Fuji Photo Film Company, Limited

Makoto Ohgoda

Kaoru Tamura

Toshitaka Agano

Wataru Ito

Nobuyoshi Nakajima

Kazuo Horikawa

Yasuhiro Kawai

Shumpeita Torii

Kunimasa Shimizu

Yoshihiko Okamoto

Eiichi Asai

Yasuhiko Goto

Tokukazu Saito

Ryousuke Furue

Kazuo Daigo

Kimio Seto

A radiation image information reading apparatus which comprises a holding unit in which a cassette for accommodating therein a stimulable phosphor sheet having both sides thereof on which radiation image information is stored and recorded, is detachably held. A feeding device feeds the stimulable phosphor sheet in predetermined directions, and a reading unit disposed on one side of the stimulable phosphor sheet (above the same) exposes one of the both sides of the stimulable phosphor sheet to exciter rays to photoelectrically read information via light emitted from the stimulable phosphor sheet. An erasing unit disposed on the other side of the stimulable phosphor sheet (below the same) erases radiation image information which remains on the other of the both sides of the stimulable phosphor sheet.

Radiation image information reading apparatus

A storage type stimulable phosphor sheet holding device attached to an exposure apparatus, which has a cassette charging unit which is to be charged with the cassette, two pairs of cover opening mechanisms provided below the storage type phosphor sheet holding device and used to open the cover member of the cassette, a sheet holding unit for accommodating and holding therein an already-exposed storage type phosphor sheet taken out of the cassette, a sheet shifting mechanism for shifting the storage type phosphor sheet S to the sheet holding unit.

Storage type phosphor sheet holding device

Digital image signals are detected from radiation images of an object constituted of bones and soft tissues. A subtraction process is carried out with a predetermined parameter on the digital image signals, and a difference signal representing an image of part of the object is obtained. Each of images of a phantom, which has part exhibiting an equivalent radiation absorption coefficient to bones and/or part exhibiting an equivalent radiation absorption coefficient to soft tissues, is read out together with each object image. A value of the parameter is found, with which the image of either part of the phantom becomes erased in a subtraction image of the phantom obtained from subtraction processing. The value of the parameter, which has thus been found, is determined as an optimum value of the parameter. Subtraction processing is then carried out by using the optimum value of the parameter.

Method and apparatus for forming energy subtraction images

A radiation image read-out apparatus comprises a cassette holding section for releasably holding a cassette which houses a stimulable phosphor sheet carrying a radiation image stored thereon, and feeding out the stimulable phosphor sheet, a read-out section for reading out the radiation image stored on the stimulable phosphor sheet, and an erasing section for erasing radiation energy remaining on the stimulable phosphor sheet after the image read-out. A stacker accommodates a plurality of stimulable phosphor sheets and feeds out them one by one. A first conveyance system conveys the stimulable phosphor sheet fed out of the cassette holding section into the stacker, and conveys the stimulable phosphor sheet fed out of the stacker to the read-out section and the erasing section. A second conveyance system conveys the stimulable phosphor sheet passing through the erasing section into the stacker, and conveys the stimulable phosphor sheet taken out of the stacker into the cassette at the cassette holding section.

Radiation image read-out apparatus

An apparatus for scanning a sheet-shaped recording medium comprises a conveyance system provided with a conveying roller and a plurality of nip rollers for conveying the recording medium in co-operation with the conveying roller, and a scanning optical system for scanning the conveyed recording medium by a light beam in a scanning direction normal to the conveyance direction. One of the conveying roller and the nip rollers is fabricated as edge rollers contacting the other of said conveying roller and said nip rollers only near both end portions of the other. The scanning optical system is positioned on the side of the edge rollers.

Apparatus for scanning sheet-shaped recording medium between edge rollers

A radiation image read-out and reproducing apparatus wherein radiation image read-out and reproduction are carried by use of the same scanning system in the same apparatus. The light beam scanning section includes a read-out main scanning means and a reproducing main scanning means. The light source as well as the light deflector of the read-out main scanning means are the same as the light source and light deflector of the reproducing main scanning means. Further, the means for conveying the stimulable phosphor sheet for read-out and for conveying the recording sheet for reproducing are common to each other. A beam diameter adjusting means adjusts the beam diameter of the light beam between a position on the stimulable phosphor sheet and a position on the recording sheet by moving the beam diameter adjusting means into or away from an optical path of the light beam depending upon whether the light beam scans the stimulable phosphor sheet or the recorded sheet. Also included is an automatic developing machine for carrying out development on the recording sheet carrying the radiation image reproduced thereon.

Radiation image read-out and reproducing apparatus

A radiation image read-out apparatus comprises a sheet feed section capable of selectively holding a cassette for housing a single stimulable phosphor sheet carrying a radiation image stored thereon or a magazine for housing a plurality of stimulable phosphor sheets each carrying a radiation image stored thereon. The sheet feed section is provided with a sheet take-out device for taking the stimulable phosphor sheet out of the cassette and the magazine. A read-out section is provided for reading out the radiation image by exposing the stimulable phosphor sheet to stimulating rays which cause the stimulable phosphor sheet to emit light in proportion to the stored radiation energy, and photoelectrically detecting the emitted light. A sheet conveyor conveys the stimulable phosphor sheet taken out of the sheet feed section to the read-out section.

A cassette for storing an image recording medium includes a casing for housing the image recording medium therein, and a cover openably and closably mounted on the casing for holding the image recording medium in a light-shielding manner in the casing. A resilient member such as a leaf spring or a sponge body is disposed in the casing for placing the image recording medium thereon. Alternatively, a lifter is operatively coupled between the cover and the casing for placing the image recording medium thereon. When the cover is opened in a device having a sheet feed system, the image recording medium can be brought by the resilient member or the lifter into a position facing the sheet feed system and then fed out of the casing by the sheet feed system.

Cassette for information recording mediums

A radiation image read-out apparatus comprises a section for holding a cassette housing an image-recorded stimulable phosphor sheet, a section for holding a magazine housing image-recorded stimulable phosphor sheets, an image read-out section, an erasing section, and a section for holding a tray for housing erased stimulable phosphor sheets. A conveyance system is provided for conveying the stimulable phosphor sheet received from the cassette holding section to the image read-out section, the erasing section and then into the cassette, and conveying the stimulable phosphor sheet received from the magazine holding section to the image read-out section, the erasing section and then into the tray. The erasing section is shorter than the length of a single stimulable phosphor sheet. The erasing section and the tray are adjacent to each other so that the tray supports the leading edge of the stimulable phosphor sheet conveyed at the erasing section. The conveyance system conveys the erased stimulable phosphor sheet by switch-back into the cassette.

As an X-ray detecting means in an energy subtraction processing method, there is used a composite member comprising a plurality of stimulable phosphor sheets exhibiting different levels of characteristics of absorbing the low energy component of a radiation and overlaid one upon another, or a composite member comprising a plurality of stimulable phosphor sheets and at least one filter made of a material absorbing the low energy component of a radiation which are overlaid one upon another, or a stimulable phosphor sheet comprising a substrate made of a material absorbing the low energy component of a radiation and stimulable phosphor layers provided thereon. The composite member or the stimulable phosphor sheet is exposed to a radiation passing through an object including a specific structure to record therein at least two radiation images between which the image information at the portion of the specific structure is different. On the basis of the radiation images read out from the composite member or the stimulable phosphor sheet, a subtraction image is obtained.

Energy subtraction processing method for radiation images, stimulable

A radiation image read-out apparatus comprises a stimulable phosphor sheet feeding section for housing and feeding out a stimulable phosphor sheet carrying a radiation image stored thereon, an image read-out section, an erasing section for erasing radiation energy remaining on the stimulable phosphor sheet, and a stimulable phosphor sheet housing section for housing the stimulable phosphor sheet on which erasing has been finished at the erasing section. These sections are provided one above another. A sheet conveyance system extending vertically for receiving the stimulable phosphor sheet from the stimulable phosphor sheet feeding section, conveying the stimulable phosphor sheet into and out of the image read-out section and the erasing section, and conveying the stimulable phosphor sheet into the stimulable phosphor sheet housing section is provided in horizontal relation to the respective sections.

A lighttight envelope for housing a stimulable phosphor sheet therein is fabricated of a flexible light shielding material and has a size sufficient to house the stimulable phosphor sheet therein. The lighttight envelope comprises an upper sheet and a lower sheet closely contacted with each other at least at one side and open at least at one side opposite to the closely contacted side and at portions of two sides adjacent the ends of the opposite side up to such positions that access to a part of the stimulable phosphor sheet housed in the lighttight envelope is allowed, thereby forming a wide inlet for the stimulable phosphor sheet. A small face-to-face fastener is positioned at a part of the opposite side.

Lighttight envelope for high-speed conveyance of stimulable phosphor

Stimulable phosphor sheets are circulated through an image recording section for recording radiation images on the stimulable phosphor sheets, an image read-out section for scanning the stimulable phosphor sheets by stimulating rays and detecting light emitted thereby upon stimulation, and an erasing section for releasing radiation energy remaining in the stimulable phosphor sheets. Time elapsed after the radiation energy remaining in each stimulable phosphor sheet was released is measured, and image recording on each stimulable phosphor sheet is detected. A time measurement signal and an image recording detection signal are sent to a control device which activates a sheet circulating and conveying system to send the stimulable phosphor sheet to the erasing section when the time elapsed after releasing of the radiation energy remaining in the stimulable phosphor sheet reaches a predetermined length prior to image recording on the stimulable phosphor sheet.

Radiation image recording and read-out apparatus

A radiation image recording and read-out apparatus comprises an image recording section for recording a radiation image of an object on a stimulable phosphor sheet, an image read-out section for scanning the stimulable phosphor sheet by stimulating rays and for detecting the light emitted thereby upon stimulation, and an erasing section for releasing the radiation energy remaining in the stimulable phosphor sheet. The stimulable phosphor sheets are circulated through these sections by conveyor belts and reused for image recording. Erasing conditions at the erasing section are adjusted so that the stimulable phosphor sheet is conveyed out of the erasing section at time intervals approximately equal to the image read-out time at the image read-out section.

Growing community of inventors

Kanagawa, Japan

Makoto Ohgoda