Patent ID: 7196345

Claim:
A stimulable phosphor sheet erasing method, in which residual radiation energy remaining on a stimulable phosphor sheet is erased such that the erased stimulable phosphor sheet becomes capable of being used for a next radiation image recording operation, the method comprising the steps of: i) detecting an energy level of the residual radiation energy remaining on the stimulable phosphor sheet, ii) acquiring information representing an image recording sensitivity in the next radiation image recording operation, which is to be performed on the stimulable phosphor sheet, and iii) adjusting a quantity of imparted erasing energy, which is to be imparted to the stimulable phosphor sheet in order to erase the residual radiation energy remaining on the stimulable phosphor sheet, by use of both the image recording sensitivity in the next radiation image recording operation, which is to be performed on the stimulable phosphor sheet, and the energy level of the residual radiation energy remaining on the stimulable phosphor sheet, the quantity of the imparted erasing energy being adjusted such that, as the image recording sensitivity in the next radiation image recording operation, which is to be performed on the stimulable phosphor sheet, becomes high, and as the energy level of the residual radiation energy remaining on the stimulable phosphor sheet becomes high, the quantity of the imparted erasing energy is set to be large.