JPS5964833A - Carrying method of storage type phosphor sheet - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce the damage of radiation picture elements without worsening the jam, by waiting a sheet, which exist in the upper stream side of the position of the jam occurrence, in prescribed holding position and restarting carrying it after the jam is recovered. CONSTITUTION:If a jam occurs in a radiation picture reader 4, carrying or uncarried sheets are held in preliminarily determined sheet holding positions. After holding of sheets is completed, a light shielding shutter between the radiation picture reader 4 and a sheet preserving device 3 is closed to prevent the leak of the external light, and the radiation picture reader 4 is opened to take out a sheet causing the jam to the outside. After the jam is recovered in this manner, the reader 4 is closed again, and carrying of sheets from the upper stream side is restarted, and read of radiation pictures is restarted. Thus, the damage of radiation pictures of sheets other than the sheet causing the jam is prevented without worsening the jam.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method for transporting a stimulable phosphor sheet.

When a certain type of phosphor is irradiated with radiation (X-rays, α-rays, β-rays, γ-rays, ultraviolet rays, etc.), a part of the 1) ray energy is accumulated in the phosphor, and this fluorescent light It is known that when the body is irradiated with excitation light such as visible light, the phosphor exhibits stimulated luminescence depending on the accumulated energy, and the phosphor that exhibits this property is called a stimulable phosphor. yelled.

Using this stimulable phosphor, radiation image information of the human body, etc. can be transferred to a sheet (hereinafter referred to as ``stimulable phosphor sheet-1'' or simply "sheet") having a layer of stimulable phosphor. ), this stimulable phosphor sheet is scanned with excitation light such as a laser beam to generate stimulated luminescent light, and the resulting stimulated luminescent light is read out photoelectrically to obtain an image signal. The present applicant has already proposed a radiation image reading system that outputs a visible image to a recording material such as a photographic light-sensitive material, CRT, etc. based on this image signal. (Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. 55-
No. 12429, No. 56-11395, etc. ) This system has the very 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 the stimulable phosphor 1, 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. Even if the amount of radiation exposure varies considerably, the amount of emitted light is read by the photoelectric conversion means by setting the reading gain to an appropriate value and converted into an electrical signal, and this electrical signal is used to convert the photosensitive material, etc. recording materials,
By outputting the image as a visible image on a display device such as a CRT, it is possible to obtain a radiation image that is not affected by fluctuations in radiation exposure.

In addition, according to this system, radiation image information stored and recorded in a stimulable phosphor is converted into an electrical signal and then subjected to appropriate signal processing, and this electrical signal is used to produce recording materials such as photographic light-sensitive materials, CRTs, etc. By outputting it as a visible image on a display device, it is possible to obtain a radiographic image with excellent suitability for observation and interpretation (diagnosis), which is a very significant effect.

3- The stimulable phosphor sheets used in this radiographic image recording and reproducing system are stored and handled in a cassette or magazine, and the stimulable phosphor sheets 1 to 1 on which radiographic images have been stored and recorded are placed in the cassette or magazine. The stimulable phosphor sheets 1 to 1 are fed one by one to a radiation image reading apparatus from there. Radiographic imaging is often carried out irregularly, especially in the case of medical diagnosis, for example, and instead of directly connecting the radiation image reading device and the sheet feeding device, it is necessary to feed the sheets one by one from the sheet feeding device. It is preferable to provide a sheet storage device between the sheet supplying device and the sheet supplying device.

Once the sheet is supplied from the sheet supply device to the radiation image reading device via the sheet storage device in this way, the radiation image reading can be performed completely independently of the timing of supply of the stimulable phosphor sheet from the sheet supply device. It becomes possible to operate the equipment with its own efficient operation cycle.

4- The stimulable phosphor sheets on which radiation images have been stored and recorded are taken out one by one from the sheet supply device as described above and fed into the radiation image reading device.

During this time, the sheet is conveyed through a sheet conveyance path having various conveyance means such as endless belts and nip rolls. While the sheet is conveyed along this sheet conveyance path, the sheet may jam (sheet jam) for various reasons. When this sheet jam occurs, it is necessary to open the inside of the apparatus in order to dispose of it. However, when the inside of the device is opened, the stimulable phosphor sheet is irradiated with excitation light contained in natural light, and the radiation image stored and recorded in the stimulable phosphor is dissipated as stimulated luminescence light. The radiation image accumulated and recorded on the stimulable phosphor sheet irradiated with this excitation light is damaged and is no longer suitable for observation and interpretation. By the way, if the sheet is continued to be conveyed from the upstream side even after a sheet jam occurs as described above, the sheet jam becomes severe, and therefore, when the sheet jam is cleared, the jam is accumulated and recorded on a large number of stimulable phosphor sheets. The radiographic image will be damaged. In addition, it becomes even more troublesome to deal with sheet jams.

An object of the present invention is to prevent sheet jamming from occurring at a certain point in the sheet conveyance path without making the sheet jam even worse, and to prevent the sheet from accumulating on sheets other than the stimulable phosphor sheet that caused the sheet jam. It is an object of the present invention to provide a sheet conveyance method that can prevent damage to recorded radiographic images when handling a jam on a sheet 1.

Accumulation of the present invention @! l The method for transporting bamboo phosphor sheets is that when a sheet jam occurs at a certain point in the sheet transport path that transports the sheet to a radiation image reading device, the sheet existing upstream from the jammed point is moved to a predetermined location. The sheet is waiting at the standby position, and after the jam of the sheet is cleared, the sheet waiting at the predetermined standby position is conveyed downstream.

Therefore, according to the present invention, even if a sheet jam occurs in the sheet conveyance path, the sheet jam can be prevented from becoming worse and the problem caused by the sheet jam can be avoided.
The radiographic images accumulated and recorded on one sheet or at most several sheets will be damaged (or just blank).Furthermore, sheet conveyance can be resumed immediately after the jam on sheet 1- is cleared.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained in detail with reference to the drawings.

The drawing is a schematic diagram of a radiation image reading system according to the present invention.

The radiation image reading system shown in the drawing includes a magazine feeder 1, a cassette feeder 2, a sheet storage device @3, and a radiation image reading device 4. The stimulable phosphor sheet on which the radiation image has been stored and recorded is conveyed to the radiation image reading device 4 in the following manner.

When the magazine 11 containing the stimulable phosphor sheet 10 is loaded into the magazine feeder 1 in the magazine mounting section 12, the stimulable phosphor sheet 1 accommodated in the magazine 11
The 0's are taken out from the magazine 11 one by one by vacuum suction by the suction arm 13, and transported to near the discharge port 15 of the magazine feeder 1 by a pair of endless belts 14. Sheet 1 transferred to the vicinity of discharge port 15
0 is further discharged to the outside of the magazine feeder 1 by a pair of nip rolls 16, and carried into the interior of the cassette feeder 7-2 through the receiving port 25 of the cassette feeder 2. The sheet 10 carried into the cassette feeder 2 is conveyed by the horizontal conveyance belt 26, discharged from the discharge port 27 of the cassette feeder 2, and then carried into the sheet storage device 3 from the receiving port 28 of the sheet storage device 3. . The sheets 10 carried into the sheet storage device 3 are transported above the sheet storage device 3 by the sheet transport belt 31, and then the first sheet 1 to the receiver are transferred to the plate 3.
2 will be temporarily stored. When it is detected that a predetermined number of sheets are stored on the plate 32 or that the sheet 10 is not conveyed to the sheet storage i device 3 from the upstream side, the first sheet receiver moves to the plate 32. The sheets 10 stored therein are transferred to the second sheet folding plate 33. The sheets 10 transferred to the plate 33 are taken out one by one by vacuum suction by the suction arm 3/I, and are transported by the sheet transport means 35 to the sheet storage device 3. It is discharged from the discharge port 36 and is discharged from the radiation image reading device N through the receiving port 41 of the radiation image reading device 4.
4 is carried inside. The sheet carried into the copper wire image reading device 4 is conveyed by a conveyor belt 42, and the radiation images accumulated and recorded on sheets 8-10 are read by an image reading system 43.
It is discharged from the discharge port 44. This radiation image reading device 4
After residual radiation energy is erased from the sheet 10 discharged from the recording medium, the sheet 10 is used again to record a radiographic image.

In the cassette feeder 2 as well, sheets are conveyed in the same manner as in the magazine feeder 1. That is, when the cassette 21 containing the stimulable phosphor sheet 10 is mounted in the cassette feeder 2 to the cassette mounting section 22,
The stimulable phosphor sheet 10 accommodated in the cassette 21 is vacuum-adsorbed by the suction arm 23 and transferred to the cassette 21.
After being taken out from the cassette feeder 2, the sheet is conveyed to the discharge port 27 by a pair of endless bells 1-24, discharged from the discharge port 27 of the cassette feeder 2, and carried into the sheet storage device 3 through the reception port 28.

The illustrated sheet storage device 3 is provided with a sheet bypass path 37 that allows the stimulable phosphor sheet 10 received from the reception port 28 to be transferred to the discharge port 36 without being stored. Sheets that require priority reading of radiographic images are placed near the receiving port 28.
The sheet may be conveyed through the sheet bypass path 37 by setting the changed-over plate 38 in a horizontal state as shown by the dotted line.

As mentioned above, the stimulable phosphor sheets 1 to 1 must pass through a complicated sheet conveyance path until the radiation image is read, and the risk M of sheet jamming occurring at various locations on the sheet conveyance path is extremely high. . Furthermore, since the radiographic image reading device 4 is also provided with a highly accurate and complex transport mechanism for reading radiographic images, the risk of sheet jamming occurring in the radiographic image reading device ↑1 is extremely high. .

According to the present invention, when a sheet jam occurs at a location, the sheet existing upstream from the location where the jam occurs is placed on standby at a predetermined waiting position upstream of this location. When a jam occurs in the image reading device 4, as soon as the occurrence of this jam is detected, it is immediately transferred to the upstream magazine feeder 1, cassette feeder 2, and sea 1 to the storage device 3. The jam occurrence signal and L/ are transmitted.

At the time when this jam occurrence signal is transmitted, the sheet being conveyed or not yet conveyed is made to wait at a predetermined sheet standby position. This standby position includes the magazine 11 of the magazine feeder 1, the pair of endless bells l-14, the cassette feeder 20, the cassette 21, the pair of endless bells i-24, and the horizontal conveyor belt 26.
The first sheet receiver of the sheet storage device 3 includes a plate 32, the second sheet receiver includes a plate 33, a sheet conveying means 35, a sheet bypass path 37, and the like. Therefore, untransported sheets, that is, sheets 10 stored in the magazine 11 or the cassette 21, remain stored in the magazine 11 or the cassette 21 and are kept on standby. The sheet being conveyed is conveyed to the nearest standby position and waited there. Of course, the sheets 10 stored in the first sheet receiver plate 32 and the second sheet receiver plate 33 are kept in a stored state and on standby. Note that if a jam occurrence signal is issued while the single-fed operation is continuing to take out the sheets 10 one by one using the suction arms 13, 23, 34 of the magazine feeder 1, cassette feeder 2, and sheet storage device 3, this This single-fed operation continues until the single-fed operation is completed, and the sheet 10 taken out is made to wait at the nearest waiting position, that is, the pair of endless belts 14, 24 and the sheet 1-conveying means 35. After waiting for the sheet is completed in this way, a light-shielding shutter (not shown) located between the radiation image reading device 4 and the sheet storage device 3 is opened.
Close the system to prevent outside light from leaking into the upstream device, release the radiation image reading device 4, and remove the jammed sheet 1.
- Take out to the outside. After the sheet jam is disposed of in this manner, the radiation image reading device 4 is closed again, sheet conveyance from the upstream side is resumed, and radiation image reading is resumed.

If a sheet jam occurs on the plate 32, the first sheet receiver of the Seamill storage device 3 immediately stops the conveyance of the sheet 10 from the upstream device to the sheet storage device 3, but the second sheet receiver The sheets 10 stored on the plate 33 and for which the storage operation has already been completed are conveyed one by one to the radiation image reading device 4 on the downstream side so that the radiation images are read. After all the sheets 10 stored on the plate 33 are discharged, the second sheet receiver is moved to the sheet storage device 3.
After closing a light-shielding shutter (not shown) located between the cassette feeder 2 and the radiographic image reading device 12-4, the jammed sheets in the sheet storage bag 3 are disposed of. In this way, the sheet 10 that has already been stored
It is effective to dispose of jammed sheets 10 after discharging them into the radiographic image reading device, since this reduces the number of radiographic images that are damaged when the sheet storage device 3 is released.

Note that the standby operation in the magazine feeder 1 and the cassette feeder 2 on the upstream side of the sheet storage device 3 and the resumption of sheet conveyance after the sheet jam is cleared are performed in the same manner as described above.

As described above, the sheet jam occurs at various locations from Sea 1 to the transport path, but even if the sheet jam occurs at locations other than the locations described above, the sheet is kept on standby in the same manner as described above. In the present invention, as a general rule, sheets located downstream of the location where a sheet jam has occurred continue to be transported, and only sheets located upstream are made to wait at a predetermined standby position. However, this is preferable because the number of sheets that are damaged when handling sheet jams is reduced, and the number of sheets whose radiation image reading is delayed due to sheet jam handling is reduced.

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, even if a sheet jam occurs in the sheet conveyance path that conveys the stimulable phosphor sheet to the inside of the radiation image reading device, the sheet jam will not occur. This method is extremely effective because it only damages the radiation image accumulated and recorded on the stimulable phosphor sheet that caused the damage, and can salvage most of the stimulable phosphor sheet.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawing is a schematic diagram of a radiation image reading system according to the present invention. 1...Magazine feeder 2...Cassette feeder 3...Sheet storage device 4...Radiation image reading device 10...Storage phosphor sheet 11...Magazine 12... Magazine attachment part 14...Endless belt 15.27, 36.44...Ejection port 16.
...Nip roll 21...Cassette 22.
...Cassette attachment part 24...Endless belt 2
5,28.41...Intake port 26...Horizontal conveyance path
31... Sheet transport belt 32... First sheet receiver is plate 33... Second sheet receiver is plate 35... Sheet conveying means 37... Sheet bypass path 42... Conveyor belt 43 ...Image reading system 1
5-16- (Voluntary) Procedural Amendment November 25, 1981 Patent Application No. 174760 2, Title of Invention Method for Conveying Storulative Fluorescent Sheet 3 Relationship with the Person Making the Amendment Case Patent Application Person 4, No agent 6, Number of inventions increased by amendment None 7, Subject of amendment Column 8 of “Detailed description of the invention” in the description, Contents of amendment

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) In a stimulable phosphor sheet conveyance method in which stimulable phosphor sheets on which radiographic images are accumulated and recorded are conveyed one by one through a sheet conveyance path into a radiation image reading device, the sheet conveyance path When a sheet jam occurs at a location, a sheet located upstream from the location where the jam occurs is made to stand by at a predetermined standby position, and after the jam of the sheet is cleared, the sheet waits at the predetermined standby position. 1. A method for conveying a stimulable phosphor sheet, characterized in that the sheet 1- is conveyed downstream. (2) The sheet existing on the upstream side is a sheet being conveyed located at a position other than the waiting position, and the waiting is performed after the sheet is moved to the predetermined waiting position. A method for conveying a stimulable phosphor sheet according to scope 1. (3) The sheets existing on the upstream side are the seats 1 to 8 located at the standby position, and the sheets are moved downstream to the seats 8! ijl
2. The method for conveying a stimulable phosphor sheet according to claim 1, wherein the standby is performed by not holding the sheet.