JPH03132639A - Image recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To correct the fluctuation of density of an image due to humidity and to perform the recording/reproduction of the image with stable density by providing a humidity measuring means to measure the humidity in the neighborhood of a photographic photosensitive material, and a density adjusting means to adjust the density of the image. CONSTITUTION:A temperature sensor 22 and a humidity sensor 23 are provided in the neighborhood of a photosensitive film 19, and a temperature signal ST and a humidity signal SM found by the sensors 22, 23 are inputted to an acoustooptical light modulator (AOM) driving circuit 21. A temperature correction table representing the relation of a temperature with the modulation factor of a laser beam 12 and a humidity correction table representing the relation of the humidity with the modulation factor of the laser beam 12 corresponding to the kind of the photosensitive film 19 are stored in the AOM driving circuit 21, and when the temperature signal ST and the humidity signal SM are inputted, the mean modulation factor of the laser beam 12 is changed corresponding to the values of the temperature signal ST and the humidity signal SM by referring to those tables. In such a way, it is possible to obtain a visible image with stable image density in spite of the temperature and humidity of the image recorder.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to an image recording device that records an image on a photographic light-sensitive material by exposing the photographic light-sensitive material to light modulated in accordance with an image signal. be.

(Prior Art) Image recording apparatuses that expose a photographic light-sensitive material with light modulated based on an image signal and reproduce and record images on the photographic light-sensitive material are used in various fields.

For example, recording an X-ray image using a low gamma X-ray film designed to be compatible with subsequent image processing;
The X-ray image is read from the film on which the X-ray image is recorded, converted into an electrical signal, and after image processing is performed on this electrical signal (image signal), a visible image is reproduced on the photosensitive film using an image recording device. By doing so, a system has been developed that can obtain reproduced images with good image quality performance such as contrast, sharpness, and graininess.
(Refer to Publication No.-5193).

In addition, the applicant has proposed radiation (X-rays, α-rays).

When irradiated with β rays, γ rays, electron beams, ultraviolet rays, etc., a part of this radiation energy is accumulated, and then when irradiated with excitation light such as visible light, stimulable fluorescence exhibits stimulated luminescence depending on the accumulated energy. A radiation image of a subject such as a human body is photographed and recorded on a sheet of stimulable phosphor, and this stimulable phosphor sheet is scanned with excitation light such as a laser beam. The resulting stimulated luminescence light is read photoelectrically to obtain an image signal, and an image recording device is used to record a radiation image of the subject on a photosensitive film as a visible image based on this image signal. A radiation image recording and reproducing system that outputs as
No.-12429, No. 58-11395.

No. 55-163472, No. 56-104645, No. 55-116340, etc.).

This system has the practical advantage of being able to record images over a much wider range of radiation exposure compared to conventional radiographic systems using silver halide photography. In other words, in a stimulable phosphor, it is recognized that the amount of emitted light that is stimulated to emit light due to excitation after accumulation is proportional to the amount of radiation exposure over an extremely wide range.
Therefore, even if the amount of radiation exposure varies considerably due to various imaging conditions, the amount of stimulated luminescence emitted from the stimulable phosphor sheet can be read by the photoelectric conversion means by setting the reading gain to an appropriate value. By converting the radiation image into an electric signal and using this electric signal to output the radiation image as a visible image to a recording material such as a photographic light-sensitive material or a display device such as a CRT, a radiation image that is not affected by fluctuations in radiation exposure amount can be obtained. be able to.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) In the image recording devices used in the various systems mentioned above, it is known that the density of the image reproduced and recorded on the photosensitive film varies depending on the internal temperature of the image recording device. In order to stabilize the temperature inside the device, the temperature signal is used to change the intensity of the light that exposes the photosensitive film, or to adjust the temperature of the developer and the developing temperature in an image recording device to which the developing device is integrally connected. Corrections such as changing the time may be made.

However, even if temperature-based correction is performed, the density of the image may still not be stabilized, which is an obstacle to stabilizing the image quality at a high level.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above circumstances, it is an object of the present invention to provide an image recording device that further stabilizes the intensity of images.

(Means for Solving the Problems) An image recording apparatus of the present invention records an image by exposing a photographic light-sensitive material with light modulated according to an image signal, and the image recording apparatus comprises: humidity near the photographic light-sensitive material; a humidity measuring means for measuring humidity and outputting a humidity signal; The apparatus is characterized by comprising a density adjustment means for adjusting the density of the image.

Here, the "density adjusting means" is not limited to a specific means, and may be any means that adjusts the density of an image so that an image of a predetermined density is recorded on the photographic light-sensitive material regardless of humidity. However, specifically, for example, the intensity of light emitted from the exposure light source can be changed depending on the humidity, the modulation intensity of light can be changed according to the humidity, and the developing device is integrally attached. In the case of an image recording apparatus, it refers to changing the developing temperature and developing time depending on the humidity, or a combination of these.

(Function) FIG. 1 is a diagram showing image density versus relative humidity (horizontal axis) of various photographic materials used in image recording devices. The vertical axis shows the image density of 1 when the relative humidity is 40%.
．． It shows the image density versus relative humidity (%) when images were recorded under the same conditions except for the humidity.

As shown in this figure, when the relative humidity changes between about 10% and 80%, the image density changes by about 0.1 to 0.15, although it varies depending on the type of photographic material.

The present invention has been made based on the discovery that, in addition to the hitherto known temperature, humidity is also a contributing factor to variations in the density of images reproduced and recorded on photographic materials.

The image recording apparatus of the present invention includes a humidity measuring means that measures the humidity near the photographic light-sensitive material and outputs a humidity signal, and a humidity measuring means that measures the humidity near the photographic light-sensitive material and outputs a humidity signal, and a humidity measuring means that measures the humidity near the photographic light-sensitive material and outputs a humidity signal. It is equipped with a density adjustment means that adjusts the density of the image recorded on the photographic material based on the humidity signal.
It is possible to realize an image recording apparatus that reproduces and records images that have more stable image quality by suppressing changes in image density due to humidity.

(Example) Examples of the present invention will be described below.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an outline of an embodiment of the image recording apparatus of the present invention.

A laser beam 12 emitted from a laser light source 11 passes through a lens 13 . Acousto-optic light modulator (hereinafter referred to as rAOMJ) 14. It passes through the lens 15 and is further reflected and deflected by the rotating polygon mirror 16 rotating at high speed in the direction of arrow C.
Main scanning is repeatedly performed on the photosensitive film 19 in the direction of the arrow X along the scanning line 20 via the θ lens 172 and the reflecting mirror 18 . Further, the photosensitive film 19 is transported by a transport means (not shown) in the direction of arrow Y, which is substantially perpendicular to the main scanning (sub-scanning).
be done.

An AOM drive circuit 21 is connected to the AOML4,
The AOM drive circuit 21 drives the AOM based on the input image signal SD so that an image based on the image signal So is reproduced and recorded on the photosensitive film 19, and generates the laser beam 1.
2 is intensity modulated.

Further, a temperature sensor 22 and a humidity sensor 23 are provided near the photosensitive film 19, and these sensors 22.
The temperature signal sT and humidity signal sM obtained by 23 are also A
The signal is input to the OM drive circuit 21. The AOM drive circuit 21 includes a temperature correction table representing the relationship between temperature and the modulation intensity of the laser beam 12, and a humidity correction table representing the relationship between humidity and the modulation intensity of the laser beam 12, depending on the type of photosensitive film 19. are stored, and temperature signals ST,
When the humidity signal sM is input, the average modulation intensity of the laser beam 12 is changed according to the values of the temperature signal S and the humidity signal sM with reference to these tables.

The photosensitive film 19 on which an image has been recorded by the laser beam 12 as described above is then developed under certain conditions by a developing device (not shown), whereby a visible image based on the image signal So is reproduced and displayed on the photosensitive film 19. be done. Since this visible image is recorded by the laser beam 12 having an average modulation intensity corrected for temperature and humidity, the visible image has a stable image density regardless of the temperature and humidity of the image recording apparatus.

In the above embodiment, the laser beam 12 is set to A so that the density of the image is constant regardless of the temperature and humidity inside the device.
Although the average modulation intensity when modulating with the OM 14 is controlled according to the temperature and humidity, for example, the intensity of the laser beam 12 emitted from the laser beam 11 before modulation may be changed according to the temperature and humidity. In an image recording apparatus equipped with a developing device, the temperature of the developer, the developing time, etc. may be controlled.

Further, in the above embodiment, an apparatus was described that records an image by scanning a photosensitive film with a light beam modulated based on an image signal. The present invention can also be applied to devices that expose light to light, and devices that record images by exposing a photosensitive film by modulating light emitted from a light source using a liquid crystal shutter array or matrix.

(Effects of the Invention) As explained in detail above, the image recording device of the present invention has the following features:
A humidity measuring means for measuring the humidity near the photographic light-sensitive material, and a density adjusting means for adjusting the density of an image on the photographic light-sensitive material so that a predetermined density is recorded on the photographic light-sensitive material regardless of fluctuations in humidity. Therefore, fluctuations in image density due to humidity are corrected, and images with stable density are reproduced and recorded.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the image density versus relative humidity of various photosensitive materials used in an image recording device. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an outline of an embodiment of the image recording device of the present invention. . ll... Laser light source 14... Acousto-optic light modulator 16... Rotating polygon mirror 21... AOM drive circuit 23... Humidity sensor 12... Laser beam (AOM) 19... Photosensitive Film 22...Temperature sensor PH (γ.) - one piece

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] In an image recording apparatus that records an image by exposing a photographic light-sensitive material with light modulated according to an image signal, there is provided a humidity measurement device that measures humidity near the photographic light-sensitive material and outputs a humidity signal. and density adjusting means for adjusting the density of the image recorded on the photographic light-sensitive material based on the humidity signal so that an image of a predetermined density is recorded on the photographic light-sensitive material regardless of fluctuations in the humidity. An image recording device comprising: