Claims
- 1. A method of obtaining an electrical representation of a radiation image by means of at least one CCD sensor characterised by the steps of:
- exposing a stimulable phosphor plate to said radiation image, thereby recording said radiation image on said phosphor plate,
- dividing the area of said phosphor plate into at least two different two-dimensional portions,
- stimulating each of said portions of said plate by light guided from a light source to said plate portion, said light having a wavelength within the stimulating wavelength range of said stimulable phosphor and causing said portion of said phosphor plate to emit stimulated light,
- guiding said stimulated light from said phosphor plate portion to at least one two-dimensional CCD sensor kept in a static position relative to said phosphor plate portion and detecting said stimulated light by means of said CCD sensor,
- converting said detected stimulated light into an electrical representation of said plate portion,
- combining said electrical representation of each of said different plate portions into said electrical representation of said radiation image.
- 2. Method according to claim 1 wherein said plate portions are sequentially stimulated by said stimulating light wherein one sensor is sequentially disposed at static positions relative to each of said portions and sequentially detects said stimulated light originating from said different portions of said phosphor plate.
- 3. Method according to claim 1 wherein said plate portions are simultaneously stimulated by said stimulating light where separate two dimensional sensors are disposed at static positions relative to each of said portions and simultaneously detect said stimulated light originating from said different portions of said phosphor plate.
- 4. A method according to claim 1, wherein said guiding of said stimulating light is done by use of fibre-optic means conducting said stimulating light from said stimulating light source to said storage phosphor plate.
- 5. A method according to claim 4, wherein said light guiding is done by use of a tapered fibre-optic means.
- 6. A method according to claim 1, wherein said guiding of said stimulated light is done by fibre-optic means conducting said emitted light from said storage phosphor plate to said CCD.
- 7. A method according to claim 6, wherein said light guiding is done by use of a tapered fibre-optic means.
- 8. A method according to claim 1, wherein said light guiding for said stimulation light and said light guiding of said stimulated light to said CCD is done by using a combined fibre-optic means, directing said stimulating light from said stimulating light source to said storage phosphor plate and guiding said emitted light from said storage phosphor plate to said CCD wherein the output end of the fibres guiding said stimulation light and the input end of the fibres guiding said stimulated light are situated at the same side of said storage plate.
- 9. A method according to claim 8, wherein said light guiding is done using a combined fibre-optic means which comprises at least one tapered fibre optic.
- 10. A method according to claim 1, wherein said light guiding from said phosphor plate to said CCD is done using fibre-optic means in combination with a thin gelatin filter as filtering means for the stimulated light.
- 11. A method according to claim 1, wherein said light guiding from said phosphor plate to said CCD is done using fibre-optic means comprising doped glass fibres as a filtering means.
- 12. A method according to claim 1, wherein said stimulation of said phosphor plate is done by a stimulating light source which is pulsed.
- 13. A method according to claim 12, wherein detection of stimulated light is done in between the stimulating light pulses from said stimulating light source.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
97200267 |
Jan 1997 |
EPX |
|
Parent Case Info
The application claims the benefit of the U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/041,292, filed Mar. 18, 1997.
US Referenced Citations (5)
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
0559118 |
Jan 1993 |
EPX |
WO9641212 |
Dec 1996 |
WOX |