JP2667724B2 - Radiation image information reading device and its reading method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an apparatus for reading radiation image information accumulated and recorded on a stimulable phosphor sheet and a method for reading the same.

[Prior Art] As is well known, a stimulable phosphor accumulates its radiation energy when irradiated with radiation, and further irradiates it with excitation light such as visible light to respond to the accumulated radiation energy. In the form of a sheet, this is used, for example, for recording radiation image information of a subject such as a human body and obtaining the image information as a visible image. In this case, the radiation image information stored and recorded on the stimulable phosphor sheet (hereinafter simply referred to as a sheet) is obtained by photoelectrically reading the stimulated emission light generated when the sheet is irradiated with the excitation light. Based on the received image signal, it is reproduced as a visible image by a recording material such as a photographic photosensitive material or a CRT. Then, the sheet from which the radiation image information has been read in this way can be reused by erasing the radiation image information by irradiating the sheet with an erasing light from an erasing light source such as a fluorescent lamp or a tungsten lamp. Become.

A device that reads the radiation image information from the sheet on which the radiation image information is recorded as described above generally includes a cassette holding unit that detachably holds a cassette in which the sheet is stored so as to be able to enter and exit, as described above. A reading unit for reading the radiation image information and an erasing unit for erasing the radiation image information after the reading are provided, and a sheet stored in the cassette held in the cassette holding unit is read from the inside of the cassette. Transporting the sheet to the erasing unit after reading the radiation image information in the reading unit, and further transporting the sheet toward the cassette after erasing the radiation image information in the erasing unit. It is generally known that the cassette is stored again in the cassette.

For example, in the reading device proposed by the present applicant (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 63-298333), the sheet is reciprocally conveyed from the inside of the cassette held in the cassette holding section to the inside of the reading section in the middle of the conveying path. An erasing unit is provided, the sheet in the cassette is conveyed toward the reading unit through the erasing unit on the conveyance path, and at this time, the radiation image information is read while the sheet is carried into the reading unit, Further, after the reading is completed, the sheet is fed back from the inside of the reading unit toward the cassette on the conveying path and returned to the inside of the cassette, and at this time, the sheet carried out from the inside of the reading unit is conveyed in the erasing unit. The radiation image information is deleted. Then, the reading device is provided with an erasing unit between the cassette holding unit and the reading unit as described above, and the sheet in which the radiation image information is read by being conveyed into the reading unit from the cassette held in the cassette holding unit. The radiographic image information is erased while returning to the cassette from the reading unit toward the cassette, so that the erasing unit can be downsized and the cassette holding unit can be reduced. And the reading unit can be brought close to each other, so that the configuration of the entire reading apparatus can be reduced in size.

However, in this type of reading apparatus, after the reading of the radiation image information recorded on the sheet is completely completed, the radiation image information is erased, and the reading and the erasing are performed independently. The time required for the reading and the time required for the erasing are combined to require a relatively long time, and it has been desired to shorten the time.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] In consideration of the above demands, the present invention is an apparatus capable of efficiently reading and erasing radiation image information accumulated and recorded on a stimulable phosphor sheet in a short time with a small configuration. The purpose is to provide.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a method capable of efficiently reading and erasing the radiation image information in a short time.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a cassette for detachably holding a cassette in which a stimulable phosphor sheet on which radiation image information is accumulated and recorded is removably stored. A holding unit, a reading unit that reads the radiation image information by irradiating the sheet with excitation light, and is provided between the reading unit and the cassette holding unit,
An erasing unit for erasing the radiation image information by irradiating the sheet from which the radiation image information has been read with erasing light, and the cassette stored in the cassette held by the cassette holding unit. A sheet conveying means for carrying in the reading unit from within, and further carrying in the cassette from inside the reading unit via the erasing unit; a light shielding plate provided between the reading unit and the erasing unit; A flocked member provided in a slit through which the sheet passes and slidably contacting the sheet; and a light-shielding roller provided on the reading unit side close to the light-shielding plate and constituting a part of the sheet conveying means, and includes an erasing light. And light blocking means for preventing light leakage to the reading unit.

In addition, the present invention provides a method in which the stimulable phosphor sheet on which the radiation image information is stored is carried out from a cassette in which the stimulable phosphor sheet is freely accessible, and the sheet is transported to a predetermined reading position where the radiation image information is read. And conveying the sheet conveyed to the reading position back toward the cassette, irradiating excitation light at the time of conveyance, and sequentially irradiating the radiation image information photoelectrically by stimulated emission light emitted from the sheet A reading step, and a step of sequentially irradiating the sheet from which the radiation image information has been read with an erasing light to erase the radiation image information in parallel with the reading step.

[Operation] According to the radiation image information reading apparatus of the present invention, the stimulable phosphor sheet on which the radiation image information is accumulated is recorded in the cassette held by the cassette holding unit by the erasing unit by the sheet conveying means. It is carried into the reading section through the sheet, and is fed back from the reading section to the cassette through the erasing section and returned into the cassette. Then, the phosphor sheet is fed back from the inside of the reading unit toward the cassette and carried out from the inside of the reading unit again, and then the excitation light is sequentially irradiated from one end to the other end on the cassette side in the reading unit. Means for irradiating the excitation light to generate the photostimulated light, and at this time, the radiation image information is sequentially transmitted from the photostimulated light by the photoelectric reading means from the one end to the other end of the phosphor sheet. Read. Further, at this time, the phosphor sheet is sequentially carried out from the reading section to the erasing section from the one end to the other end from which the radiation image information has been read, and in the erasing section, the fluorescent light is irradiated by the erasing light irradiation means. The erasing light is sequentially applied from one end to the other end of the body sheet, whereby the radiation image information is sequentially erased from one end to the other end of the phosphor sheet. At this time, the erasing light is shielded from the inside of the reading section by the light shielding means, and the radiation image information is not erased from the portion of the phosphor sheet in the reading section.

Therefore, the radiation image information recorded on the phosphor sheet is sequentially read from one end to the other end on the cassette side in the process in which the phosphor sheet is fed back from the reading unit toward the cassette. On the other hand, in parallel with this, the data is sequentially deleted from the portion where the reading is completed.

According to the method for reading radiation image information of the present invention,
In the same manner as described above, the radiation image information accumulated and recorded on the stimulable phosphor sheet is sequentially read from one end to the other end of the cassette held at the holding position, and in parallel with the reading. Are sequentially erased from the portion where the scanning has been completed, so that the time taken to combine the reading time and the erasing time of the radiation image information is reduced, and when the phosphor sheet is fed backward from the reading position toward the cassette. Since the reading and erasing of the radiation image information are sequentially performed,
When the phosphor sheet is conveyed from the cassette to the reading position, this can be performed at a high speed.

Therefore, with respect to the stimulable phosphor sheet on which the radiation image information is recorded, the stimulable phosphor sheet is carried out from the cassette, the radiation image information is read and erased sequentially, and the stimulable phosphor sheet is again loaded on the cassette. It is possible to perform the operation of returning to the inside in a short time.

[Embodiment] An example of a radiation image information reading apparatus and a reading method thereof according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is an explanatory sectional view of the reader.

In FIG. 1, the reading apparatus includes a cassette holding unit 10 for detachably holding a cassette B in which a stimulable phosphor sheet A (hereinafter, simply referred to as a sheet A) is stored so as to be able to enter and exit.
A reading unit 12 for reading radiation image information (hereinafter simply referred to as image information) stored and recorded on the sheet A; an erasing unit 14 for erasing the image information; The sheet erasing unit 16 is configured to reciprocate from the held cassette B to the inside of the reading unit 12.
14 is provided between the reading unit 12 and the cassette holding unit 10 adjacent to the reading unit 12, and the reading unit 12, the erasing unit 14 and the sheet conveying means 16 are housed in a case body 18.

The cassette holding portion 10 has an opening 20 provided on the side surface of the case body 18 so that the one end of the cassette B provided with the opening / closing lid b can be inserted therein, and a side surface of the case body 18 at the position of the opening 20. And a support plate 22 extending horizontally from the portion. As shown in the figure, the cassette B is inserted into one end of the cassette B and supported on the support plate 22 by supporting the cassette B on the support plate 22. Is held detachably in a horizontal posture. The cassette holding portion 10 is opened at one end of the cassette B by a lid opening / closing mechanism (not shown).
The opening / closing lid b of the cassette B is opened when the cassette B is inserted into the cassette 20.

The sheet conveying means 16 includes a conveying carry-in roller 24 provided in the vicinity of the opening 20 of the cassette holding unit 10 and a pair of conveying rollers 26 vertically provided between the roller 24 and the erasing unit 14.
a, 26b, a guide plate 28 provided in the erasing unit 14, and a reading unit
The carrying-in / carrying-out roller 24 is provided at one end of the cassette B as shown in the figure when the cassette B containing the sheet A is held by the cassette holding unit 10 as described above. The lower surface of the roller 24 comes into contact with the upper surface of the sheet A by being inserted into the portion. The upper surfaces of the lower transport roller 26b, the guide plate 28, and the transport conveyor 30 have substantially the same height as the lower surface of the sheet A in the cassette B held by the cassette holding unit 10, and the upper transport roller 26a Has a height substantially the same as the upper surface of the sheet A.

The sheet conveying means 16 reads the sheet A in the cassette B held by the cassette holding section 10 from the inside of the cassette B by first rotating the carry-in / out roller 24.
It is carried out toward 12, and then carried into the erasing section 14 through between both carrying rollers 26a and 26b, carried while sliding on the guide plate 28, and further onto the carrying conveyor 30 from the guide plate 28. It is transferred and carried on the transport conveyor 30 into the reading section 12. At this time, the transfer conveyor 30
The sheet A is carried into the reading unit 12 until a position where one end of the sheet A on the cassette side B reaches an irradiation position P of excitation light, which will be described later.

Further, the sheet conveying means 16 reads the sheet A into the reading unit 12.
After the sheet A is loaded into the cassette holding unit 10 by reversely feeding the sheet A from the reading unit 12 to the cassette holding unit 10 via the erasing unit 14 by the reverse operation. The cassette is returned to the held cassette B again.

The reading unit 12 includes an excitation light irradiating means 32 for irradiating the sheet A loaded therein with excitation light Lx such as laser light when the sheet A is reversely fed as described above, and the excitation light irradiation unit 32. Lx
And a photomultiplier 34 as photoelectric reading means for reading image information recorded on the sheet A by the stimulated emission light Ly emitted from the sheet A at the time of irradiation.

The excitation light irradiating unit 32 transmits the excitation light Lx condensed from the light source 36 via the light deflector 38 such as a galvanometer mirror and the scanning lens 40 from the light source 36 in order on the conveyor 30. The mirror 42 irradiates the sheet A to be irradiated with the excitation light Lx at a predetermined irradiation position P from the erasing unit 14.

The photomultiplier 34 includes a light guide portion 44 protruding toward the irradiation position P on the light receiving surface thereof, and when the excitation light Lx is irradiated on the sheet A on which image information is recorded at the irradiation position P. The photostimulated light Ly received from the sheet A is received through the light guide section 44, and the photostimulated light Ly is received.
Then, the image information of the sheet A is photoelectrically read, converted into an electric image signal, and output to the outside of the reading device.

The erasing unit 14 includes an erasing light source 46 such as a fluorescent lamp or a tungsten lamp above the guide plate 28 therein,
A semicircular reflector provided above the erasing light source 46
48, and the erasing light irradiating means 50 reverses the sheet A conveyed to the reading unit 12 from the reading unit 12 through the erasing unit 14 toward the cassette holding unit 10. When the sheet is conveyed, the sheet A conveyed in the erasing section 14 is irradiated with the erasing light Lz directly from the erasing light source 46 or from the erasing light source 46 via the reflection plate 48, thereby irradiating the sheet A. The image information recorded on the sheet A is deleted.

Further, in FIG. 1, reference numeral 52 is a light shielding means for preventing the erasing light Lz from the erasing light source 46 of the erasing light irradiating means 50 from entering the reading section 12, and the light shielding means 52 is As shown in the figure, it is provided between the reading unit 12 and the erasing unit 14 and above the light shielding plate 54 erected at the lower end of the case body 18, and the rotating roller 30a on the erasing unit 14 side of the conveyor 30. And a light blocking roller 56.

The light shielding plate 54 is provided with a slit portion 58 through which the sheet A can penetrate when the sheet A is conveyed by the sheet conveying means 16 between the reading section 12 and the erasing section 14, and the inner surface of the slit section 58 is provided. When the sheet A penetrates, flocked material 60 such as a teremp that slidably contacts the upper surface and the lower surface of the sheet A over the entire length in the width direction. Then, the light blocking roller 56
The upper surface and the lower surface of the sheet A conveyed on the conveyer 30 together with the rotating roller 30a of the conveyer 30 come into contact with the upper surface and the lower surface of the sheet A while turning over the entire length in the width direction.

Therefore, the light shielding means 52 uses the light shielding plate 54 and the flocked material 60 planted in the slit portion 58 to prevent the erasing light Lz from the erasing light source 46 of the erasing light irradiating means 50 in the sheet A in the reading portion 12. The sheet A in the reading unit 12 is shielded from light by the light-shielding roller 56 and the rotating roller 30a of the conveyor 30.
Lz is reliably shielded from light on sheet A in reading section 12.

Next, the operation of reading and erasing the image information recorded on the sheet A by the reading device will be described.

When the image information is read from the sheet A in which the image information of the human body or the like stored in the cassette B is recorded,
First, as described above, the cassette B is horizontally held by the cassette holding unit 10, and the reading device is operated in this state.

Then, when the reading device is operated, the sheet A in the cassette B is carried out of the cassette B by the sheet conveying means 16 as described above, and further conveyed through the erasing unit 14 and the light shielding means 52 in order. And is carried into the reading unit 12. At this time, the erasing light source of the erasing light irradiation means 50 of the erasing section 14
The sheet A is simply extinguished, and the sheet A simply passes through the erasing section 14 and is carried into the reading section 12 until one end of the cassette B side reaches the irradiation position P.

Next, the sheet A is conveyed backward from the reading unit 12 to the cassette holding unit 10 through the light shielding unit 52 and the erasing unit 14 in reverse order by the sheet conveying unit 16, and held in the cassette holding unit 10. The cassette B is returned to the cassette B.

At this time, when the sheet A is carried out of the reading unit 12 into the erasing unit 14 via the light shielding unit 52, the sheet A is irradiated onto the sheet A at the irradiation position P as described above by the excitation light irradiating unit 32. The excitation light Lx is irradiated, and the irradiation is sequentially performed from one end of the sheet A on the cassette B side to the other end as the sheet A is gradually fed back toward the cassette holding unit 10. At the time of irradiation with the excitation light Lx, the irradiation position P
The photostimulated light Ly is emitted from the sheet A in accordance with the image information, and the image information is further transmitted from the photostimulated light Ly by the photomultiplier 34 to the cassette B with the sheet A being fed back. Are sequentially read from one end to the other end.

On the other hand, at the time of such reading, the erasing light source 46 of the erasing light irradiating means 50 is turned on, and the erasing light Lz emitted from the erasing light source 46 is the sheet A whose image information is read. The sheet A is sequentially conveyed out of the reading unit 12 from one end to the other end and is fed back to the cassette B through the erasing unit 14, and the sheet A is sequentially irradiated from the one end to the other end on the sheet A. As a result, the read image information of the sheet A is gradually erased.

Therefore, the image information is erased in parallel with the reading, and the image information is sequentially erased from the one end to the other end of the sheet A from which the image information is read. In this case, the erasing light Lz emitted from the erasing light source 46
As described above, since the inside of the reading unit 12 is shielded by the light shielding unit 52, the portion of the sheet A in the reading unit 12 is not irradiated with the erasing light Lz, There is no possibility that image information during or before reading is erased.

After that, when the sheet A is returned to the cassette B after passing through the erasing section 14, the image information is completely erased, and the cassette B in which the sheet A is stored again is set in the cassette holding section. The sheet A can be reused by removing the sheet A from 10 and storing the sheet A in the cassette B.

As described above, in the reading apparatus, the image information recorded on the sheet A is sequentially read from one end to the other end of the sheet A, and the reading is completed in parallel with the reading. Since the erasing is performed sequentially from the portion, the reading and erasing of the image information can be sequentially performed in a short time.

Further, the sheet A is loaded from the reading unit 12 into the cassette holding unit 10.
When the sheet A is conveyed backward, the reading and erasing of the image information are sequentially performed, so that when the sheet A is conveyed from the cassette B held in the cassette holding section 10 to the reading section 12, Can do this fast, so
It is possible to quickly carry out the work of carrying out the sheet A from the cassette B, sequentially reading and erasing the image information thereof, and further returning the sheet A into the cassette B in a short time.

Note that the reading apparatus of the present embodiment is described in
As in the case disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 8333, cassette holder
By providing the erasing section 14 between the reading section 10 and the reading section 12, the erasing section 14 is reduced in size, and the cassette holding section 10 and the reading section 12 are provided close to each other, so that the entire configuration of the reading apparatus is provided. Is small.

[Effects of the Invention] As is clear from the above description, according to the radiation image information reading apparatus of the present invention, the erasing section is provided between the cassette holding section and the reading section adjacent to the reading section, and A light-shielding unit is provided between the reading unit and the erasing unit, and the stimulable phosphor sheet in the cassette held by the cassette holding unit is conveyed to the reading unit by the sheet conveying unit, and then is returned from the reading unit to the cassette again. Reverse feeding toward the cassette through the erasing unit, at the time of this backward feeding, while reading the radiation image information recorded on the cassette from one end to the other end on the cassette side of the phosphor sheet, In parallel with the reading, erasing light is sequentially emitted from the one end to the other end of the phosphor sheet sequentially carried out from the reading unit to the erasing unit through the light shielding unit to erase the radiation image information. By doing so, reading and erasing of the radiation image information can be sequentially and efficiently performed in a short time.

Then, by reading and erasing the radiation image information at the time of the reverse feeding of the phosphor sheet, the phosphor sheet can be conveyed at high speed from the cassette held in the cassette holding section to the reading section. This makes it possible to carry out the phosphor sheet from the cassette, sequentially read and erase the radiation image information, and quickly return the phosphor sheet to the cassette.

In addition, an erasing unit is provided between the cassette holding unit and the reading unit, and the radiation image information is erased while the phosphor sheet is sent backward from the reading unit toward the cassette held by the cassette holding unit via the erasing unit. By doing so, the erasing unit can be downsized, and the reading unit and the cassette holding unit can be brought close to each other, so that the overall configuration of the reading device can be made small.

According to the method for reading radiation image information of the present invention,
When transporting the stimulable phosphor sheet from the cassette held in the predetermined holding position to the predetermined reading position and then feeding the phosphor sheet backward from the reading position into the cassette via the predetermined erasing position While reading the radiation image information recorded on the phosphor sheet as described above sequentially from one end to the other end of the phosphor sheet on the cassette side,
Since the radiation image information is sequentially erased from the read portion, the radiation image information can be sequentially read and erased in a short time in the same manner as described above, and the phosphor is also removed. These series of operations including the sheet conveying operation can be performed quickly.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory sectional view of one embodiment of the radiation image information reading apparatus of the present invention. 10 …… Cassette holding section 12 …… Reading section 14 …… Erase section 16 …… Sheet conveying means 32 …… Excitation light irradiation means 34 …… Photoelectric reading means 50 …… Erase light irradiation means 52 …… Shading means A …… Storage phosphor sheet B: Cassette Lx: Excitation light Ly: Stimulated emission light

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A cassette holding section for detachably holding a cassette in which a stimulable phosphor sheet on which radiation image information is accumulated and recorded is freely inserted and removed, and the sheet is irradiated with excitation light by irradiating the sheet with excitation light. The radiation image information is erased by irradiating the reading unit for reading the radiation image information and the sheet, which is provided between the reading unit and the cassette holding unit, from which the radiation image information has been read with erasing light. An erasing unit to be carried out, and the sheet stored in the cassette held by the cassette holding unit is carried into the reading unit from the inside of the cassette, and is further carried into the cassette from the reading unit via the erasing unit. Sheet conveying means, a light shielding plate provided between the reading unit and the erasing unit,
A flocked member provided in a slit through which the sheet of the light-shielding plate passes and slidably contacting the sheet, and a light-shielding roller provided on the reading unit side close to the light-shielding plate and constituting a part of the sheet conveying means. A radiation image information reading apparatus, comprising: light shielding means for preventing light leakage of the erasing light to the reading unit. 2. The sheet is conveyed out of a cassette in which a stimulable phosphor sheet on which radiation image information is accumulated and recorded is freely inserted and removed, and the sheet is moved to a predetermined reading position where the radiation image information is read. Conveying the sheet, the sheet conveyed to the reading position is reversely fed toward the cassette, irradiated with excitation light at the time of conveyance, and sequentially reads the radiation image information photoelectrically by stimulated emission light emitted from the sheet. A step of sequentially irradiating the sheet from which the radiation image information has been read with an erasing light to erase the radiation image information in parallel with the reading step. How to read.