JP2006189535A - Radiation image reader - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ejection device constituted so that an ejected cassette is easily grasped regardless of the size of the cassette, and to provide a radiation image reader. <P>SOLUTION: An image reading head 8 is provided inside a housing 2, and a radiation image is read by scanning a stimulable phosphor sheet housed in the cassette 90 by the image reading head 8. After reading the image, an elevation motor 42 is actuated by a controller 10, whereby an elevating/lowering base 41 is elevated and the cassette 90 placed on the elevating/lowering base 41 is ejected from an insertion/ejection port 23. When the size of the cassette 90 is read/detected by a bar code reader 24 and the cassette 90 is projected by as long as projection length corresponding to the size, the controller 10 stops the elevation motor 42. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a radiographic image reading apparatus that reads a radiographic image from a photostimulable phosphor sheet of a cassette taken in a casing and discharges the cassette from an outlet.

  Conventionally, a stimulable phosphor sheet stored in a box-like cassette has been used to record a radiation image typified by an X-ray image for the purpose of disease diagnosis or the like. The photostimulable phosphor sheet is obtained by forming a photostimulable phosphor thin film on a support and covering it with a protective layer. The photostimulable phosphor has the property of storing the energy of the irradiated radiation such as X-rays and emitting the stored energy as the stimulated emission light when irradiated with excitation light of a predetermined wavelength. .

  Generally, after a radiographic image is once recorded on a photostimulable phosphor sheet stored in a cassette by a radiographic apparatus, the radiographic image recorded on the photostimulable phosphor sheet is visualized as a visible image by a developing device. It is transferred to a material and developed, or a radiation image is displayed on a display device as a visible image.

In order to output the radiation image of the photostimulable phosphor sheet as a visible image, a radiation image reader that reads the radiation image from the photostimulable phosphor sheet is used. The radiographic image reading apparatus described in Patent Document 1 reads a radiographic image by taking a cassette into the inside of a housing through an insertion port, and scanning the photostimulable phosphor sheet of the cassette with an image reading unit. The cassette is discharged from the outlet.
JP 2002-156716 A

  By the way, as a method for discharging the cassette, a method for completely discharging the entire cassette has been proposed. However, the cassette has various sizes, and the protruding length of the cassette discharged from the discharge port varies depending on the size, and the protruding length increases as the cassette size increases. Accordingly, the position where the user grips the end of the cassette also varies depending on the size, making it difficult for the user to grip the cassette.

  Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to provide a radiation image reading apparatus that makes it easy to grasp a discharged cassette regardless of the size of the cassette.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the invention according to claim 1 reads a radiographic image from a photostimulable phosphor sheet stored in a cassette in a casing having a discharge port formed on a predetermined surface, and reads the cassette after reading. In the radiation image reading apparatus that discharges the gas from the discharge port, a storage unit that stores a data table in which a protrusion length is associated with each size, a drive unit that drives the cassette to be discharged from the discharge port, and the housing A detection unit for detecting the size of the cassette taken into the body and the drive unit are operated, and the drive unit is stopped when the cassette protrudes from the predetermined surface by a projection length corresponding to the size detected by the detection unit. And a control unit for causing the controller to operate.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the cassette is discharged from the discharge port by the drive unit, but when the cassette protrudes by a protruding length corresponding to the size of the cassette, the control unit stops the drive unit, so that the cassette Stops in the state of protruding by the protruding length according to the size. In the state where the cassette is discharged, the cassette protrudes by a protruding length corresponding to the size, so that the user can easily grasp the cassette.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the radiological image reading apparatus according to the first aspect, the protruding length of the data table is the same regardless of the size.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the protrusion length is the same in any size in the data table, the cassette stops in a state where it protrudes by the same protrusion length regardless of the size. For this reason, the position where the user grips the end of the cassette is the same regardless of the size, and the user can easily grip the cassette.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the radiological image reading apparatus according to the first aspect, the ratio of the protruding length of the cassette to the predetermined side in the data table is the same regardless of the size.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the ratio of the protruding length with respect to the predetermined side of the cassette is the same regardless of the size, the cassette stops in the state where it protrudes by the same ratio with respect to the length of the predetermined side regardless of the size. Therefore, it is possible for the user to grip the cassette in a stable posture, and to easily grip the cassette.

  The invention according to claim 4 is a radiographic image in which a radiographic image is read from a photostimulable phosphor sheet stored in a cassette in a housing having a discharge port formed on a predetermined surface, and the cassette is discharged from the discharge port after reading. In the reading device, the input unit for inputting the protruding length, the driving unit for driving the cassette to be discharged from the discharge port, and the driving unit are operated, and the cassette is moved by the protruding length input by the input unit. And a control unit that stops the driving unit when protruding from a predetermined surface.

  According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, when the projection length is input by the input unit, the control unit stops the driving unit when the cassette projects by the input projection length, so the cassette has only the input projection length. Stops in a protruding state. As described above, since the protrusion length can be arbitrarily input for the user, the user can easily grasp the cassette.

  According to the present invention, when the cassette is discharged, the cassette stops in a state where it protrudes by the protruding length corresponding to the size or the input protruding length, so that the user can easily grasp the cassette.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, although various technically preferable limitations for implementing the present invention are given to the embodiments described below, the scope of the invention is not limited to the following embodiments and illustrated examples.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an upper surface, a front surface, and a left side surface of a radiation image reading apparatus 1 according to an embodiment to which the present invention is applied.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the radiographic image reading apparatus 1 has a casing 2 provided in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped box shape, and the radiographic image reading apparatus 1 is configured by providing various members and mechanisms in the casing 2. Has been.

  The left side surface of the housing 2 is provided as a lid 21 that can be freely opened and closed. A rectangular insertion / extraction port 23 elongated in the left-right direction passes through the upper surface 22 of the housing 2. The cassette 90 shown in FIG. 2 can be inserted into the housing 2 through the insertion / discharge port 23.

  The cassette 90 will be described with reference to the exploded perspective view of FIG. The cassette 90 is provided in the shape of a hollow rectangular plate. Specifically, the cassette 90 includes a box-shaped back plate 92 whose front side is open, a box-shaped front plate 91 whose rear side is open, and a back plate 92 with its surface facing forward in the back plate 92. And a photostimulable phosphor sheet 93 accommodated therein. The surface of the photostimulable phosphor sheet 93 is covered with the front plate 91 with the surface facing the front plate 91, the back plate 92 is fitted into the front plate 91, and an internal space formed by the front plate 91 and the back plate 92 is formed. A stimulable phosphor sheet 93 is accommodated. The back plate 92 is formed of a material that is attracted by a magnet.

  Further, the front plate 91 is separable from the back plate 92, and when these are separated, the photostimulable phosphor sheet 93 is exposed. Further, the front plate 91 and the back plate 92 are respectively provided with engaging portions. When the engaging portions engage with each other, the front plate 91 and the back plate 92 are locked, and the engagement of the engaging portions is released. As a result, the front plate 91 and the back plate 92 can be separated.

  As the photostimulable phosphor sheet 93, for example, a photostimulable phosphor layer formed by applying a photostimulable phosphor such as BaFBr: Eu or BaFI: Eu on a support, or, for example, It is possible to use a photostimulable phosphor such as CsBr: Eu deposited on a support to form a columnar crystal-like photostimulable phosphor layer.

  The cassette 90 is attached with a barcode representing the size of the cassette 90 and the like. The sizes of the cassette 90 include 14 inches × 17 inches (half cut size), 10 inches × 12 inches (four cut sizes), and 8 inches × 10 inches (six cut sizes).

  The structure inside the housing | casing 2 is demonstrated using FIG. FIG. 3 is a view of the housing 2 cut from a plane parallel to the left and right side surfaces and shown from the left. Inside the housing 2 of the radiation image reading apparatus 1, a scanning type image reading head 8 that reads the radiation image of the stimulable phosphor sheet 93 by scanning the stimulable phosphor sheet 93 is provided. Yes. Further, an intake / discharge device 9 for the cassette 90 is provided inside the housing 2 of the radiation image reading apparatus 1. The take-out / discharge device 9 takes the cassette 90 into the housing 2 through the insertion / discharge port 23, loads the back plate 92 and the photostimulable phosphor sheet 93 into a position where they can be scanned by the image reading head 8, and reads the image. The later cassette 90 is ejected. Hereinafter, the image reading head 8 and the take-out / discharge device 9 will be described.

  First, the configuration of the intake / discharge device 9 will be described. As shown in FIG. 3, a lid member 28 is disposed below the insertion / exhaust port 23, and the lid member 28 is rotated about a left / right axis by an opening / closing motor 33, so that the insertion / exhaust port 23 becomes a lid member. 28 is opened and closed.

  A plurality of rollers 31 are attached to the housing 2 above the lid member 28 so as to be rotatable around a horizontal axis. A plurality of rollers 31 are arranged in the left-right direction along the longitudinal direction of the insertion / discharge port 23, and a part of the rollers 31 is exposed at the insertion / discharge port 23.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, a barcode reader 24 that detects the size of the cassette 90 by reading the barcode of the cassette 90 is provided near the insertion / discharge port 23 and on the right side thereof.

  FIG. 4 is a drawing showing the inner structure of the housing 2, and is a perspective view showing the back, top and left sides of the front structure. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a front side, a top side, and a left side side of the front side structure.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, a frame plate 34 is erected vertically on a slightly forward side from just below the insertion / discharge port 23. A linear motion guide 40 extending vertically is attached to the rear surface of the frame plate 34 at the left and right central portions. The linear motion guide 40 is provided with a lifting platform 41. The lifting platform 41 is slidable in the vertical direction with respect to the linear motion guide 40, and the lifting platform 41 is guided along the linear motion guide 40. . On the other hand, an elevating motor 42 as a drive unit is attached to the front surface of the frame plate 34 and an upper portion thereof, and the pulley 43 can be rotated about a left and right axis above the elevating motor 42 and attached to the frame plate 34. It has been. An endless belt 44 is looped around the power take-off shaft of the elevating motor 42 and the pulley 43. A pulley 45 is directly connected to the pulley 43, and a pulley 46 is attached to the frame plate 34 in front of the pulley 45 so as to be rotatable about a left-right axis. A pulley 47 is attached to the lower end portion of the frame plate 34 so as to be rotatable about a left and right axis, and an endless belt 48 is looped around the pulley 45, the pulley 46, and the pulley 47. The endless belt 48 is connected to the lifting platform 41, and the power of the lifting motor 42 is transmitted to the lifting platform 41 by the pulleys 42 to 43, the pulleys 45 to 47, and the endless belts 44 and 48, so that the lifting platform 41 moves up and down. It has become.

  A fixed guide portion 56 is provided on the rear surface of the frame plate 34 on the right side thereof. The fixed guide portion 56 is formed in a linear ridge shape that is long in the vertical direction. The fixed guide portion 56 is provided with a lock release pin 58, and the lock release pin 58 protrudes to the left and retracts to the right by the motor 59.

  A linear motion guide 57 extending in the left-right direction is attached to the left side of the rear surface of the frame plate 34. The linear motion guide 57 is provided with a movement guide portion 51, and the movement guide portion 51 can slide in the left-right direction with respect to the linear motion guide 57. Guided. On the other hand, a width adjusting motor 52 is attached to the front surface of the frame plate 34 and on the right side thereof. A pulley 55 is mounted on the front surface of the frame plate 34 and immediately to the left of the width adjustment motor 52 so as to be rotatable about a longitudinal axis. The width adjustment motor 52 is attached to the pulley 55 via a transmission mechanism. It is connected. A pulley 53 is attached to the left end of the front surface of the frame plate 34 so as to be rotatable about a longitudinal axis. An endless belt 54 is looped around the pulley 53 and the pulley 55. The endless belt 54 is connected to the moving guide portion 51, and the power of the width adjusting motor 52 is transmitted to the moving guide portion 51 by the pulleys 53 and 55 and the endless belt 54, so that the moving guide portion 51 is moved relative to the fixed guide portion 56. It comes to come and go.

  FIG. 6 is a view showing the inner structure of the housing 2, and is a perspective view showing the front, top and left sides of the structure behind the lifting platform 41. FIG. 7 is a view showing the inner structure of the housing 2, and is a perspective view showing the back, top, and left side of the structure behind the elevator 41.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 to 7, a moving plate 61 is disposed behind the elevator 41 and the moving guide portion 51, and a magnet 60 is attached to the front surface of the moving plate 61. A through hole 62 is formed in the upper part of the moving plate 61, and a guide column 64 is inserted into the through hole 62. The guide column 64 is erected so as to protrude forward from the upper portion of the frame 63 fixed to the housing 2 on the rear side in the housing 2, and the moving plate 61 is guided by the guide column 64 to move forward and backward. It is possible to move to.

  As shown in FIGS. 7 to 8, the moving plate 61 can be moved back and forth in a state parallel to the back surface of the housing 2 by the link mechanism 65. The link mechanism 65 includes a link piece 66, two link pieces 67, two shaft members 68, a shaft member 69, two sliding shafts 70, a shaft member 71, and two sliding members disposed behind the moving plate 61. The shaft 72 is configured. Here, FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the front, top, and left side of the link mechanism 65 in an open state.

  The intermediate portion of the link piece 67 is rotatably connected to the intermediate portion of the link piece 68 by the shaft member 68, and one end portion of the link piece 67 is rotatably connected to the upper portion of the frame 63 by the shaft member 71. The other end is connected to the lower part of the moving plate 61 by a sliding shaft 72 so as to be movable up and down.

  One end portion of the link piece 66 is rotatably connected to the upper portion of the moving plate 61 by a shaft member 69, and the other end portion of the link piece 66 is connected to the lower portion of the frame 63 by a sliding shaft 70 so as to be vertically movable. ing.

  A moving body 73 is connected to the other end of the link piece 66, and the other end of the link piece 66 is rotatable about a left-right axis with respect to the moving body 73. The moving body 73 is screwed into a ball screw 74 extending in the vertical direction, and the ball screw 74 is attached to the frame 63 so as to be rotatable about its axis. A worm wheel 75 is provided at the upper end of the ball screw 74, and a worm 76 is engaged with the worm wheel 75, and the worm 76 is directly connected to a power take-off shaft of a motor 77.

  When the moving plate 61 is moved forward by the motor 77 and the link mechanism 65, the back plate 92 of the cassette 90 placed on the lifting platform 41 is attracted to the magnet 60, and the moving plate 61 thereafter moves backward. As a result, the back plate 92 moves rearward together with the moving plate 61. When the movable plate 61 is positioned at the rearmost home position within the movable range, the back plate 92 and the photostimulable phosphor sheet 93 adsorbed on the movable plate 61 can be scanned by the image reading head 8. In position.

  Next, the image reading head 8 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 6. The image reading head 8 is provided between the frame 63 and the lifting platform 41 and is moved in the left-right direction by a linear motor 81. In the figure, a case 82 of the image reading head 8 is shown. In this case 82, a scanning excitation light irradiation mechanism and a photodetector are provided, and an erasing light irradiation mechanism is attached to the case 82. The scanning excitation light irradiation mechanism includes a laser diode, a collimator lens, a polygon mirror, a reflecting mirror, a cylindrical lens, a motor, and the like. The scanning excitation light irradiation mechanism irradiates laser light in a wavelength band that excites the stimulable phosphor sheet 93 backward, and moves the irradiated portion of the laser light in the vertical direction. The photodetector includes a light guide, a condenser tube, a light receiving sensor, and the like. The photodetector receives the stimulated emission light emitted from the stimulable phosphor sheet 93 in the irradiation range (scanning range) of the scanning excitation light irradiation mechanism and performs photoelectric conversion of the received light. The erasing light irradiation mechanism irradiates the erasing light in the wavelength band for erasing the radiation energy of the stimulable phosphor sheet 93 backward.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the radiation image reading apparatus 1 includes a controller 10 that controls the whole. The controller 10 also serves as a control unit of the take-out / discharge device 9.

  The controller 10 includes a CPU, a RAM, a logic circuit, a driver, a sequencer, and the like, and controls the open / close motor 33, the lift motor 42, the width adjustment motor 52, the motor 59, the motor 77, and the linear motor 81.

  The ROM 11 stores a data table 13 as shown in FIG. In the data table 13, the protrusion length is associated with each size of the cassette 90. Here, the protruding length is a length protruding from the upper surface 22 of the housing 2 when the cassette 90 is discharged from the insertion / discharge port 23. In the present embodiment, the protruding length of the data table 13 is the same regardless of whether the size is half cut, four cuts or six cuts. Specifically, in FIG. 10, the protruding length H1 in the half-cut size, the protruding length H2 in the four-cut size, and the protruding length H3 in the six-cut size are set to the same value.

  Instead of the data table 13 in which the protruding length is associated with each size of the cassette 90, a data table in which the rising distance is associated with each size of the cassette 90 may be used. Here, the rising distance is a moving distance when the cassette 90 is discharged from the insertion / discharge port 23 due to the lifting of the lifting platform 41. Regardless of whether the size is half cut, four cuts, or six cuts, the protruding length from the upper surface 22 is the same when the data table is raised by the rising distance.

  The controller 10 has a function of recognizing the size of the cassette 90 from the barcode read by the barcode reader 24. The controller 10 has a function of reading the protrusion length corresponding to the recognized size from the data table 13. Furthermore, the controller 10 has a function of controlling the lifting motor 42 so that the cassette 90 protrudes from the insertion / discharge port 23 of the upper surface 22 by the read protrusion length. The controller 10 reads an image by causing the image reading head 8 to scan, and the controller 10 has a function of recording the image read by the image reading head 8 in the nonvolatile memory 12.

Next, the usage method and operation of the radiation image reading apparatus 1 will be described.
In an initial state before the cassette 90 is inserted into the insertion / discharge port 23, the lifting / lowering base 41 is positioned at the uppermost home position within the movable range, and the two movement guide portions 51 are fixed guide portions 56 within the movable range. The moving plate 61 is positioned at the rearmost home position (scannable position) within the movable range, and the image reading head 8 is positioned at the rightmost home position within the movable range. However, the insertion / discharge port 23 is closed by the lid member 28.

  First, when the user inserts the cassette 90 into the insertion / ejection port 23 with the back plate 92 of the cassette 90 facing back, and the user releases the cassette 90, the cassette 90 falls due to its own weight, and the cassette 90 is placed on the lid member 28. Placed. The roller 31 rotates to follow the cassette 90. When inserting the cassette 90, particularly when inserting the cassette 90 having the maximum size (half cut size), the short side of the cassette 90 is set in the vertical direction, and the long side of the cassette 90 is placed on the lid member 28. In addition, it is preferable to insert the cassette 90.

  If the cassette 90 is inserted into the insertion / ejection port 23 with the front plate 91 of the cassette 90 facing back, the barcode of the cassette 90 cannot be read by the barcode reader, so the lid member 28 remains closed. In that case, the user may simply take the cassette 90 out of the insertion / discharge port 23, return the front and back of the cassette 90, and insert the cassette 90 into the insertion / discharge port 23 again.

  Further, even when the cassette 90 is inserted into the insertion / ejection port 23 with the front and back sides of the cassette 90 being correct, if the cassette 90 is on the left side, the barcode of the cassette 90 cannot be read by the barcode reader. Remains closed. In that case, the user may move the cassette 90 to the right while the cassette 90 is inserted into the insertion / ejection port 23.

  When the cassette 90 is placed on the lid member 28 and the barcode of the cassette 90 is read by the barcode reader, the controller 10 recognizes the size of the cassette 90. Then, the controller 10 reads the protrusion length corresponding to the size from the data table 13, and temporarily stores the size and the protrusion length in the RAM.

  Next, the lid member 28 is opened when the controller 10 operates the opening / closing motor 33. When the lid member 28 is opened, the cassette 90 falls due to its own weight, and the cassette 90 is placed on the lifting platform 41.

  Next, when the controller 10 operates the lifting motor 42, the cassette 90 is lowered together with the lifting platform 41, and when the cassette 90 is positioned between the fixed guide portion 56 and the moving guide portion 51, the lifting motor 42 stops.

  Next, when the controller 10 operates the width adjusting motor 52, the movement guide portion 51 approaches the right fixed guide portion 56, and the cassette 90 is sandwiched between the movement guide portion 51 and the fixed guide portion 56. . Thereby, the position along the left-right direction of the cassette 90 is adjusted accurately.

  Next, when the controller 10 operates the lifting motor 42, the lifting platform 41 is further lowered. However, the cassette 90 is lowered together with the lifting platform 41 while being guided by the movement guide portion 51 and the fixed guide portion 56. When the entire cassette 90 enters the housing 2, the controller 10 operates the opening / closing motor 33 to close the lid member 28, and the controller 42 stops the lifting motor 42.

  Next, when the controller 10 operates the motor 77, the ball screw 74 is rotated and the moving body 73 is raised. As the moving body 73 rises, the link mechanism 65 opens, and the moving plate 61 moves forward in a state substantially parallel to the back surface of the housing 2. When the moving plate 61 moves forward, the magnet 60 comes into contact with the back plate 92 of the cassette 90, and the back plate 92 adheres to the magnet 60.

  Next, when the controller 10 operates the motor 59, the lock release pin 58 protrudes to the left, the engagement of the engaging portion of the cassette 90 is released, and the front plate 91 and the back plate 92 can be separated.

  Next, when the controller 10 drives the motor 77 in the reverse direction, the ball screw 74 is rotated in the reverse direction, the moving body 73 is lowered, the link mechanism 65 is closed, and the moving plate 61 is substantially parallel to the back surface of the housing 2. Move backward in state. Since the back plate 92 is attached to the magnet 60, the back plate 92 and the photostimulable phosphor sheet 93 move rearward together with the moving plate 61, and the back plate 92 is separated from the front plate 91. When the moving plate 61 arrives at the rear home position, the controller 10 stops the motor 77. In this state, the photostimulable phosphor sheet 93 is exposed in a state of facing forward, but when the controller 10 operates the linear motor 81, the image reading head 8 moves in front of the photostimulable phosphor sheet 93 from right to left. Move to. During the movement of the image reading head 8 to the left, the controller 10 drives the scanning excitation light irradiation mechanism and the photodetector of the image reading head 8, so that the in-plane excitation of the stimulable phosphor sheet 93 is performed. The intensity distribution of the emitted light is read as image data by the image reading head 8, and the radiation image recorded on the photostimulable phosphor sheet 93 is input to the controller 10. The controller 10 records the image data in the nonvolatile memory 12.

  When the image reading head 8 arrives to the left of the photostimulable phosphor sheet 93, the controller 10 operates the linear motor 81 in the reverse direction with the erasing light irradiation mechanism of the image reading head 8 turned on. As a result, the image reading head 8 moves to the right home position, and the radiation energy remaining on the photostimulable phosphor sheet 93 is released by the erasing light.

  When the image reading head 8 arrives at the right home position, the controller 10 operates the motor 77 to raise the moving body 73 and open the link mechanism 65, so that the moving plate 61 is substantially parallel to the rear surface of the housing 2. To move forward. When the moving plate 61 moves forward and the back plate 92 is fitted into the front plate 91, the controller 10 operates the motor 59 to pull the lock release pin 58 to the right, and the engaging portions of the cassette 90 are engaged with each other. Match. Next, when the controller 10 drives the motor 77 in the reverse rotation, the ball screw 74 rotates in the reverse direction, the moving plate 61 moves backward, and the magnet 60 is peeled off from the back plate 92.

  Next, the lid member 28 is opened when the controller 10 operates the opening / closing motor 33. Next, when the controller 10 operates the lifting motor 42, the lifting platform 41 is raised to a position below the home position. Then, when the controller 10 operates the width adjusting motor 52, the movement guide portion 51 is moved to the left from the fixed guide portion 56, and the holding of the cassette 90 by the movement guide portion 51 and the fixed guide portion 56 is released. And again, the controller 10 operates the lifting motor 42 to raise the lifting platform 41. When the cassette 90 protrudes from the insertion / discharge port 23 by the protrusion length corresponding to the size of the cassette 90 (the protrusion length read from the data table 13), the controller 10 stops the lifting motor 42. Then, the user grasps a portion protruding from the insertion / discharge port 23 of the cassette 90, and pulls out the cassette 90 from the insertion / discharge port 23.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, since the insertion / discharge port 23 is blocked by the lid member 28, the cassette 90 is inserted into the insertion / discharge port 23 and falls to the lifting platform 41. The cassette 90 can be moved to the left and right along the insertion / discharge port 23 in a state where there is not. Therefore, the position of the cassette 90 along the left-right direction can be easily and easily adjusted.

  Further, since the cassette 90 inserted into the insertion / discharge port 23 is pulled down to the inside of the housing 2 by the elevating platform 41 and the cassette 90 is separated back and forth in the housing 2, the height of the housing 2 is reduced. Can be designed. When the height from the floor surface to the upper surface 22 of the housing 2 is low, the user can easily insert the cassette 90 into the insertion / discharge port 23 while hanging the cassette 90 by hand. It is not necessary to take the front of the image reading device 1 and stop, and the cassette 90 can be easily inserted from any position on the four sides of the radiation image reading device 1. Therefore, the degree of freedom of the installation location and orientation of the radiation image reading apparatus 1 with respect to the user's work flow line is greatly improved, and the cassette 90 can be easily and accurately inserted.

  Further, the controller 10 recognizes the size of the cassette 90, reads the protrusion length corresponding to the size from the data table 13, and controls the lifting motor 42 according to the read protrusion length. Therefore, the cassette 90 protrudes from the upper surface of the housing 2 by the read protrusion length. In the data table 13, since the protruding length is the same regardless of the size of the cassette 90, the cassette 90 protrudes from the upper surface 22 of the housing 2 by the same length regardless of the size of the cassette 90. The Therefore, the cassette 90 discharged from the insertion / discharge port 23 can be easily taken out regardless of the size of the cassette 90.

  For example, FIG. 11 is a schematic view showing a state after discharging, but when the cassette 90 is a half-cut size as shown in FIG. 11A, the cassette 90 protrudes from the upper surface 22 of the housing 2. When the cassette 90 protrudes by a length H1, and the cassette 90 has a four-piece size as shown in FIG. 11B, the cassette 90 protrudes from the upper surface of the housing 2 by a protrusion length H2, as shown in FIG. 11C. When the cassette 90 has a six-cut size, the cassette 90 protrudes from the upper surface of the housing 2 by the protrusion length H3. Since these protruding lengths H1 to H3 are equal, the position at which the user holds the end of the cassette 90 is the same regardless of the size, and any size cassette 90 can be easily taken out.

Further, when the cassette 90 of the maximum size (half cut size) is inserted into the insertion / discharge port 23 with the short side of the cassette 90 being vertically oriented, when the cassette 90 of that size can be read in the housing 2, the vibration isolating structure, the shutter Even if an opening / closing structure, a bottom plate structure of the housing 2 or the like is adopted, the height from the floor surface to the upper surface of the housing 2 is 750 mm or less, and the cassette 90 is inserted and discharged for an average height (170 cm) user. 23 can be easily inserted.
Even when the radiographic image reading apparatus described in JP-A-2002-156716 or the radiographic image reading apparatus 1 in the present embodiment coexists in a hospital or radiology department, the cassette 90 can be shared and used. Since both types of readers may be appropriately arranged so as to improve the operational efficiency of the entire imaging, cost performance in the hospital or radiology department can be improved.

[Second Embodiment]
In the first embodiment, the protrusion lengths H1 to H3 in the data table 13 are all equal, but in the second embodiment, the protrusion lengths H1 to H3 are different for each size of the cassette 90. However, the ratio of the protruding length H1 to the short side length (14 inches) of the half-cut size, the ratio of the protruding length H2 to the short side length (10 inches) of the four-cut size, and the short side of the six-cut size The ratio of the protrusion length H3 to the length (8 inches) is equal. Therefore, when the cassette 90 is discharged, the lifting motor 42 is stopped by the controller 10 when the cassette 90 protrudes from the upper surface 22 of the casing 2 by the same ratio to the short side length regardless of the size of the cassette 90. . Therefore, it is possible for the user to grip the cassette in a stable posture, and to easily grip the cassette. Also in other sizes, the ratio of the protrusion length to the short side length is the same as in the case of half cut, four cut, and six cuts.

  Except for the protrusion length value of the data table 13 stored in the ROM 11, the radiation image reading device and the take-out / discharge device of the second embodiment are the same as those of the radiation image reading device 1 of the first embodiment. The operation order of the radiation image reading device 1 and the capture / discharge device 9 is the same as that of the capture / discharge device 9.

[Third Embodiment]
In the first embodiment, the data table 13 is stored in the ROM 11, and the controller 10 reads the protrusion length corresponding to the size of the cassette 90 from the data table 13, but in the third embodiment, the protrusion length is set. It can be set by the user. Specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 12, an input unit 16 (for example, a keyboard, a mouse, a push button, a touch panel, or the like) that inputs a protruding length according to an operation by a user is connected to the controller 10. When the cassette 90 is ejected, the controller 10 controls the elevating motor 42 so that the projection length input by the input unit 16 is controlled by the user operating the input unit 16, and the cassette 90 is inserted by the projection length. When protruding from the discharge port 23, the controller 10 stops the lifting motor 42. As described above, since the protrusion length can be arbitrarily input for the user, the cassette 90 discharged from the insertion / discharge port 23 can be protruded at a height corresponding to the height of the user. Therefore, it becomes easy for the user to grasp the cassette 90.

  The radiographic image reading apparatus and the capture / discharge apparatus of the third embodiment are the same as the radiographic image reader 1 and the capture / exhaust apparatus 9 of the first embodiment, respectively, except that the input unit 16 is provided. The operation order of the radiation image reading device 1 and the take-out / discharge device 9 is the same. In FIG. 3, the same components as those of the radiation image reading device 1 of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals. The description thereof will be omitted.

[Modification]
The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various improvements and design changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

  In the first and second embodiments, a barcode representing the size is attached to the cassette 90, and the barcode 90 is read by the barcode reader 24 to detect the size of the cassette 90. The recorded non-contact type IC chip may be provided in the cassette 90 instead of the barcode, and an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) reader may be provided in the insertion / discharge port 23 instead of the barcode reader 24. Further, the cassette 90 is provided with neither a bar code nor a non-contact type IC chip, but a sensor such as an optical sensor, a magnetic sensor, an encoder, or the like is provided in the housing 2, and the size of the cassette 90 is detected by the sensor. May be.

2 is an external perspective view showing an upper surface, a front surface, and a left side surface of the radiation image reading apparatus 1. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a cassette 90. FIG. It is drawing which cut | disconnected the housing | casing 2 by the surface parallel to the left-right side surface, and was shown from the left. 2 is a perspective view showing an upper surface, a back surface, and a left side surface of the configuration of the front side of the inside of the radiation image reading apparatus 1. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an upper surface, a front surface, and a left side surface of a configuration on the inner front side of the radiation image reading apparatus 1. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an upper surface, a front surface, and a left side surface of a configuration on the inner rear side of the radiation image reading apparatus 1. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an upper surface, a rear surface, and a left side surface of a configuration on the inner rear side of the radiographic image reading apparatus 1. FIG. It is the perspective view which showed the front surface of the state in which the link mechanism 65 was opened, the upper surface, and the left side surface. 1 is a block diagram of a radiation image reading apparatus 1. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a data configuration of a data table 13. FIG. (A) is a front view of a state where a half-cut cassette 90 is discharged, (b) is a front view of a state where a four-cut cassette 90 is discharged, and (c) is a six-cut cassette 90 It is a front view of the state which discharged | emitted. It is a block diagram of the radiographic image reading apparatus in 3rd Embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Radiation image reader 2 Case 9 Capture / discharge device (discharge device)
10 Controller (control unit)
11 ROM (storage unit)
13 Data table 16 Input section 23 Insertion discharge port (discharge port)
24 Bar code reader (detector)
42 Lifting motor (drive unit)
90 cassettes

Claims (4)

In a radiographic image reading apparatus that reads a radiographic image from a photostimulable phosphor sheet stored in a cassette in a casing in which a discharge port is formed on a predetermined surface, and discharges the cassette from the discharge port after reading,
A storage unit storing a data table in which the protrusion length is associated with each size; and
A drive unit for driving the cassette to be discharged from the discharge port;
A detection unit for detecting a size of a cassette taken in the housing;
A radiographic image, comprising: a control unit that operates the drive unit and stops the drive unit when a cassette projects from the predetermined surface by a projection length corresponding to a size detected by the detection unit. Reader.   The radiation image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in the data table, the protruding length is the same for any size.   The radiographic image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in the data table, the ratio of the protruding length to a predetermined side of the cassette is the same for any size. In a radiographic image reading apparatus that reads a radiation image from a photostimulable phosphor sheet stored in a cassette in a housing having a discharge port formed on a predetermined surface, and discharges the cassette from the discharge port after reading.
An input unit for inputting the protrusion length;
A drive unit for driving the cassette to be discharged from the discharge port;
A radiological image reading apparatus comprising: a control unit that operates the driving unit and stops the driving unit when the cassette projects from the predetermined surface by a projection length input by the input unit.

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