Patent ID: 7064343

Claim:
A high speed counterbalanced translation device for use with radiographic media comprising: a) a scanning stage comprising a scanning stage slot, wherein the scanning stage is adapted for movement in a first direction and a second direction along a first axis; b) a balancing stage comprising a balancing stage slot, wherein the balancing stage is disposed on an opposite side of the radiographic media from the scanning stage and is adapted for movement in a third direction and a fourth direction along a second axis; c) a scanning module mounted on the scanning stage; d) a counterbalance module attached to the balancing stage comprising a weight that complements a scanning module weight; and e) a continuous drive cable engaging a drive pulley with a drive motor for rotating the drive pulley, wherein the cable further comprises: i) a first pin for sequentially moving the scanning stage from a first position to a second position by engaging the first scanning stage slot; and ii) a second pin for moving the balancing stage simultaneously with the scanning stage from a third position to a fourth position by engaging the balancing stage slot; and, wherein the first pin subsequently moves the balancing stage from the fourth position to the third position while second pin moves the scanning stage from the second position to the first position.