Method for storing and reproducing radiation image and radiation image storage device

A method for storing and reproducing a radiation image which comprises the steps of:

• placing a radiation image storage panel between two fluorescent sheets so as to give a composite structure, each of the fluorescent sheets containing a phosphor which absorbs a radiation energy and emits a light of ultraviolet or visible region, and the radiation image storage panel containing a phosphor which absorbs the light emitted by the phosphors of the fluorescent sheets to store therein energy of the absorbed light and releases the stored energy in the form of a light upon irradiation with a light of visible or infrared region;
• applying onto the composite structure on one side a radiation having penetrated through an object, a radiation having been emitted by an object, or a radiation having been scattered or diffracted by an object, so as to store energy of the applied radiation in the form of a latent image on the image storage panel;
• separating the radiation image storage panel from the fluorescent sheets;
• irradiating the image storage panel with stimulating light in a visible or infrared region to excite the phosphor in the storage panel so that the energy stored in the storage panel in the form of a latent image is released in the form of a light;
• collecting the light released from the storage panel by light-collecting means;
• converting the collected light into a series of electric signals;
• and
• producing an image corresponding to the latent image from the electric signals.

A method for storing and reproducing a radiation image which comprises the steps of:

• placing a radiation image storage panel on a fluorescent sheet so as to give a composite structure, the fluorescent sheet containing a phosphor which absorbs a radiation energy and emits a light of ultraviolet or visible region, and the radiation image storage panel containing a phosphor which absorbs the light emitted by the phosphor of the fluorescent sheet to store therein energy of the absorbed light and releases the stored energy in the form of a light upon irradiation with a light of visible or infrared region;
• applying onto the composite structure on one side a radiation having penetrated through an object, a radiation having been emitted by an object, or a radiation having been scattered or diffracted by an object, so as to store energy of the applied radiation in the form of a latent image on the image storage panel;
• separating the radiation image storage panel from the fluorescent sheet;
• irradiating the image storage panel with stimulating light in a visible or infrared region to excite the phosphor in the storage panel so that the energy stored in the storage panel in the form of a latent image is released in the form of a light;
• collecting the light released from the storage panel by light-collecting means;
• converting the collected light into a series of electric signals;
• and
• producing an image corresponding to the latent image from the electric signals.

A method for storing and reproducing a radiation image which comprises the steps of:

• providing a plurality of cassettes each of which has therein a fluorescent sheet on a front side thereof, fluorescent sheet containing a phosphor which absorbs a radiation energy and emits a light of ultraviolet or visible region and having a thickness differing from each other;
• selecting one of the cassettes;
• placing a radiation image storage panel in the selected cassette on a back side thereof, the radiation image storage panel containing a phosphor which absorbs the light emitted by the phosphor of the fluorescent layer to store therein energy of the absorbed light and releases the stored energy in the form of a light upon irradiation with a light of visible or infrared region;
• applying onto the front side of the cassette a radiation having penetrated through an object, a radiation having been emitted by an object, or a radiation having been scattered or diffracted by an object, so as to store energy of the applied radiation in the form of a latent image on the image storage panel;
• taking the image storage panel out of the cassette;
• irradiating the image storage panel on the side with stimulating light in a visible or infrared region to excite the phosphor in the image storage panel so that the energy stored in the image storage panel in the form of a latent image is released in the form of a light;
• collecting the light released from the image storage panel by light-collecting means;
• converting the collected light into a series of electric signals;
• and
• producing an image corresponding to the latent image from the electric signals.

An apparatus for storing and reproducing a radiation image utilizing a fluorescent sheet containing a phosphor which absorbs a radiation energy and emits a light of ultraviolet or visible region, and a radiation image storage panel containing a phosphor which absorbs the light emitted by the phosphor of the fluorescent layer to store therein energy of the absorbed light and releases the stored energy in the form of a light upon irradiation with a light of visible or infrared region, which comprises:

• a housing having on outer surface thereof a plate with which an object is kept in contact;
• the radiation image storage panel fixed within the housing in a position facing the plate;
• the fluorescent sheet which is provided in the housing in a position facing the fixed image storage panel under such condition that the fluorescent sheet is able to move forward and backward in relation to the image storage sheet;
• and
• a light-detecting means which is placed in the vicinity of the image storage panel and which is able to move into a space formed when the fluorescent sheet moves backward.