System for and method of reading out storage phosphor screen using pulsed semiconductor light source array

A system for reading out a storage phosphor screen (or an image carrier such as a storage phosphor sheet or an imaging plate and the like) which is sensitive to radiation and is applicable to an industrial non-destructive inspection system, a medical radiation diagnostics system, a dental radiation diagnostics system, an auto-radiography system, a image detection system by an electron microscope, a radiation diffracted image detection system, and a fluorescence detection system for life science analysis and the like, comprising:

• a storage phosphor screen adapted to form a latent image of a subject as a radiation or a fluorescent material is irradiated to the subject or labeled;
• an image processing computer adapted to control the starting of the storage phosphor screen readout system to read out the latent image of the subject formed on the storage phosphor screen, and to re-configure a collected image data to process the image so that an optimum image of the subject is produced;
• a time interlocking signal processing module adapted to generate a main signal pulse having a certain period when the time interlocking signal processing module is supplied with a starting signal of the storage phosphor screen readout system from the image processing computer, to store the collected image data in a buffer included therein, and to transfer the image data collected and stored in the buffer to the image processing computer when one readout process is completed;
• a semiconductor light source starting module adapted to generate a pulse for sequentially starting a semiconductor light source on the basis of the main signal pulse generated from the time interlocking signal processing module;
• a semiconductor light source array including a plurality of semiconductor light sources which is started sequentially by the pulse generated from the semiconductor light source starting module to generate a stimulating light necessary for reading out the latent image of the subject formed on the storage phosphor screen;
• a plurality of light transmitting lenses adapted to collect the stimulating light generated from the semiconductor light source array;
• a stimulating light transmitting optical fiber adapted to allow the stimulating light passing through the plurality of light transmitting lenses to be transmitted;
• an optical fiber array adapted to scan the storage phosphor screen with the stimulating light transmitted thereto through the stimulating light transmitting optical fiber, the optical fiber array being adapted to collect a luminescence light induced from the front surface of the storage phosphor screen through the scan of the storage phosphor screen by the stimulating light;
• a collected light transmitting optical fiber adapted to allow the luminescence light collected by the optical fiber array to be transmitted;
• a main photomultiplier tube adapted to collect, filter and amplify the luminescence light transmitted thereto from the optical fiber array through the collected light transmitting optical fiber;
• a main photomultiplier tube starting module adapted to start the main photomultiplier tube, the main photomultiplier tube starting module being adapted to amplify and digitize a signal of the luminescence light collected by the main photomultiplier tube;
• an auxiliary photomultiplier tube adapted to collect, filter and amplify a luminescence light induced from the rear surface of the storage phosphor screen through the scan of the storage phosphor screen by the stimulating light;
• and
• an auxiliary photomultiplier tube starting module adapted to start the auxiliary photomultiplier tube, auxiliary photomultiplier tube starting module being adapted to amplify and digitize a signal of the luminescence light collected by the auxiliary photomultiplier tube.