Patent ID: 6455868
Filing Date: 2002-09-24
Classification: G01T

Abstract:
A radiation image read-out method, comprising:exposing a radiation image storage panel, which is provided with a stimulable phosphor layer and on which a radiation image has been stored, to stimulating rays, thereby causing the radiation image storage panel to emit light in proportion to the amount of energy stored thereon during its exposure to radiation, and photoelectrically converting the light emitted from a front surface of the radiation image storage panel and the light emitted from a back surface of the radiation image storage panel into image signals respectively, wherein the radiation image storage panel has rigidity, and wherein the radiation image storage panel comprises a transparent substrate constituting the back surface of the radiation image storage panel, and the stimulable phosphor layer is overlaid on the front surface side of the transparent substrate, the method further comprising: locating a light input face of a light member close to the back surface of the radiation image storage panel; guiding the light emitted from the back surface of the radiation image storage panel through the light guide member into photoelectric conversion means, wherein the light guide member is located so as to satisfy the formulas: t&lE;1/(2 tan &thgr;)âˆ’s sin&thgr;=n2/n1in which t represents the thickness of the transparent substrate, s represents the distance between the back surface of the radiation image storage panel and the light input face of the light guide member, 1 represents the width of the light input face of the light guide member, n2 represents the refractive index of air, and n1 represents the refractive index of the transparent index of the transparent substrate.