Patent ID: 7180085

Claim:
An image information reading apparatus comprising: a reading assembly for applying a stimulating light beam in a main direction to a stimulable phosphor sheet which carries radiation image information of a subject stored therein, and reading photo-stimulated light emitted from said stimulable phosphor sheet in response to the stimulating light beam applied thereto; and an auxiliary scanning system for feeding said reading assembly and said stimulable phosphor sheet relatively to each other in an auxiliary direction which is substantially perpendicular to said main direction; said reading assembly comprising: a stimulating beam system extending in said main direction for applying said stimulating light beam to said stimulable phosphor sheet; and a light collecting system extending in said main direction for collecting the photo-stimulated light emitted from said stimulable phosphor sheet in response to the stimulating light beam applied thereto; said stimulating beam system and said light collecting system being disposed in a predetermined range of distances from said stimulable phosphor sheet along flexing of said stimulable phosphor sheet in said main direction.