Patent ID: 7170082
Filing Date: 2007-01-30
Classification: G01T

Abstract:
1. A method of reading out a radiation image comprising the steps of causing a linear reading light beam to scan a radiation image sensor, on which a radiation image is recorded upon exposure to radiation bearing thereon the radiation image and which has a plurality of parallel linear electrodes to output charge signals according to the radiation image when longitudinally scanned by a linear reading light beam extending in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the linear electrodes, in the longitudinal direction of its linear electrodes, and obtaining an image signal by integrating charge signals, output by the respective linear electrodes in response to the scan of the reading light beam, for each integrating time, wherein the improvement comprises that a pulsed light beam which is projected by a pulsed light source onto the radiation image sensor for a predetermined time in each of the integrating times is employed as the reading light beam, and projection of the pulsed light beam is controlled by a light emission control means so that the center of the time for which the pulsed light beam is projected onto the radiation image sensor is earlier than the center of the integrating time; wherein the light emission control means controls the emission initiating time of the pulsed light beam by the pulsed light source so that there is a non-lighting time, for which the reading light beam is not lit, before the pulsed light beam is projected onto the radiation image sensor in the integrating time.