Patent ID: 6190844
Filing Date: 2001-02-20
Classification: G03C

Abstract:
A method for providing a radiographic image comprising:A) providing a black-and-white image by contacting an imagewise exposed radiographic film with wet processing chemistry, including a black-and-white developing composition, for 90 seconds or less, said black-and-white image having visually adaptive contrast whereby the upper scale contrast is at least 1.2 times the lower scale contrast of a sensitometric D vs. log E curve, and also being capable of maintaining a gamma of at least 2.5 up to 2.5 density units,B) scanning said black-and-white image obtained in A) to form density representative signals, andC) digitally manipulating the density representative signals obtained in B) to produce a digital record,said radiographic silver halide film comprising a support having first and second major surfaces and that is capable of transmitting X-radiation,said film having disposed on the first major support surface, two or more hydrophilic colloid layers including first and second silver halide emulsion layers, and on the second major support surface, two or more hydrophilic colloid layers including third and fourth silver halide emulsion layers, said first and third silver halide emulsion layers being closer to the support than said second and fourth silver halide emulsion layers, respectively,each of said first, second, third and fourth silver halide emulsion layers comprising silver halide grains that (a) have the same or different composition in each silver halide emulsion layer, (b) account for at least 50% of the total grain projected area within each silver halide emulsion layer, (c) have an average thickness of less than 0.3 .mu.m, and (d) have an average aspect ratio of greater than 5,all hydrophilic layers of said film being fully forehardened and wet processing solution permeable for image formation within 45 seconds,said first and third silver halide emulsion layers comprising at least one particulate dye that is (a) capable of absorbing radiation to which the silver halide emulsions are sensitive, (b) present in an amount sufficient to reduce crossover to less than 15%, and (c) capable of being substantially decolorized during wet processing.