Patent ID: 7211818

Claim:
An image read-out method of obtaining an image signal bearing thereon image information by use of a stimulable phosphor sheet having a layer of stimulable phosphor which emits stimulated emission in proportion to the stored energy of radiation upon exposure to stimulating light and a solid image sensor having a photoconductive material layer which exhibits electric conductivity upon exposure to the stimulated emission from the stimulable phosphor sheet, and by scanning with stimulating light a stimulable phosphor sheet which has been exposed to radiation and has stored thereon an image, causing the photoconductive material layer to be exposed to stimulated emission emitted from the stimulable phosphor sheet upon exposure to the stimulating light, and detecting electric charges generated in the photoconductive material layer upon exposure to the stimulated emission, comprising: using the solid image sensor having a photoconductive material layer having an area smaller than the area of the stimulable phosphor sheet and the stimulated emission receiving face of the solid image sensor is divided into a plurality of photoelectric conversion segments, and discretely connecting a plurality of image signal obtaining means to the respective photoelectric conversion segments to detect electric charges generated in the photoelectric conversion segments, and obtaining an image signal for one picture element by adding a plurality of image signals obtained from a plurality of image signal obtaining means, said plurality of image signal obtaining means being respectively connected to a plurality of photoelectric conversion segments which receive stimulated emission from the picture element, and said plurality if image signal obtaining means being connected to an adder, wherein the plurality of image signals comprise signals obtained from adjacent photoelectric conversion elements having activation times that overlap for at least a period of time.