Patent ID: 6759672
Filing Date: 2004-07-06
Classification: G01T

Abstract:
A method of reading out an image carrier such as a storage phosphor screen, storage phosphor sheet, or imaging plate which is sensitive to radiation, comprising the steps of:optically stimulating the image carrier to induce luminescence and acquire a digital image of a subject from the image carrier by using, as a stimulating light source, a semiconductor light source array including a plurality of semiconductor light sources arranged in an array and to which an optical fiber array consisting of a bundle of optical fibers is connected; controlling a starting of the semiconductor light source array with an electric pulse; and interlocking the starting pulse for the semiconductor light source array with a photomultiplier tube for collecting a luminescence light signal induced from the storage phosphor screen by the stimulating light, and representing the collected light signal as a distribution of a two-dimensional position to acquire the digital image of the subject from the image carrier, wherein said plurality of semiconductor light sources are activated in a predetermined sequence to supply stimulating light to different said optical fibers and thereby scan the image carrier by stimulating different areas of the image carrier without physically moving said semiconductor light source array and bundle of optical fibers.