Claims
- 1 An apparatus for the storage and transmission of radiographic images contained on a radiographic image substrate, said apparatus comprising:
a) a housing; b) a drive mechanism located within said housing and capable of driving said substrate without chatter; c) a light source; d) individual optical fibers delivering light from said light source to a scan line on the radiographic image substrate and with the drive mechanism moving the substrate to provide a series of successive scan lines with each scan line containing a plurality of pixels representing a portion of the image on the substrate; and e) a detector station for detecting successive light pixels in each scan line and on each of the successive scan lines of the radiographic image for generating electrical signals representative of the image and allowing for electronically storing same.
- 2 The apparatus for the storage and transmission of radiographic images of claim 1 further characterized in that said apparatus comprises an elongate light collecting bar which collects light from each of the optical fibers so that each scan line of the radiographic image on the substrate is successively lighted and scanned.
- 3 The apparatus for the storage and transmission of radiographic images of claim 2 further characterized in that a light distribution system collects the individual pixels of light and concentrates all of said pixels before detecting same with said detector station.
- 4 The apparatus for the storage and transmission of radiographic images of claim 1 further characterized in that a linearly extending light linearizing and collecting bar is located in a position to receive light from ends of each of the optical fibers and causes that light to pass through the substrate carrying the radiographic image to a light detecting member at said detector station.
- 5 The apparatus for the storage and transmission of radiographic images of claim 4 further characterized in that the detector station receives the light signals from the light distribution member in an analog format and thereafter allows for conversion to a digital format where the data represented by the signals can be electronically stored for ultimate retrieval.
- 6 The apparatus for the storage and transmission of radiographic images of claim 1 further characterized in that said light source is a laser light source.
- 7 The apparatus for the storage and transmission of radiographic images of claim 1 further characterized in that said drive system uses a plurality of drive rollers located on one side of said substrate to engage said substrate, and a plurality of idler rollers on the opposite side of the substrate and which also engage the substrate.
- 8 An apparatus for the storage and transmission of radiographic images contained on a radiographic image substrate, said apparatus comprising:
a) a drive system located with respect to a substrate for causing movement of the substrate; b) an image lighting station located with respect to the moving substrate and which image lighting station includes a plurality of separate optical fibers with each separate fiber being arranged to light successive portions of each scan line on the image bearing substrate; c) a light collection station located on an opposite side of the radiographic image substrate with respect to the image generating station and receiving pixels of light passing through the substrate for each of the successive scan lines on the substrate; and d) means associated with said light collection station for converting the pixel of light and generating equivalent electrical signals therefrom.
- 9 The apparatus for storage and transmission of radiographic images of claim 8 further characterized in that each light collection station comprises a light concentrating member forming part thereof and integrating each of the pixels of light in each successive scan line into a form suitable for detecting the amount of light and converting to said electrical signals.
- 10 The apparatus for the storage and transmission of radiographic images of claim 8 further characterized in that said apparatus comprises a housing containing the drive system and the image lighting station and the light collection station, and an input means for receiving the substrate and an output means for returning the substrate.
- 11 The apparatus for the storage and transmission of radiographic images of claim 8 further characterized in that the electrical signal generating means generates said signals in analog format and means is associated therewith to convert the analog signal format to a digital signal format for recordation and retrieval of the information representative of each of the images.
- 12 An apparatus for the storage and transmission of radiographic images of claim 8 further characterized in that said apparatus comprises:
a) a light source at said image lighting station; b) first ends on said optical fibers located at said light source; and c) second ends on said optical fibers located at said light collection station.
- 13 The apparatus for the storage and transmission of radiographic images of claim 12 further characterized in that said first ends are located at said light source in a generally circular array and said second ends of said optical fibers are located in a linear array at said light collection station.
- 14 The apparatus for the storage and transmission of radiographic images of claim 12 further characterized in that said light collection station comprises a light detector means for generating the electrical signals, and which signals are in analog format and said apparatus comprises means for converting those signals to digital format.
- 15 An apparatus for the storage and transmission of radiographic images contained on a radiographic image substrate, said apparatus comprising:
a) an input for receiving a substrate bearing a radiographic image and initially moving same in a path through said apparatus; b) drive means located at said path for moving said substrate therein; c) laser light means for generating light along individual optical fibers having first ends gathering light at said laser light means; d) second ends of each of said optical fibers terminating at said path and carrying laser light for lighting the image; e) light collection means collecting the light on an opposite side of said path with respect to said second ends of said optical fibers and thereby generating a light pattern capable of being converted to electrical signals to represent the image scanned on said substrate; and f) exit means for returning the substrate after scanning thereon.
- 16 The apparatus for the storage and transmission of radiographic images contained on a radiographic image substrate of claim 15 further characterized in that said first ends of said optical fibers are located in a circular array with respect to said laser light means and said second ends of said optical fibers are located in a linear array to linearize the light means received at said light collection means.
- 17 The apparatus for the storage and transmission of radiographic images contained on a radiographic image substrate of claim 16 further characterized in that said apparatus comprises means for delivering the light at said laser light means to the first ends of each of the optical fibers successively in that circular array and where the light exits the linear array at the second ends.
- 18 A method of scanning a radiographic image contained on a radiographic image substrate in order to generate electrical signals representative of that radiographic image, said method comprising:
a) moving a radiographic image substrate through a housing; b) generating light in said housing from a light source; c) locating optical fibers at said light source to deliver light successively through each of the optical fibers to said radiographic image; and d) locating the light detector means on the opposite side of said radiographic image to detect the light passing through said substrate.
RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is based on and claims for priority the filing date of Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/351,080, filed on Jan. 14, 2002, for Apparatus and Method for Digitizing, Storing and Retrieving Radiographic Images.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60351080 |
Jan 2002 |
US |