Light stimulating and collecting methods and apparatus for storage-phosphor image plates

a technology of light stimulating and collecting methods, applied in the field of digital radiography, can solve the problems of unacceptably long readout time of a typical storage-phosphor plate, large and complex laser scanning mechanism necessary to stimulate one pixel at a time on a 14′′17′′ phosphor plate, and achieve the efficiency with which light released from the storage medium is collected

US20060273262A1Inactive Publication Date: 2006-12-07SAYAG MICHEL
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Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
US · United States
Patent Type
Applications(United States)
Current Assignee / Owner
Publication Date
2006-12-07
Estimated Expiration
Not applicable · inactive patent

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Abstract

Methods and apparatus are described for retrieving information from a storage medium. A first portion of the surface of the storage medium is exposed to stimulating light which diffuses in the storage medium under a second portion of the surface adjacent the first portion. The second portion of the surface is shielded from exposure to the stimulating light. Stimulated light corresponding to the information is received with at least one detector positioned to receive the stimulated light via the second portion of the surface of the storage medium. The stimulated light is released from the storage medium in response to the stimulating light diffused under the second portion of the surface.
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Description

RELATED APPLICATION DATA

[0001] The present application claims priority from and is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 789,547 filed Feb. 26, 2004 (Attorney Docket No. SAY1P004D1), which claims priority from U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09 / 887,543 filed Jun. 21, 2001 (Attorney Docket No. SAY1P004), which claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application No. 60 / 257,622 filed Dec. 20, 2000 (Attorney Docket No. SAY1P004P), the entire disclosures of both of which are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates to the field of digital radiography and more specifically to methods and apparatus for obtaining an electrical representation of a radiation image using a storage-phosphor image plate.

[0003] In the field of digital radiography a variety of methods have emerged. One such method is based on capturing the prompt-emitting light of a conventional phosphor screen with an image intensifier, a f...

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0043] As discussed briefly above, specific embodiments of the present invention provide methods and apparatus for simply and efficiently reading an x-ray image stored in a storage-phosphor plate using a photodetector line array. More specific embodiments of the present invention provide methods and apparatus for reading a storage-phosphor plate in an enclosure of identical dimensions to those of a conventional radiography film / screen cassette. Other embodiments and related applications of the techniques of the present invention are described below.

[0044] According to specific embodiments, the present invention provides methods of light stimulating and collecting in storage-phosphor plate readers. Unlike other reading methods where the lateral diffusion of the stimulating light in the plate is a problem, specific embodiments of the present invention rely on such lateral diffusion to stimulate a linear area of the plate which is in direct contact with a photodetector linear array. T...