Patent ID: 6621094
Filing Date: 2003-09-16
Classification: G01T

Abstract:
A radiation image read-out method, comprising the steps of:i) linearly irradiating stimulating rays, which have been produced by a line light source, onto an area of one surface of a stimulable phosphor sheet, on which a radiation image has been stored, the stimulating rays causing the stimulable phosphor sheet to emit light in proportion to an amount of energy stored thereon during its exposure to radiation, ii) receiving light, which is emitted from the linear area of the one surface of the stimulable phosphor sheet exposed to the linear stimulating rays or from a linear area of the other surface of the stimulable phosphor sheet corresponding to the linear area of the one surface of the stimulable phosphor sheet, with a line sensor, the received light being subjected to photoelectric conversion performed by the line sensor, iii) moving the stimulable phosphor sheet with respect to the line light source and the line sensor and in a direction different from a length direction of the linear area of the stimulable phosphor sheet, and iv) successively reading outputs of the line sensor in accordance with the movement, wherein the line sensor comprises a pair of one-dimensional charge coupled device image sensors, wherein the one-dimensional charge coupled device image sensors comprise a light receiving region and a charge transfer region, and the light receiving regions of the one-dimensional charge coupled device image sensors are located close to each other so as to stand side by side with respect to a direction, which is normal to the length direction of the linear area of the stimulable phosphor sheet, and with a fine gap intervening between the light receiving regions.