Multicassette autoloader for a storage phosphor reader

A multicassette autoloader (58) for vertically oriented storage phosphor cassettes (66) comprising:

• an input bin (60) for receiving multiple vertically oriented storage phosphor cassettes (66) stacked together in face-to-face contact;
• wherein each of said cassettes (66) contains a storage phosphor (74) which is removable from said cassette (66);
• a storage phosphor read location (64) at which a storage phosphor (74) is removed from and replaced in a storage phosphor cassette (66) positioned at said storage phosphor read location (64);
• an output bin (62) for receiving storage phosphor cassettes (66) from said storage phosphor read location (64) for subsequent removal;
• wherein said input bin (60), said storage phosphor read location (64), and said output bin (62) are configured inline;
• and
• an assembly (67,69) for transporting a storage phosphor cassette (66) from said input bin (60), to said storage phosphor read location (64), and then to said output bin (62) for removal from said output bin (62).

A multicassette autoloader (82), (202) for vertically oriented storage phosphor cassettes (66), said autoloader (82), (202) having a front (81), (202), back (83), (203), and opposite sides (85, 87), (205, 207), comprising:

• an input bin (84), (204) for receiving multiple vertically oriented storage phosphor cassettes (66) stacked together in face-to-face contact;
• wherein said cassettes (66) are oriented front-to-back with faces facing said autoloader sides (85, 87), (205, 207), wherein each of said cassettes (66) contains a storage phosphor (74) which is removable from said cassette (66);
• a storage phosphor read location (88);
• (208) at which a storage phosphor (74) is removed from and replaced in a storage phosphor cassette (66) positioned at said storage phosphor read location (88), (208);
• a storage phosphor cassette pre-read location (90), (210), and a storage phosphor cassette post-read location (92), (212) located on either side of said storage phosphor read location (88), (208);
• an output bin (86), (206) for receiving storage phosphor cassettes (66) for subsequent removal;
• wherein said input bin (84), (204) and said output bin (86), (206) are beside each other at the front (81), (201) of said autoloader (82), (202), and said storage phosphor cassette pre-read location (88), (208), said storage phosphor read location (88), (208), and said storage phosphor cassette post-read location (92), (212) are beside each other at the back (83), (203) of said autoloader (82), (202) and in line front-to-back with said input bin (84), (204) and said output bin (86), (206);
• and
• an assembly (91, 93, 95) for transporting a storage phosphor cassette (66) along a path from said input bin (84), (204), to said pre-read location (90), (210), to said read location (88), (208), to said post-read location (92), (212), and then to said output bin (86), (206).