JP2005115229A - Apparatus and method for cassette read processing - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an apparatus and a method for cassette read processing that can realize handling property for the best image read for a cassette containing a recording medium made of columnar crystal grown by a vapor deposition method. <P>SOLUTION: This cassette read processing apparatus is equipped with a cassette rotating means of holding and rotating a cassette 1, which comprises a front member and a back member, contains a sheet type recording medium, having a recording part made of columnar crystal formed by the vapor deposition method to a 20 μm to 2 mm thickness, united with the back member on the opposite surface from the recording part, is constituted so that the front member and back member are relatively attached and detached almost in the same direction as the growing direction of the columnar crystal, and includes a strength member as a frame 17 of one side, in the apparatus when image information is read out of the recording medium, an attracting means 540 of separating the back member from the front member of the cassette rotated by the cassette rotating means and attracting it for read processing, and a lock part 41 which locks a frame 17 of the cassette when the cassette is separated from the attracting means. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a cassette reading processing apparatus and a cassette reading processing method for reading image information for a cassette containing a stimulable phosphor suitable for radiography.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a cassette in which a radiographic image is taken with respect to a cassette in which a stimulable phosphor is accommodated and a radiographic image is read from the stimulable phosphor after photographing has been used for medical purposes (Patent Documents 1 to 5 below). 6). In such a conventional cassette, a coating type, for example, BaFI phosphor has been used as the stimulable phosphor.

  As a cassette structure using a coating type (BaFI) phosphor, various methods have been put into practical use as shown below. In the following Patent Document 1, a method is adopted in which a part of the cassette tip is opened and a flexible recording medium is taken out with a suction cup. In the following Patent Document 2, a cassette structure similar to that in the above Patent Document 1 is adopted, and a recording medium that is considered to be higher in rigidity than that is conveyed by a roller. In Patent Document 3 below, a method of fully opening the front plate around the hinge is adopted.

  Patent Document 4 below employs a configuration in which a detachable cap and a relatively rigid recording medium are integrated and the recording medium is taken in and out of the cassette body. In the following Patent Document 5, the front plate and the back plate are completely separated, and the connection between them is performed by opening and closing the mechanical locking means. In the following Patent Document 5, a configuration is adopted in which the front plate and the back plate are completely separated, the coupling between the two is performed by the attractive force of the magnet, and the separation is performed by bending.

  The coating type (BaFI) phosphor does not pose a major problem from the viewpoint of image quality maintenance and durability (image deterioration), regardless of which of the various cassette structures described above is adopted.

On the other hand, in recent years, a phosphor obtained by growing a columnar crystal to a predetermined thickness by a vapor phase growth method has attracted attention from a viewpoint that a high sensitivity can be obtained. If the columnar crystals obtained by vapor phase growth are thin films at the nanometer (nm) level, the phosphor has the same strength as the coating type, but a phosphor having advantages such as high sensitivity is put to practical use in the CR system. The present inventors have found that a certain degree of film thickness is required, and that columnar crystals formed by vapor phase growth tend to be brittle and easily damaged by external force or the like. Therefore, it is not preferable that the recording medium is deformed or subjected to an impact force when it is transferred or handled during shooting, and is not subjected to an impact force. It is not preferable that an impact force acts on the recording medium when the information is read again and then inserted again (returned to the cassette).
JP 2000-257663 A JP 05-313267 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 07-120854 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-271895 JP 2002-156716 A US Patent Specification 4,961,000

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above-described problems of the prior art, the present invention provides a cassette reading processing apparatus and a cassette reading that can realize optimum image reading handling properties for a cassette that accommodates a recording medium made of columnar crystals grown by a vapor phase growth method. An object is to provide a processing method.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present inventors have conducted extensive research and examinations, and in order to put a phosphor composed of columnar crystals by a vapor phase growth method into practical use as a recording medium, the film thickness is about 20 μm to 2 mm. On the other hand, if the columnar crystal formed by the vapor phase growth method has a thickness in the range of 20 μm to 2 mm, it is fragile to external forces such as bending and impact, and the growth direction is substantially shorter than the growth direction of the columnar crystal. The knowledge that it becomes easy to break when an external force is applied in the orthogonal direction has been obtained, and the present invention has been made based on this knowledge.

  That is, the cassette reading processing apparatus according to the present invention is a sheet-like recording medium comprising a front portion and a back member, and having a recording portion formed of a columnar crystal having a thickness in the range of 20 μm to 2 mm formed by a vapor phase growth method. And is integrated with the back member on the opposite surface of the recording portion, and is configured such that the front member and the back member are relatively detachable in substantially the same direction as the growth direction of the columnar crystals. A cassette reading processing apparatus for reading image information from the recording medium with respect to a cassette having a strength member at an edge, the cassette rotating means for holding and rotating the cassette in the apparatus, and the cassette rotation Suction means for detaching the back member from the front member of the cassette rotated by the means and sucking it for reading processing; and sucking the back member. Characterized in that the said suction means and and a locking means for locking said strength member of said cassette when disengaging the cassette.

  According to this cassette reading processing apparatus, the back member integrated with the recording medium is sucked and held by the suction means to read the image information from the recording medium. After the reading is completed, the cassette is resisted against the suction force by the suction means. When removing the cassette, the strength member provided on the edge of one side of the cassette is locked by the locking means to release the cassette, so that the recording medium in the cassette has three-dimensional distortion and local deflection. The recording medium in the cassette is not easily deformed, and the durability of the recording medium is improved. Further, at the time of reading, even if the front member and the back member are relatively separated and combined in the substantially same direction as the growth direction of the columnar crystal, and external force is applied to the recording medium due to such detachment, the columnar crystal Since it is applied in substantially the same direction as the growth direction, the columnar crystals are difficult to break. In this way, a cassette containing a recording medium made of columnar crystals grown by the vapor phase growth method can be optimally handled in the reading processing apparatus.

  It is preferable that a plurality of sizes of cassettes can be processed in the cassette reading processing apparatus, and the cassette locking position on the side opposite to the rotation fulcrum of the cassette rotation means is the same regardless of the size. . Thereby, even if the size of the cassette changes, it is not necessary to move the locking means, and the mechanism becomes simple.

  The cassette reading processing method according to the present invention accommodates a sheet-like recording medium comprising a front member and a back member, and having a recording portion formed of a columnar crystal having a thickness in the range of 20 μm to 2 mm, formed by vapor deposition. And at least one side edge portion that is integrated with the back member on the opposite surface of the recording portion, and is configured such that the front member and the back member are relatively removable in substantially the same direction as the growth direction of the columnar crystals. A cassette reading processing method for reading image information from the recording medium with respect to a cassette having a strength member on the cassette, the step of holding the cassette and rotating the cassette toward the suction portion; and A step of adsorbing to the adsorbing part with a member; a step of removing the front member from the cassette; and a back part adsorbed to the adsorbing part A step of reading image information from the recording medium integrated with the suction member, a step of combining the back member and the front member adsorbed by the adsorption portion, and a strength portion of the combined cassette at the engaging portion. And stopping the cassette from the suction portion.

  According to this cassette reading processing method, the back member integrated with the recording medium is sucked and held on the suction portion to read the image information from the recording medium. After the reading is completed, the cassette is resisted against the suction force by the suction portion. When removing the cassette, the strength member provided on the edge of one side of the cassette is locked by the locking means to release the cassette, so that the recording medium in the cassette has three-dimensional distortion and local deflection. The recording medium in the cassette is not easily deformed, and the durability of the recording medium is improved. Further, at the time of reading, even if the front member and the back member are relatively separated and combined in the substantially same direction as the growth direction of the columnar crystal, and external force is applied to the recording medium due to such detachment, the columnar crystal Since it is applied in substantially the same direction as the growth direction, the columnar crystals are difficult to break. In this way, a cassette containing a recording medium made of columnar crystals grown by a vapor phase growth method can be optimally handled during image reading processing.

  When cassettes of different sizes are processed in the cassette reading processing method, it is preferable that the locking position of the cassette by the locking portion is the same regardless of the size. Thereby, even if the size of the cassette changes, it is not necessary to move the locking portion, and the operation is simplified.

  According to the cassette reading processing apparatus and the cassette reading processing method of the present invention, it is possible to realize handling at the time of image reading optimum for a cassette containing a recording medium made of columnar crystals grown by a vapor phase growth method.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state where a front member (A) and a back member (B) of a radiographic imaging cassette according to the present embodiment are separated. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a cross section of the cassette in which the front member and the back member of FIG. 1 are combined. FIG. 3 is an internal view (A) of the back member and a side view (B) showing a cross section of the main part for explaining the locking mechanism of the cassette of FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the cassette showing the states (A) to (H) of the locking mechanism of FIG. FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view (A) of the stimulable phosphor sheet housed in the radiographic imaging cassette of FIG. 1 and an enlarged cross-sectional view (B) near the surface of the sheet-like image recording unit.

  As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, a radiographic imaging cassette (hereinafter also simply referred to as “cassette”) 1 is a front member 10 and a back disposed so as to face the front member 10. The member 20 is formed in a thin rectangular shape as a whole, and is configured so that the stimulable phosphor sheet 28 can be accommodated in the internal space while being fixed to the support plate 27 on the back member 20 side. . The front member 10 and the back member 20 are detachable.

  The cassette 1 is irradiated with radiation from the front member 10 side to perform radiography, and can accumulate and record a radiographic image on the stored stimulable phosphor sheet 28. That is, as shown in FIG. 5A, the stimulable phosphor sheet 28 has a stimulable phosphor layer 28a made of a stimulable phosphor having CsBr as a base and formed on a support plate 27, for example. The phosphor layer 28a constitutes a sheet-like image recording unit.

  The stimulable phosphor layer 28a is formed by vapor deposition by vapor deposition, and is formed of columnar crystals by vapor deposition as shown in FIG. 5B. The growth direction V of the columnar crystals is the stimulable phosphor. The sheet 28 extends toward the surface 28b in the thickness direction. The average diameter of the columnar crystals is about 3 μm. The thickness t of the stimulable phosphor layer 28a is in the range of 20 μm to 2 mm.

  It should be noted that the size of the columnar crystal of the stimulable phosphor, for example, the size of the columnar crystal of CsBr can be controlled by more precisely controlling the formation of the columnar crystal by the vapor phase growth method, and the modulation transfer function ( MTF) can be improved, both high sensitivity and high sharpness can be achieved, and radiation images with better image quality can be stored and recorded.

  As shown in FIG. 1A, the front member 10 has a frame member 11 having an outer frame having a frame 17 on the short side and a frame 18 on the long side, and the front member 10 inscribed in front of the inner surface of the frame member 11. A face plate 13. As shown in FIG. 2, the frame member 11 includes a frame front surface portion 114 facing the front surface side, a frame side surface portion 110 bent from the end of the frame front surface portion 114 to the rear surface side at a substantially right angle, and a frame side surface portion 110. The frame rear surface portion 111 is further bent inward in the width direction substantially perpendicularly from the end portion, and the inclined surface portion 112 is bent from the end portion of the frame rear surface portion 111 toward the frame front surface portion 114 at a predetermined angle. Further, a light-shielding protrusion 115 that protrudes in the same direction as the frame side surface portion 110 is provided on the back surface of the frame front surface portion 114.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the recess 12 is formed inside the frame member 11 by a space surrounded by the frame front surface portion 114, the frame side surface portion 110, the inclined surface portion 112, and the light shielding protrusion 115.

  Further, the frame rear surface portion 111 and the inclined surface portion 112 of the long side frame 18 have a plurality of cuts 15 corresponding to the plurality of lock claws on the back member 20 side as shown in FIGS. Is formed. Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 (A), 4 (B), and 4 (D), a notch portion 14 is provided at the approximate center in the longitudinal direction of the frame side surface 110 of the frame 17 on one short side. The grip concave portions 16a are respectively formed on the end portions in the width direction of the side surface portions 110 of both frames.

  As shown in FIGS. 1B and 2, the back member 20 includes a back member main body 21, a stimulable phosphor sheet 28, and a support plate 27 that supports the stimulable phosphor sheet 28. The back member main body 21 has a back member rear surface portion 210 and a back member side surface portion 211 bent from the back member rear surface portion 210 to the front surface side at a substantially right angle. In addition, an inner wall 213 and a rib 214 projecting in the same direction as the back member side surface portion 211 are provided on the front surface of the back member rear surface portion 210. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the recess 22 is formed in a space surrounded by the back member rear surface portion 210, the back member side surface portion 211, and the inner wall 213.

  As shown in FIGS. 1B and 3A, an insertion hole 34 is formed in the back member side surface portion 211 on one end side in the short side direction of the cassette 1 so as to correspond to the notch portion 14 on the front member 10 side. Has been. Further, openings 31 a, 31 b, 31 c, and 31 d are formed on the end side in the longitudinal direction of the back member side surface portion 211, and openings 33 a and 33 b are formed on the width direction end portion side of the back member side surface portion 211. Yes.

  For example, a back plate 23 having a configuration in which a lead foil is coated with a PET film is fixed to the rib 214 of the back member 20. A support plate 27 is bonded to the back plate 23 at a surface 27a opposite to the stimulable phosphor layer 28a shown in FIG. On the side, the stimulable phosphor layer 28a formed by the vapor phase growth method (evaporation) as described above is located. Thus, the stimulable phosphor sheet 28 is accommodated on the back member 20 side.

  In the cassette 1 described above, when the back member 20 and the front member 10 are combined as shown in FIG. 2, the light shielding protrusion 115 of the front member 10 enters the recess 22 of the back member 20, and the back member enters the recess 12 of the front member 10. Twenty back member side parts 211 enter. With such a structure, the back member 20 and the front member 10 are integrally combined to form the cassette 1, and light is blocked so that external light does not reach the stimulable phosphor sheet 28. Further, if the concave portion 12 of the front member 10 or the concave portion 22 of the back member 20 is provided with, for example, velvet or sponge so that the back member 20 and the front member 10 are more closely attached, the light shielding property can be further improved.

  Further, since the back member main body 21 is attracted and held by the magnetic force of the magnet in a radiographic image reading apparatus to be described later, the back member main body 21 itself is used as a magnetic part so that it can be attracted to the magnet by the magnetic force. It is preferable to form by such as. Alternatively, the back member main body 21 may be formed of a normal plastic, and a magnetic sheet (not shown) such as iron foil may be provided on the back surface 24 of the back member 20 as a magnetic part. Further, a magnetic part may be applied to the back surface 24 of the back member 20 by applying a magnetic substance.

  As described above, the front member 10 and the back member 20 are combined and detachable, but usually radiography is performed in the combined state as shown in FIG. When the front member 10 and the back member 20 are separated and united, the front member 10 and the back member are aligned in substantially the same direction as the growth direction of the columnar crystals of the stimulable phosphor sheet 28 as shown in FIGS. The member 20 is separated and united so that the planes are relatively apart from each other and approach each other. Accordingly, when the front member 10 and the back member 20 are detached, even if an external force is applied to the stimulable phosphor sheet 28, it is not in the direction substantially perpendicular to the columnar crystal growth direction but in the column crystal growth direction. Since they are applied in the same direction, the columnar crystals are difficult to break. In this manner, a cassette having a cassette structure optimum for a recording medium using columnar crystals grown by a vapor phase growth method can be realized.

  Next, the locking mechanism of the cassette 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. In order to keep the front member 10 and the back member 20 in a combined state, the cassette 1 includes a lock mechanism. As a locking mechanism of the cassette 1, the front member 10 is formed with a plurality of notches 15 for locking claws (FIGS. 4F and 4H), and the back member 20 is used as a locked portion. A first connecting member 35, a second connecting member 36 and a pinion 37 having a plurality of lock claws are provided.

  As shown in FIG. 3A, the first connecting member 35 includes a first horizontal member 35a and a first middle member that protrudes inward in the longitudinal direction of the back member 20 from the middle right side of the first horizontal member 35a. 35b, and a first left member 35c that protrudes inward in the longitudinal direction of the back member 20 from the left end portion of the first horizontal member 35a.

  The second connecting member 36 includes a second horizontal member 36a, a second middle member 36b projecting from the middle left side of the second horizontal member 36a to the side opposite to the first middle member 35b, and a second horizontal member 35a. And a second left member 36c that protrudes inward in the longitudinal direction of the back member 20 from the right end portion thereof.

  The front end portion of the first middle member 35b and the front end portion of the second middle member 36b are opposed to each other with the pinion 37 provided substantially at the center of the back member 20, and a rack portion 35B provided on each front end side surface. 36B are engaged with the pinion 37, whereby the first connecting member 35 and the second connecting member 36 are connected via the pinion 37.

  In addition, lock claws 30 a and 30 b as locked portions are provided in the vicinity of the end portions of the first lateral member 35 a of the first connecting member 35 so as to protrude from the back member side surface portion 211. Further, a lock claw 32a as a slide member is provided on the outer side surface of the first left member 35c.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3A, two coil springs 38a each having one end fixed to the first connecting member 35 and the other end fixed to the inner surface side of the back member side surface portion 211 are provided. Due to this coil spring 38a, the first connecting member 35 is always subjected to an urging force to move in the direction of the arrow Q1.

  Further, a push latch portion 39 is provided between the first connecting member 35 and the back member side surface portion 211 in which the insertion hole 34 is formed. The push latch portion 39 has a slide plate 50 protruding from the back member side surface portion 211 as shown in FIGS. 1B and 3A, and is always biased in the direction of the arrow Q1 by a spring (not shown). Is receiving.

  In addition, lock claws 30c and 30d serving as locked portions are provided near the end portion of the second lateral member 36a of the second connecting member 36 so as to protrude from the back member side surface portion 211. Yes. Further, a lock claw 32b as a slide member is provided on the outer side surface of the second right member 36c.

  In the present embodiment, the lock claws 30a, 30b, 32a provided on the first connecting member 35 are interlocked, while the lock claws 30c, 30d, 32b provided on the second connecting member 36 are interlocked. Further, since the first connecting member 35 and the second connecting member 36 are interlocked by the operation of the rack portions 35B and 36B and the pinion 37 provided respectively, all the lock claws 30a, 30b, 30c, 30d, 32a, and 32b are interlocked.

  In the cassette 1 according to the present embodiment, the notch portion 14 of the front member 10 is in a positional relationship corresponding to the insertion hole 34 of the back member 20 when the front member 10 and the back member 20 are combined, and is inserted at the notch portion 14. A method (push latch method) in which the state of the lock mechanism (lock on state / lock off state) is switched each time the member is inserted and the slide plate 50 is slid to push the push latch portion 39 is employed. The push latch method is well known as a mechanism used when a ballpoint pen core is taken in and out of the ballpoint pen exterior.

  Next, the lock on / off operation by the above-described lock mechanism will be described with reference to FIGS.

  In the lock-on state, the front ends of the locking claws 30a, 30b, 30c, and 30d that are locked portions protrude outward from the openings 31a, 31b, 31c, and 31d of the back member side surface 211, FIG. 4A shows a state in which it has entered between the portion 114 and the inward surface 113 of the inclined surface portion 112. At this time, the push latch portion 39 is in the state of FIG. 4B in contact with the back member side surface portion 211 and away from the first connecting member 35. Further, the lock claws 32a and 32b which are the slide portions are in the state of FIGS. 4E and 4F which have entered between the frame front surface portion 114 of the front member 10 and the inward surface 113 of the inclined surface portion 112.

  In such a lock-on state, when the insertion member is inserted only once in the arrow direction P from the notch portion 14 and the slide plate 50 of the push latch portion 39 is pressed, the push latch portion 39 becomes the first connecting member. 35 is pushed in the arrow direction Q2. Then, the first connecting member 35 moves by a predetermined distance in the arrow direction Q2, and the push latch portion 39 stops, and the state shown in FIG. At this time, the lock claws 30a and 30b of the first connecting member 35 are in the state of FIG. The states of FIGS. 4C and 4D are the lock-off state of the lock mechanism.

  When the first connecting member 35 moves in the direction of the arrow Q2, the second connecting member 36 also moves and stops in the direction of the arrow R2 by the same distance, so that the lock claws 30c of the second connecting member 36, The leading end of 30d enters the inside of the back member side surface portion 211, and the lock-off state of FIG.

  At this time, the locking claw 32a of the connecting member 35 and the locking claw 32b of the connecting member 36 are also moved in the direction of the arrow Q2 by the same distance in the direction of the arrow Q2 and stopped. The state (H) is obtained. In this state, the lock claws 32a and 32b are aligned with the notches 15 (openings provided in the frame rear surface portion 111 and the frame inclined surface portion 112), so that the lock claws 32a and 32b may come out of the notches 15. it can. That is, the back member 20 can be separated from the front member 10. The states of FIGS. 4G and 4H are the lock-off state of the lock mechanism.

  The front member 10 and the back member 20 can be separated in the lock-off state of the lock mechanism as shown in FIGS. 4C, 4D, 4G, and 4H, and the push latch portion 39 is not pressed. As long as this lock-off state continues.

  4C and 4D, when the insertion member presses the slide plate 50 of the push latch portion 39 through the notch portion 14, the push latch portion 39 returns to the arrow Q1 direction. The first connecting member 35 moves by a predetermined distance in the direction of the arrow Q1 and stops, and the state shown in FIG. At this time, the tips of the lock claws 30a and 30b protrude outward from the openings 31a and 31b, and enter between the frame front surface portion 114 of the front member 10 and the inward surface 113 of the inclined surface portion 112, and the lock shown in FIG. Turns on. At this time, the lock claws 32a and 32b are also interlocked and moved in the direction of the arrow Q1 by the same distance through the openings 33a and 33b and stopped, and the lock-on state as shown in FIGS. Become.

  When the first connecting member 35 moves in the direction of the arrow Q1, the second connecting member 36 also stops by moving the same distance in the direction of the arrow R1, and the tips of the lock claws 30c, 30d are opened to the opening 31c, It protrudes outside 31d and enters between the frame front surface portion 114 of the front member 10 and the inward surface 113 of the inclined surface portion 112, and the lock-on state of FIG. Thus, unless the back member 20 is locked and fixed to the front member 10 and the push latch portion 39 is not pressed, this lock-on state is continued and maintained.

  As described above, in the cassette 1 according to the present embodiment, the state in which the back member 20 is locked to the front member 10 by the push latch mechanism that switches each time the lock-on state / lock-off state is pressed can be separated from the state. Can be easily switched. Further, the lock mechanism of the cassette 1 is brought into a lock-off state by the push latch mechanism, the front member 10 and the back member 20 are separated in a cassette reading processing apparatus described later, the stimulable phosphor sheet 28 is exposed, and the stimulable fluorescence is The radiation image information stored and recorded in the body sheet 28 can be read.

  Next, an example in which one side on the front member side of the cassette 1 is a strength member will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing an example in which the frame 17 on the short side in FIG. 1A is reinforced with a reinforcing member to form a strength member.

  In the cassette 1 of FIGS. 1 and 2, the frame member 11 of the front member 10 is made of, for example, aluminum which is a lightweight member as a structural member for strength of the entire cassette, but as shown in FIG. A reinforcing member 19 is disposed on the frame 17 on the opposite side of the notch 14 on the short side of the frame member 11.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the frame 17 has an L-shaped member as a whole in cross section, and a cavity 17 b is formed to extend in the longitudinal direction in order to reduce the weight of the frame member 11. The reinforcing member 19 has a cross-sectional shape corresponding to the cavity 17b so that it can be inserted into the cavity 17b.

  The reinforcing member 19 is composed of a high-rigidity member having high bending strength and a certain degree of springiness. For example, a SK material (JIS) that has been appropriately quenched and tempered to carbon steel or the like is suitable. Carbon steel or stainless steel may be used in consideration of the required strength. Further, hard resin materials such as engineering plastics and super engineering plastics, and super hard resin materials may be used. In this case, further weight reduction can be achieved.

  In FIG. 11, the reinforcing member 19 is inserted into the cavity 17 b from the end face of the frame 17 and moved, and the reinforcing member 19 is disposed so as to be located at the approximate center of the frame 17 as shown by the solid line in FIG. It can be a strength member with increased rigidity, and deformation can be suppressed when the locking portion 41 is locked to the frame 17 and is detached from the adsorbing means as will be described later.

  Next, a cassette reading processing apparatus that takes in the above-described radiographic imaging cassette 1 and separates the front member 10 and the back member 20 and reads the radiographic image stored and recorded in the stimulable phosphor sheet 28 by radiography. This will be described with reference to FIGS.

  6 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of the cassette reading processing apparatus, FIG. 7 is a schematic plan view of the cassette reading processing apparatus of FIG. 6, and FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the separation operation of the cassette of the cassette reading processing apparatus of FIG. It is a principal part side view for doing. FIG. 9 is a perspective view schematically showing a locking portion of the cassette reading processing apparatus of FIG. FIG. 10 is a side view for specifically explaining the rotation conveyance unit of FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the apparatus main body 2 includes an insertion port 3 of the cassette 1, a discharge port 4 of the cassette 1, and two units of a cassette insertion / discharge unit 2 a and a conveyance reading unit 2 b. The cassette insertion / ejection unit 2a has a structure that can be easily detached from the conveyance reading unit 2b. Further, an anti-vibration rubber 73 is disposed between the conveyance reading unit 2b and the cassette insertion / ejection unit 2a, so that vibration when inserting or ejecting the cassette is not easily transmitted to the conveyance reading unit 2b.

  Further, the sub-scanning unit 500 and the cassette rotation conveyance unit 40 in the conveyance reading unit 2 b are constructed on the same substrate 710. By disposing the vibration-proof rubber 720 between the substrate 710 and the bottom plate 700, a vibration-proof structure that does not propagate the vibration of the cassette insertion / discharge unit 2a to the sub-scanning unit 500 is realized. Further, an anti-vibration rubber 74 is disposed between the upper end of the sub-scanning unit 500 and an apparatus frame (not shown), and the anti-vibration structure for the sub-scanning unit 500 is reinforced.

  With such an anti-vibration structure, a cassette is inserted into the insertion port 3 and a cassette is removed from the discharge port 4 while the image information is being read from the stimulable phosphor sheet 28 by the transport reading unit 2b. Even if the main body 2 is vibrated, noise due to vibration can be prevented from occurring in the read image information. In addition, since the sub-scanning unit 500 and the rotation conveyance unit 40 are constructed on the same substrate 710, when the back member 20 is delivered from the rotation conveyance unit 40 to the sub-scanning unit 500, the delivery position may be blurred. No. Thereby, the separation / merging work of the front member 10 and the back member 20 can be stably and accurately performed.

  Next, the configuration and operation of the cassette reading processing apparatus will be described. The cassette 1 is assumed to be a half-cut cassette, but is not limited to this, and image reading processing can be performed from a plurality of cassettes.

  The cassette 1 containing the stimulable phosphor sheet 28 on which the radiographic image has been taken is inserted into the insertion slot 3 in the direction of the arrow A1 as shown in FIG. At this time, the cassette 1 is inserted so that the notch portion 14 and the insertion hole 34 of FIG. 1 are on the lower side, and the front plate 13 of the front member 10 faces obliquely downward. That is, the storage phosphor sheet 28 is inserted so that the reading surface faces obliquely downward. When the cassette 1 is inserted into the insertion slot 3, the presence of the cassette 1 is recognized by a cassette detection sensor (not shown), and the code storage element on the outer surface of the back member 20 and the position of the code reading unit 45 match. The code recorded in the code storage element is read by the code reading unit 45.

  When the code reading unit 45 reads the code correctly, the cassette size is detected from the read code, and adjustment is started according to the width of the rotation transport unit 40 according to the cassette size. That is, the width adjusting portions 401a and 401b in FIG. 7 start to move in the direction of arrow M according to the size of the cassette 1.

  Next, the insertion roller 42 is operated to take the cassette 1 into the apparatus main body 2 in the direction of the arrow A2 along the dotted line a. When the insertion roller 42 is operated, the rotary conveyance unit 40 is already waiting at the position of the dotted line a, and receives the cassette 1 carried by the insertion roller 42 from the insertion port 3. When the cassette grips 402a and 402b on the lifting platform 402 (operating along the rotating transport unit 40) catch the lower end of the cassette 1, the lifting platform 402 moves in the direction of the arrow A2 along the rotating transport unit 40. And the upper end of the cassette 1 is controlled to stop at the position indicated by the arrow Z as shown in FIG. During this conveyance, the downward surface of the cassette 1 is guided and supported by the guide portion 430 of FIG.

  When the cassette 1 stops at the position indicated by the arrow Z, the tips of the grip claws 403a and 403b are inserted into the recesses of the grip recesses 16a existing on the side surfaces 110 of both front members in FIG. On the other hand, the front member 10 is fixed and held.

  The rotation conveyance unit 40 includes a rotation shaft 404, and can freely rotate at least in a range from a dotted line a to a dotted line c with the rotation shaft 404 as a rotation center. When the cassette 1 is taken into the apparatus main body 2 by the rotation conveyance unit 40, the rotation conveyance unit 40 is configured such that the gear 440 in FIG. 10 is rotated by a motor (not shown) or the like, and is fixed to the frame unit 460. 6 rotates together with the frame portion 460 in the counterclockwise direction around the rotation shaft 404, thereby rotating from the position of the dotted line a in FIG. 6 to the position of the dotted line c in the direction of the arrow A3.

  When the rotation conveyance unit 40 is rotated to the position of the dotted line c in FIG. 6, the outer surface of the back member 20 of the cassette 1 having a magnetic material is attracted to the magnet 540 by a magnetic force. At this time, since the back member 20 has appropriate flexibility, the flatness of the back member 20 follows that of the magnet 540 when adsorbed on the flat surface of the magnet 540.

  A lock pin (insertion member) 402c for turning on / off the locking mechanism of the cassette 1 is disposed on the lifting platform 402, and the locking mechanism of the cassette 1 is turned on / off by the vertical movement of the locking pin 402c. can do. Further, the upper end (upper reference position Z) of the cassette 1 projects upward from the sub-scanning moving plate 530 of the sub-scanning unit 500 for the purpose of detecting the upper end or the side end of the cassette 1 during sub-scanning. Is configured to do.

  When the back member 20 is attracted to the magnet 540, the lock pin 402c housed in the lifting platform 402 rises, and the lock pin is inserted into the insertion hole 34 of the back member 20 through the notch portion 14 of the front member 10 in FIG. The tip of 402c is inserted (see FIG. 7). By this operation, the lock of the cassette 1 in the lock-on state is released, and the state shifts to the lock-off state. That is, the back member 20 and the front member 10 are separable. When the cassette 1 shifts to the lock-off state, the lock pin 402c is lowered and stored in the lifting platform 402 again.

  When the cassette 1 is unlocked and shifts to the lock-off state, the rotation conveyance unit 40 rotates in the direction of the arrow A6 in the clockwise direction with the gear 440 in FIG. Stop at the retracted position (the position of the two-dot chain line in FIG. 10). By this operation, the back member 20 and the front member 10 are completely separated.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the back member 20 and the front member 10 are completely separated from each other, the rotational conveyance unit 40 stops at the retracted position, and the front member 10 is retracted from the back member 20 at a sufficient angle. It is possible to prevent the back member 20 and the front member 10 from interfering with each other when the sub-scanning operation 20 is performed.

  As described above, when the back member 20 is completely separated from the front member 10, the drive unit (not shown) is operated, and the back member 20 is conveyed (sub-scanned) in the direction of arrow A4 (upward). . During this sub-scanning operation, the stimulable phosphor sheet 28 is main-scanned in the direction perpendicular to the sub-scanning direction by the laser beam B emitted from the laser scanning unit 121.

  When laser light acts on the stimulable phosphor sheet 28, stimulating light (image information) proportional to the radiation energy accumulated in the stimulable phosphor sheet 28 is emitted, and this stimulating light passes through the light guide 122. After being collected in the condenser tube 123, the stimulated light is converted into an electrical signal by a photoelectric conversion element (not shown) such as a photomultiplier. The stimulated light converted into the electrical signal is subjected to predetermined signal processing as image data, and then output to another image output device (not shown).

  As described above, when the reading of the image information from the stimulable phosphor sheet 28 is completed, the driving unit (not shown) conveys the back member 20 in the direction of arrow A5 (downward) as shown in FIG. Start. While the back member 20 is conveyed in the direction of the arrow A5, the erasing light E is emitted from the erasing means 124, and the image information remaining on the stimulable phosphor sheet 28 is erased.

  Next, when the back member 20 is lowered to the position delivered to the magnet 540, the drive unit (not shown) stops the movement of the back member 20 by the sub-scanning unit 500. When the back member 20 stops at the position where it is transferred to the magnet 540, the rotation conveyance unit 40 that has been retracted to the retracted position rotates again to the position of the dotted line c, and the back member 20 and the front member 10 are combined. Let When the back member 20 and the front member 10 are combined, the lock pin 402c housed in the lifting platform 402 is raised, and the tip of the lock pin 402c is inserted into the insertion hole 34 from the notch portion 14 of the front member 10. By this operation, the cassette 1 that has been in the lock-off state is locked and shifts to the lock-on state. The back member 20 and the front member 10 are in an inseparable state. When the cassette 1 shifts to the lock-on state, the lock pin 402c is lowered and stored in the lifting platform 402 again.

  The cassette 1 in which the back member 20 and the front member 10 are combined and locked on as described above is in a state in which the back member 20 is attracted to the magnet 540, and as shown in FIGS. An upper locking portion 41 of 40 is locked to a substantially central portion of the frame 17 of FIG. 1A of the cassette 1 by an L-shaped portion 41c.

  Then, when the rotation conveyance unit 40 starts to rotate in the direction of the arrow A6 in FIG. 6, at the same time, the locking unit 41 pulls the frame 17 on the front member 10 side of the cassette 1 so as to pull in the direction of the arrow A6. Therefore, the cassette 1 can be easily and flexibly pulled away from the magnet 540 against the attractive force of the magnet 540. Further, since the reinforcing member 19 is positioned at the substantially central portion of the frame 17 pulled by the locking portion 41 as shown in FIG. 11, the frame 17 of the cassette 1 is not significantly deformed by the pulling by the locking portion 41, and the frame 17 Therefore, the separation from the magnet 540 is good, and deformation of the stimulable phosphor sheet 28 in the X and X ′ directions in FIG. 9 can be suppressed.

  Next, the rotation conveyance part 40 holding the cassette 1 rotates to the position of the dotted line b and stops. When the rotation conveyance unit 40 stops at the position of the dotted line b, the fixed holding state of the front member 10 by the grip claws 403a and 403b is released, and the cassette 1 becomes capable of conveyance on the rotation conveyance unit 40.

  When the fixed holding state of the front member 10 is released, the lifting platform 402 conveys the cassette 1 to the discharge port 4 in the direction of the arrow A 7 along the rotation conveyance unit 40, and delivers the cassette 1 to the discharge roller 43. Upon receiving the cassette 1, the discharge roller 43 performs a discharge operation until the cassette 1 is completely discharged to the discharge port 4. When the cassette 1 is completely discharged to the discharge port 4, the rotation conveying unit 40 rotates to the position of the dotted line a in the direction of the arrow A 6 and stops, and shifts to a state where the next cassette 1 can be received. To do.

  As described above, the cassette reading processing apparatus shown in FIGS. 6 to 8 takes out the stimulable phosphor sheet 28 in the cassette 1 in a non-contact manner, reads the radiation image information, returns it to the cassette, and re-enters it. Can be stored. According to the cassette 1 in such a cassette reading processing apparatus, when the front member 10 and the back member 20 are separated, the front in the thickness direction (the growth direction of the columnar crystals) of the stimulable phosphor sheet 28 is substantially the same. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the back member 20 of the cassette 1 is separated from the front member 10 from the position of the dotted line a with the rotation axis 404 as the rotation center. , And when the front member 10 and the back member 20 are combined, the same rotation also occurs. Therefore, even if an external force is applied to the stimulable phosphor sheet 28, the columnar crystal growth direction is maintained. The columnar crystal is not broken in a direction substantially the same as the growth direction of the columnar crystal, so that the columnar crystal is hardly broken. Thus, a cassette having a cassette structure optimum for a recording medium using columnar crystals grown by a vapor phase growth method can be used in the cassette reading processing apparatus shown in FIGS.

  Further, after the reading of the image information from the stimulable phosphor sheet 28 is completed, when the cassette 1 is separated from the magnet 540 against the attracting force of the magnet 540, a frame that is a lateral side of the upper portion of the cassette on the front member 10 side. Since the cassette 1 is detached by rotating the latching portion 41 that latches 17, the storage phosphor sheet 28 in the cassette 1 is not subjected to three-dimensional distortion or local deflection, and the front Since the member 10 side is pulled, the surface of the stimulable phosphor sheet 28 is not pressed. For this reason, the stimulable phosphor sheet 28 in the cassette 1 is hardly deformed, and the durability of the stimulable phosphor sheet 28 can be improved.

  The cassette reading processing apparatus can process a plurality of sizes of cassettes, but the cassette locking positions of the locking portions 41a and 41b on the opposite side of the rotating shaft 404 are the same regardless of the sizes. It is composed. Therefore, it is possible to read a plurality of sizes of cassettes only by moving the locking portions 41a and 41b in the width direction X and X 'in FIG. 9 or in the opposite direction according to the size of the cassette.

  In FIG. 11, by appropriately adjusting the length of the reinforcing member 19, the frame 17 can be made a strength member having a more suitable weight and rigidity in terms of the balance between rigidity and weight.

  As described above, the best mode for carrying out the present invention has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to these, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention. For example, the number of the lock claws can be changed as appropriate. For example, in FIG. 3A, one lock claw may be added to the vertical side surface and a pair may be provided on the vertical side surface.

  Moreover, as the stimulable phosphor of the stimulable phosphor sheet 28, CsBr is used in the present embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to this, and other stimulable phosphors may be used. An accumulative phosphor based on an alkali halide represented by the following general formula (1) can be used. These stimulable phosphors can be formed into columnar crystals by vapor phase growth methods such as vapor deposition, sputtering, CVD, and ion plating.

General formula: M ¹ X · aM ² X ′ ₂ · bM ³ X ″ ₃ : eA (1)
In the above formula (1), M ¹ is at least one alkali metal atom selected from Na, K, Rb and Cs atoms, and M ² is Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Zn, M ³ is Sc, Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, at least one divalent metal atom selected from Cd, Cu and Ni atoms. It is at least one trivalent metal atom selected from Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Al, Ga, and In atoms, and X, X ′, and X ″ are F, C1, Br, and 1, respectively. At least one halogen atom selected from atoms, and A is Eu, Tb, In, Cs, Ce, Tm, Dy, Pr, Ho, Nd, Yb, Er, Gd, Lu, Sm, Y, Tl, It is at least one metal atom selected from Na, Ag, Cu and Mg atoms, and a, b and e are 0 ≦ a <0.5, 0 ≦ b <0.5, 0, respectively. ≦ b <0.5 and 0 <e ≦ 0.2.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state where a front member (A) and a back member (B) of a radiographic imaging cassette according to the present embodiment are separated. It is sectional drawing which shows typically the cross section of the cassette which the front member and back member of FIG. 1 united. It is the inner side figure (A) of the back member for demonstrating the locking mechanism of the cassette of FIG. 1, and the side view (B) which shows the principal part cross section. It is sectional drawing of a cassette which shows each state (A) thru | or (H) of the locking mechanism of FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view (A) of a stimulable phosphor sheet accommodated in the radiographic imaging cassette of FIG. 1 and an enlarged cross-sectional view (B) near the surface of a sheet-like image recording unit. It is a side view which shows schematic structure of the cassette reading processing apparatus which can read a radiographic image from the radiographic imaging cassette 1 of FIG. FIG. 7 is a schematic plan view of the cassette reading processing apparatus of FIG. 6. It is a principal part side view for demonstrating the isolation | separation operation | movement of a cassette of the cassette reading processing apparatus of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows roughly the latching | locking part of the cassette reading processing apparatus of FIG. It is a side view for demonstrating the rotation conveyance part of FIG. 6 concretely. It is a perspective view which shows the example which strengthened the flame | frame 17 of the short side of FIG. 1 (A) with the reinforcement member, and was set as the strength member.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Radiographic imaging cassette, cassette 2 Apparatus main body 10 Front member 17 Frame (edge, strength member)
19 Reinforcing member 20 Back member 28 Storage phosphor sheet (sheet-shaped recording medium)
28a Storage phosphor layer 39 Push latch part (push latch mechanism)
40 Rotating conveyance part (cassette rotating means)
41 Locking part 540 Magnet (adsorption means)

Claims (4)

A sheet-like recording medium comprising a front member and a back member, formed by vapor phase epitaxy and having a recording part made of columnar crystals in the range of 20 μm to 2 mm in thickness is accommodated, Recording with respect to a cassette that is integrated with a back member and is configured such that the front member and the back member are relatively detachable in substantially the same direction as the growth direction of the columnar crystals and has a strength member on at least one side edge. A cassette reading processing device for reading image information from a medium,
Cassette rotating means for holding and rotating the cassette in the apparatus;
A suction means for detaching the back member from the front member of the cassette rotated by the cassette rotation means and sucking it for reading processing;
A cassette reading processing apparatus comprising: a locking unit that locks the strength member of the cassette when the cassette is detached from the suction unit that sucks the back member. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of sizes of cassettes can be processed, and the cassette locking position on the side opposite to the rotation fulcrum of the cassette rotation means is the same regardless of the size. The cassette reading processing apparatus described. A sheet-like recording medium comprising a front member and a back member, formed by vapor phase epitaxy and having a recording part made of columnar crystals in the range of 20 μm to 2 mm in thickness is accommodated, Recording with respect to a cassette that is integrated with a back member and is configured such that the front member and the back member are relatively detachable in substantially the same direction as the growth direction of the columnar crystals and has a strength member on at least one side edge. A cassette reading processing method for reading image information from a medium,
Holding the cassette and rotating it toward the suction portion;
Adsorbing the rotated cassette to the adsorbing portion with the back member;
Detaching the front member from the cassette;
Reading image information from the recording medium integrated with the back member adsorbed by the adsorbing portion;
Combining the back member and the front member adsorbed by the adsorbing portion;
And a step of locking the strength member of the combined cassette by a locking portion and detaching the cassette from the suction portion. The cassette reading processing method according to claim 3, wherein when cassettes having different sizes are processed, the locking position of the cassette by the locking portion is the same regardless of the size.

Images