In a flat panel detector, spatial resolution is controlled by which parameter?

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Spatial resolution comes from how finely the detector samples the image. In a flat panel detector, the image is collected by an array of detector elements, and the size of those elements sets the smallest detail that can be distinguished. Smaller detector elements sample the image more densely, allowing you to resolve finer structures; larger elements average signal over a bigger area, smearing details and lowering resolution. The sampling rate imposed by detector element size defines the highest spatial frequency you can capture (roughly related to 1 divided by twice the element size), so making the elements smaller raises the potential resolution.

Exposure time affects motion blur and noise, not the sampling geometry that controls resolution. Image contrast relates to the ability to differentiate gray levels, not how finely details are resolved. Pixel count is linked to resolution only insofar as it reflects element size; the key factor that directly limits spatial resolution is the detector element size.