Patent ID: 7127039

Claim:
An imaging plate device for use in computerized radiography, said device being subject to damage during imaging of a patient, said device comprising: an imaging plate ( 10 ) having an active side ( 12 ) receiving x-radiation passing through a radiographed portion of the patient for forming a latent image of a radiographed portion and an x-ray image on a display screen upon examination of the imaging plate in a reading apparatus; an individual imaging plate identification means ( 11 ) on said imaging plate, said individual imaging plate identification means forming an individual imaging plate identification that is visible in the x-ray image obtained from the imaging plate for identifying an individual imaging plate device among other imaging plate devices, said individual imaging plate identification means being of a size and at a location on the imaging plate that does not interfere with the viewing of the x-ray image of the radiographed portion of the patient at normal image enlargement, for diagnostic purposes, but is read at greater than normal enlargement of the location of the individual imaging plate identification means on the imaging plate; and a visible marking ( 13 ) of the individual imaging plate identification means on said imaging plate, whereby an imaging plate device found to be damaged from an examination of the x-ray image obtained from the imaging plate is identified from the individual imaging plate identification present in the x-ray image and the identity of the damaged imaging plate device thereafter is determined from the visible marking of the individual imaging plate identification on the imaging plate.