple Scanner lamp when scanning to prevent the reflections in problem "2".

Is it possible to control the lamp via software, or is it controlled by the Apple Scanner hardware? Can I simply remove the lamp from the Apple Scanner, or does it automatically stop operating when the bulb is broken or removed?

As a worst case, is it possible to modify the Apple Scanner board to switch the lamp on and off manually, and also fool the Apple Scanner into thinking that it is on?
It is possible to control the Apple Scanner lamp through the control flags in the scanner driver. However, in normal operation, this function is controlled exclusively by the AppleScan software, and any changes would require either a modification to the AppleScan software (not a solution supported by Apple) or writing a custom scanner application.

As an alternative, it is also possible to remove the lamp from the Apple Scanner and still be functional with the AppleScan software.
Published Date: Feb 18, 2012