JPH01250941A - Radiographic information reading and reproducing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To miniaturize the entire system by using the same sub-scanning means in an optical scanning part in order to read and reproduce image information. CONSTITUTION:When an first accumulative phosphor sheet 1 is carried out from the optical scanning part 20, a recording sheet 4 is ejected from a recording sheet feeding part 50; the recording sheet 4 is carried in the direction shown by an arrow B1 and then is carried in the optical scanning part 20. In the part 20, the image information, which was previously read from the accumulative phosphor sheet 1, is recorded on the recording sheet 4 while the sheet 4 is carried in the direction shown by an arrow B2 by means of the optical sub- scanning means 26. The recording sheet 4 is modulated and then scanned by a laser beam 21A, thereby reproducing the image information recorded on the accumulative phosphor sheet 1: by the both use of main scanning means and sub-scanning means in the optical scanning part 20, it reads the image information on the accumulative phosphor sheet 1 but also reproduces the image information on the recording sheet 4. Thus, the entire system is miniaturized.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of the Invention) The present invention relates to a radiation image information reading and reproducing device used in a radiation image information recording and reproducing system, which reads and reproduces radiation image information within the same device using the same scanning system. It is something.

(Conventional technology) Certain types of phosphors are exposed to radiation (X-rays, α-rays, β-rays.

When irradiated with γ-rays, 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 changes depending on the accumulated energy. is known to exhibit stimulated luminescence, and phosphors exhibiting this property are called stimulable phosphors (stimulable phosphors).

Using this stimulable phosphor, radiation image information of a subject such as a human body is partially recorded on a sheet of stimulable phosphor, and this stimulable phosphor sheet is scanned with excitation light such as a laser beam to make it shine. The resulting stimulated luminescent light is generated and photoelectrically read to obtain an image signal, and based on this image signal, the radiation image of the subject is recorded as a visible image on a recording material such as a photographic light-sensitive material, a CRT, etc. The applicant has already proposed a radiation image information recording and reproducing system for outputting radiation image information. (Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. 55
-12429, 5G-11395, 55-16
No. 3472.

No. 56-104645, No. 55-11 [No. 1340, etc.]. ) In the above system, the stimulable phosphor sheet accumulates and records radiation image information, and at the same time until the recorded image information is read by the excitation light scanning.
The sheet is held temporarily, and therefore, after the image information has been read, it is desirable to erase the image information remaining on the sheet and reuse the sheet.

By the way, the above system conventionally includes a recording device that stores and records radiation image information, a radiation image information reading device that reads image information recorded on a stimulable phosphor sheet and outputs an image signal, and a radiation image information reading device that reads image information recorded on a stimulable phosphor sheet and outputs an image signal. It consists of an image reproducing device that records and reproduces a visible image by scanning a light beam modulated based on the image. Therefore, in conventional systems, in order to form the final visible image of the radiation image information recorded on the stimulable phosphor sheet on the recording sheet, at least a reading device for reading the image information is required in addition to the recording device. , and a reproducing device for recording image information on a recording sheet.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) In recent years, various improvements have been made in the radiographic image information recording and reproducing system based on the demand for miniaturizing the entire system as much as possible and reducing manufacturing costs. However, as mentioned above, in conventional systems, the reading device and the playback device are each required independently, so it is not possible to reduce the size of the entire system as desired. There is a problem in that there is a limit to the reduction in manufacturing costs because each of these is required.

Further, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 184677/1984 discloses an X-ray image reading and recording device that uses the same light source for reading and recording and alternately performs reading and recording on the same stage, but the above specification The document only shows a conceptual diagram of the device and does not describe the specific structure of the device, making it difficult to put such a device into practical use right away. Furthermore, in the above-mentioned apparatus, scanning is performed by moving the light source and photodetector relative to the sheet, and if such a scanning method is used, the moving mechanism becomes complicated, making it difficult to perform high-speed scanning. be. Furthermore, when switching the device between reading and playback, both the optical modulator and photodetector are moved in and out of the optical path by a drive mechanism, so the drive mechanism also complicates the device. There is.

Therefore, the present invention solves the above problems by simultaneously reading and reproducing image information using the same scanning system in the same device, integrating the conventional reading device and reproducing device, making the entire system smaller and manufacturing possible. A first object of the present invention is to provide a radiation image information reading and reproducing device that can reduce costs.

In addition, when reproducing the above-mentioned image information as a visible image on a reproducing device, information related to the subject (subject), such as gender, name, date of photography, body part, etc. It may be necessary to display it. Therefore, in the past, this ID information was stored in a special ID at the time of shooting.
D input means is used to input information to an ID card or the like, and when reproducing image information, the input information is transmitted to the reproducing device and displayed on the reproducing surface in addition to the image information.

However, in the above case, a special input method is required, which makes the entire system complex and the input operations cumbersome.Also, the format of the information to be input and played back is predetermined, and there are restrictions on the number of characters, etc. Therefore, there was a problem that information could not be freely input and reproduced.

Therefore, the present invention makes it possible to input ID information without using any special input means, to input arbitrary information easily and freely manually, and to reproduce the input information as it is on the reproduction screen. A second object of the present invention is to provide a radiographic image information recording and reproducing apparatus that can perform the following functions.

(Means for Solving the Problems) The radiation image information reading and reproducing apparatus of the present invention, which was developed in response to the above-mentioned two demands, stores a stimulable phosphor sheet on which radiation image information is accumulated and is stored. a stimulable phosphor sheet supply section that carries out the stored stimulable phosphor sheet, a recording sheet supply section that stores recording sheets and carries out the stored recording sheets one by one, and photoelectrically reads information other than the radiation image information. an information reading section that holds an information recording means carrying information such as possible characters, and has an information reading means for photoelectrically reading the information; a light beam is deflected by an optical deflector onto the stimulable phosphor sheet; A reading main scanning means for main scanning, a recording main scanning means for main scanning the recording sheet by deflecting a light beam with an optical deflector, and a main scanning means for recording, which causes the stimulable phosphor sheet and the recording sheet to be scanned in the main scanning direction. comprising sub-scanning means for sub-scanning by conveying in orthogonal directions, and generating light carrying front = 7 - number ray image information from the stimulable phosphor sheet by the light beam of the reading main scanning means; This light is detected by a light detection means to read the radiation image information, and based on the radiation image information read by the light beam of the recording main scanning means and the information detected by the information reading means. an optical scanning unit that modulates and records both the radiation image information and the information on the recording sheet; transporting the stimulable phosphor sheet discharged from the stimulable phosphor sheet supply unit to the optical scanning unit; A stimulable phosphor sheet conveying means that then conveys the recording sheet from the optical scanning section, and a recording sheet conveying means that conveys the recording sheet conveyed from the recording sheet supplying section to the optical scanning section and then conveying it from the optical scanning section. This is a characteristic feature.

Note that part or all of the main scanning means for reading and the main scanning means for recording of the optical scanning section may be common. Also,
The information recording means may be of any type, and may be one in which necessary ID information and the like are written by hand on an entry sheet.

Further, the information reading means may be any photoelectric reading means, but it is preferable to use a CCD or the like because the apparatus can be kept compact.

(Function) The radiographic image information reading and reproducing device of the present invention integrates a reading device and a reproducing device, which were conventionally provided independently, by performing both reading and recording using the same sub-scanning system. By reading and reproducing image information using one device, the entire system can be made much smaller than before. Furthermore, in this apparatus, since at least the sub-scanning means is shared for reading and recording, only one is required, and the manufacturing cost of the entire system can be reduced. Furthermore, if the optical deflectors of the two main scanning means, as well as the light source of the light beam, etc., are shared for reading and recording, the manufacturing cost of the entire system can be further reduced. Furthermore, if a part of the stimulable phosphor sheet conveying means and the recording sheet conveying means are shared, the system can be further downsized and lowered in cost.

Further, according to the present reading/reproducing device, since it is equipped with an information reading section that photoelectrically reads the information recording means in which ID information is written, it is possible to input special ID information such as an ID card or an ID card printer. without using any means,
It becomes possible to input ID information using any information recording means.

In addition, you can enter information of any content in any format, and the entered information will be played back as is, allowing you to input ID information. The degree of freedom in playback is greatly improved.

(Example) Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of a radiation image information reading and reproducing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the front, and FIG. 2 is a front view of the apparatus.

This device has a cassette 2 that can accommodate a stimulable phosphor sheet 1.
A recording sheet supply magazine 5 capable of storing a plurality of recording sheets 4 made of silver halide film, etc.
a recording sheet supply section 50 that detachably holds the stimulable phosphor sheet 1; an optical scanning section 20 that reads the image information accumulated and recorded on the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 and records the read image information on the recording sheet 4; An erasing section 30 erases image information remaining on the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 that has been read in the section 20, and is capable of storing a plurality of stimulable phosphor sheets, and carries out the stored stimulable phosphor sheets one by one. A stacker 40 is provided. Further, each of the above-mentioned parts is arranged in a line in the vertical direction, and a stimulable phosphor sheet transporting means 100 and a recording sheet transporting means 110 are provided extending in the vertical direction on the sides of each of these parts. It is connected to these two transport means 100 and 110. Note that, as shown in the figure, a part of the stimulable phosphor sheet conveying means 100 and the recording sheet conveying means 110 are common.

As shown in FIG. 2, there is a cassette insertion port 611-11 on the front side of the device for loading the cassette into the device.
= A magazine insertion slot 62 for loading the recording sheet supply magazine 5 into the apparatus, a monitor 68a for observing images being processed in the apparatus, and an input key 3b for setting various processing conditions for the entire apparatus. An operation panel 63 that can be used to read information, and an information reading section 96 that will be described later are provided.

In an external photographing device (not shown), a cassette 2 is used for photographing the stimulable phosphor sheet l stored inside.
is loaded into the cassette holder lO from the cassette insertion opening 61 described above in a direction perpendicular to the paper plane of FIG. The cassette 2 has a light-shielding property to prevent the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 from being exposed to external light when recording (photographing) image information by irradiating the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 with radiation. It consists of a cassette main body 2a for storing a stimulable phosphor sheet and a lid part 2b that can be opened and closed. This lid part 2b is closed when the cassette 2 is loaded into the cassette holding part 10, but when the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 inside is taken out in the cassette holding part 10, it is The opening means 11 of the panel etc. is connected to the lid part 2b as shown in the figure.
open. When the lid part 2b is opened, a stimulable phosphor sheet ejecting means 12 such as a suction cup enters into the cassette 2 and sucks the stimulable phosphor sheet 1, which is a part of the stimulable phosphor sheet conveying means 100. , and pass it to the nip roller 101 near the cassette 2.

Note that the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 is held in a cassette 2 so that the front surface on which the stimulable phosphor layer is formed faces down.

On the other hand, when photographing, the subject's name, gender, and date of photographing are recorded on a prescribed entry sheet, which is an information recording medium.

Desired items of subject-specific information (ID information) such as the body part to be photographed are entered. The entry sheet 7 on which the ID information is written is placed on the holding stand 91 of the information reading section 90 as shown in FIG. 2 when the cassette 2 is loaded into the cassette holding section 10. The entry sheet 7 used in the device of this embodiment is the third
As shown in the figure, it is made of a light-reflective sheet such as ordinary white paper, and desired ID information can be written on the surface by hand with a pen or the like. If the ID information is written by hand on the entry sheet 7 in this manner, a special ID information input means such as an ID information card printer is not required, and the work of inputting the ID information becomes simple. Furthermore, any information can be freely entered in any position on the entry sheet 7, and there is no numerical restriction, so the degree of freedom in input is increased.

As mentioned above, the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 is taken out from the cassette 2 and the tip is held by the nip roller 101.
A stimulable phosphor sheet conveying means 1 consisting of an endless belt, a guide plate, a roller, a movable sheet distribution plate, etc.
00, the sheet is conveyed in the direction of arrow A1, guided by the sheet distribution plate 102 located at the position of the solid line in the figure, conveyed in the direction of arrow A2, and further conveyed in the direction of arrow A3, A, to the optical scanning unit 20. will be brought inside. Incidentally, a reference numeral 80 provided in the transport path of the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 is a secondary erasing unit that performs secondary erasing, which will be described later, using an erasing light source 81. When the image is conveyed from above, the erasing light source 81 is turned off. Further, the sheet distribution plates 103 and 104 located between the secondary erasing section 80 and the optical scanning section 20 are configured to immediately send the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 taken out from the cassette 2 to the optical scanning section 20 as described above. In this case, the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 is allowed to be conveyed downward at the position shown by the solid line in the figure.

The optical scanning unit 20 scans the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 on which image information is accumulated and recorded with a laser beam 2LA, and detects the light emitted from the sheet 1 excited by the scanning. It operates by photoelectrically reading the stimulated luminescent light with a photoelectric reading means 22 such as a photomultiplier to generate an electrical image signal for outputting a visible image. In the figure, 21 is an example of a He-Ne laser light source;
23 is a light deflector such as a galvanometer mirror, and 24 is a light guide 22a of a photoelectric reading means that directs the stimulated luminescent light emitted from the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 (the light guide 22a totally reflects the stimulated luminescent light and converts it into a photo). This is a reflecting mirror that reflects the light toward a photodetector 22b such as a multiplier. In the figure, reference numeral 25 denotes an optical modulator such as an AOM, which is inactive when the laser beam 21A scans the stimulable phosphor sheet 1.

The stimulable phosphor sheet 1 carried into the optical scanning section 20 is guided by guide plates 26a, 28b, 26c, 26ds.
The stimulable phosphor sheet is conveyed in the direction of arrow A5 by a sub-scanning means 26 consisting of nip rollers 2Bc and 28f, and the entire surface of the stimulable phosphor sheet is two-dimensionally scanned by a laser beam 21A that is deflected approximately perpendicular to this conveyance direction, thereby producing stimulated luminescent light. is generated, and this stimulated luminescence light is detected by the photodetector 22b via the light guide 22a'. Photodetector 22
In b, the stimulated luminescence light is converted into an electrical signal, and the obtained electrical signal is sent to the image information processing circuit 27 for image processing and then stored in the memory 29. After the entire surface of the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 has been read, the leading end abuts the guide plate 26d while the rear end is gripped by the nip roller 28f', and from that position it is fed back in the direction of arrow A6 by switchback. . In addition, in reading radiation image information, prior to the reading (main reading) to obtain the image signal for visible image output as described above, an outline of the radiation image information stored and recorded on the stimulable phosphor sheet is read in advance. A known method is to perform pre-reading, determine reading conditions for performing the main reading based on image information obtained by this pre-reading, and perform the main reading according to the reading conditions.

As a method for performing such pre-reading, for example, the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 is scanned using excitation light with an energy lower than that of the laser beam (excitation light) used for the above-mentioned main reading, and the luminance emitted by this scanning is There is also a method of reading the exhausted light using a photoelectric reading means (for example, see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 58-67240).

The optical scanning section in the present invention may be a section that performs both main reading and pre-reading in addition to the above-mentioned section that performs only main reading. For example, the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 is conveyed in the direction of arrow A5 to perform pre-reading, then the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 is conveyed back in the direction of arrow A6 by switchback, returned to the reading start position, and then read in the direction of arrow A5 again. What is necessary is to carry it and read it. Note that the optical members disposed in the optical scanning section are not limited to those described above; for example, a long photomultiplier is disposed along the main scanning line as a photoelectric reading means, and stimulated luminescence light is (See Japanese Patent Application No. 60-158255).

On the other hand, the information reading section 90 reads the ID information written on the entry sheet 7. As shown in FIG. 4, a part of the information reading part 90 protrudes outward from the front of the apparatus to hold the entry sheet 7 on the top surface, and the remaining part is disposed inside the apparatus. A CCD 92 is built into this device. Further, a lamp 93 is provided below the holding table 91,
and a reflective plate 94 are arranged, and the ID of the entry sheet 7 is
This lamp 93 is turned on when reading information. The light emitted from the lamp 93 is reflected by the reflection plate 94 and illuminates the entry sheet 7. The entry sheet 7 is a light-reflective sheet as described above, and the holding table 91 is made of a light-transmitting material. Therefore, the light reflected by the entry sheet 7 is reflected by a mirror 95, and then condensed by a lens 96 arranged on the optical path and enters the CCD 92, and the ID information written on the entry sheet 7 is transferred to the CCD 92.
2, photoelectrically detected. An electrical signal indicating the ID information obtained from the CCD 92 is sent to the memory 29 in the optical scanning section 20 and stored together with the corresponding image signal of the stimulable phosphor sheet 1. Note that the signal indicating the ID information may be stored in a memory separate from the image information, and the corresponding ID information and image information may be retrieved from the two memories during playback, which will be described later.

Reading image information on one stimulable phosphor sheet,
The reading of the ID information and the corresponding ID information is performed as described above, but since reading the image information in the optical scanning unit 20 takes a relatively long time, the processing of the preceding stimulable phosphor sheet in the optical scanning unit 20 is completed. If the cassette 2 containing the photographed stimulable phosphor sheet 1 is loaded into the cassette holder 10 after waiting for the stimulable phosphor sheet to be processed, the stimulable phosphor sheet may not be processed efficiently. be. Therefore, in this embodiment, the stacker 40 is
The stimulable phosphor sheet 1 taken out from the cassette holding section 10 is partially carried into the stacker 40 and placed on standby before being sent to the optical scanning section 20, depending on the status of the optical scanning section 20. It is now possible to do so.

The stacker 40 includes a plurality of stimulable phosphor sheet storage chambers 42 partitioned by partition plates 41, and is movable up and down in the direction of arrow C from the position shown by the solid line to the position shown by the broken line in the figure, and is movable up and down in the direction of arrow C. All the seat storage chambers 42 can be adjacent to 105. Cassette holding part■0
The stimulable phosphor sheet 1 taken out from the stacker 40
When transporting the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 from above, the sheet distribution plate 104 is moved to the position shown by the broken line in the figure, and the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 conveyed from above is guided toward the stacker 40. The stimulable phosphor sheet 1 is carried into a predetermined sheet storage chamber 42 of the stacker 40, and after the rear end leaves the nip roller 105, it falls down due to its own weight, and the leading end contacts the stopper 43 in the sheet storage chamber 42. is retained. When taking out the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 from the stacker 40, move the stacker 40 so that the desired sheet storage chamber 42 is adjacent to the nip roller 105, and then move the stopper 48 to the position indicated by the broken line in the figure. Then, the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 is pushed up, and its tip is gripped by the nip roller 105. The stimulable phosphor sheet 1 gripped by the nip roller 105 is partially conveyed upward by the stimulable phosphor sheet conveying means 100 while being guided by the sheet distribution plate 104 located at the position indicated by the broken line in the figure, and is then partially conveyed upward by the stimulable phosphor sheet conveying means 100. A3, the light beam is transported in the direction of Am and is carried into the optical scanning section 20. Note that the stimulable phosphor sheet taken out from the stacker 40 is once conveyed upward so that the surface of the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 on which the stimulable phosphor is formed faces upward (laser beam irradiation side) in the optical scanning section 20. This is to ensure that.

Note that when using the stacker 40 as described above, the information reading unit 9 for ID information corresponding to each stimulable phosphor sheet 1
Reading at 0 is performed each time each cassette is loaded into the cassette holding section IO, and the image information read by the optical scanning section is stored in correspondence with the ID information stored in advance. Bye.

As mentioned above, the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 that has been read by the optical scanning section 20 is transferred to the stimulable phosphor sheet conveying means 1.
00, it is conveyed in the direction of arrows A7 to AIo and sent to the erasing section 30. In this case, sheet distribution means 1
02 is a sheet sorting means 103.02 at the position indicated by the broken line in the figure.
104 is located at the position shown by the solid line in the figure.

The erasing unit 30 erases the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 after the reading is completed.
This is for erasing the radiation image information remaining in the stimulable phosphor (releasing the radiation energy remaining in the stimulable phosphor). That is, some of the radiation image information stored and recorded on the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 still remains on the stimulable phosphor sheet after being read, and in order to reuse the stimulable phosphor sheet 1, this information is The remaining image information is erased in the erasing section 30. Erasing unit 30 in this embodiment
is provided with an erasing light source 31 such as a fluorescent lamp, a tungsten lamp, a sodium lamp, a xenon lamp, an iodine lamp, etc., and the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 is conveyed along a guide plate 32 in the direction of the arrow AI+ while erasing the stimulable phosphor sheet 1. Light source 3
The residual radiation energy on the stimulable phosphor sheet is emitted upon being irradiated with light by the stimulable phosphor sheet. Note that this erase section 3
The erasing method at 0 may be any known method, and erasing can also be performed by heating or by a combination of light irradiation and heating. Note that after the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 is conveyed to the position indicated by the broken line in the figure, it is conveyed in the direction of arrow A, in the direction of force. It is preferable to provide a guide plate that Further, as will be described later, when a stimulable phosphor sheet storage tray 6 is provided close to the erasing section, this tray 6 can also be used as a guide.

The stimulable phosphor sheet 1 that has been erased in the erasing section 30 is transported in the directions of arrows A13 and A14 by the stimulable phosphor sheet transport means 100, and is moved to the position indicated by the broken line in the figure. The sheets are guided by the plate 104 and stored in the empty sheet storage chamber 42 in the stacker 40. Note that if a number of erased stimulable phosphor sheets 1 are stored in advance in the stacker 40 in this way, the stimulable phosphor sheets 1 can be taken out from the cassette 2 in the cassette holding section = 23 = IO. Immediately after the stimulable phosphor sheet is erased, it can be carried into the empty cassette 2. When taking out the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 from the stacker 40 and conveying it to the cassette holding section 10, the sheet distribution plate 104 is moved to the position shown by the broken line, and the sheet distribution plates 102 and 103 are moved to the position shown by the solid line. The stimulable phosphor sheet is conveyed by the stimulable phosphor sheet conveying means 100 in the directions of arrows A, 5 to A, and 7, and is carried into the cassette 2. Note that the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 carried out from the stacker 40 may have been kept in standby for a long time in the stacker 40, and a long time may have passed since it was erased in the erasing section 30.

Even if a stimulable phosphor sheet is erased once, after a certain period of time, it will be exposed to radiation emitted from radioactive isotopes such as 226Ra and 40, which are contained in trace amounts in the stimulable phosphor, and cosmic rays. Radiation energy is accumulated due to environmental radiation such as X-rays from other X-ray sources, and this radiation energy may become noise in the next captured image. A secondary erasing section 80 is provided in the transport path up to 10 for irradiating the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 with erasing light again. The secondary erasing section 80 is the stacker 4
The erasing light source 81 is turned on only when the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 taken out from the cassette holder IO is transported toward the cassette holding unit IO. release the radiation energy that was being used. The cassette 2 into which the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 has been carried in in this manner can be taken out of the apparatus and supplied for new imaging. Furthermore, in this apparatus, the stimulable phosphor sheet that has been erased in the erasing section 30 can be immediately carried into the cassette 2. In that case, the stimulable phosphor sheet transported in the direction of arrow A13 from the erasing section 30 may be transported downward, then switched back upward, and then transported into the cassette 2. Then, when the stimulable phosphor sheet is stored in the cassette 2, the surface on which the phosphor layer of the stimulable phosphor sheet is formed can face downward.

On the other hand, when the first stimulable phosphor sheet 1 described above is carried out from the optical scanning section 20, the recording sheet supply section 5
One recording sheet 4 is taken out from the recording sheet supply magazine 5 in the recording sheet supply magazine 5 by the suction means 51 and is passed to a nearby nip roller 111 which is a part of the recording sheet conveying means 110. After the recording sheet 4 is conveyed in the direction of arrow B1 along a guide plate 112 by a nip roller 111, it is transferred to a recording sheet conveying means 110 which is common to the stimulable phosphor sheet conveying means.
The light beam is transported into the optical scanning section 20 by the following steps. In the optical scanning section 20, the recording sheet 4 is scanned by the sub-scanning means 26 in the direction of arrow B2.
The image information read from the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 earlier is recorded while being conveyed in this direction.

When the recording sheet 4 is conveyed, the optical scanning unit 20 reads the image from the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 described above and performs image processing, and scans the optical modulator according to the image information stored in the memory 29. 25 is driven, and at the same time, the driving of the photodetector 22b is stopped.

The image information recorded on the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 is scanned by the recording sheet 4 by a laser beam 21A which is a recording light modulated by a light modulator 25 and deflected by a light deflector 23. will be played. Further, an electric signal indicating the ID information corresponding to the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 read by the information reading section 90 is transmitted from the memory 29 to the light intensity adjuster 25, and the light modulator 25 Laser beam 21A according to the electric signal of
Modulate. Therefore, ID information is recorded along with image information on the recording sheet 4 by the laser beam 21A modulated in this manner.

The recording sheet 4 on which the image information and ID information have been reproduced in the optical scanning section 20 is conveyed by the recording sheet conveying means 110 in the directions of arrows B3 to B5.

When the recording sheet 4 that has been reproduced is transported in this way, the sheet sorting means 104 is at the position shown by the solid line in the figure, and the sheet sorting means 103 is moved to the position shown by the broken line in the figure. The recording sheet 4 is guided in the direction of arrow B6, and the leading end thereof is gripped by the discharge roller 113. The discharge roller 113 transports the recording sheet portion 4 to an automatic developing machine 70 which is connected in advance to a reading device, for example. Note that instead of sending the recording sheets to the automatic developing machine 70 by the carry-out roller, a tray or the like may be arranged close to the discharge roller 113, and the recording sheets 4 may be sequentially discharged into this tray. Furthermore, a holding section for a recording sheet storage tray is provided inside the reading device.
The recording sheet may be stored in the tray within the apparatus, and the tray may be taken out of the apparatus and transported to an external automatic developing machine as appropriate.

As shown in FIG. 5, image information 4A and ID information 4B are finally reproduced as a visible image on the recording sheet 4 which has been carried into the automatic developing machine 70 and subjected to development processing as described above. In this embodiment, when recording on one recording sheet 4 in the optical scanning section 20, for example, the laser beam 21A is first modulated based on an image signal to record image information, and then the recording is performed. ID information is recorded at the rear end of the sheet 4 in the conveyance direction by a laser beam 2LA modulated based on a signal indicating the ID information, and on the recording sheet, ID information 4B is displayed below the image information 4A. However, the arrangement of the ID information and the image information on the recording sheet may be arbitrary, and the ID information may be recorded over the image information. Alternatively, the signal indicating the ID information may be corrected by any correcting means and its position, reduction ratio, etc. may be adjusted as necessary before being reproduced on the recording sheet.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the cassette is used to read a stimulable phosphor sheet that has been imaged. In addition to photographing a sheet, when performing continuous photographing, a plurality of stimulable phosphor sheets housed in a sheet supply magazine may be taken out one by one and photographed. The stimulable phosphor sheets that have been photographed are sequentially stored in a sheet storage magazine, and the sheet storage magazine containing the sheets is sent to a reading device and read.

The reading device of the present invention includes, in addition to the cassette holding section described above as a stimulable phosphor sheet supply section, a magazine holding section for detachably holding the sheet storage magazine on the side of the stimulable phosphor sheet conveying means. It may also be possible to read and erase the stimulable phosphor sheet taken out from the magazine. The magazine holding section can be provided at any position vertically aligned with the above-mentioned optical scanning section 20, erasing section 30, etc. connected to the stimulable phosphor sheet conveyance means 100, but -
As shown by the dotted line, move the cassette holding part IO to cassette 2,
The cassette holding part and the magazine holding part may be integrated so that the magazine 3 can be loaded together. Further, when a magazine holding section is provided, a tray holding section is required to hold a tray in which stimulable phosphor sheets are successively taken out from the magazine and read and erased one by one. Like the magazine holding section, this tray holding section can be provided at any position connected to the stimulable phosphor sheet conveying means 100, but as shown by the dotted chain line in the figure, the tray holding section can be provided adjacent to the erasing section 30. If a tray holding section is provided outside the erasing section 30 so as to position the tray 6, the tray 6 will function as a guide while erasing the stimulable phosphor sheet taken out from the cassette, and The removed stimulable phosphor sheet can be dropped into the tray and stored as is after erasing, which is extremely convenient.

In this way, in the device of this embodiment, the optical scanning unit 20 can share the main scanning means and the sub-scanning means to read image information on the stimulable phosphor sheet and reproduce image information on the recording sheet. Therefore, when a reading device and a reproducing device are provided respectively, the entire comparison system can be downsized and manufacturing costs can be reduced.

The main scanning means is divided into two parts, one for reading and one for reproduction.
They may be provided in sets. In addition, in the embodiment described above, the stimulable phosphor sheet and the recording sheet are conveyed along one vertical conveyance path, and each part such as the optical scanning section and the erasing section is placed on the side of this conveyance path in the vertical direction. By arranging them side by side, the device can be more efficiently miniaturized.

Furthermore, according to this device, the ID information written by hand on the entry sheet can be reproduced as is on the recording sheet, so by appropriately writing the desired ID information on the entry sheet, it can be displayed on the conventional recording sheet. It will now be possible to display information that was previously not possible.

Incidentally, in the above embodiment, a case has been described in which, after reading one stimulable phosphor sheet, the read image information is immediately recorded on one recording sheet. The optical scanning section first reads multiple stimulable phosphor sheets in succession, and all the read image information is stored in the memory 2.
9, and then the image information may be continuously recorded on a plurality of recording sheets. Also,
Instead of reproducing all the read image information as a hard copy on a recording sheet, the image information can be displayed once on a CRT display device or the like, and only necessary images can be reproduced as a hard copy on the recording sheet.

Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the cassette containing the stimulable phosphor sheet that has been erased can be loaded into the photographing device as is to take pictures; may be temporarily stored in a suitable storage means that is not loaded into the photographing device. When such a storage means is used, it is not necessarily necessary to provide an erasing section, and the storage means in which the stimulable phosphor sheet is stored may be taken out and erased separately.

Furthermore, the configuration and arrangement of each part of the device are not limited to those shown in the above embodiments. For example, apart from the cassette holding section, a second cassette holding section for storing an empty cassette into which the stimulable phosphor sheet of the erasing section is carried is provided, and a stimulable phosphor sheet supply section and a stimulable phosphor sheet storage section are provided. Alternatively, if the next stimulable phosphor sheet can be processed after all the processing for one stimulable phosphor sheet is completed, the stacker can be eliminated to further reduce the size of the apparatus. You can.

Furthermore, the recording sheet used in the apparatus of the present invention is not limited to the silver halide film, etc., on which image information is recorded by light and developed by an automatic processor (section) as described above, but also a heat-sensitive recording sheet. , a heat-developable photosensitive material, an instant film, etc. For example, when the recording sheet is a heat-sensitive recording sheet, since recording is performed on the sheet by the heat of a laser beam, the structure of the optical scanning section may be the same as that shown in each of the above embodiments, but an automatic processor Since (copy) is no longer necessary, a recording sheet storage section may be provided to appropriately accumulate recorded sheets on a tray or the like. Note that some heat-sensitive recording sheets fix the image by being irradiated with light after thermal recording, but in this type, there is a light scanning section and a recording sheet storage section. A light irradiation means may be provided in the recording sheet transport path between the recording sheets to effect fixing. Further, the above-mentioned erasing section may be provided in front of the recording sheet storage section to serve also as a light irradiation means.

Further, the information recording means for writing the ID information is not limited to a light-reflective writing sheet, but may be any type as long as the necessary ID information can be written in a photoelectrically readable manner. It does not necessarily have to be filled out by hand. Furthermore, it goes without saying that the CCD may detect transmitted light instead of reflected light.

(Effects of the Invention) As explained above, according to the radiation image information reading and reproducing apparatus of the present invention, by reading and reproducing image information using the same sub-scanning means in the optical scanning section, The device and the playback device can be integrated without increasing the size of the entire device, and the entire system can be downsized.

In addition, only one light deflector and light source for the main scanning means can be provided for reading and reproduction, and a part of the transport means for the stimulable phosphor sheet and the recording sheet can also be shared, reducing manufacturing costs. It is possible to reduce this significantly.

In addition, according to the present reading and reproducing device, the information reading section photoelectrically reads the ID information etc. carried by the information recording means, and by reproducing the read ID information etc. on the recording sheet, special information can be recorded. It becomes possible to input ID information without using an ID information input means, and the input work becomes easy. You can also enter the desired information in any format.

Since it can be played back, it becomes possible to change the way the information is entered in the information recording means each time the image is taken, and to enter information that could not previously be included.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the internal structure of a radiation image information reading and reproducing device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a front view of the device, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an entry sheet, and FIG. 4 is an information A side view of the reading section, and FIG. 5 is a plan view of the recording sheet on which image information and ID information have been reproduced. 1...Stormative phosphor sheet 2...Cassette 4...
・Record sheet 7...Entry sheet 10...
Cassette holding section 20... Optical scanning section 26... Sub-scanning means 50... Recording sheet supply section 90.
...Information reading section 92...CCD100...
・Stormable phosphor sheet conveying means 110...Recording sheet conveying means

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A stimulable phosphor sheet supply unit that stores a stimulable phosphor sheet on which radiographic image information is accumulated and recorded and carries out the stored stimulable phosphor sheet; a recording sheet supply unit that conveys the recording sheets one by one, an information reading unit that holds information recording means that carries information such as photoelectrically readable characters other than the radiation image information, and that reads the information photoelectrically. an information reading unit comprising: a reading main scanning means for deflecting a light beam by an optical deflector to main scan the stimulable phosphor sheet; a main scanning means for deflecting the light beam by the optical deflector to main scan the recording sheet; a main scanning means for recording, and a sub-scanning means for sub-scanning the stimulable phosphor sheet and the recording sheet by conveying them in a direction substantially perpendicular to the main scanning direction; Light carrying the radiation image information is generated from the stimulable phosphor sheet, and this light is detected by a light detection means to read the radiation image information, and the light beam of the recording main scanning means is read. an optical scanning unit that modulates the radiation image information and the information detected by the information reading means and records both the radiation image information and the information on the recording sheet; and the stimulable phosphor sheet supply. A stimulable phosphor sheet conveying means transports the stimulable phosphor sheet carried out from the section to the optical scanning section, and then transports the stimulable phosphor sheet carried out from the optical scanning section, and a recording sheet carried out from the recording sheet supply section is transported to the optical scanning section. A radiation image information reading and reproducing device comprising a recording sheet transport means that transports a recording sheet to a scanning section and then transports it from a halo scanning section.