Carestream Health, Inc.

Curt A Wiens

Chris Zwettler

Hoa Pham

An imaging apparatus including a media source having a plurality of sheets of photothermographic imaging media contained therein, an exposure unit including an input engagement point, an output engagement point, and a laser module positioned therebetween, and a driven roller pair forming a nip. A driven roller pair is configured to receive a leading edge of a sheet from a media source and is configured to begin extracting the sheet from the media source and driving the sheet along a transport path extending from the media source to at least the output engagement point of the exposure unit. Upon the leading edge being engaged by the input engagement point, the nip is configured to open while the trailing edge of sheet is still within the media source such that a remaining portion of the sheet is extracted from the media source by the exposure unit while the laser module exposes a desired image on the sheet.

Feeder assembly for laser imaging apparatus

An imaging device () comprising an array of individually controllable thermal recording elements () and a controller (). Controller () is configured to receive an input signal () and, based on input signal (), is configured to select, activate, and drive a plurality of thermal elements () from the array of thermal elements () which correspond to areas () of an imaging media () which are outside an imaging area () of imaging media ().

Thermal recording method and system employing edge printing

An imaging apparatus () for thermally recording images on an imaging media () including a printhead () having an array of individually energizeable heating elements (), a rotatable drum () for conveying imaging media () past the array of heating elements (), and an anchor element () moveable within a range of positions. A biasing mechanism () is positioned between printhead () and anchor element () and is configured to provide a biasing force to hold at least a portion of the array of heating elements () against rotatable drum (), wherein a magnitude of the biasing force is based on the position of anchor element (). An actuator system () is configured to adjust the position of the anchor element () within the range of positions so as to adjust the magnitude of the biasing force over a range of values.

Thermal recording system employing adjustable head pressure

A recording apparatus includes a plurality of thermal elements, a strobe generator, and a data sequencer. The strobe generator provides a strobe signal comprising a sequence of N pulses, each pulse having a same period, the sequence including a first group of pulses having an active state for a first duration a second group of pulses having an active state for a second duration, wherein each pulse of the second group is positioned next to a pulse of the first group such their active states combine form a continuous active state. The data sequencer provides an N-bit data sequence representative of a gradation level to each thermal element, each bit corresponding to one of the N pulses, wherein the N bits have active states such that whenever the corresponding gradation level is within a predetermined range and whenever a bit corresponding to a pulse of the second group has an active state the bit corresponding to adjacent pulse of the first group has an active state, wherein each thermal element generates heat based on the strobe signal and the corresponding N-bit sequence.

Growing community of inventors

Oakdale, MN, United States of America

Curt A Wiens