Light stimulating and collecting methods and apparatus for storage-phosphor image plates
AssigneeMichel Sayag
InventorMichel Sayag
Life of this 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.
Claims60
A method for retrieving information from a storage medium, comprising:
- exposing a first portion of a surface of the storage medium to stimulating light, the stimulating light diffusing in the storage medium under a second portion of the surface adjacent the first portion, the second portion of the surface being shielded from exposure to the stimulating light;
- and
- receiving stimulated light corresponding to the information 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 being released from the storage medium in response to the stimulating light diffused under the second portion of the surface.
A method for retrieving image information captured in a storage-phosphor plate, comprising:
- exposing a first portion of a surface of the storage-phosphor plate to stimulating light using an array of light emitting diodes, the stimulating light diffusing in the storage medium under a second portion of the surface adjacent the first portion, the second portion of the surface being shielded from exposure to the stimulating light;
- and
- receiving stimulated light released from the storage-phosphor plate in response to the stimulating light with a linear array of detectors positioned to receive the stimulated light via the second portion of the surface of the storage-phosphor plate, the stimulated light corresponding to the information.
An apparatus operable to store and retrieve information, comprising:
- a storage medium operable to capture incident light corresponding to the information;
- a stimulating light source operable to expose a first portion of a surface of the storage medium to stimulating light such that the stimulating light diffuses in the storage medium under a second portion of the surface adjacent the first portion, the second portion of the surface being shielded from exposure to the stimulating light;
- and
- at least one detector positioned to receive stimulated light via the second portion of the surface of the storage medium, the stimulated light being released from the storage medium in response to the stimulating light diffused under the second portion of the surface.
An x-ray image capture device, comprising:
- a storage-phosphor plate operable to capture incident x-rays corresponding to an image;
- a stimulating light source operable to expose a first portion of a surface of the storage-phosphor plate to stimulating light such that the stimulating light diffuses in the storage-phosphor plate under a second portion of the surface adjacent the first portion, the second portion of the surface being shielded from exposure to the stimulating light;
- a linear array of detectors positioned to receive stimulated light via the second portion of the surface of the storage-phosphor plate and convert the stimulated light to electronic data corresponding to the image, the stimulated light being released from the storage-phosphor plate in response to the stimulating light diffused under the second portion of the surface;
- an actuator assembly operable to effect relative motion between the surface of the storage-phosphor plate and each of the stimulating light source and the array of detectors in one dimension;
- and
- a cassette enclosure having a form factor corresponding to a standard radiographic film cassette, the cassette enclosure having the storage-phosphor plate, the stimulating light source, the array of detectors, and the actuator assembly enclosed therein.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.