KR101829554B1 - Cr reader comprising a light collector using a bundle of optical fiber - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a computed radiography (CR) reader including a light collector using a bundle of optical fibers, capable of acquiring an image with a high resolution. According to the present invention, the CR reader comprises: a laser scanning unit vertically input a red laser beam to an imaging plate; and the light collector receiving light of a blue wavelength reflected and outputted at a predetermined angle with respect to the imaging plate to transfer the received light to a photoelectric multiplier. The light collector includes: a bundle of optical fibers formed with a plurality of optical fibers including a light input end and a light output end, respectively; and a casing to entirely receive the bundle of optical fibers. The casing includes: a casing body disposed to cross the width of the imaging plate; a straight inlet part formed in a front bottom of the casing body in a straight shape crossing the width of the imaging plate; a connection part formed on one edge area of a rear side of the casing body; and an outlet part communicating with the inside of the casing body by the connection part. The straight inlet part is formed in a straight direction crossing the imaging plate and includes a straight slit connected to the inside of the casing body while forming a predetermined angle with the imaging plate. The light input ends of the optical fibers forming the bundle of optical fibers are arrayed and fixated in the straight slit along one or two rows as a straight shape.

Description

[0001] CR READER COMPRISING A LIGHT COLLECTOR USING A BUNDLE OF OPTICAL FIBER [0002]

The present invention relates to a CR (Computed Radiography) reader for acquiring images stored in an imaging plate, and more particularly, to a CR (Computed Radiography) reader for acquiring images stored in an imaging plate, To a CR reader including a CR light collector configured to efficiently collect the CR light.

The CR system successfully replaces the existing analog screen / film (SF) system, and instead of an X-ray film of a conventional analog film system, an X-ray is taken using an imaging plate containing a fluorescent phosphor , And the X-ray image information stored in the imaging plate is acquired and read out. In order to obtain X-ray image information, red light (for example, 670 nm wavelength light) is scanned on the imaging plate, and X-ray information stored on the imaging plate is converted into blue light (e.g., blue light) emitted from the fluorescent phosphor of the imaging plate , 400 nm wavelength light) to the optoelectronic amplifier. The optical signal is converted into an electrical signal by the photomultiplier, the electrical signal is amplified by the amplifier, and then converted from an analog signal to a digital signal through an A / D converter. An image is processed using the converted digital signal, and an appropriate image is created in accordance with the purpose of diagnosis. The CR system has many advantages such as superior spatial resolution, contrast decomposition ability, small amount of X-ray absorption difference, various image processing, etc. compared with conventional analog screen / film (SF) .

The CR reader of the CR system described above plays a very important role that the light collector collects the light reflected from the imaging plate (in particular, blue light) and transmits it to the photo-multiplier. One example of a conventional light collector is to use an optical fiber bundle whose width gradually narrows toward the optoelectronic multiplier, as disclosed in US Pat. No. 6,696,698, WO2002003137, and US20140166886. This is because, due to the large space existing between the optical fibers, It has a fundamental disadvantage that the optical loss is large.

Further, in the CR reader, the surface of the imaging plate has a Lambertian reflectance characteristic in which the reflection output distribution is proportional to cos? With respect to the incident laser light having a wavelength of about 670 nm. Both of the above-mentioned light collectors are designed in consideration of the surface of an imaging plate having a lambertian reflection characteristic. However, the prior art has not been very successful in significantly increasing the amount of received light using the Lambertian reflection characteristic. Further, in the prior art, a dichroic mirror is arranged to allow the light incident perpendicularly to the imaging plate to pass therethrough, and the reflected light from the imaging plate is introduced toward the optical input end side of the optical fiber bundle by the reflection angle of the dichroic mirror. Which is not only inefficient in collecting light but also has a complicated structure, resulting in poor practicality. There has been proposed a method of imparting regularity between the optical fiber end of the optical fiber bundle of the optical fiber bundle and the optical fiber end of the optical fiber bundle of the optical fiber bundle in the related art, but this was practically difficult to put into practical use.

US 6,987,280 (2006. 01. 07.) US20040159805 (Aug. 19, 2004) US 6,696,698 (Feb. 24, 2004) WO2002003137 (Jan. 10, 2002) US20140166886 (June 19, 2004) US 7,375,350 (May 20, 2008) US2004 / 0238768 (December 02, 2004)

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an optical fiber bundle which includes a casing structure that entirely accommodates an optical fiber bundle, a linear inlet portion in which optical input ends of the optical fiber bundle are arranged in a linear shape of one or more lines, And a structure in which the linear inlet portion is closer to a light reflection position on the imaging plate, and a CR reader including the light collector.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a CR reader for acquiring an image signal from an imaging plate for CR in which a latent image is accumulated by a radiation scan, the CR reader comprising: a laser for vertically incident red laser light on an imaging plate; A scanning unit; And a light collector for receiving light of a blue wavelength reflected from the imaging plate at a specific angle and transmitting the light to the photo multiplier. An optical fiber bundle including a plurality of optical fibers each including an optical input end and an optical output end; and a casing that accommodates the optical fiber bundle as a whole, wherein the casing includes a casing body disposed to cross the width of the imaging plate, A linear inlet portion formed at a lower front end of the casing body in a linear shape transverse to the width of the imaging plate; a connecting portion formed at a rear edge region of the casing body; and an outlet portion passing through the inside of the casing body by the connecting portion Wherein the linear inlet portion includes a linear slit formed in a linear direction across the imaging plate and connected to the inside of the casing body while forming the specific angle with the imaging plate and the linear slit is provided with the optical fiber bundle The optical fiber Of the light input to the array it is fixed to the straight line and the first column, or in two lines.

According to one embodiment, the linear inlet portion includes a structure that protrudes downward and forward at an angle of the predetermined angle with the imaging plate at a lower front end of the casing body, and the casing body is connected to the linear slit Wherein the optical fiber bundle includes a plurality of optical fibers accommodated in the optical fiber accommodating space in a state where the intermediate portions are partially overlapped with each other, And the optical output ends of the optical fibers are gathered and fixed in a cylindrical shape at the exit portion, the laser scanning unit includes a laser light source for generating the red laser light and emitting the red laser light in a direction parallel to the imaging plate, The laser light emitted from the And a reflecting mirror for reflecting the laser beam perpendicularly to the surface of the imaging plate while vertically folding the laser beam. The casing body is parallel to the laser beam perpendicularly incident on the imaging plate, And an inclined surface intersecting the vertical surface on the vertical surface, and a part of the reflective mirror is disposed between the extended line of the vertical surface and the inclined surface.

According to an embodiment, adjacent light input ends of the light input ends are in close contact with each other without a gap on the face facing surface, and the upper and lower portions of each of the light input ends closely contact the upper and lower portions of the linear slit without a gap.

The present invention provides a CR reader for acquiring a video image stored in an imaging plate in such a manner that a blue light reflected from an imaging plate is received by a light collector including a bundle of light composed of a plurality of optical fibers, , Which allows for undesired damage of the fiber bundle to be accommodated in the casing and enables a more compact structure.

1 is a side view showing a CR reader according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a light collector of a CR reader according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an optical fiber bundle as a silver line and an optical fiber of one of several optical fibers in an optical fiber bundle.
FIG. 3 is a front view showing a light collector. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of optical input ends of optical fibers constituting an optical fiber bundle.
FIG. 4 is a rear view showing the light collector. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the optical output ends of the optical fibers constituting the optical fiber bundle.
FIG. 5 is a side view showing a light collector. FIG. 5 is a view showing a path of a laser beam incident perpendicularly to the imaging plate and then reflected at a specific angle.
6 is an actual photograph of a light collector with a part of the casing removed.
FIG. 7 is an enlarged photograph of the shape of the optical input ends of the optical fibers. FIG.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The accompanying drawings and their description are provided to aid those of ordinary skill in the art in understanding the present invention. Accordingly, the drawings and description are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a side view showing a CR reader according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a light collector of a CR reader according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a front view showing a light collector, which is an enlarged view of optical input ends of optical fibers constituting an optical fiber bundle. FIG. 4 is a view showing an optical fiber of one of the optical fibers, And FIG. 5 is a side view showing the light collector. FIG. 5 is a side view showing the optical collector of the optical fiber bundle of FIG. FIG. 6 is an actual photograph of a light collector in a state in which a part of the casing is removed, FIG. 7 is a view showing an optical input Showing the shape is an actual photo.

As shown in the figure, a CR reader 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention is an apparatus for acquiring a video signal from an input imaging plate (IP). The CR reader 1000 includes a red laser light having a wavelength of about 670 nm A laser scanning unit for vertically incident light and a light collector 1 for receiving light having a wavelength of approximately 400 nm reflected from the imaging plate IP at a specific angle of approximately 60 받아 and transmitting the light to the optoelectronic multipole tube 3 do. As described above, the surface of the imaging plate IP has a Lambertian reflectance characteristic in which the reflection output distribution is proportional to cos &thetas; with respect to the incident laser light having a wavelength of about 670 nm.

The imaging plate (IP) is a CR imaging plate on which a latent image is accumulated by a radiation scan. When X-ray imaging is performed using the imaging plate IP, a latent image having energy proportional to the X-ray scanning amount is present in the imaging plate IP. When a red laser beam having a wavelength of 670 nm is incident on an imaging plate IP on which a latent image is present, the light is converted into a blue light beam having a wavelength of 400 nm by a photostimulable phosphor of the imaging plate IP and then reflected.

The laser scanning unit 2 is provided on the surface of the imaging plate IP over the entire width of the imaging plate IP to obtain an image signal from the latent image accumulated over the entire width of the imaging plate IP. The red laser beam having a wavelength of 670 nm is incident. The light collector 1 reflects blue light of 400 nm wavelength reflected from the imaging plate IP at a specific angle (60 ㅀ) when the laser light is vertically incident on the imaging plate IP, (3).

The light collector 1 is configured to receive the reflected light of approximately 60 degrees at the maximum using the Lamberber cyan reflection characteristic of the imaging plate IP and includes an optical fiber bundle 11 composed of a plurality of optical fibers 112, And a casing 12 which accommodates the optical fiber bundles 11 as a whole.

The casing 12 has a casing body 121 disposed to cross the width of the imaging plate IP and a linear shape transverse to the width of the imaging plate IP at a lower front end of the casing body 121. [ A connecting portion 123 formed at an edge region of the rear side of the casing body 121 and a cylindrical outlet portion 123 through the inside of the casing body 121 by the connecting portion 123. [ (Not shown).

The linear inlet 122 includes a structure that protrudes downward and forward at an angle of about 60 degrees with the imaging plate IP at a lower front end of the casing body 121. [ The protruding structure of the linear inlet portion 122 serves to bring the optical input ends of the optical fibers fixed to the linear inlet portion 122 closer to the reflection position of light.

The linear inlet portion 122 includes a linear slit 1222 extending to the inside of the casing body 121 at an angle of about 60 degrees with the imaging plate IP and the linear slit 1222, Is formed in a linear direction across the imaging plate (IP). The optical input ends 1121 of the optical fibers 112 constituting the optical fiber bundle 11 are arrayed in a straight line in one line in the linear inlet portion 122 as will be described in detail below. Alternatively, the optical input ends 1121 may be arranged in two rows and in a linear form.

In addition, the casing body 121 has a substantially rectangular optical fiber receiving space 1213 connected to the linear slit 1222 and formed in a concave shape. The optical fiber accommodating space 1213 is also elongated in a direction transverse to the width of the imaging plate IP. The longitudinal length of the optical fiber accommodating space 1213 is preferably larger than the longitudinal length of the linear slit 1222. All of the optical fibers 112 in which the optical input ends 1121 are arrayed in the straight slit 1222 are accommodated in the optical fiber accommodating space 1213 in the state where the middle portions of the length are partially overlapped.

A rectangular cylindrical connection part 123 biased to one side edge region of the rear side of the casing body 121 and a cylindrical outlet part 124 passing through the inside of the casing body 121 by the connection part 123 are provided do. All the optical fibers 112 accommodated in the optical fiber accommodating space 1213 of the casing body 121 are gathered via the connection part 123 so that the optical output terminals 1122 are gathered into the cylindrical shape at the cylindrical exit part 124 .

Since the cylindrical exit part 124 is biased toward one side of the casing body 121, the longer the optical input end is, the longer the optical fiber 112 located away from the cylindrical exit part 124 is. The cylindrical outlet (124) is connected to the booster pipe (3).

In this embodiment, the laser scanning unit includes a laser light source 21 for generating a red laser light having a wavelength of 670 nm and emitting the laser light in a direction parallel to the imaging plate IP, and a laser light source And a reflection mirror 22 for reflecting the light toward the surface of the imaging plate IP.

The casing body 121 includes a vertical surface 1212 that is parallel to the laser beam incident perpendicularly to the imaging plate IP and extends vertically to a linear inlet 122 located at the lower front end. The vertical surface 1212 is substantially parallel to the laser beam and is as close as possible to the laser beam within a range that does not disturb the progress of the laser beam. The linear inlet 122 is positioned at a lower end of the vertical surface 1212. The casing body 121 has an inclined surface 1215 intersecting with the vertical surface 1212 on an upper side of the vertical surface 1212. An imaginary extension line extending upward from the vertical surface 1212 and an imaginary extension line extending from the inclined surface 1215 A reflecting mirror 22 for reflecting the laser light in the vertical direction is disposed. And at least a portion of the reflective mirror 22 is disposed between the extension of the vertical surface 1212 and the inclined surface 1215 such that the vertical surface 1212 and the linear inlet 122 at the lower end thereof are aligned with the vertically incident laser 1212. [ It can be as close as possible to light.

As described above, the vertical surface 1212 allows the linear inlet 122 to move to the maximum position at the laser light reflection position on the imaging plate IP without interfering with the laser light vertically incident on the casing body 12 To be close to each other. The optical input end 1121 of the optical fibers 112 is inserted into the linear slit 1222 whose linear inlet portion 122 is maximally close to the laser light reflection position on the imaging plate IP and which is formed at a certain angle to the linear inlet portion 122 Are arrayed in a straight line shape, the light reflected at the imaging plate IP at an angle of about 60 degrees can be input into the optical fibers 112 with a small loss.

The plurality of optical fibers 112 belonging to the optical fiber bundle 11 are arranged such that the optical input ends 1121 are arranged in a line on the linear slits 1222 of the linear inlet portion 122 and are fixed in a row, In the optical fiber receiving space 1213 of FIG. In the case of the conventional optical collectors, the optical fiber bundles 11 are accommodated in a single layer or a single layer without accommodating the optical fibers 112, Since a considerable number of long optical fibers 112 are stacked and accommodated in the optical fiber accommodating space 1213, damage to the optical fiber is prevented and a light collector having a compact structure is secured.

The optical fiber bundles 11 are randomly gathered in a rectangular shape in the connecting portion 123 without any specific rule, and are gathered and fixed again in a cylindrical shape in the cylindrical outlet portion 124. Thus, the optical output ends 1122 of the optical fiber bundle 11 are arranged in the cylindrical outlet portion 124 while forming a circular surface. The optical fiber bundle 11 receives light having a wavelength of 400 nm reflected from the imaging plate IP through the light input end 1121 linearly arrayed on the linear inlet portion 122 of the casing 12 accommodating the optical fiber bundle 11 . The optical fiber bundle 11 outputs light through an optical output terminal 1122 disposed at the cylindrical exit portion 124, and the output light enters the photo-multiplier tube.

Each of the optical fibers 112 constituting the optical fiber bundle 11 includes a circular cross section having a constant diameter except for the optical input end 1121. By having a circular cross section over most of the length of the optical fiber bundle 11, the light transmission effect by total reflection can be enhanced. However, each of the optical fibers 112 is formed to have a cross section which is in close contact with the optical input end 1121 of another optical fiber 112 adjacent to the optical input end 1121 without a gap. In addition, the light input end 1121 has a cross section that closely contacts the upper and lower surfaces of the straight slit 1222 without any gap. Most preferably, each of the optical fibers 112 includes a rectangular or square cross-section that can be closely contacted with the upper and lower surfaces of the linear optical fiber and the linear slit 1222, which are adjacent to each other.

5, the optical output ends 1122 of the optical fibers 112 form a circular surface from which light is output at the cylindrical exit as a whole, and each of the optical output ends 1122 It is desirable to maintain a circular cross-section of constant diameter.

IP .............................. Imaging plate
1 ................................. light collector
11 ................................ Fiber bundle
12 ................................ Casing
112 ................................. Optical fiber
121 .......................... casing body
122:
123 ...............................
124 ................................

Claims (3)

A CR reader for acquiring a video signal from a CR imaging plate in which a latent image is accumulated by a radiation scan,
A laser scanning unit for vertically incident red laser light on the imaging plate; And
And a light collector for receiving light of a blue wavelength reflected from the imaging plate at a specific angle and transmitting the light to the photo multiplier,
The light collector comprises: An optical fiber bundle including a plurality of optical fibers each including an optical input end and an optical output end; and a casing for accommodating the optical fiber bundle as a whole,
Wherein the casing includes a casing body disposed to cross the width of the imaging plate, a linear inlet portion formed at a lower front end of the casing body in a linear shape across the width of the imaging plate, And an outlet portion through which the inside of the casing body is connected by the connection portion,
Wherein the linear inlet portion includes a linear slit formed in a linear direction across the imaging plate and connected to the inside of the casing body while forming the specific angle with the imaging plate,
The optical input ends of the optical fibers constituting the optical fiber bundle are linearly arranged and fixed in one or two rows in the linear slit,
Wherein the casing body includes an optical fiber accommodating space connected to the linear slit and elongated in a direction transverse to the width of the imaging plate, wherein the optical fiber bundle is a plurality of optical fibers accommodated in the optical fiber accommodating space, Wherein the optical fibers are gathered via the connection portion so that optical output ends of the optical fibers are gathered and fixed in a cylindrical shape at the exit portion and the laser scanning unit generates the red laser light so as to be parallel to the imaging plate And a reflection mirror that reflects the laser light emitted from the laser light source in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the imaging plate by 90 degrees, the casing body including a laser beam incident perpendicularly to the imaging plate, Parallel to the beam And a sloped surface intersecting the vertical surface on the upper side of the vertical surface, and a sloped surface intersecting the vertical surface. delete [3] The light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein adjacent light input ends of the light input ends are in close contact with each other without a gap on a surface facing surface, and the upper and lower portions of the light input ends are closely contacted with the upper and lower portions of the linear slit CR reader.

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