JPH01532A - Radiation image information reading and reproducing device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

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, 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 increases depending on the accumulated energy. is known to exhibit photostimulated luminescence,
A phosphor exhibiting such properties is called a stimulable phosphor (stimulable phosphor).

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. Generates stimulated luminescence light, photoelectrically reads the resulting stimulated luminescence light to obtain an image signal, and based on this image signal, a radiation image of the subject is made visible on recording material #31 such as a photographic light-sensitive material, CRT, etc. The applicant has already proposed a radiation image information recording and reproducing system that outputs the information as an image. , (JP-A-55-12429, JP-A No. 513-113954, JP-A No. 55-163472.

No. 56-104645, No. 55-116340, etc. ) The stimulable phosphor sheet in J5 of the above system stores and records radiation image information and temporarily carries the recorded image information until it is read by the excitation light scanning, and thus the image information After the reading of the sheet is completed, it is desirable to erase the image information remaining on the sheet and reuse the sheet.

Based on such demands, a radiographic image comprising a reading section that reads image information recorded on a stimulable phosphor sheet and an erasing section that erases image information remaining on the stimulable phosphor sheet. An information reading device has been proposed.

On the other hand, the read image information is recorded and reproduced as a visible image by scanning the recording sheet with a light beam modulated based on the image signal. Therefore, in the conventional system, in order to form a 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 imaging device. , and a reproducing device for recording image information on a recording sheet were required.

(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, and the scanning system, including the light source, etc. There is a problem in that there is a limit to the reduction in manufacturing costs since both are required for the reproducing device and for the reproducing device.

Furthermore, Japanese Patent No. 58-184677 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. It only shows a conceptual diagram of the device and does not contain any information about the specific configuration of the device.
It has become difficult to immediately put such a device into practical use. 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, the optical change W
Both the A device and the photodetector are activated W)) I! ! Since the light beam is moved in and out of the optical path depending on the structure, the drive mechanism described above also has the disadvantage of complicating the device.

Therefore, the present invention has the objective of simultaneously reading and reproducing image information using the same scanning system in the same device, and integrating the conventional fingernail reading device and reproducing device to miniaturize the entire system and reduce manufacturing costs. The first objective is to provide a radiation image information reading and reproducing device that can read and reproduce radiation image information.

Furthermore, if a device is realized in which the conventional reading device and playback device are integrated as described above, a recording sheet with image information recorded using recording light will be generated from the device held over the car, so this device number will be It is necessary to be connected to some form of automatic development means. Therefore, the 1-2 copper wire image information reading and reproducing apparatus must be constructed to have at least a means for automatically feeding the recording sheet into an automatic developing machine, and is preferably equipped with an automatic developing means.

On the other hand, even after introducing a radiographic image recording and reproducing system and installing the above-mentioned radiographic image information reading and reproducing device, conventional silver halide photographic films such as magnetic film, CT, and USI image film are still being used for photography. In some cases, it may be necessary to carry out development processing on the silver salt photographic film of these exposure machines. For this reason, the above
The III image information reading device reads the stimulable phosphor sheet h\, along with the recording sheet on which the image information is recorded.
It would be convenient if a silver halide photographic film exposed in an external photographing device could also be sent to an automatic developing means.

Therefore, the present invention provides a radiographic image in which the silver halide photographic film of the exposure machine is loaded into an apparatus, and the silver halide photographic film of the exposure machine can be sent to an automatic developing means together with the recording sheet using a conveying means within the apparatus. A second purpose is to provide an information reading and reproducing device.

(Means for Solving the Problems) The radiation image information reading and reproducing apparatus of the present invention stores a stimulable phosphor sheet or a silver halide photographic film of an exposure machine on which radiation image information is accumulated and recorded, and a stimulable A first sheet-like material supply unit that carries out phosphor sheets or silver halide photographic films one by one, stores unrecorded recording sheets or silver halide photographic films of the exposure machine, and stores stored recording sheets or silver halide photographic films. a second sheet-like material supply section that carries out one sheet at a time; a reading main scanning means that deflects a light beam with an optical deflector to main-scan the stimulable phosphor sheet; and a sub-scanning means for sub-scanning the M-stacked phosphor sheet and the recording sheet by transporting them in a direction substantially perpendicular to the main-scanning direction. The light beam of the main scanning means for reading generates light carrying the radiation image information from the stimulable phosphor sheet, and this light is detected by the light detection means to read the radiation image information, and the recording an optical scanning section that modulates a light beam of a main scanning means based on the read radiation image information and records the radiation image information on the recording sheet; an automatic developing section that develops the recording sheet; a first conveying means that carries the stimulable phosphor sheet carried out from the first sheet supply section to the optical scanning section; and the second sheet material. a second transport means for transporting the recording sheet carried out from the supply unit into the optical scanning unit; a third transport unit for carrying out the stimulable phosphor sheet that has passed through the optical scanning unit; a fourth conveying means for conveying the passed recording sheet in a direction different from that of the third conveying means; A fifth conveying means is carried into the automatic developing section, and sheet materials carried out from the first and second sheet supply sections include the stimulable phosphor sheet, the recording sheet, and the silver salt photographic film. a detection means for detecting which of the first and third conveyance means, the second and fourth conveyance means, or the fifth conveyance means based on the output of J3 and the detection means; The apparatus is characterized in that it comprises a control means for selectively conveying a sheet-like object to one of them.

Note that the recording sheet stored in the second sheet supply section is a sheet made of an unexposed photographic material, etc., for recording image information accumulated and recorded on a stimulable phosphor sheet in an optical scanning section. Exposed silver halide photographic film is a film that carries an image taken by a conventional photographing method that does not use a stimulable phosphor sheet, and both may be made of the same material. However, for the sake of convenience, the front cloth will be referred to as a recording sheet, and the #lI1 sheet will be referred to as a silver halide photographic film.

(Function) The radiation image information reading and reproducing apparatus of the present invention integrates the reading device and the reproducing device, which were conventionally provided independently, by performing both reading and recording using the same sub-scanning means. 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. Further, if the optical deflectors of the two main scanning means and the light source of the light beam are shared for reading and recording, the manufacturing cost of the entire system can be further reduced.

Further, according to the apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to store exposed silver halide photographic film in the first or second sheet supply section, and to store the silver halide photographic film in the same manner as the recording sheet by the fifth conveying means. Since the film can also be transported towards the automatic developing section, even after the radiation image information reading and reproducing device is installed, this device can be used as a means of supplying silver halide photographic film to the automatic developing section, and can be used to separately process silver halide photographs. The silver halide photographic film can be developed together with the recording sheet without providing a developing device for the film.

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

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view showing the outline of a radiation image information reading and reproducing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

This device includes a cassette 3 capable of storing a stimulable phosphor sheet 1 on which radiation image information is stored or an exposed silver halide photographic film 2, and a stimulable phosphor sheet 1 with a P:1 capacity.
Alternatively, a magazine 4 capable of storing exposed silver halide photographic film 2 is removably held, and the cassette 3 and magazine 4 are
A first sheet supply unit 10 equipped with a means for unloading the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 or the silver halide photographic film 2 stored in the storage unit, which stores a plurality of recording sheets 5 or the exposed silver halide photographic film 2. a second sheet-like material supply section 40, which is equipped with means for removably holding a storage magazine 6 and transporting stored recording sheets 5 or silver halide photographic films 2 one by one;
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 5; The erasing section 301 erases the image information remaining on the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 that has been read by the optical scanning section 20. The cassette 3' and tray 7, which can store the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 that has been erased, are removed. A stimulable phosphor sheet storage section 50 is provided to freely hold the stimulable phosphor sheet. Hereinafter, the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 is placed in the cassette 3 and magazine of the first sheet supply section 10, and the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 is
The structure of the present apparatus will be described in detail by taking as an example the case where the recording sheets 5 are respectively stored in the magazines 6 of the sheet supply section.

The cassette 3 in which the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 held inside the cassette 3 has been photographed by an external photographing device (not shown) is loaded into the first sheet supply section 10 . This cassette 3 has a light-shielding property to prevent the stimulable phosphor sheet from being exposed to external light when recording image information by irradiating the MV4 phosphor sheet with radiation. It consists of a cassette main body 3a for storing a stimulable phosphor sheet and a lid part 3b that can be opened and closed. This lid portion 3b is closed when the cassette 3 is loaded into the first sheet-like supply product 10, but when the stimulable phosphor inside the first sheet-like product supply 10 is sheet 1
When it is taken out, the lid opening means 11 such as a suction cup opens the lid part 3b as shown in the figure.

The illustrated apparatus includes a first conveyance means 60 consisting of an endless belt, a roller, a guide plate, etc., which carries the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 taken out from the first supply section into the optical scanning section 20.
When the lid 3b of the cassette is opened by the 1ilWi means 11, the suction means 12 enters the cassette 3 to suction and take out the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 inside the cassette 3, and removes the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 from the inside of the cassette 3. The first conveying means 60 is then transferred. 't! taken out from cassette 3 in this way! The transportation means 60 of the I-laminated fluorescent phosphor sheet 1 moves the arrow A1.
．． It is transported in the Az force direction and carried into the optical scanning F1120.

Also,? l! The FyA phosphor sheet is captured by an external imaging device, which is stored one by one in a cassette. In some cases, the stimulable phosphor sheets are taken out one by one from a magazine in which the stimulable phosphor sheets are stored, and the process is performed continuously. The stimulable phosphor sheets that have been photographed continuously in this manner are sequentially stored in the magazine 4 and then loaded into the first sheet supply section 10. Therefore, in the first sheet supply section 10, after the reading of the stimulable phosphor sheet taken out from the cassette 3 is completed and the reproduction of the read image information is also completed as will be described later, the magazine 4, the stimulable phosphor sheets are taken out one by one by the suction means 13,
It is passed to the first transport means 60 nearby and transported to the optical scanning section 20 by the first transport means 60 .

The optical scanning section 20 scans the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 with a laser beam 21 on the stimulable phosphor sheet i.1 on which image information has been accumulated and recorded, and the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 excited by the scanning. The photoelectric reading means 22 such as a photomultiplier photoelectrically reads the stimulated luminescent light emitted from the photomultiplier to generate an electrical image signal for outputting a visible image. In the figure, 23 is an example of an @e-Ne laser light source, 24 is a light deflector such as a galvanometer mirror, and 25 is a stimulable luminescent light emitted from the stimulable phosphor sheet 1.
& It is a reflecting mirror that reflects the light to the light guide 22a of the reading means (the light guide 22a serves to guide the stimulated luminescence light to a photodetector 22b such as a one-sided multiplier while totally reflecting it). . In addition, 26 in the figure is rice and wheat such as AOM!
glFa, but its operation is stopped when the laser beam 21 scans the stimulable phosphor sheet 1.

The stimulable phosphor sheet 1 carried into the reading section 20 is transported in the direction of arrow A3 by the first transport means GO, and the entire surface of the stimulable phosphor sheet is 2 Dimensionally scanning is performed to generate stimulated luminescence light, and this stimulated luminescence light is transmitted to the light guide 22.
a and is detected by the photodetector 22b. In the photodetector 22b, the stimulated luminescent light is converted into an electrical signal, and the obtained electrical signal is sent to the image information processing circuit 27 for image processing.

In addition, when reading radiation image information, reading to obtain image signals for visible image output as explained above (main reading)
Prior to this, pre-reading is performed to read the outline of the radiation image information stored and recorded on the stimulable phosphor sheet 1, and the reading conditions for performing the main reading are determined based on the image information obtained by this pre-reading. A method is known in which the actual reading is performed in accordance with the determined reading conditions.

As a method for performing such pre-reading, for example, the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 is heated using excitation light with an energy lower than that of the laser beam (excitation light) used for the above-mentioned main reading.
There is a method (for example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 58-67241'3) in which the stimulable luminescence light emitted by this scanning is read by a photoelectric reading means.

The optical scanning section according to the present invention may be a section that performs both main reading and pre-reading, in addition to the above-mentioned section that only performs main reading. For example, the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 is conveyed in the direction of arrow A3 and pre-reading is performed first, then the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 is conveyed backward in the direction of arrow △4 by switchback, returned to the reading start position, and then again in the direction of arrow A3. The main reading may be performed by transporting the paper to the machine. Note that the optical members disposed in the reading section are not limited to those described above; for example, as a charging reading means, a long photomultiplier may be arranged along the main scanning line, and a photomultiplier may be arranged along the main scanning line to Detection may also be performed (see Japanese Patent Application No. 59-156255, etc.).

The stimulable phosphor sheet 1 whose image information has been read in the optical scanning section 20 as described above is stored in the erasing section 30 and the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 that has passed through the optical scanning section 20. The arrow △6. It is transported in the A8 direction. Note that a distribution plate 81 is provided in the middle of the third conveyance means 80, and when the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 is conveyed, this distribution plate 81 is moved to the position shown by the solid line in the figure. Then, the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 is guided toward the erasing section 30.

Also, after passing the TI stacking phosphor sheet distribution plate 81, -dan arrow A? After being conveyed in the direction indicated by the arrow AI+, it is returned by switchback in the direction indicated by the arrow AI+. This is to ensure that the phosphor layer formed on the upper surface of the optical scanning section 20 also becomes the upper surface of the erasing section 30. The stimulable phosphor sheet 1 is further transported by the conveying means 80 of the switchback rear cylinder 3 in the direction of arrow A! ! direction and carried into the erasing section 30.

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 accumulated and recorded on the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 still remains on the stimulable phosphor sheet after being read, and this stimulable phosphor sheet 1
The erasure section 3 erases this residual image information in order to reuse it.
This is done at 0. The erasing section 30 in this embodiment includes a fluorescent lamp, a tungsten lamp, and a sodium lamp.

An erasing light source 31 such as a xenon lamp or an iodine lamp is provided, and the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 is transported in the direction of the arrow A +o force and is irradiated with light by these erasing light sources 31 to remove the remaining residue on the stimulable phosphor sheet. A release of radiation energy takes place. Note that the erasing method in the erasing section 30 may be any known method, and erasing may be performed using heating or a combination of light irradiation and heating.

The stimulable phosphor sheet 1 that has been erased in the erasing section 30 is conveyed in the direction of arrow A11 by the third conveying means 80, and is placed in the tray 7 and the empty cassette 3' in the stimulable phosphor sheet storage section 50. It will be transported to either location. Normally, the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 taken out from the cassette 3 in the first sheet supply section 10 is also carried into the cassette 3' in the stimulable phosphor sheet storage section 50, and the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 taken out from the magazine 4 is placed in the tray 7. It will be brought in. In addition,
The empty cassette 3' may be one in which the cassette 3 from which the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 has been taken out in the first sheet supply section 10 is taken out and loaded.

Further, in order to selectively carry the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 into the cassette 3' and the tray 7, a third transport means 80 in the stimulable phosphor sheet storage section 50 is provided with a stimulable phosphor sheet near the cassette 3' and the tray 7. A moving plate 82 is provided at the portion.

Namely, these.

The movable plate 82 is located at a position protruding above the belt 83 and the belt 8
Only the moving plate 82, through which the stimulable phosphor sheet is carried into the nearby cassette 3' or tray 7, selectively protrudes onto the belt 83. By moving to the position, TI8! can be placed on cassette 3' or tray 7! i-type phosphor sheet 1
be brought in.

On the other hand, when the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 taken out from the cassette 3 in the first sheet supply section 10 described above is carried out from the optical scanning section 20, the inside of the second sheet supply section 40 is One recording sheet 5 is taken out from the magazine 6 by the suction means 41 and is passed to the second conveying means 10 which conveys the recording sheet 5 to the optical scanning section 20. Note that this second conveying means 10 and the first conveying means 60 are partially common. The second conveying means 70 receives the recording sheet 5 and conveys it in the direction of arrow Br, B2, and carries it into the optical scanning section 20, and the recording sheet 5 is conveyed inside the optical scanning section 20 in the direction of arrow B3. The image information read from the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 earlier is recorded.

The optical scanning unit 20 is &! When the recording sheet 5 is conveyed, the optical modulator 26 is driven in accordance with the image information read from the stimulable phosphor sheet 1, and
Driving of the photodetector 22b is stopped.

The recording sheet 5 is modulated by the optical modulator 26 and then scanned by the laser beam 21, which is recording light polarized by the optical deflector 24, so that an image is recorded on the entire surface of the stimulable phosphor sheet 1. Information is played.

The recording sheet 5 on which the image information has been reproduced in the optical scanning section 20 is transported by a fourth transporting means 90 that connects the optical scanning section 20 and an automatic developing section 100 having a known configuration and connected to the main scanning section. . Note that a part of this fourth conveying means 90 is common to the third conveying means 80. Fourth
When the recording sheet 5 is conveyed in the direction of the arrow B4 by the conveying means 90, the distribution plate 81 moves to the position shown by the dashed line in the figure, and the recording sheet 5 is further conveyed in the direction of the arrow Bs to be automatically developed. The photosensitive material is guided into a section 100 and subjected to development processing.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the optical scanning section 20 can share the main scanning means and the ff1lJ 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 respectively provided, the entire comparison system can be downsized, and manufacturing costs can be reduced.

In this embodiment, the FJ2 light is used as an example in which the read image information is recorded on one recording sheet immediately after reading one stimulable phosphor sheet. First, multiple stimulable phosphor sheets are read in succession, all read image information is stored in one memory, and then image information is continuously recorded on multiple recording sheets. Good too. In addition, instead of reproducing all the image information that has been read as a hard copy on the recording sheet, the image information can be displayed once on a CR1 display device, etc., and only the necessary images can be reproduced as hard copies on the recording sheet. can.

Incidentally, the cassette 3 and magazine 4 loaded into the first sheet supply section 10 and the magazine 5 loaded into the second sheet supply section 40 are all made of the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 or the magazine 5 loaded into the second sheet supply section 40. In place of the recording sheet 5, exposed silver salt photographic film can also be stored. For example, the cassette 3 and magazine 4.6 are loaded into the first and second sheet supply units 10.40 in a dark room, in which exposed silver halide photographs are stored. Silver halide photographic film is taken out from the loaded cassettes and magazines, as well as stimulable phosphor sheets and recording sheets, and transported to the automatic developing section 100 by the fifth transport means. It is now possible to do so.

Note that in this embodiment, the fifth conveying means is the first conveying means. This is common to the second and fourth conveying means, and the taken-out silver halide photographic film is passed to the first conveying means 60 or the second conveying means 70.

These silver salt photographic films 2 need to be transported to the automatic developing section 100 after being transported to the optical scanning section 20, and when the silver salt photographic films 2 are transported,
In the optical scanning section 20, the laser beam 21 is not output, and the silver halide photographic film 2 is
The film that has passed through the optical scanning section 20 needs to be conveyed by the fourth conveyance means, regardless of whether it is conveyed from either of the second sheet supply section and the second sheet supply section. That is, the laser light source 23 of the optical scanning section 20 and the sorting means 81 that distributes the sheet-like objects to the third and fourth sheet-like objects need to be controlled according to the sheet-like objects to be conveyed. Therefore, the first sheet-like material supply section 1
In the vicinity of the cassette 3 and the magazine 4 loaded in the cassette 3 and the magazine 4, there is a first and Second detection means 7
A and 7B are arranged in stages, and near the magazine 6 loaded in the second sheet supply section 40,
The sheet-like material to be taken out is recording sheet 5, and! 11
A third detection means 7C is provided for detecting which of the salt photographic films 2 it is, and is adapted to emit a detection signal in accordance with the detected sheet-like object. The detection means 7A, 7B, and 7C may perform the detection using any method. For example, since a stimulable phosphor sheet and a silver halide photographic film usually have different thicknesses, the first and second detection means may detect the thickness of the sheet-like material. As for the third detection means, a notch may be formed in the recording film in advance, and the recording sheet and the silver halide photographic film may be discriminated based on the presence or absence of the notch.

In this way, the three detection means 7A, 7B.

When a detection signal is output from any one of 7C, this detection signal is sent to the control port r in the device as shown in Figure 2.
Sent to B8. The control circuit 8 issues a control signal to the drive circuit 23a of the IQ-NQ laser light source 23 and the switching means 81a of the distribution plate 81 based on the input detection signal. That is, based on the above control signal, He-Ne
The laser light source 23 is configured to stop emitting the laser beam 21 when the sheet-like material being carried into the optical scanning section is a silver salt photographic film, and the distribution plate is configured to prevent the sheet-like material being transported from accumulating. Only when it is a phosphor sheet, it takes the position shown by the solid line in FIG. 1, and in other cases it is moved so that it takes the position shown by the broken line in the figure. In this way, this device not only reads and reproduces radiation image information, but also can be used as a means for transporting exposed silver halide photographic film into the automatic developing section. If this is done, silver halide photographic film can also be developed using the same automatic developing section that is used for recording sheets, which is very convenient.

For silver halide photographic film exposed to light, the first or second layer is separate from the stimulable phosphor sheet or recording sheet.
A fifth conveying means for conveying the sheet from the sheet supplying section to the automatic developing section may be provided so that the sheet is conveyed to the automatic developing section without passing through the optical scanning section.

Furthermore, it is also possible to make the first to fifth conveyance means as common as possible to simplify the conveyance path of each sheet-like object and to make the entire apparatus compact. Hereinafter, an embodiment in which the conveyance path is simplified will be described with reference to FIG. The same parts as those in the above-mentioned embodiment are given the same numbers, and what is their explanation? i #8.

The apparatus of this embodiment includes the first sheet supply section 10, the optical scanning section 20, the erasing section 30, and the second sheet supply section 4.
0 and a stimulable phosphor sheet storage section 50' are arranged vertically, and a sheet-like material conveying means 150 is placed on the side of each section. In this example, the stimulable phosphor sheet storage section 50' holds only the cassette 7, and the stimulable phosphor sheets taken out from the cassette 2 are returned to their original state after reading and erasing. It is now returned to the cassette.

Furthermore, among the m feeding means 150, the stimulable phosphor sheet 1
The part that conveys the stimulable phosphor sheet from the first sheet supply section 10 to the optical scanning section 20 is the first conveying means, the section that conveys the stimulable phosphor sheet from the optical scanning section 20 to the erasing section 30, and further conveys the stimulable phosphor sheet from the optical scanning section 20 to the erasing section 30. The portion to be transported into the tray 7 in the sheet storage section 50' or into the cassette in the first sheet supply section 10 is the third transport means, and the recording sheet 5 is transported by light from the second sheet supply section 40. The portion that conveys the recording sheet to the scanning section 20 is the second conveying means, and the portion that conveys the recording sheet from the optical scanning section 20 to the automatic developing section 100 connected to the main body of the apparatus is the fourth conveying means. The portions of the first and second sheets that are conveyed from the sheet supply section 10.40 to the automatic developing section 100 constitute the fifth conveyance means, but here, these conveyance means are collectively referred to as It is called "conveying means". Further, the main part of this conveyance means 150 extends in the vertical direction and conveys the stimulable phosphor sheet, recording sheet, and silver halide photographic film to each of the above-mentioned parts as appropriate. In order to distribute the sheets accordingly, three sheet distribution plates 15 are movable so that they can take the positions shown by solid lines and the positions shown by broken lines in the figure.
1°152 and 153 are provided. Note that the control of these sheet distribution plates according to the type of sheet material, the control of the optical scanning section described above, etc. are provided in the first and second sheet material supply sections as in the above-described embodiment. This is performed by a control circuit (not shown) based on the detection signals of the detection means 7A, 78, 70.

When the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 is taken out from the cassette 2 of the first sheet supply section 10 and conveyed to the optical scanning section 20, the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 taken out from the cassette 2 by the suction means 12 is , guided by the sheet distribution plate 151 located at the position of the solid line in the figure, transported in the direction of arrow C1, and further transported in the directions of arrows C2 and C3 to the optical scanning section 20.
will be brought inside.

Note that the sheet distribution plate 152 in the conveyance path. 153, the seat identification plate 152 is arranged at the position indicated by the * line in the figure, and the seat distribution plate 153 is arranged at the position indicated by the broken line in the figure, respectively.
The MH1i phosphor sheet 1 is allowed to be conveyed downward. The stimulable phosphor sheet 1 carried into the optical scanning section 20 is conveyed in the optical scanning section 20 in the direction of arrow C4 while image information is read, and when its tip contacts the guide plate 154, it is switched back in the direction of the arrow C4. It is sent back in the Csh direction. Furthermore, when reading the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 in the magazine 4 of the first sheet supply section 10, the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 taken out by the suction means 13 is placed at the position shown by the solid line in the figure. Sheet distribution plate 15 moved to
3 and is transported to the optical scanning section 20 by the transport means 150.

The stimulable phosphor sheet 1 that has been read by the optical scanning section is conveyed by the conveying means 150 in the direction of arrow C1=06 and sent to the erasing section 30. In this case, the sheet distribution plate 151. 153 is located at the position shown by the broken line in the figure, and the sheet distribution plate 152 is located at the position shown by the solid line in the figure.

The length of the erasing section 30 in the direction of conveyance of the stimulable phosphor sheet is approximately 1/2 of the length of one stimulable phosphor sheet, and the stimulable phosphor sheet is disposed diagonally below the erasing section 30. A body seat storage section 50' is provided, and this seat storage section 50
The tray 7 in ' is held adjacent to the erasing section 30 so as to support the leading end of the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 that is being erased while being conveyed in the direction of arrow C9 within the erasing section 30. . The stimulable phosphor sheet 1 is conveyed in the erasing section 30 along the guide plate 155 in the direction of arrow C's, and its leading end sequentially enters the tray 7 and is guided by the tray 7. The entire surface of the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 is irradiated with the erasing light at the position indicated by the broken line in the figure, but if this stimulable phosphor sheet 1 is taken out from the magazine 4, the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 The nip roller 156 that grips the phosphor sheet 1 further rotates in the direction shown by the solid line in the figure. The stimulable phosphor sheet 1 is introduced into the tray 7, and the upper end of the stimulable phosphor sheet is placed on the nip roller 1.
When it leaves 5G, it falls due to its own weight and is stored in the tray 7.

On the other hand, if the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 is taken out from the cassette 2, then v! The i-laminated phosphor sheet 1 is carried into an empty cassette 2 in the first sheet-like material supply section 10 by switchback. That is, when erasing is completed as described above, the nip roller 15G
is reversed in the direction shown by the broken line in the figure, and the stimulable phosphor sheet 1
is sent backward in the direction of arrow Cta. After the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 is further switched back in the direction of arrow C11 by the transport means 150, it is transferred to a sheet distribution plate 151 located at the position indicated by the broken line in the figure and a sheet distribution plate 152 located at the position indicated by the solid line in the figure. and is conveyed in the direction of arrow CIZICIB. The stimulable phosphor sheet 1 that has been conveyed downward in this way is then switched back upward again, and the sheet distribution plate 15 is moved to a position not shown by the solid line in the figure.
1 and transported in the direction of arrow C14, and the cassette 2
will be brought inside. Note that the stimulable phosphor sheet is once conveyed downward and then switched back upwards so that the side on which the phosphor layer of the stimulable phosphor sheet is formed faces downward when it is stored in the cassette 2. This is to ensure that. The cassette 2 containing the stimulable phosphor sheet that has been erased in this manner can be taken out of the apparatus and used for a new Okaage.

On the other hand, in the optical scanning section 20, when the image information read as described above is carried out, one recording sheet 5 is taken out from the magazine 6 in the second sheet supply section 40. Then, the conveying means 150 moves the arrow D! After being conveyed in the force direction, the optical scanning section 20 similarly to the stimulable phosphor sheet 1
The optical scanning unit 20 performs reproduction to record image information on a recording sheet. The recording sheet 5 that has been reproduced is conveyed by the conveyance means 150 in the directions of arrows D2 and D3 and conveyed to the developing section 100. At this time, the sheet distribution plate 153 is at the position shown by the broken line in the figure. While guiding the recording sheet 5 upward, the sheet distribution plate 152 moves to the position shown by the broken line in the figure, guides the recording sheet 5 in the direction of arrow D4, and carries the recording sheet 5 into the automatic developing section 100 by the nip roller 157. urge

Furthermore, when the silver halide photographic film 2 is stored in the cassette 3 or magazine 4 in the first sheet supply 10 or in the magazine 5 in the second sheet supply section 40, the silver The salt photographic film 2 is taken out in the same way as the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 and the recording sheet 5, and is passed to the conveying means 150 on the side of both sheet-like material supply sections. After being once conveyed downward by the length of , it is conveyed upward by a switchback and is carried into the automatic developing section 100 .

In addition, at that time, the sheet distribution plate 151. 152. 1
53 guides the silver halide photographic film in a predetermined direction and moves appropriately to a position that does not interfere with the vertical conveyance of the film.

According to the apparatus of this embodiment, the first to fifth conveyance means are almost combined as a conveyance means for conveying a sheet-like object along a single conveyance path extending in the vertical direction, and the sheet-like object is appropriately conveyed in the vertical direction. Because these sheet-like materials are transported in and out of the above-mentioned sections, the transport system of the entire device is shorter than that of a device that transports each sheet-like material, especially a stimulable phosphor sheet, in a substantially circular manner. can be simplified to make the device more compact. In addition, the stimulable phosphor sheet storage section 50'
Since the inner tray 7 also functions as a guide for the stimulable phosphor sheet to be erased, the space inside the device can be used effectively and the device can be further miniaturized.

In addition, in all of the Oura examples mentioned above, in addition to storing the basic photographic film in the W-laminated phosphor sheet, the recording sheet, the J-type cassette, and the magazine, the silver halide photographic film was also stored in the silver halide photographic film storage. The magazine 4.6 is stored in a magazine, and an adapter is attached to this magazine.
It may be loaded in the part where it is loaded. In this case, the type of loaded magazine may be detected by the detection means.

Further, the automatic processor may be incorporated as part of the apparatus in the same housing as the optical scanning section, erasing section, etc., or it may be separate from this apparatus, and the recording sheet and silver halide photographic film may be stored inside the apparatus. ■It may be stored in a receive magazine and loaded into an automatic developing machine while being stored in the receive magazine.

Furthermore, the arrangement and specific structures of the first and second sheet-like material supply sections, optical scanning section, erasing section, etc. are not limited to those described above. For example, in the optical scanning section J3, at least the sub-scanning means for the stimulable phosphor sheet and the recording sheet may be used in common, and the main scanning means for reading and the main scanning means for recording may be provided independently. ,Also,
For reading and recording, the optical deflector of the scanning means is shared and is the reading light source.

A recording light source may be provided separately and switched by a mirror or the like. Further, it is not necessarily necessary to install a cassette in the seat storage portion, and only a tray or a magazine may be provided. In this case, the eraser 3
0 does not necessarily need to be provided, and the tray containing the stimulable phosphor sheet may be taken out and erased separately.

As the recording sheet of the present invention, a silver salt photographic film can be used, and dry silver or the like suitable for heat development can also be used. Furthermore, heat-sensitive recording materials can also be used in addition to these photosensitive recording materials. In addition, examples of the trigonometric method when using a silver salt film include a wet development method and an instant method.

(Effects of the Invention) As explained below, according to the radiation image information reading and reproducing apparatus of the present invention, the same sub-scanning means is used in the optical scanning section to read and reproduce image information. The reading device and the playback device can be integrated without compromising 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.

Furthermore, according to this device, exposed silver halide photographic film can also be fed into the same automatic developing means as the recording sheet, so there is no need to provide a separate automatic developing means for silver halide photographic film. , it is possible to perform development processing on conventional silver halide photographic film in the same way as recording sheets.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view showing the outline of a radiation image information reading and reproducing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the mechanism of <IIJtll based on the detection of a sheet-like object, and FIG. FIG. 7 is a schematic side view showing the essential features of a radiot J4-ray image information reading and reproducing device according to another embodiment of the present invention. 1...Storage phosphor sheet 2...Silver halide photographic film 3...Cassette 4.6...Magazine 5.
...Recording sheet 7A...First detection means 7B
...Second detection means 7C...Third detection means 8.
...Control circuit 10...First sheet supply section 20...Light scanning section 30...Erasing section 40.
...Second sheet-like material supply section 60...First conveyance means 10...Second conveyance means 80...Third conveyance means 81...Distribution plate 90
...Fourth conveyance means Fig. 2 3a

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1) Storing a stimulable phosphor sheet or exposed silver halide photographic film on which radiation image information has been accumulated and recorded, and carrying out the stored stimulable phosphor sheet or silver halide photographic film one by one. A second sheet supply unit that stores unrecorded recording sheets or exposed silver halide photographic films and transports the stored recording sheets or silver halide photographic films one by one. , a reading main scanning means for deflecting a light beam by an optical deflector to main scan the stimulable phosphor sheet; a recording main scanning unit for deflecting the light beam by an optical deflector to main scan the recording sheet. and sub-scanning means for sub-scanning the stimulable phosphor sheet and recording sheet by conveying them in a direction substantially perpendicular to the main-scanning direction, the stimulable phosphor sheet and recording sheet being sub-scanned by the light beam of the reading main-scanning means. Light carrying the radiation image information is generated from the sheet, and this light is detected by a light detection means to read the radiation image information, and the radiation image is read by the light beam of the recording main scanning means. an optical scanning unit that records the radiation image information on the recording sheet by modulating the information based on the information; an automatic developing unit that develops the silver halide photographic film or the recording sheet on which the image information is recorded; a first transport means for transporting the stimulable phosphor sheet carried out from the sheet supply section into the optical scanning section; and a first conveying means for transporting the recording sheet carried out from the second sheet supply section a second transport means for transporting the stimulable phosphor sheet that has passed through the optical scanning unit; a third transport unit that transports the recording sheet that has passed through the optical scanning unit; a fourth transport means for transporting the film in a different direction and transporting it into the automatic developing section; transporting the silver halide photographic film discharged from the first sheet supply section or the second sheet supply section into the automatic development section; a fifth conveyance means for transporting the sheet-like material carried out from the first and second sheet-like material supply sections, the stimulable phosphor sheet, the recording sheet,
and a detection means for detecting whether the film is silver or salt photographic film, and based on the output of the detection means, the first and third conveyance means, the second and fourth conveyance means, or the fifth conveyance means. A radiation image information reading and reproducing apparatus comprising a control means for selectively transporting a sheet-like object by one of the transport means. 2) The radiation image information according to claim 1, wherein the fifth conveyance means is common to the first and fourth conveyance means, or the second and fourth conveyance means. Reading and playback device. 3) The radiation image information reading and reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the optical deflector of the reading main scanning means and the optical deflector of the recording main scanning means are common. 4) Radiation image information reading according to claim 3, characterized in that the light source of the light beam of the reading main scanning means and the light source of the light beam of the recording main scanning means are common. playback device.