Patent ID: 6936829

Claim:
An image read-out method, comprising the steps of: i) supporting an image carrier, which carries an image thereon, on a stage, ii) producing a stimulating ray beam by at least one stimulating ray source, iii) irradiating the stimulating ray beam, which has been produced by the stimulating ray source, onto the image carrier, which has been supported on the stage, by use of an optical head, the stimulating ray beam causing the image carrier to emit light carrying information of the image carried on the image carrier, iv) collecting the light, which is emitted by the image carrier, and guiding the light toward photo detecting means, the light collection and the light guiding being performed by the optical head, v) photoelectrically detecting the light, which is emitted by the image carrier, with the photo detecting means, and vi) moving at least either one of the optical head and the stage with respect to the other and in two-dimensional directions along a plane parallel with the other, wherein the optical head comprises: a) a concave mirror for reflecting the stimulating ray beam, which has been produced by the stimulating ray source and travels in parallel with the stage, toward the image carrier, and b) a lens for converging the stimulating ray beam, which has been reflected from the concave mirror, and causing the converged stimulating ray beam to impinge upon the image carrier, and the lens and the concave mirror of the optical head guide the light, which is emitted by the image carrier, toward the photo detecting means.