JP2525636B2 - Image information read / play method - Google Patents

Description

Description: FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to the reading of image information recorded on an image information sheet such as a stimulable phosphor sheet and the reading of the read image information on the recording sheet by the same scanning system. More specifically, the present invention relates to an image information reading / reproducing method for reproducing information to and from an image information reading / reproducing method using a semiconductor laser as a scanning light source.

(Prior Art) Light including image information obtained by two-dimensionally scanning a light beam such as a laser beam on a sheet on which image information has been recorded and irradiating the sheet with the light beam. An image information reading device that detects (for example, reflected light, transmitted light, or emitted light) by a photodetector including a photomultiplier tube and reads image information recorded on a sheet is a plate-making scanner, a computer, or a facsimile. It is widely used as an input device, etc.

Radiation (X-ray, α-ray, β-ray, γ
Radiation, electron beams, ultraviolet rays, etc.), a part of this radiation energy is accumulated in the phosphor, and when this phosphor is irradiated with excitation light such as visible light, the phosphor is converted into energy according to the accumulated energy. It is known to exhibit stimulated emission, and a phosphor having such properties is called a stimulable phosphor (stimulable phosphor). Using this stimulable phosphor, the radiation image information of a subject such as a human body is once recorded in a sea-shaped stimulable phosphor, and the stimulable phosphor sheet is scanned with excitation light such as laser light to stimulate the irradiation. Generates emitted light, photoelectrically reads the obtained stimulated emission light to obtain an image signal, and based on this image signal, outputs a radiation image of the subject as a visible image on a recording material such as a photographic photosensitive material or a CRT. The applicant has already proposed a radiation image information recording / reproducing system for this. (JP-A-55-12429, JP-A-56-11395, JP-A-55-1634)
72, 56-104645, 55-116340, etc. ) The image information accumulated and recorded on the stimulable phosphor sheet in the above system is
The excitation light is deflected to perform main scanning on the stimulable phosphor sheet, and the stimulable phosphor sheet and the excitation light are relatively moved in the sub-scanning direction to scan the entire surface of the stimulable phosphor sheet with the excitation light. , Is read by photoelectrically detecting the stimulated emission light emitted from the scanning position with a photodetector.

On the other hand, the image information read by a reading device such as the radiation image information reading device described above is modulated on the recording sheet relatively moved in the sub-scanning direction based on the image signal obtained by the reading device. The light beam is subjected to main scanning for recording and the like to be reproduced as a visible image. Therefore, conventionally, in order to form a final visible image of image information recorded on an image information sheet such as a stimulable phosphor sheet on a recording sheet, a recording device other than a reading device for reading the image information is used. A reproducing device for recording the image information on the sheet is required.

In particular, in the radiation image information recording / reproducing system, various improvements have been made in recent years in response to requests for simplifying the entire system as much as possible, downsizing the entire apparatus, and reducing manufacturing cost. Therefore, we integrated a conventional reading device that performs scanning with a light beam and a reproducing device together,
An apparatus for reading and reproducing by the same scanning system is proposed by Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 184677/58.

However, in the reading and reproducing apparatus as described above, scanning is performed with a light beam having a constant light amount during reading,
Since scanning must be performed with a light beam modulated based on image information during reproduction, the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 58-18
In 4677, insert a light modulator into the light beam during playback,
At the time of reading, the light beam is retracted from the light beam, but in that case, a mechanism for moving the light modulator is required, which complicates the configuration. Therefore, acousto-optic modulator (AOM)
The optical modulator such as is fixedly provided in the light beam,
The present applicant has already proposed a reading / reproducing apparatus that simplifies the mechanism and obtains a suitable light beam during reading and recording (Japanese Patent Application No. 62-335505).

By the way, it has been conventionally known to use a semiconductor laser as a means for generating reading light for reading image information or recording light for reproducing image information. Compared to gas lasers, semiconductor lasers have the advantages of smaller size, lower cost, and lower power consumption.In addition, so-called analog direct modulation that changes the output by controlling the drive current is possible, so optical modulation such as AOM is possible. There is no need to separately provide a device, and even when reading and reproducing are performed by the same scanning system as described above, there is no problem such as putting the AOM in and out of the optical path.

However, the semiconductor laser has the advantages as described above, but in the case of continuous oscillation, the output is currently small at most 20 to 30 mW, and therefore the stimulable phosphor sheet that requires high energy scanning light as excitation light. It is difficult to use it as a means for generating the reading light at the time of reading.

Therefore, in order to obtain a scanning beam of sufficiently high energy from a semiconductor laser having a low optical output as described above, it is possible to use a plurality of semiconductor lasers and combine the laser beams emitted from these semiconductor lasers into one beam. Conceivable.

In order to combine the laser beams emitted from a plurality of semiconductor lasers into a single laser beam as described above and use it as scanning light, usually, the laser beams emitted from each semiconductor laser are collimated by a collimator lens. After that, the light is generally guided to parallel optical paths that are close to each other and made incident on the optical deflector.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, in the image information reading and reproducing method in which the image information is read and reproduced by using the same scanning system,
When reproducing an image, scanning light having a large output as in the above-described image reading is not necessary. Therefore, when using a light source device including a large number of semiconductor lasers as a light source for generating the reading light, in addition to this light source device, It is necessary to separately provide a light source that emits recording light having a relatively small output, which causes a problem that the structure of the reading and reproducing apparatus becomes complicated and the size becomes large.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems,
In an image information reading / reproducing method in which reading and reproducing are performed by the same scanning system, it is possible to generate good reading light and recording light by using a semiconductor laser without complicating and increasing the size of a reading / reproducing apparatus for carrying out the method. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of reading and reproducing image information that can be performed.

(Means for Solving the Problems) An image information reading / reproducing method of the present invention combines a laser beam emitted from a plurality of semiconductor lasers and uses the same as the reading light, and at the time of image reproduction, one of the plurality of semiconductor lasers is used. It is characterized in that a laser beam emitted by modulating and driving the section is used as recording light.

It is preferable that the plurality of semiconductor lasers be fixed on the same support because the device for reading and reproducing can be made compact and each semiconductor laser can be easily controlled.

(Operation) According to the image information reading / reproducing method of the present invention, by combining the laser beams emitted from the plurality of semiconductor lasers, it is possible to obtain high-output reading light, and at the time of reproducing, these semiconductor lasers are read. By generating a recording light by driving only a part of the above, it is possible to obtain a scanning light having a relatively low output suitable for the recording light without providing another light source other than the light source for reading.

(Examples) Examples of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are perspective views showing an outline of a radiation image information reading / reproducing apparatus for carrying out an image information reading / reproducing method according to an embodiment of the present invention at the time of reading and reproducing image information, respectively.

The device shown in the drawing is, as an example of the scanning light generating means, 10
3 semiconductor lasers 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 3E, 3F, 3G, 3H, 3
A multi-semiconductor laser light source device 1 including I and 3J is provided. Each of the semiconductor lasers 3A to 3J has a light source drive circuit 10A, 10B, 10 controlled by a control circuit 11, respectively.
C, 10D, 10E, 10F, 10G, 10H, 10I, and 10j are connected, and these light source driving circuits 10A to 10J can individually turn on and off the output. The structure of the multi-semiconductor laser light source device 1 will be described with reference to the perspective view of FIG.

In the multi-semiconductor laser light source device 1, the ten semiconductor lasers 3A to 3J are fixed to the upper plate 2A of the support 2 with their laser emission axes aligned in parallel. Opposed to these semiconductor lasers 3A to 3J, ten concave lenses 4 are fixed to the middle plate 2B of the support 2, and ten prism mirrors 5 which are optical path adjusting elements are fixed to the lower plate 2C. . The semiconductor visors 3A to 3J, the concave lens 4, and the prism mirror 5 are symmetrical with respect to the wall portion 2D of the support body that integrally supports the upper plate 3A, the middle plate 3B, and the lower plate 3C. It is located in.

A convex lens 6 is arranged inside the upper plate 2A so as to face the semiconductor lasers 3A to 3J. (As an example, the convex lens 6 facing the semiconductor laser 3A is shown in FIG. 2 which is a sectional view taken along line XX of FIG. 3). In this light source device, the concave lens 4 and the convex lens 6 form a collimator optical system. As shown in FIG. 4, the laser beam 3a emitted from the semiconductor laser 3A becomes a parallel beam by passing through this collimator optical system, and the laser beams 3b to 3j emitted from the other semiconductor lasers 3B to 3J are also the same. A collimator optical system disposed on each optical path forms a parallel beam.

Laser beams 3a, 3c, 3e, 3g, 3i converted into parallel beams
Are reflected by the prism mirrors 5 arranged below, and then enter the polarization beam splitter 7. The semiconductor lasers 3A, 3C, 3E, 3G, 3I are laser beams 3a,
The prism mirrors 5 are arranged so as to emit 3c, 3e, 3g, and 3i in the same plane, and the prism mirrors 5 on the optical path of these laser beams are gradually displaced vertically as shown in the drawing. Laser beams 3a, 3c, 3e, 3g,
The reflection position of 3i by the prism mirror 5 slightly shifts only in the vertical direction, and the laser beams 3a, 3c, 3e, 3g, 3i reflected by the prism mirrors 5 take parallel optical paths that are very close to each other in the vertical direction. On the back side of the wall 2D, the semiconductor lasers 3B, 3D, 3F, 3H and 3J are also reflected by the prism mirror 5 and take parallel optical paths which are very close to each other in the vertical direction. Further, laser beams (for example, laser beams 3a and 3b, laser beam 3c, etc.) emitted from semiconductor lasers arranged at positions facing each other through the wall portion 2D.
And 3d) the heights reflected by the prism mirror 5 are equal to each other, and all the semiconductor lasers 3A to 3J
Is the laser beam 3a reflected by the prism mirror 5.
Polarization direction is uniform in 3 to 3j (arrow a in FIG. 3)
Direction)) and is fixed to the upper plate 2a.

The polarizing beam splitter 7 has a property of reflecting light polarized in the direction of arrow a, and
3a, 3c, 3e, 3g, 3i are reflected by this polarizing beam splitter. On the other hand, the laser beams 3b, 3d, 3f, 3h and 3j are reflected by the mirror 8 to deflect the optical path by about 90 °, and then 1 /
By passing through the two-wavelength plate 9, the polarization direction is changed by 90 °, and the light is polarized in the direction of arrow b. The polarized beam splitch 7 transmits the light polarized in the direction of the arrow b, so that the laser beam 3b,
3d, 3f, 3h and 3j pass through the polarizing beam splitter 7 and
The laser beam 3b is a laser beam 3a, the laser beam 3d is a laser beam 3c, and the laser beam 3f is a laser beam 3e.
, Laser beam 3h, laser beam 3g, laser beam
3j is emitted to the same optical path as the laser beam 3i.
The beam cross-sections of the ten laser beams 3a to 3j emitted in the parallel optical paths so close to each other as shown in FIG.

The ten semiconductor lasers 3A to 3J of the semiconductor laser light source device 1 described above are all light source driving circuits 10A to 10A connected to the ten semiconductor lasers 3A to 3J by the control circuit 11 at the time of image reading shown in FIG. By sending a drive signal to 10J, the laser beams 3a to 3j can be oscillated by the light source drive circuits 10A to 10J. Therefore, as described above, the laser beams 3a to 3j, which are emitted from the light source device 1 in parallel optical paths close to each other and are apparently one light beam, enter the rotary polygon mirror 21 which is an optical deflector, and Rotary polygon mirror 21 that rotates in the direction of the arrow
Is reflected and deflected. On the other hand, below the rotary polygon mirror 21, an endless belt device 23, which is a sub-scanning unit, conveys a stimulable phosphor sheet 22 on which radiation image information has been stored and recorded in the direction of arrow Y to be sub-scanned. The laser beam 3a reflected and deflected by the rotating polygon mirror 21 as described above.
3j are focused on the stimulable phosphor sheet 22 by a scanning lens such as an fθ lens.
The upper part of 22 is repeatedly main-scanned in the direction of arrow X, which is substantially orthogonal to the sub-scanning direction. In this way, the entire surface of the stimulable phosphor sheet 22 is formed by combining 10 laser beams. It is two-dimensionally scanned by a high-power laser beam.

This combined laser beam is used as the stimulable phosphor sheet 22.
To act as an excitation light for, with the scanning by the laser beam, the stimulable phosphor sheet 22 irradiated with the laser beam, stimulated emission according to the image information stored and recorded therein, The emitted light (not shown) is incident on the incident end face that is arranged parallel to the main scanning line near the accumulative trend sheet.
Enter the transparent collector 24 having 24a. The light collector 24 is formed such that the front end portion 24b located near the stimulable phosphor sheet 22 is formed in a flat plate shape and gradually becomes a cylindrical shape toward the rear end side, and the rear end portion 24c is substantially formed. Photomultiplier 25, which is a photodetector in a cylindrical shape
The stimulated emission light incident from the incident end face 24a is condensed on the rear end 24c and is received by the photomultiplier 25. In the photomultiplier 25, the stimulated emission light is converted into an electric signal, and the obtained electric signal is sent to the image information processing circuit 26 for image processing.

When the reading of the image information is completed, in order to reproduce the read image information, a recording sheet 27 such as a photographic photosensitive film or photographic paper is conveyed in the arrow Y direction by the endless belt device 23 as shown in FIG. . Further, prior to this, the control circuit 11 stops sending drive signals to the light source drive circuits 10A to 10H, sends drive signals only to the light source drive circuits 10I and 10J, and drives only the semiconductor lasers 3I and 3J. Along with this, a modulation signal is input to the light source drive circuits 10I and 10J based on the image signal read earlier, and the semiconductor laser
3I and 3J emit laser beams 3i and 3j having outputs according to the modulation signals. The output of these laser beams 3i and 3j that are recording light is, of course, smaller than the output of the laser beams 3a to 3j that are the above-mentioned reading light (excitation light). These laser beams 3i and 3j are rotary polygon mirrors. Biased to 21,
After passing through the scanning lens 29, the recording sheet 27 that is sub-scanned in the arrow Y direction is repeatedly main-scanned in the arrow X direction as recording light, and the entire surface of the recording sheet 27 is read from the stimulable phosphor sheet 22. The recorded image information is recorded and reproduced. The recording sheet 27 on which the image information has been recorded and reproduced is sent to an automatic developing machine (not shown) for development processing.

As described above, according to the image information reading / reproducing method of the present embodiment, the laser beams emitted from the ten semiconductor lasers are combined and used as the reading light (excitation light). Image information can be read satisfactorily, and only a part of the semiconductor laser is driven at the time of reproduction, thereby providing a relatively low output suitable for reproduction without providing a reproduction light source separately from the reading light generating means. The recording light can be obtained.

The number of semiconductor lasers used in the method of the present invention is
Any number may be used as long as it is plural, and the number of semiconductor lasers driven during reproduction can be arbitrarily determined. Further, as in the above-mentioned embodiment, all the semiconductor lasers and the optical elements for emitting the laser beams emitted from these lasers on the parallel optical paths that are close to each other are all fixed on the same support. if,
Although preferable for downsizing the reading / reproducing device, each semiconductor laser may be separately arranged.

Next, an apparatus in which the above-mentioned radiation image information reading / reproducing apparatus is incorporated as a reading / reproducing section and the reading / reproducing section carries out the reading / reproducing method of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

The apparatus shown in the drawing is a cassette holding unit 110 that detachably holds a cassette 102 that can store a stimulable phosphor sheet 22, reads image information stored and recorded in the stimulable phosphor sheet, and reproduces the read image information. Read / playback section
120, an erasing unit 130 for erasing the radiation energy remaining in the stimulable phosphor sheet 22 that has been read by the reading / reproducing unit 120, a plurality of stimulable phosphor sheets can be stored, and the stored stimulable phosphor sheet is stored. A stacker 140 that carries out the sheets one by one, and a recording sheet supply unit 150 that detachably holds the magazine 103 that stores a plurality of recording sheets 27 are provided. The above-mentioned respective parts are arranged side by side in the vertical direction, and a sheet conveying means 100 for conveying a stimulable phosphor sheet and a recording sheet is provided on the side of these respective parts so as to extend in the vertical direction. It is connected to this sheet conveying means 100.

In an external photographing device (not shown), the cassette 102, which has been photographed with respect to the stimulable phosphor sheet 22 housed inside, is loaded into the cassette holder 110. The cassette 102 has a light-shielding property in order to prevent the stimulable phosphor sheet 22 from being exposed to external light when irradiating the stimulable phosphor sheet 22 with radiation to record (shoot) image information. The cassette main body 102a for accommodating the stimulable phosphor sheet and the lid 102b which can be opened and closed. The lid 102b is closed when the cassette 102 is loaded into the cassette holder 110, but the cassette holder 110b is closed.
Inside, when the stimulable phosphor sheet 22 inside is taken out, the lid opening means 111 such as a suction cup is opened as shown in the figure.
Open 02b. When the lid part 102b is opened, the stimulable phosphor sheet take-out means 112 such as a suction plate enters the cassette 102 to adsorb the stimulable phosphor sheet 22, and is a part of the sheet conveying means 100. It is passed to the nip roller 100a near the cassette 102. The stimulable phosphor sheet 22 is held in the cassette 102 so that the front surface on which the stimulable phosphor layer is formed faces downward.

The sheet conveying means 100 includes an endless belt, a guide plate,
The stimulable phosphor sheet 22, which is composed of a roller, a movable sheet distribution plate, etc., and whose tip is gripped by the nip roller 100a, is conveyed in the direction of arrow C ₁ by the sheet conveying means 100, and then the position indicated by the solid line in the figure. The sheet is guided in the direction of arrow C ₂ by being guided by the sheet distribution plate 100b in FIG. 1, is further conveyed in the directions of arrows C ₃ and C ₄ , and is carried into the reading and reproducing section 120. Reference numeral 180 provided in the conveying path of the stimulable phosphor sheet 22 is a secondary erasing unit for performing a secondary erasing described later by the erasing light source 181, and the stimulable phosphor sheet taken out from the cassette holding unit 110. The erasing light source 18 when it is transported from above.
1 is erased. In addition, the secondary erasing unit 180 and the reading and reproducing unit
The sheet distribution plates 100c and 100d between 120 are the stimulable phosphor sheet 22 extracted from the cassette 102 as described above.
Is immediately sent to the reading / reproducing unit 120, the stimulable phosphor sheet 22 is allowed to be conveyed downward at the position shown by the solid line in the figure.

In the reading / reproducing unit 120, as described above, the high power laser beams 3a to 3j are emitted from the multi-semiconductor laser light source device 1 to the stimulable phosphor sheet 22, and one of the laser beams 3a to 3j is emitted to the recording sheet 27. The low-power laser beams 3i and 3j are emitted respectively. Of the members in the reading / reproducing unit 120, those parts which are the same as those of the apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 are designated by the first numerals, and a description thereof will be omitted. The reading / reproducing unit 120 is provided with a galvanometer mirror 21 'as an optical deflector. Further, of the sheet conveying means 100, a portion arranged in the reading / reproducing section 120 serves as a sub-scanning means.

The stimulable phosphor sheet 22 carried into the reading / reproducing unit 120
Is scanned the entire two-dimensionally by the laser beam 3a~3j while being conveyed in the arrow C ₃ direction by the sheet conveyance means 100. The stimulated emission light emitted from the stimulable phosphor sheet 22 is photoelectrically detected by the photomultiplier 25 via the light collector 24, is sent to the image information processing circuit 26, and is subjected to image processing and then is stored in the memory 28. Memorized in. After the reading of the entire surface of the stimulable phosphor sheet 22 is completed, the leading end contacts the guide plate 100f with the trailing end held by the nip roller 100e, and is fed back from that position in the direction of arrow C ₅ by switchback. . In the reading of the radiation image information, the outline of the radiation image information previously stored and recorded on the stimulable phosphor sheet before the reading (main reading) for obtaining the image signal for outputting the visible image described above is described. There is known a method of performing prereading for reading, determining reading conditions and the like for performing the main reading based on image information obtained by the prefetching, and performing the main reading according to the reading conditions.

As a method for performing such pre-reading, for example, the stimulable phosphor sheet is scanned by using excitation light having an energy lower than that of the light beam (excitation light) used for the main reading, and the photostimulable light emitted by this scanning is used. A method of reading the emitted light by a photoelectric reading means (for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No.
58-67240) and the like.

The reading / reproducing unit in the present invention may be a part that performs both main reading and pre-reading, in addition to the part that performs only main reading. For example, the stimulable phosphor sheet 22 is conveyed in the direction of arrow C ₅ to perform prefetching first, and then the stimulable phosphor sheet is switched back in the direction of arrow C ₆ by switchback, returned to the reading start position, and again indicated by arrow C. _It may be conveyed in ₅ directions and then the main reading may be performed. Each optical member arranged in the reading / reproducing unit is not limited to the above-mentioned one. For example, as a photoelectric reading unit, a long photomultiplier is arranged along the main scanning line, and Detection may be performed (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 92-16666).

By the way, since reading the image information in the reading / reproducing unit 120 takes a relatively long time, after waiting for the processing in the reading / reproducing unit 120 of the preceding stimulable phosphor sheet to be completed, the cassette holding unit 110 is newly updated. If the cassette 102 containing the photographed stimulable phosphor sheet 22 is loaded, the stimulable phosphor sheet may not be processed efficiently. Therefore, this device is provided with the stacker 140, and the stimulable phosphor sheet 22 taken out from the cassette holding unit 110 is temporarily stacked before being sent to the reading and reproducing unit 120 depending on the situation of the reading and reproducing unit 120. It can be loaded into 140 and stand by.

The stacker 140 includes a plurality of stimulable phosphor sheet storage chambers 142 partitioned by a partition plate 141, and can move up and down in the direction of the arrow from the position shown by the solid line to the position shown by the broken line in the figure. In every seat storage room
142 can be adjacent. When carrying the stimulable phosphor sheet 22 taken out from the cassette holder 110 into the stacker 140, the sheet distribution plate 100d is moved to the position shown by the broken line in the figure, and the stimulable phosphor sheet 22 is conveyed from above.
To the stacker 140 direction. The stimulable phosphor sheet 22 is carried into a predetermined sheet storage chamber 142 of the stacker 140, the rear end of the stacker 140 leaves the nip roller 100g and then falls by its own weight, and the front end contacts the stopper 143 in the sheet storage chamber 142. Held in. Further, when taking out the stimulable phosphor sheet 22 from the stocker 140, after moving the stacker 140 so that the desired sheet storage chamber 142 is adjacent to the nip roller 100g, the stopper 143 is moved to the position shown by the broken line in the figure. Then, the stimulable phosphor sheet 22 is pushed up and the tip thereof is held by the nip roller 100g. The stimulable phosphor sheet 22 gripped by the nip roller 100g is temporarily guided by the sheet distribution plate 100d at the position shown by the broken line in the figure while the sheet conveying means 10
After being conveyed upward by 0, it is conveyed in the directions of the arrows C ₃ and C ₄ and is carried into the reading / reproducing unit 120. Stacker 140
The stimulable phosphor sheet taken out from is once conveyed upward so that the surface of the stimulable phosphor sheet 22 on which the stimulable phosphor is formed faces the upper side (excitation light irradiation side) in the reading / reproducing unit 120. This is because.

As described above, the stimulable phosphor sheet 22 that has been read by the reading and reproducing section 120 is conveyed by the sheet conveying means 100 in the directions of arrows C _{7 to} C ₉ and is sent to the erasing section 130. At that time, the sheet allocating means 100b is in the position shown by the broken line in the figure, and the sheet allocating means 100c, 100d are in the position shown by the solid line in the figure.

The erasing unit 130 is configured to store the stimulable phosphor sheet 2 after the above reading is completed.
It is for erasing the radiation image information remaining in 2 (releasing the radiation energy remaining in the stimulable phosphor). That is, the radiation image information accumulated and recorded in the stimulable phosphor sheet 22 is partially left on the stimulable phosphor sheet after reading, and this radiation image information is reused for reuse of the stimulable phosphor sheet 22. The erasing unit 130 erases the residual image information. The erasing unit 130 of this device includes a fluorescent lamp, a tungsten lamp, a sodium lamp,
An erasing light source 131 such as a xenon lamp or an iodine lamp is provided, and the stimulable phosphor sheet 22 is conveyed along the guide plate 132 in the direction of the arrow C ₁₀ and is irradiated with light from the erasing light source 131 to accumulate. The residual radiant energy on the phosphor sheet is released. The erasing method in the erasing section 130 may be any known method, and the erasing can be performed by heating or using both light irradiation and heating. Although the stimulable phosphor sheet 22 is conveyed to the position shown by the broken line in the figure, it is fed back in the direction of arrow C ₁₁ .
A guide plate that supports the end of the stimulable phosphor sheet is preferably provided outside the erasing section 130. Further, as will be described later, the storage phosphor sheet storage tray is placed close to the erasing section.
When the tray 106 is provided, the tray 106 can also be used as a guide.

The stimulable phosphor sheet 22 that has been erased in the erasing section 130 is conveyed by the sheet conveying means 100 in the directions of arrows C ₁₂ and C ₁₃ , and is moved to the position shown by the broken line in the figure. Guided by the stacker 140
It is stored in an empty sheet storage chamber 142 inside. The erasable phosphor sheet that has been erased in the stacker 40 in this way
If some 22 are stored in advance, the erased stimulable phosphor sheet is immediately replaced with an empty cassette 10 after the stimulable phosphor sheet 22 is taken out from the cassette 102 in the cassette holder 110.
Can be brought into 2 When the stimulable phosphor sheet 22 is taken out from the stacker 140 and conveyed to the cassette holding unit 110, the sheet distribution plate 100d is moved to the position indicated by the broken line, and the sheet distribution plates 100b and 100c are moved to the positions indicated by the solid line, respectively. The sheet conveying means 100 conveys the stimulable phosphor sheet in the directions of the arrows C ₁₄ and C ₁₅ and carries it into the cassette 102.
Note that the stimulable phosphor sheet 2 carried out from the stacker 140
The number 2 may be the one that has been kept waiting in the stacker 140 for a long time, and that a long time has elapsed since the erasing unit 130 erased the data. The stimulable phosphor sheet is a layer of radiation that is emitted from radioisotopes such as ²²⁶ Ra and ⁴⁰ K, which are contained in trace amounts in the stimulable phosphor, and cosmic rays after a certain time has passed even after erasing. Radiation energy is accumulated due to environmental radiation such as X-rays from the X-ray source or X-ray source, and this radiation energy may become noise for the next captured image. Therefore, the conveyance path from the stacker 140 to the cassette holding unit 110 described above. A secondary erasing unit 180 for irradiating the stimulable phosphor sheet 22 with erasing light again is provided therein. The secondary erasing unit 180 turns on the erasing light source 181 only when the stimulable phosphor sheet 22 taken out from the stacker 140 is conveyed toward the cassette holding unit 110, so that the erasing light source 181 is housed in the stacker 140. The radiation energy accumulated in the stimulable phosphor sheet is released. In this way, the cassette 102, into which the stimulable phosphor sheet 22 has been carried in, can be taken out of the apparatus and supplied for new imaging. Further, in this apparatus, the stimulable phosphor sheet that has been erased by the erasing unit 130 can be immediately carried into the cassette 102. In that case, the stimulable phosphor sheet conveyed from the erasing unit 130 in the direction of the arrow C ₁₂ may be conveyed once downward, and then may be switched back upward and then conveyed into the cassette 102. If it is conveyed, the surface of the stimulable phosphor sheet on which the phosphor layer is formed when it is stored in the cassette 102 can face downward.

By the way, in the external photographing device, in addition to photographing the stimulable phosphor sheet held in the cassette,
When performing continuous photographing, there is a case where a plurality of stimulable phosphor sheets contained in a sheet supply magazine are taken out one by one and photographing is performed. The stimulable phosphor sheets that have been photographed are sequentially stored in the sheet storage magazine, and the sheet storage magazine in which the sheets are stored is sent to the reading device for reading. This device is provided with a cassette holding unit described above and a magazine holding unit for detachably holding the above-mentioned sheet storage magazine on the side of the sheet conveying means, and reading and erasing of the stimulable phosphor sheet taken out from the magazine are also possible. It may be something that can be performed. The magazine holding unit can be provided at any position as long as it is vertically aligned with the above-described respective units such as the reading / playing unit 120 and the erasing unit 130, which are connected to the sheet conveying unit 100, but are shown by a chain line in the figure. As cassette holder
The cassette holding unit and the magazine holding unit may be integrated so that 110 can be loaded with both the cassette 102 and the magazine 107. Further, when the magazine holding unit is provided, a tray holding unit for holding the trays sequentially storing the stimulable phosphor sheets that have been read out and erased one by one from the magazine is required. Like the magazine holder, this tray holder can also be provided at an arbitrary position where it is connected to the sheet conveying means 100, but the tray 106 can be positioned adjacent to the erasing section 130 as shown by the alternate long and short dash line in the figure. If a tray holding section is provided outside the erasing section 130, the tray 106 functions as a guide during erasing with respect to the stimulable phosphor sheet taken out from the cassette, and the accelerating agent taken out from the magazine is stored. The phosphor sheet is extremely convenient because it can be dropped and stored in the tray as it is after erasing.

By the way, when the reading and reproducing unit 120 finishes reading one stimulable phosphor sheet 2 and the stimulable phosphor sheet 22 is carried out from the reading and reproducing unit 120, the recording sheet in the recording sheet supply unit 150 is recorded. One sheet of the recording sheet 27 is taken out from the supply magazine 103 by the suction means 150 and is passed to the nip roller 100h in the vicinity. The recording sheet 27 is conveyed in the direction of the arrow D ₁ along the guide plate 100i by the nip roller 100h, and then is conveyed into the reading / reproducing unit 120 by the sheet conveying means 100, similarly to the stimulable phosphor sheet. Read / play section
At 120, the recording sheet 27 is conveyed in the direction of the arrow D ₂ , and the image information previously read from the stimulable phosphor sheet 22 is recorded.

When the recording sheet 27 is conveyed, the reading / reproducing unit 120 drives only a part of the semiconductor lasers in the light source device 1 and oscillates the low-output laser beams 3i and 3j. Further, this laser is modulated based on the image information stored in the memory 28, and the recording sheet 27 is scanned by the laser beam as recording light, so that the image recorded on the stimulable phosphor sheet 22 is entirely covered. The information is played.

The recording sheet 27 whose image information has been reproduced by the reading / reproducing unit 120 is conveyed by the sheet conveying means 100 in the directions of arrows D _{3 to} D ₅ . The recording sheet 27 that has been reproduced in this way
There when it is conveyed, the sheet distributing means 100d sheet distributing means 100c together in the position shown by the solid line in the figure guides the recording sheet 27 in the arrow D ₆ direction moves to the position indicated by the broken line in FIG. Then, the discharge roller 100j is made to grasp the tip thereof. The discharge roller 100j may carry the recording sheet 27 into the automatic developing machine 170 which is connected to the reading device in advance, or a tray or the like may be arranged in the vicinity of the discharge roller 100j and the recording sheet 27 may be sequentially arranged. It may be discharged into this tray. Further, a holding portion for a tray for storing recording sheets may be provided inside the apparatus, and the recording sheets may be stored in the tray inside the apparatus, and the tray together with the tray may be taken out from the apparatus and appropriately conveyed to an external automatic developing machine.

In the reading / reproducing unit 120, as described above,
Immediately after reading one stimulable phosphor sheet, the read image information is recorded on one recording sheet. In addition, the capacity of the memory 28 is increased and then a plurality of stimulable phosphor sheets are first recorded. It is also possible that reading is performed continuously, all the read image information is temporarily stored in the memory, and then the image information is continuously reproduced for a plurality of recording sheets. Further, even if it is desired to reproduce all the read image information on the recording sheet as a hard copy, the image information can be displayed once on the CRT display device or the like and only the necessary image can be reproduced on the recording sheet as a hard copy. .

As the recording sheet, in addition to the above-mentioned ordinary silver salt photographic film, dry silver suitable for heat development can be used. Further, in addition to these photosensitive recording materials, heat sensitive recording materials can be used. Further, as a developing method using a silver salt film, there are an instant method and the like in addition to the above-mentioned wet developing method. Further, although the case where the stimulable phosphor sheet is used as the image information sheet has been described above as an example, the method of the present invention reads the image information by detecting reflected light or transmitted light emitted from the image information sheet. It may be one.

(Effect of the Invention) As described above, according to the image information reading / reproducing method of the present invention, at the time of reading, the laser beams emitted from the plurality of semiconductor lasers can be combined to perform reading with high-output reading light. At the same time, at the time of reproduction, only a part of the semiconductor lasers among the plurality of semiconductor lasers can be driven to obtain recording light having a relatively low output. Therefore, according to the method of the present invention, it is possible to obtain suitable scanning light during reading and reproduction without providing a special light source for reproduction.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 and 2 are perspective views of a radiation image information reading and reproducing apparatus for carrying out the reading and reproducing method of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a multi-semiconductor laser light source device provided in the apparatus, and FIG. A cross-sectional view taken along the line XX, a fifth right is a schematic view showing a beam cross-section of a laser beam emitted from the light source device, and FIG. 6 is a schematic side view of a device including the reading / reproducing device as a reading / reproducing unit. Is. 1 ... Multi-semiconductor laser light source device 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 3E, 3F, 3G, 3H, 3I, 3J ... Semiconductor laser 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 3e, 3f, 3g, 3h, 3i, 3j ...... Laser beams 10A, 10B, 10C, 10D, 10E, 10F, 10G, 10H, 10I, 10J ...
… Light source drive circuit 11 …… Control circuit, 21 …… Rotating polygon mirror 22 …… Storing phosphor sheet 23 …… Endless belt device 27 …… Recording sheet

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. An image information sheet on which image information is recorded by the same sub-scanning means or a recording sheet for reproducing the image information is conveyed in the sub-scanning direction, and the image information sheet is main-scanned with reading light. The image information is read by detecting the light emitted from the image information sheet, and the image information is recorded by causing the recording sheet to perform main scanning with the recording light modulated according to the image information. In the reading and reproducing method, laser beams emitted from a plurality of semiconductor lasers are combined and used as the reading light, and at the time of image reproduction, a part of the plurality of semiconductor lasers is modulated and driven to record the emitted laser beams. An image information reading / reproducing method characterized by being used as light.