Patent ID: 6960778

Claim:
A radiation image information recording/reading apparatus comprising: an image recording unit for recording radiation image information in a stimulable phosphor sheet by irradiating radiation representing the radiation image information on the sheet; stimulating-ray main scan means for carrying out main scan of the sheet having the radiation image information therein with excitation light irradiated from a side opposite a side of irradiation of the radiation; vertical scan means for relatively moving either the stimulable phosphor sheet or the stimulating-ray main scan means to the other in a direction crossing a direction of the main scan; photoelectric detection means for detecting phosphorescent light emitted from an area in the sheet on which the excitation light has been irradiated, from a side of irradiation of the excitation light and from a side opposite of the radiation irradiation; erasing means for releasing residual radiation energy from the sheet after reading the light, prior to recording of another image in the sheet by the image recording unit; a radiation absorption plate placed close to a surface of the sheet on the side opposite of the side of the radiation irradiation at the time of the radiation irradiation on the sheet and moved away from the sheet after the radiation irradiation; and a moving device for moving the radiation absorption plate; wherein the main scan means comprises a linear light source disposed on only one side of the stimulable phosphor sheet for emitting the excitation light in the form of fan beams, and the photoelectric detection means comprises a line sensor disposed on only one side of the stimulable phosphor sheet; and wherein the line sensor and the linear light source are disposed on the same side of the stimulable phosphor sheet.