JP2004177750A - Thermal developing processing method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a thermal developing processing method for avoiding influence of a temperature in an apparatus for a thermal developing photosensitive film loaded in a plurality of film loading parts. <P>SOLUTION: The thermal developing processing method loads at least two kinds of thermal developing photosensitive films on the plurality of the film-loading parts 11 and 12 of a thermal developing processing apparatus 100 respectively, conveys the thermal developing photosensitive film, and loads a film of low utilization frequency from either of at least two kinds of the thermal developing photosensitive films to one with the minimum influence on the temperature of the apparatus of the plurality of the film loading parts, when a visible image is formed on the thermal developing photosensitive film by a thermal developing process. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a heat development processing method for forming a visible image on a heat development photosensitive film by a heat development process.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Density is always stable because the diagnostic image is expressed in shades of gray for a medical thermal development processor that forms a diagnostic image by thermally developing a photothermographic film (hereinafter also simply referred to as "film"). There is a strong demand for the basic function of outputting as output. Such a thermal development processing apparatus has a so-called calibration function of controlling an image forming portion so that a digital video signal (designated density signal) sent from each modality has a constant density on a film.
[0003]
However, although a constant density is obtained immediately after performing the calibration, the density may fluctuate due to various factors with the passage of time after the calibration. In particular, it is known that the heat development process tends to fluctuate. For example, variations due to the following causes (1) to (5) can be considered.
[0004]
(1) Exposure system fluctuation due to environmental temperature (2) Thermal development characteristic fluctuation due to film processing (3) Sensitivity characteristic fluctuation of film stored in apparatus (4) Thermal development drum characteristic change (5) Thermal development characteristic Films of different types [0005]
Of the above fluctuations, fluctuations such as (1) and (2) can be predicted to some extent by monitoring the temperature in the apparatus, and can be corrected as feedforward so as to keep the finished density constant. . On the other hand, fluctuations such as (3), (4), and (5) are difficult to predict in advance, and therefore, the finished density affected by the overall including (3), (4), or (5) is measured. In some cases, a so-called patch density method for performing feedback correction on subsequent prints is used.
[0006]
In the patch density method, a rectangular area of about 5 × 10 mm is exposed to a predetermined portion of a film with a predetermined amount of light, the finished density of this area is measured, and a density that can be obtained originally (hereinafter, referred to as a comparative density) The exposure amount and / or the heat development condition are adjusted so that the next and subsequent prints have the optimum density based on the difference from the above.
[0007]
On the other hand, there is a heat development processing apparatus in which a plurality of channels for film loading exist, and each film loaded in the plurality of channels often uses a different film for each channel. After being loaded into the device, the film of the less frequently used channel will be continuously affected by the heat generating portion in the device, so that the so-called film raw preservability deteriorates, the sensitivity characteristics change, and the film Finished density tends to fluctuate. Furthermore, if the frequency of use of the film is low, the printing interval is long, and the feedback correction amount obtained using the patch at the time of the previous printing is not optimal. Therefore, the effect of the temperature in the apparatus on the film loaded in the apparatus must be minimized.
[0008]
There has been proposed an image recording apparatus in which a supply section of an image receiving material is thermally shielded with a heat insulating material in order to avoid the above-described thermal effects (see Patent Document 1 below). However, such a structure requires a large space for the heat insulating material in order to provide sufficient heat shielding, and in the case of a plurality of channels, this leads particularly to an increase in the size of the device.
[0009]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-63-81349
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-described problems of the related art, and has as its object to provide a heat development processing method capable of avoiding the influence of the temperature in the apparatus on the heat development photosensitive film loaded in a plurality of film loading units.
[0011]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the thermal development processing method according to the present invention comprises loading at least two types of thermal development photosensitive films into a plurality of film loading units of a thermal development processing apparatus, respectively, and transporting the thermal development photosensitive film, A heat development processing method for forming a visible image on the photothermographic film by a heat development process, wherein a less frequently used one of the at least two kinds of photothermographic films is used in the plurality of film loading units. It is characterized in that it is loaded on the side that has the least effect on the temperature inside the apparatus.
[0012]
According to this heat development processing method, when a different type of photothermographic film is loaded into a plurality of film loading units, a less frequently used photothermographic film is loaded into a film loading unit having a small temperature effect in the apparatus. Even if the storage period is relatively long, it is possible to avoid the influence of the temperature in the apparatus on the photothermographic film.
[0013]
In this case, the at least two types of photothermographic films have different film sizes and / or different film physical properties.
[0014]
Further, the film loading section having the least effect on the temperature in the apparatus is the film loading section having the smallest rate of temperature rise after the apparatus power is turned on. Alternatively, the film loading section having the least effect on the temperature in the apparatus is the film loading section having the lowest saturation temperature after the apparatus is turned on.
[0015]
Another heat development processing method according to the present invention comprises loading a plurality of film loading sections of a heat development processing apparatus with the same type of heat development photosensitive film, transporting the heat development photosensitive film, and performing the heat development process by a heat development process. A heat development processing method for forming a visible image on a film, wherein the photothermographic film is used first in a film loading section having the largest temperature influence in the apparatus among the plurality of film loading sections. .
[0016]
According to this thermal development processing method, when the same type of thermal development photosensitive film is loaded into a plurality of film loading sections, the thermal development photosensitive film loaded in the film loading section having the largest temperature influence in the apparatus is used first. Therefore, even if the storage period in the film loading section where the influence of the temperature inside the apparatus is small is relatively long, the influence of the temperature inside the apparatus on the photothermographic film can be avoided.
[0017]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a front view showing a main part of a heat development processing apparatus capable of executing a heat development processing method according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0018]
As shown in FIG. 1, the thermal development processing apparatus 100 is configured to form a diagnostic image on a film, which is a sheet-like thermal development photosensitive material, based on a diagnostic image signal received from an external medical diagnostic apparatus or the like. I have.
[0019]
The thermal development processing apparatus 100 of FIG. 1 transports the films one by one for exposure and development, and first and second film loading units 11 and 12 for loading a package in which the film is packaged in a predetermined number. A supply unit 110 having a supply unit 90 for supplying, an exposure unit 120 for exposing the film fed from the supply unit 110 to form a latent image, and a developing unit 130 for thermally developing the film on which the latent image is formed; A cooling / conveying unit 150 that conveys the film from the developing unit 130 with the conveying rollers 144 while cooling the film, a densitometer 200 that measures the density of the developed film in the cooling / conveying unit 150 and obtains density information, And a power supply section 170 for supplying power to each section.
[0020]
FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing the film package loaded in the film loading section of FIG. 1 in a partially cutaway manner. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the heat development processing apparatus of FIG. It is a side view which shows the removal part which removes.
[0021]
As shown in FIG. 2, a film package P that can be loaded into the film loading units 11 and 12 in FIG. 1 is formed on a holding member (positioning member) D as a bundle of about 125 half-size films F, for example. In a state of being accumulated, held and positioned, the light is light-tightly accommodated in a barrier bag B which is a light shielding means. At the side end of the barrier bag B, a plurality of engagement holes a that engage with the engagement claws 26 (FIG. 3) of the removing portion 6 are formed. The film package P can secure the film integration and the mass productivity of the package at the time of its production by the holding member D that holds and positions the film F.
[0022]
A removing unit 6 for removing the barrier bag B from the film package P in FIG. 2 is provided on the back side of the film loading units 11 and 12 in FIG. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, when the removing unit 6 loads the film package P of FIG. 2 into the film loading units 11 and 12 of FIG. After lifting up and engaging the plurality of engagement holes a at the side ends of the film package P with the engagement claws 26, the guide roller pair 21 sandwiches both surfaces of the barrier bag B of the film package P, and A drive roller 30 provided around the drive roller 30 is driven to rotate in a rotation direction c by a motor (not shown), and the barrier bag B is wound around the drive roller 30 so that the barrier bag B is moved in the horizontal direction y in the figure and removed. Then, the laminated film F positioned on the holding member D is exposed in the loading units 11 and 12. Before removing the barrier bag B, the other side end face b of the barrier bag B is cut so as to be easily wound.
[0023]
The size of the film package P shown in FIG. 2 differs depending on the size of the film accommodated therein (for example, half-cut size or six-cut size), and the first and second loading units 11 and 12 in FIG. It is configured to be able to accommodate that size.
[0024]
As described above, when the film package P is loaded into the film loading sections 11 and 12, the removing section 6 automatically removes the barrier bag B. Then, when the thermal development processing apparatus 100 receives the image signal, the film is supplied one by one from the first and second loading units 11 and 12 of the supply unit 110 by the supply unit 90 and the transport roller pairs 39, 41 and 141. Are transported in the direction of the arrow (1).
[0025]
The exposure unit 120 of the thermal development processing apparatus 100 in FIG. 1 emits a laser beam L having a predetermined wavelength within a wavelength range of 780 to 860 nm, which is intensity-modulated based on the received image signal, from a laser light source unit including a laser diode (LD). Then, the film is deflected by the rotating polygon mirror to perform main scanning on the film, and the film is relatively moved with respect to the laser beam L in a substantially horizontal direction, which is a direction substantially perpendicular to the main scanning direction, by the transport roller pair 142. Sub-scanning is performed, and a latent image is formed on the film F using the laser beam L.
[0026]
A more specific configuration of the exposure unit 120 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a view schematically showing an exposure section of the heat development processing apparatus of FIG. In FIG. 4, when the thermal development processing apparatus 100 receives an image signal S which is a digital signal output from an image signal output device 121 such as an external medical diagnostic device, the image signal S is converted into an analog signal by a D / A converter 122. And input to the modulation circuit 123. The modulation circuit 123 controls the driver 124 of the laser light source unit 110a based on the analog signal so that the modulated laser light L is emitted from the laser light source unit 110a. Further, the high-frequency superimposing unit 118 superimposes a high-frequency component on the laser light via the modulation circuit 123 and the driver 124 to prevent formation of interference fringes on the film.
[0027]
An acousto-optic modulator 88 is arranged between the lens 112 of the exposure unit 120 and the laser light source unit 110a. The acousto-optic modulator 88 is controlled and driven by an acousto-optic modulation (AOM) driver 89 based on a signal from a correction control unit 71 for adjusting the modulation amount. The correction control unit 71 controls the acousto-optic modulation element 88 via the AOM driver 89 based on the correction signal from the control unit 99 so that the optimal modulation amount (the ratio of the outgoing light amount to the incident light amount) at the time of exposure is obtained.
[0028]
Next, the laser light L emitted from the laser light source unit 110a and the light amount of which is appropriately adjusted by the acousto-optic modulation element 88 passes through the lens 112, and is then converged only in the vertical direction by the cylindrical lens 115. The light is incident on the rotary polygon mirror 113 rotating in the direction of arrow A as a line image perpendicular to the drive shaft. The rotary polygon mirror 113 reflects and deflects the laser light L in the main scanning direction. After the deflected laser light L passes through an fθ lens 114 including a cylindrical lens formed by combining four lenses, the laser light L is focused on the optical path. In the direction indicated by the arrow X, the light is reflected by the mirror 116 provided in the direction of the arrow and is conveyed (sub-scanned) by the conveying roller pair 142 in the direction indicated by the arrow Y on the scanning surface 117 of the film F. Main scanning is repeated. As a result, the laser light L scans over the entire surface to be scanned 117 on the film F, and forms a latent image on the film F based on the image signal S.
[0029]
Next, the developing unit 130 of the heat development processing apparatus of FIG. 1 includes a heating drum 14 capable of heating while holding the film F on the outer periphery, and a plurality of rolls 16 holding the film between the heating drum 14 and the heating drum 14. Have. The heating drum 14 includes a heater therein, and is heated by power supply from the power supply unit 170 to the heater to maintain the film F at a temperature equal to or higher than a predetermined minimum heat development temperature (for example, about 110 ° C.) for a predetermined heat development time. Thus, the film F is thermally developed.
[0030]
As shown in FIG. 1, the film F is transported by the transport roller pair 142 in the direction of the arrow (2), after the latent image is formed by the above-described exposure unit 120, transported upward in the figure, and then in the direction of the arrow (3). (1) is guided between the heating drum 14 and the roll 16 by the pair of conveying rollers 143, and is heated by the heating drum 14 and thermally developed.
[0031]
On the left side of the developing unit 130, a cooling transport unit 150 that includes a plurality of pairs of transport rollers 144 and a densitometer 200 and that cools a heated film is provided. The film F separated from the heating drum 14 is cooled while being conveyed obliquely downward to the right by a cooling conveyance unit 150 as shown by an arrow (3) in FIG. Then, while the transport roller pair 144 transports the cooled film F, the densitometer 200 measures the density of the film F. Thereafter, the plurality of transport roller pairs 144 are provided at the upper right part of the thermal development processing apparatus 100 so that the film F can be further transported as shown by an arrow (4) in FIG. The paper is discharged to the discharged tray 160.
[0032]
When the film F is irradiated with the laser light L from the exposure unit 120 at the time of the above-described exposure, as shown in FIG. 5, the silver halide particles are exposed to the region irradiated with the laser light L, and the latent image is formed. It is formed. On the other hand, as described above, when the film F is heated by the heating drum 14 of the developing unit 130 and reaches a temperature equal to or higher than the minimum thermal development temperature, silver ions (Ag ⁺ ) are released from silver behenate, as shown in FIG. The behenic acid that has released the ions forms a complex with the toning agent. Thereafter, silver ions are diffused, the reducing agent acts with the exposed silver halide grains as nuclei, and it is considered that a silver image is formed by a chemical reaction.
[0033]
As described above, the film F contains the photosensitive silver halide grains, the organic silver salt, and the silver ion reducing agent, and is not substantially thermally developed at a temperature of 40 ° C. or less, and has a minimum of 80 ° C. or more. Thermal development is performed at a temperature higher than the development temperature (for example, about 110 ° C.).
[0034]
A film composed of the above-described photothermographic material generally has a property that the film sensitivity characteristic is liable to change when taken out of the barrier bag B of the film package P of FIG. 2 and stored for a relatively long time in a high temperature environment. Have. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, when stored at 30 ° C., as the number of storage days increases, the film finish density decreases as shown by the solid line in the figure, and when the environmental temperature increases to, for example, 35 ° C., as shown by the broken line in the figure. In addition, the finished density of the film further decreases, and the higher the environmental temperature of the film storage becomes, the lower the finished density becomes. Therefore, in the present embodiment, a film which is less frequently used is loaded in a direction in which the temperature in the apparatus is hardly affected by the temperature in the apparatus due to the heat generating section in the apparatus of the first and second film loading sections 11 and 12. By using it, a more stable finished density is obtained.
[0035]
That is, in the thermal development processing apparatus 100 of FIG. 1, the developing unit 130, the first film loading unit 11, the second film loading unit 12, the exposure unit 120, and the power supply unit 170 are arranged in a stacked state from the top of the apparatus. In the developing unit 130, the heating drum 14 is a heat generating unit, in the exposure unit 120, the laser light source unit 110a including a laser diode and the acousto-optic modulator 88 are the heat generating unit, and in the power supply unit 170, the power supply IC and the like are used. The circuit element is the heating section. Of these, the developing unit 130 having the heating drum 14 has the largest amount of heat generation, and the first film loading unit 11 closer to the developing unit 130 is more likely to rise in temperature than the second film loading unit 12, so that the temperature inside the apparatus is less affected. Since it is large, the first film loading unit 11 is loaded with, for example, a frequently used half-cut size film, and the second film loading unit 12 with little influence on the temperature in the apparatus is loaded with, for example, a 6-cut size film that is less frequently used. I do.
[0036]
As described above, even if the film loaded in the first film loading unit 11 is exposed to a higher temperature, the frequency of use is high and the number of storage days is short. It is hard to lower. Further, the film loaded in the second film loading unit 12 is used less frequently and is exposed to a lower temperature even if the storage days are long, so that the sensitivity fluctuation hardly occurs, and the finished film density decreases. It becomes difficult.
[0037]
Next, a modified example of the heat developing device of FIG. 1 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 is a front view schematically showing a heat development processing apparatus according to a modification of FIG.
[0038]
In the heat development processing apparatus of FIG. 8, the third film loading unit 13 is further arranged below the second film loading unit 12 in FIG. In such an arrangement, since the temperature of the lowermost third film loading unit 13 is considered to be the lowest and the influence of the temperature inside the apparatus is considered to be the least, the lower third film loading unit 13 has a lower frequency of use. You only need to load the lowest film.
[0039]
Further, for example, when the temperature of the second film loading unit 12 in the middle stage is lower than that of the third film loading unit 13 in the lowermost stage due to the influence of the power supply unit 170 or the like, the frequency of use of the second film loading unit 12 is reduced. Load the lowest film.
[0040]
In FIG. 1 and FIG. 8 described above, the relationship of the temperature and the relationship of the temperature rise rate in the first and second film loading units 11 and 12 or the first to third film loading units 11 to 13 are determined in the apparatus. There is a case where it cannot be determined unconditionally due to the influence of the ascending air current due to the heat generated from each part, the housing structure of the film loading section, or the presence of other heat generating parts such as a motor and a control system for driving the conveying roller pair and the like. In such a case, the temperature may be determined by actually measuring the temperature.
[0041]
That is, suppose that the time change of the temperature in each film loading section is measured after the power supply section 170 in FIG. 1 is turned on, and curves a, b, and c in which the temperature changes in each film loading section are obtained as shown in FIG. Low usage frequency taking into account initial temperatures (temperatures at the time of apparatus standby) T1 and T2, temperature rise rates ΔTa / Δt, ΔTb / Δt, ΔTc / Δt, and final attainment temperatures (saturation temperatures) T3 and T4. It is preferable to determine a film loading section for loading a film.
[0042]
For example, when the frequently used film becomes empty, the temperature inside the device falls once by the film loading operation to the film loading unit and starts to rise again when printing is resumed. Then, for example, the most frequently used film is loaded into the film loading unit having the highest temperature rise rate corresponding to the curve b shown by the broken line in FIG.
[0043]
Further, when the inside of the apparatus becomes saturated relatively early after the power supply unit 170 is turned on, the final temperature is determined based on the final temperature, for example, the final temperature corresponding to the curve c shown by the dashed line in FIG. The most frequently used film is loaded in the highest film loading section.
[0044]
When a cooling means (temperature rise suppressing means) is provided in a specific film loading section, a film which is not frequently used is loaded into the film loading section.
[0045]
The films loaded in the respective film loading sections in FIGS. 1 and 8 may have different physical properties, for example, so-called clear or blue, in addition to different sizes. Clear refers to a film whose support is colorless and transparent, and blue refers to a film whose support is transparent to blue. The patterns for loading such different types of films into the respective film loading sections are classified as follows.
[0046]
(1) Load each film with the same size and different physical properties into each film loading section (for example, load half-cut blue and half-cut clear).
(2) Each film of different size and same physical properties is loaded into each film loading section (for example, half cut blue and large angle blue).
(3) Each film is loaded with a film having a different size and different physical properties into each film loading section (for example, half-cut blue and large four clear).
(4) A combination of (1) to (3) in the case of three film loading units in FIG.
[0047]
As described above, the frequency of use of the film loaded in each film loading unit differs depending on the use situation at the installation location of the thermal development processing apparatus 100, and after the film is loaded in the apparatus, In the present embodiment, the influence of the heat generating portion in the inside is continuously affected, so-called raw film storage stability is deteriorated, and the finished density is apt to decrease. Judgment of the degree of the temperature effect in the apparatus on the film being stored according to the level of the final temperature reached, loading a film with low frequency of use into the film loading section with the least effect on the temperature in the apparatus, and film with a large effect on the temperature in the apparatus Since a frequently used film is loaded in the loading section, the problem of a decrease in finished density is prevented.
[0048]
In addition, since a special heat insulating material or a heat insulating structure is not particularly required in the film loading section to avoid the influence of the temperature inside the apparatus, there is no problem regarding the enlargement of the thermal development processing apparatus. However, it is not necessary to use any heat insulating material or heat insulating structure. If an efficient heat insulating material or heat insulating structure is applied to the film loading section, the influence of the temperature inside the apparatus on the film loaded in the film loading section can be further avoided. it can.
[0049]
Also, it is conceivable that the films loaded in the film loading sections of FIGS. 1 and 8 have the same size and the same physical properties. In this case, however, the film loaded in the film loading section which has the greatest effect on the temperature in the apparatus is used. By using it first, it is possible to avoid the influence of the temperature inside the device. For example, in FIG. 8, if it is assumed that the temperature inside the apparatus is large in the order of the first film loading unit 11, the third film loading unit 13, and the second film loading unit 12, the first film loading unit 11 follows this order. Use the film loaded first.
[0050]
As described above, the present invention has been described with the embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to these, and various modifications can be made within the technical idea of the present invention. For example, in the case where one of the plurality of film loading sections is used as a backup when a failure occurs in another film loading section in the thermal development processing apparatus, as in the present invention, the film in the film loading section is used. Since the device is inevitably used for backup, the film loading unit having the least effect on the temperature in the apparatus can be used as the backup film loading unit. Further, it is needless to say that the number of the film loading units may be four or more.
[0051]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a thermal development processing method capable of effectively avoiding the influence of the temperature in the apparatus on the thermal development photosensitive film loaded in a plurality of film loading units.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a front view illustrating a main part of a thermal development processing apparatus capable of executing a thermal development processing method according to an embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a partially broken perspective view showing a film package that can be loaded into a film loading section of the thermal development processing apparatus of FIG.
FIG. 3 is a side view showing a removing unit for removing a barrier bag from the film package of FIG. 2 in the thermal development processing apparatus of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a view schematically showing an exposure section of the heat development processing apparatus of FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the film F, schematically showing a chemical reaction in the film F at the time of exposure in the thermal development processing apparatus of FIG.
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 5, schematically showing a chemical reaction in the film F during heating in the thermal development processing apparatus of FIG.
FIG. 7 is a diagram schematically showing how the finished film density changes with storage period when the photothermographic film is stored in a high-temperature environment (30 ° C. and 35 ° C.).
FIG. 8 is a front view schematically showing a heat development processing apparatus according to a modification of FIG. 1;
9 is a diagram showing an example of a temporal change in temperature in each film loading unit after the power supply unit 170 of FIG. 1 is turned on.
[Explanation of symbols]
100 heat development processing device 120 exposure device 130 developing unit 170 power supply unit 11 first film loading unit 12 second film loading unit 13 Third film loading section 14: heating drum F: film (heat-developable photosensitive film)

Claims (5)

Thermal development in which at least two types of photothermographic films are loaded into a plurality of film loading sections of a thermal development processing device, the thermal development photosensitive film is transported, and a visible image is formed on the thermal development photosensitive film by a thermal development process. Processing method,
A heat development processing method comprising: loading the least frequently used photothermographic film of the at least two types of photothermographic films into the one of the plurality of film loading units that has the least effect on the temperature in the apparatus. The heat development processing method according to claim 1, wherein the at least two kinds of heat development photosensitive films have at least one of a different film size and different film physical properties. 3. The thermal development processing method according to claim 1, wherein the film loading section having the least effect on the temperature in the apparatus is the film loading section having the smallest temperature rise rate after the apparatus is turned on. 4. The thermal development processing method according to claim 1, wherein the film loading section having the least effect on the temperature in the apparatus is a film loading section having the lowest saturation temperature after turning on the apparatus power. A heat development processing method of loading the same type of heat development photosensitive film into a plurality of film loading sections of a heat development processing apparatus, transporting the heat development photosensitive film, and forming a visible image on the heat development photosensitive film by a heat development process. And
A thermal development processing method, wherein the photothermographic film is used first in a film loading section of the plurality of film loading sections that has the greatest effect on the temperature in the apparatus.

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