EP2465009A1

EP2465009A1 - Device for removing radiographic films from a protective sheath

Info

Publication number: EP2465009A1
Application number: EP10740157A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Michael Thoms
Original assignee: Duerr Dental SE
Current assignee: Duerr Dental SE
Priority date: 2009-08-13
Filing date: 2010-07-24
Publication date: 2012-06-20
Also published as: WO2011018158A1; DE102009037062A1; AU2010281886A1; EA201200264A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a device allowing the removal of radiographic films (14) radiated by x-ray light from an opaque protective sheath (10). The invention comprises means for holding down a wall segment of the protective sheath (10), and means (70, 120) for moving the radiographic film (14) with respect to the held down wall segments of the protective sheath (10).

Description

Device for removing storage foils

from a protective cover

The invention relates to a device for removing storage foils from a protective cover.

Image plates serve to record X-ray images of irradiated objects and patients. They contain storage centers, which can be converted by the X-rays into metastable electronic excitation states from which they relax upon exposure to readout light with emission of fluorescence. The pixel-wise readout

The imaging plates are made by a reader (scanner), in which the exposed imaging plates are inserted.

So that the memory centers, which have been put into a metastable electronic excited state, have not already passed through

Daylight are caused to emit fluorescent light and so the latent X-ray image is weakened or erased, the imaging plates are surrounded by light-tight protective sleeves, which are transparent to X-ray light. After the latent X-ray image has been read, any residual images remaining are erased by irradiation with a strong lamp, and the storage film

Can for a new inclusion in a new protective case

are given. In addition to protective covers sometimes also find

Hygienic covers that surround the protective cover and ensure that the protective cover does not come into contact with bodily fluids or other contaminants. Previously, the envelopes surrounding the imaging plates had to be manually removed, which costs time and more

There is also the risk that the sensitive surface of the storage film is scratched.

The present invention is intended to provide a device for removing storage foils from a protective cover, which can remove protective covers from storage foils without manual labor.

This object is achieved by a

Device with the features specified in claim 1.

In the device according to the invention, the protective cover is held on a region adjacent to an existing or to be created removal opening. By exerting a force on the storage foil located in the protective cover, which can be done through the protective sheath, the storage foil is then pushed out of the protective sheath, which is thereby shot open and / or everted.

When the storage film is off a predetermined distance

the protective cover is pushed out, it can be taken over by a collection device of the read-out device (the scanner). This then pulls the memory film completely out of the protective cover, so that the latter comes free of the storage film and can be disposed of. Advantageous developments of the invention are specified in subclaims.

The development of the invention according to claim 2

with regard to a particularly secure holding of the protective cover of advantage. It also ensures that the holding forces are applied symmetrically to the protective cover, namely both the front wall and the rear wall of the protective cover. The development of the invention according to claim 3 makes it possible to realize the largest possible part of the Entnehmweges by moving the storage film through the protective cover while shooting up the protective cover. Also, the development of the invention according to claim

4 is advantageous in terms of securely setting the protective cover.

Claim 5 indicates various alternatives with which the protective cover can be held. It is

on the electrostatic variant and the vacuum variant advantageous that the holding power can be switched on and off easily. Also, the development of the invention according to claim

6 is advantageous in view of a high holding force. In addition, the cooperating form-fitting elements and form-fitting means can serve to position the protective cover.

Also, the development of the invention according to claim

7 is advantageous in terms of generating a high holding force. In a device according to claim 8, the storage disks are already bent to a curved geometry, as used in some read-out devices. The

The storage film can then be taken over from the removal device into the read-out device substantially while maintaining its geometry. The development of the invention according to claim 9 makes it possible to realize the pushing out of the storage film from the protective cover with the application of low force.

This is also a low wear, which results from surface contact between memory film outer sides and Schutzhüllen- inside pages.

In a device according to claim 10, the read-out device and / or the ejection of the empty protective cover can be started automatically when the front edge of the storage film has reached the feeder of the reader. With the development of the invention according to claim 11 it is achieved that the movement of the storage film is continued by the removal device at least until the front edge of the storage film has been taken over by the collection of the read-out device.

The development of the invention according to claim 12 is advantageous in terms of operating the removal device in the presence of ambient light. In a device according to claim 13, a (the front) side of the protective cover is mechanically opened to provide a removal opening for the storage sheet.

The development of the invention according to claim 14 is in view of avoiding damage to the

Storage film by the separator of advantage.

With the development of the invention according to claim 15, a precise positioning of that edge edge of the storage film is achieved in a simple manner which is to be separated a shell portion for generating a removal opening.

With the development of the invention according to claim 16 is a simple movement of the storage film from the

Get the protective case out.

The invention will be explained in more detail below on the basis of exemplary embodiments with reference to the drawing

explained. In this show:

Figure 1: a partially broken view of a

Storage film and a surrounding protective cover;

FIG. 2 shows a section through the arrangement according to FIG

1 along the section line II-II;

Figure 3: a schematic representation of a device

for reading memory foils, which

provided on the input side with a station for removing protective covers of storage foils; Figure 4: a vertical section through a station

for removing protective covers of the readout device according to Figure 3;

characters

5 to 8: vertical sections through modified stations for removing protective covers;

Figure 9: a plan view of a modified protective cover; FIG. 10: a plan view of the front side of a delten reader with teilzylindrischer readout surface;

FIG. 11: a plan view of the read-out device according to FIG

10;

Figure 12: a vertical section through a further

modified station for removing protective covers;

FIG. 13 shows a further vertical section through the device shown in FIG. 12 in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the drawing of FIG. 12; and

FIG. 14: a plan view of a further modified one

Protective cover.

In FIGS. 1 a light-tight protective cover for a storage film 14 is shown at 10. The protective cover 10 is sealed at its edges by a weld 12.

To prepare for the removal of the storage film 14 from the protective cover 10 whose lying down in Figure 1 end portion 13 is separated along a section line 15 so that the protective cover 10 forms a downwardly open pocket, which has a front wall 10A and a rear wall

1OB.

The protective cover 10 is made of a flexible film material which is opaque to visible light but transparent to X-ray light. This can be done for example by black pigmentation of the film material. Alternatively, the protective cover 10 may be designed in the manner of an envelope and have a self-adhesive tab IOC, which is folded over the removal opening, as indicated by dashed lines in FIGS.

FIG. 3 schematically shows a readout device 26, which serves to convert latent X-ray images, which were obtained in the storage film 14 when an object is irradiated, into an electrical image which can be displayed, printed or further processed on a screen.

The read-out device 16 according to FIG. 3 comprises two delivery units 18A and 18B, which are arranged in alignment behind an inlet slot 22 of a housing 20. The housing 20 also has a guideway 24 for reading

Speichertolien. Lying between the two conveyor units 18A, 18B, the reader 16 has a scan head 26, which generates a fine laser beam 28 as readout light and includes a detector for registration of triggered in the memory film fluorescent light.

The storage film 14 is through the conveyor units

18A, 18B moved past the scanning head 26 in a predetermined plane. The scan head 26, in turn, moves the laser beam 28 in the direction perpendicular to the plane of Figure 3 and the plane of movement of the storage film direction. In this way, the individual points of the storage film are read out separately.

By measuring the position of the storage film 14, which, for example, using one with one of the conveyor units 18 cooperating position transmitter 29 can be made, and by measuring the lateral deflection of the laser beam 28, which can be determined via the beam deflection signal of the scan head 26, one thus knows which point of the memory film 14 is being read out. The corresponding position signals for the laser beam 28 with respect to the storage film 14 and the output signal of the scan head 26 then together form an electrical pixel and its coordinates in the read-out X-ray image.

The output signal of the scan head 26 is applied to an operation and evaluation circuit 30 connected to the scan head

26 collaborates. This sets the different ones

Image pixel together and provides the entire image on a line 33 ready.

For reading the latent image as described above

the memory film 14 must be the latter surrounding protective cover 10 is removed, since it is impermeable to visible light, the laser beam used for reading

28 but in the visible region of the spectrum, typically in the red, while that by relaxation

the fluorescence light obtained in the excited storage centers is blue.

For machine removal of the protective cover 10 of the

Storage film 14 is in the reader according to FIG

3, a removal station 32 is provided. Various embodiments thereof are shown in FIGS

Figures 4 to 13 shown in more detail. They work on the same principle: the protective cover 14 is held in an area adjacent to the open end, and by applying a force to the rear edge of the

Memory sheet 14, this from the detained end the protective cover 10 pushed out until its front end is taken over by the conveyor unit 18A.

The various embodiments of FIGS. 4 to 13 differ in the means for holding the front, open end of the protective cover 10. In FIGS. 4 to 13, like reference numerals refer to like-functionally identical components, even though they differ in detail.

At the removal station 32 according to FIG. 4, this takes place

Holding a portion of the front wall 10A of the protective cover 10 by a squeegee 34, and one of these opposing Andrückleiste 36 serves to secure the protective cover 10 against the Saigleiste.

The squeegee 34 has a perpendicular to the plane extending distribution channel 38 which communicates with a plurality of suction channels 40 in communication, which opens into the conveying path of the protective covers 10 adjacent end face of the squeegee 34.

The Andrückleiste 36 has a plurality perpendicular to

Drawing plane equally spaced Andrückkolben 46,

which are displaceable in holes 48, with a

Pressure line 49 are connected.

When pressurizing the holes 48 press the

Piston 46, the protective cover 10 and the therein

Memory film 14 to the intake ports 42, so that

the protective cover 10 with the corresponding wall areas is securely held on the intake channels 42. Thereafter, the pressurization of the bores 48 may be terminated, and, if desired, by pressurizing the drilled holes 48, the piston 46 again be retracted.

By exerting a vertically downward

Force on the rear edge of the storage film 14 through the rear end of the protective cover 10 through the storage film 14 can now be pushed out of the protective cover 10 until it is grasped by the conveyor unit 18A. In this pushing out of the storage film 14, the protective cover 10 is everted or in

Loops shot up.

The embodiment of Figure 5 differs from that of Figure 4, characterized in that above the plunger 46 is still a sealing strip 50 is provided, which is made of flexible rubber material.

In this way, an opaque seal between the protective cover 10 and the removal station 32 is obtained. Through the inlet slot 22 no ambient light can reach the interior of the reader 16, which could affect the reading of the latent image memory.

In the embodiment of Figure 6, the removal station 32 instead of a squeegee an adhesive strip

52, which is frontally provided with an adhesive layer 54, which may for example consist of a silicone material, which has high coefficient of friction in mating with the material of the protective cover 10. In addition, adhesion layers 56 are also provided on the end faces of the pressure piston 46, whereby one obtains a holding of the front wall 10A and rear wall 10B of a protective cover 10. The adhesive strip 52 is further provided with a pneumatic operated Slider 58 provided, which serves as a movable stop and facilitates a correct alignment of the protective covers 10 with respect to the housing 20 of the readout device 16. The slider 58 also serves to close the

Inlet plate 22, if no storage film 14 of a protective cover 10 is to be removed.

In the embodiment of Figure 7, the slider 58 of the squeegee 34 is arranged opposite. In this way, he can at the same time take over the function of the pressing piston 46.

In the suction strip 34 and the pressure strip 36, a light-emitting diode 60 and a light-sensitive diode 62 are integrated, which together form a light barrier. This is interrupted when a storage film 14 is introduced with this surrounding protective cover 10 in the removal station 32.

A predetermined period of time after interruption of the light barrier can then be released by applying vacuum to the back of the slider 58, the access to the inlet slot 22 automatically.

In the embodiment of Figure 8 both Andrückkolben 46 and a slider 58 are provided. The pistons 46 carry at their end faces angled retaining plates 64 which extend perpendicular to the plane of the drawing.

In an insertion position reproduced in FIG. 8, the holding plates 64 are arranged so that they are in the

Feeding a protective cover 10 with therein

Storage film 14 in the spaces between the inner surfaces of the protective cover 10 and the outer surfaces of the Memory sheet 14 intervene.

After retraction of the piston 46 by negative pressure of the bores 48, the protective cover 10 is then clamped by the retaining plates 64 in each case against the end faces 44 of the respective retaining strip 66 and thus fixed.

Until this time, the slider 58 remains in the inlet 22 closing position. The release of the inlet slot 22 by the slider 58 is caused by a control button, time-controlled or by the control of the read-out device 16. The protective cover 10 shown in FIG. 9 has a reinforcing strip 60 provided on one side in the lower edge region of the front wall 10A and provided with recesses 70. These can cooperate in a form-fitting manner with holding plates which are designed similarly to the holding plates 64 of FIG. 8, only being interrupted at the center. The reinforcing strip 68 is made of plastic film of greater material thickness and welded to the front wall 10A of the protective cover 10.

In the removal station 32 shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the inlet slot 22, the suction strip 34 and the pressure strip 36 are each curved in a part-cylindrical manner. The suction strip 34 and the pressure strip 36 are spaced apart from one another such that the protective cover 10 with the storage film 14 located therein can first be fed without being curved.

By negative pressure of the squeegee 34 and

Pressurization of the piston 46 of the pressure bar 36th Then the protective cover 10 is partially cylindrically curved together with the storage film 14. It can already be adopted in this geometry in the read-out device 16, which has a cylindrical reading surface in order to accomplish the second scanning direction of the storage film by pivoting the laser beam 28 can.

Due to the curvature of the protective cover 10 and the storage film 14, a mechanical stabilization is obtained.

On the squeegee 34, a linearly movable slide 70 is provided so that it provides an undisturbed feeding of protective cover 10 with memory sheet therein

14 allows. Only by curvature of the protective cover 10 and the storage film 14 on the squeegee 34 comes

he with an angled end portion 72 on the

Top edge of the protective cover 10 and memory sheet 14 to lie. If the slider 70 is now moved downwards with the protective cover 10 fixed to the suction strip 14, the storage film 14 is pushed into the inlet slot 22, while the flexible protective cover 10 is folded or everted.

Figures 12 and 13 show a further modified

Removal station 32, the housing 20 has a rear housing main part 2OA and a front, about a vertical axis swing-off housing part 2OB.

The above described components are again with

provided the same reference numerals and do not need

to be described again in detail.

Provided on the front side of the rear housing part 20A is a shallow recess 74, which has walls 76, 78 extending in the longitudinal direction, a rear wall 80 and a front wall 82 ("front" and "rear" are here related to the conveying direction of the storage film, otherwise "front" is the operating side of the collection station). The front wall 82 is formed by the side surface of a counter knife 84, which is displaceable perpendicular to the plane of Figure 12 by a drive 86, as shown schematically in Figure 13. The walls 76 to 82 are arranged so that a storage sheet 14 with under sufficient to receive casing material game just form fit in the recess 74 recording. If the storage film 14 is pressed to the rear end of the protective cover 10, the end section 13 of the cover is still over the leading edge of the storage film. This comes to lie in the recess 74 inserted unit of memory sheet 14 and protective cover 10 over the front of the counter knife 84.

The counter knife 84 has a groove in its front

88, with a knife ring 90 of a rotary blade

92 cooperates. The knife ring 90 is of a

Drum portion 94 of the rotary blade 92 worn.

The rotary blade 92 is driven by a motor 96, whose housing is seated on a knife carriage 98. This is displaceable in a guide groove 100 of the housing part 2OA.

With respect to the conveying direction of the imaging plates 14 vertical displacement of the blade carriage 98 is a linear actuator 102 with associated position sensor 104th When the blade ring 20 of the rotary blade 92 comes into engagement with the counter blade 84, the end portion

13 of the protective cover 10 cut off. If the peripheral surface of the drum section 94 is covered with an adhesive layer, roughened or electrostatically charged, then the cut-off end section 13 winds onto the drum section 94 as the knife carriage 98 advances. If the rotary blade 92 is then moved into an end position on the right in FIG. 12, the wound end section 13 comes into abutment against a porous wall section 106 which closes a vacuum chamber 108, which is connected via a line 110 to a control and supply unit 112.

Now, if the motor 96 excited in the opposite direction and the knife carriage 98 moved back synchronously, the cut end portion 13 of the sleeve 10 adheres to the wall piece 110 and then falls later from this into a plenum 114 down when the vacuum chamber 108 from the control - And supply unit 112 is acted upon briefly with overpressure. After cutting off the end portion 13 then the counter knife 84 is moved back until its end face is flush with the bottom of the recess 74.

Now, another porous wall piece 116 is acted upon by a negative pressure from the control and supply unit 112 via a line 118, so that the corresponding section of the protective sleeve 10 is firmly sucked.

A corresponding aligned porous wall piece 116 is provided in the back of the housing part 2OB. It holds the other side of the protective cover 10 firmly.

Now, the vertically movable slide 70 standing below the depression 70 in FIG. 12 is replaced by an associated linear motor 120 with position transmitter 122

moved upward, the storage film 14 is pushed out of the protective cover 10.

When the front edge of the storage film 14 reaches the light-emitting diode 60 and the light-sensitive diode 62

Photoelectric sensor, the Färdereinheit 18A is set by the control and supply unit 112 in motion, and in a further advancing the storage sheet 14 whose front portion is then taken over by the conveyor unit 18A for further transport.

An inlet ramp 124 at the inlet slot 22 ensures centering of the storage film 14 on the guide

24 of the reader.

By adopting the front end of the storage sheet 14 by the conveyer unit 18A, the storage sheet becomes

14 then completely pulled out of the protective cover 10. Now, the slider 70 is moved by the linear actuator 102 back into the lower end position shown in Figure 12, and by a further transversely displaceable slide 126, of a linear drive 128th

is moved with position sensor 130, the protective cover is pushed through a slot 132 in the right boundary wall of the recess 74 into the plenum 114.

Now you can swivel the front housing part

2OB another unit from a storage sheet and a protective cover are inserted, as described above, and automatically released from the protective cover 10, as described above. It is then also drawn by the conveyor unit 18A in the actual reader.

Figure 14 shows a unit of a storage film

14 and a modified protective cover 10, which is particularly well suited for use together with a removal station according to the figures 12 and 13.

The protective cover 10 has seen in the film longitudinal direction larger dimension than the storage film 14. To forcibly position the storage film 14 at the rear end of the protective cover 10, two weak tack welds 134 are provided in front of the front edge of the storage film 14, which are easily broken by the slider 70 can, when the protective cover 10 is held by negative pressure. These tack welds 134 can be produced by using welding tools which have a lower temperature and / or act only for a short time, so that the layers of the

Foil material are placed in the appropriate places only for easy adhesion to each other. In conjunction with a protective sheath 10, as shown in FIG. 14, a vacuum-loaded porous wall piece 116 is used, which lies behind the tack weldings 134 when the protective sheath is inserted in the recess 74.

In a further modification, it is possible to omit the negative pressure upstream of the housing part 2OB or to replace it with another holding means, for example an elastic adhesion layer or an electrode which can be acted upon by high voltage. In the exemplary embodiments considered above, the protective cover 10 was held in each case and the storage film 14 was moved.

It is understood that, alternatively, the storage film 14, e.g. can hold by a stop and the protective cover 10 can shoot open or retreat over the storage sheet 14 by pulling back, so that a larger part of the storage sheet is exposed. At this can then take a conveyor unit of the reader, the storage sheet 14 and further transport.

Such solutions are intended to be encompassed by the claims, wherein one has to think of moving and stationary parts replaced.

Claims

claims

1. Device for removing storage foils (14)

from a protective cover (10), characterized by

Holding means (34; 54, 56; 64; 116) cooperating with at least one wall portion of the protective sheath (10).

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that at least two holding means (34; 54, 56; 64;

116) are provided, each with at least

a wall area in each case one of the two main walls

(10A, 10B) of the protective cover (10) work together.

3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the holding means (34; 54, 56; 64; 116) cooperate with a wall portion of the protective sheath (10) which is adjacent to an open or openable end.

4. Device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the holding means (34; 54, 56;

64; 116) over an extensive area or over one

Plural smaller areas with the wall areas of

Protective cover (10) work together.

5. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that the holding means (34, 54, 56, 64, 116) comprise a material which cooperates adhesively with the film material, a material which interacts electrostatically with the film material or a material subjected to negative pressure.

6 .. Device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the holding means have positive-locking elements (64) which cooperate with positive-locking means (70) of the protective sheaths (10).

7. Device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the holding means (34) has a fixed contact part (34) and cooperating with this pressing means (46) which are perpendicular to the protective sheath (10) movable.

8. A device according to claim 7, characterized in that a contact surface of the contact part (34) is concavely curved and the end face of the pressing means

(36) is complementarily curved.

9. Device according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the storage film (14) and the protective cover (10) have low friction cooperating surfaces or between them a layer of sliding material is arranged, which with the material of the storage film (14 ) and / or the material of the protective cover (10) cooperates under low friction.

10. Device according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that it comprises a presence detector

(60, 62), preferably in the form of a light barrier, which responds to the presence of a protective cover and / or a storage plate (14).

11. Device according to one of claims 1 to 10,

characterized in that it is provided at the inlet of a reading device (16) for storage foils (14), which comprises conveying means (18) which take over a predetermined distance behind an inlet (32) the storage film (14), characterized in that the pre - distance is smaller than the distance between that wall portion of a protective cover (10), with which the holding means (34; 110) cooperate, and the

Trailing edge of the storage film (14).

12. Device according to one of claims 1 to 11,

characterized in that they provide yielding light

Protective means (50) cooperating with the outside of the protective cover (10) and / or the outside of the storage film (14).

13. Device according to one of claims 1 to 12,

characterized by a separating device (84,

92), which has an edge portion of a closed

Protective cover (10) separates.

14. Device according to claim 13, characterized in that the separating device is parallel to a

Edge edge of the storage film (14) guided knife (92).

15. A device according to claim 14, characterized by a movable stop (84) which is movable between a protruding into the plane of movement of the storage film stop position and a movement plane of the storage sheet (14) free rest position.

16. Device according to one of claims 1 to 15,

characterized by drive means (70) which engage a portion of the protective sheath (10),

which is spaced from the wall portions cooperating with the holding means (34; 110).