Patent ID: 6828077
Filing Date: 2004-12-07
Classification: G03C,Y10S

Abstract:
A method of imaging for mammography comprising exposing a patient to X-radiation at a peak voltage greater than 28 kVp using an X-radiation generating device, and providing a black-and-white image of said exposed patient using an imaging assembly comprising:A) a radiographic silver halide film that comprises a support having first and second major surfaces and that is capable of transmitting X-radiation, said radiographic silver halide film having disposed on said first major support surface, one or more hydrophilic colloid layers including at least one cubic grain silver halide emulsion layer, and having disposed on said second major support surface, one or more hydrophilic colloid layers including at least one tabular grain silver halide emulsion layer, wherein said film can be exposed to provide a black-and-white image having a d(&ggr;)/d(log E) value greater than 5, and B) a fluorescent intensifying screen that comprises an inorganic phosphor capable of absorbing X-rays and emitting electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength greater than 300 nm, wherein said radiographic silver halide film has a photographic speed of at least 100, said radiograrphic silver halide film having disposed on said first major support surface, one or more hydrophilic colloid layers including at least one cubic train silver halide emulsion layer, and having disposed on said second major support surface, one or more hydrophilic colloid layers including at least one tabular grain silver halide emulsion layer, wherein said cubic grain silver halide emulsion layer comprises: 1) a combination of first and second spectral sensitizing dyes that provides a combined maximum J-aggregate absorption on said cubic silver halide grains of from about 540 to about 560 nm, and wherein said first spectral sensitizing dye is an anionic benzimidazole-benzoxazole carbocyanine, said second spectral sensitizing dye is an anionic oxycarbocyanine, and said first and second spectral sensitizing dyes are present in a molar ratio of from about 0.25:1 to about 4:1, 2) a mixture of a first hydrophilic binder that is gelatin or a gelatin derivative and a second hydronhilic binder other than gelatin or a gelatin derivative, wherein the weight ratio of said first hydronhilic binder to said second hydrophilic binder is from about 2:1 to about 5:1, and the level of hardener in said cubic grain silver halide emulsion layer is from about 0.4 to about 1.5 weight % based on the total weight of said first hydrophilic binder in said cubic grain silver halide emulsion layer, 3) cubic silver halide grains comprising from about 1 to about 20 mol % chloride and from about 0.25 to about 1.5 mol % iodide, both based on total silver in said cubic train emulsion layer, which cubic silver halide grains have an average ECD of from about 0.65 to about 0.8 &mgr;m, and 4) cubic silver halide grains that are doped with a hexacoordination complex compound within part or all of 95% of the innermost volume from the center of said cubic silver halide grains.