Abstract: In a method of increasing humidity stability of a storage phosphor panel having a phosphor layer coated onto a support by vapor depositing raw phosphor precursor materials of a matrix and an activator component from one or more crucible(s) and/or crucible unit(s) in a vapor deposition apparatus, after ending vapor depositing an additional “over-annealing” step is performed in humidity conditions wherein more than 10 g of water per cubic meter of dry conditioning air is present.

Abstract: In a method for producing precursor compounds suitable for use in the production of europium doped cesium halide photostimulable phosphors, at least one of the steps essentially makes use of an ammonium halide salt.

Abstract: An optical memory plate particularly suitable for identification purposes or protection against forgery and counterfeiting radiation provides inscription of data and read-out of thus stored inscription data, comprises a europium doped alkali metal halide storage phosphor layer, and, more preferably, a stimulable CsBr:Eu phosphor substantially free of alkaline earth metals.

Abstract: In a method of preparing a storage phosphor panel having a phosphor layer coated onto a dedicate substrate by vapor depositing raw phosphor precursor materials comprising a matrix component,an activator component and/or a combination thereof from one or more crucible unit(s) in a vapor deposition apparatus, wherein said crucible unit comprises a crucible container and a vaporization chimney; said method comprises the steps of (1) adding said raw phosphor precursor materials to said crucible unit, and (2) vapor depositing a phosphor layer from said raw phosphor precursor materials, wherein vapor depositing proceeds at an increased temperature in the crucible unit, said temperature exceeding the melting temperature of said matrix raw material with more than 70° C.; wherein an “activator coating weight number” for said phosphor layer reaches a value of at least 7,000; said “activator coating weight number” being defined herein.

Abstract: In a method of preparing a storage phosphor layer on a support by vapor deposition from a crucible unit by heating as phosphor precursor raw materials a matrix component and an activator component or a precursor component thereof, wherein said crucible unit comprises at least a bottom and surrounding side walls as a crucible for phosphor precursor raw materials present in said crucible in liquid form, wherein said crucible unit further comprises at least a chimney as part of the crucible unit and a slit allowing phosphor precursor raw materials to escape in vaporized form from said crucible unit in order to deposit it as a phosphor layer onto said support, the step of heating said precursor raw materials in the crucible in liquid form proceeds up to a temperature T1 and the step of heating said precursor raw materials in vaporized form in said chimney, proceeds up to a temperature T2, characterized in that a positive difference in temperature [T2?T1] is maintained.

Abstract: In a photostimulable storage phosphor screen or panel wherein said screen comprises storage phosphor particles dispersed in a binder and wherein said particles have a particle size distribution having a d99 which is not more than 15 ?m, said d99 expressing a grain size limit above which not more than 1% by weight of phosphor powder particles is present in said phosphor powder, its structure noise parameter DQE2rel exceeds a value of 0.70 and a ratio of d99 (expressed in ?m) and DQE2rel is not more than 25:1, wherein DQE2rel is the ratio of the DQE2 obtained at a dose of 22 mR to the DQE2 obtained at a dose of 3 mR, as expressed in formula (I) DQE2rel=DQE2(22 mR))/DQE2(3 mR)??(I) which is representative for an amount of screen-structure noise produced by said screen or panel in the complete spatial frequency range.

Abstract: A photostimulable storage phosphor screen or panel suitable for use in mammographic applications comprises on a support, a storage phosphor layer and, adjacent thereto, an outermost top-coat layer, wherein said top-coat layer has a roughness profile such that an average spacing between peaks as measured by means of a stylus profiler over and along its scan-distance, is less than 250 ?m.

Abstract: A method for producing CsX:Eu stimulable phosphors and screens or panels provided with said phosphors as powder phosphors or vapor deposited needle-shaped phosphors suitable for use in image forming methods for recording and reproducing images of objects made by high energy radiation, wherein said CsX:Eu stimulable phosphors are essentially free from oxygen in their crystal structure, and wherein X represents a halide selected from the group consisting of Br, Cl and combinations thereof, and wherein the method further comprises the steps of mixing CsX with a compound or combinations of precursor compounds having as a composition CsxEuyX?x+?y, wherein the ratio of x to y exceeds a value of 0.25, wherein ??2 and wherein X? is a halide selected from the group consisting of Cl, Br and I and combinations thereof; heating said mixture at a temperature above 450° C.; cooling said mixture, and optionally annealing and recovering said CsX:Eu phosphor.

Abstract: An image storage screen or panel, suitable for use in applications related with computed radiography, has been disclosed, wherein said screen or panel comprises a binderless needle-shaped stimulable (storage) phosphor and a substrate, characterized in that said substrate has a surface roughness of less than 2 ?m and a reflectivity of more than 80%.

Abstract: A binderless storage phosphor screen comprises a vacuum deposited CsBr:Eu phosphor layer on a support, wherein the support includes a layer of amorphous carbon and optionally one or more auxilliary layers.

Abstract: A system has been described for reading out stimulable phosphor screens, plates or panels, whether or not differing from each other in phosphor composition or phosphor layer arrangement, after exposing said screens to X-rays. Said system comprises at least one source of stimulating radiation, an array of transducer elements arranged for detecting light emitted upon stimulation and for converting said light into a signal representation of said image. Said system further comprises filtering means for preventing light, emitted by said source of stimulation light, from being detected by said transducer elements, wherein said filtering means transmits light with a high transmission efficiency for emitted blue light upon stimulation and low transmission for radiation from the stimulating laser source.

Abstract: Storage phosphor particles suitable for use in coated layers of stimulable phosphor screens or panels, in favor of high relative sensitivity, advantageously contain at the surface of the phosphor particles and in their inner volume, as components composing the said phosphor, a matrix component and a dopant or activator element that is homogeneously incorporated, wherein preference is given to particles having an aspect ratio of more than 2:1 and less than 50:1, said aspect ratio being defined as a ratio of 2 largest sizes of said particles, said sizes being taken in 3 dimensions perpendicular to each other, provided that one of said 2 largest sizes is smaller than 10 ?m.

Abstract: A system has been described for reading out a plurality of stimulable phosphor screens, plates or panels, after exposing said screens to X-rays having an energy in the range from 25 up to 150 kVp, the screens being selected from the group consisting of binder containing powder screens and binderless, crystalline or amorphous phosphor layer screens; wherein said phosphors are divalent europium activated alkali halide type phosphors wherein said halide is at least one of bromide or a combination of bromide with at least one of chloride and iodide, or divalent europium activated alkaline earth metal halide phosphors, wherein said halide is at least one of fluoride, chloride, bromide and iodide or a combination thereof, and wherein said screens are consecutively subjected to following steps of stimulating said phosphor screens by means of stimulation energy; detecting stimulated emission energy, emitted by the phosphor screen upon stimulation; converting detected energy into a signal representation of said radiat

Abstract: In a method of consecutively manufacturing a set of at least 5 storage phosphor plates by a vapor deposition process in one and the same vapor deposition apparatus, in said apparatus, before starting each vaporization, refractory material surfaces are brought into contact, in a crucible unit thereof, with liquefied raw materials of a matrix component and an activator component, a phosphor precursor component or a combination thereof, wherein deviations in speed from one plate to another within said set of storage phosphor plates are less than 15%, said deviations being expressed as a variation coefficient defined by following formula (SAL % dev/SAL % av)×100, provided that SAL % av stands for an averaged speed within average speeds over each of said storage phosphor plate surfaces within said set and that SAL % dev stands for a standard deviation of averaged speeds obtained from each phosphor plate within said set, wherein a step of increasing said refractory material surfaces is included by adding to said cr

Abstract: An image storage screen or panel, suitable for use in applications related with computed radiography comprises, on a support, a binderless needle-shaped stimulable CsBr:Eu phosphor layer, wherein, besides low amounts of a europium activator or dopant in favor of homogeneous distribution of said activator in the CsBr matrix, presence of well-defined amounts of rubidium halide and cesium chloride in said matrix, and, optionally, further presence of alkali metal, alkaline earth metal and/or metal earth salts, and/or, optionally, other metal salts or oxides, provides a remarkable speed increase, without loss in sharpness.

Abstract: Needle-shaped CsBr:Eu2+ storage phosphor crystal particles in form of a cylinder suitable for use in flat storage phosphor panels have been provided, wherein said particles have an average cross-section in the range from 1 ?m up to 30 ?m and an average length, measured along the casing of said cylinder, in the range from 100 ?m up to 1000 ?m.

Abstract: Stimulable phosphor screens, sheets or panels having alkali metal halide storage phosphors have been disclosed, said phosphors showing emission of red light, after stimulation with an ultraviolet radiation source having a radiation emission maximum of 365 nm, wherein an intensity of red light is not higher than 10% of the blue light emission intensity, and wherein both emission intensities having been measured after stimulation of the said storage phosphors in the phosphor layer of the panel, having stored energy from radiation in the wavelength range shorter than 350 nm.

Abstract: A Eu-doped CsBr-type storage phosphor screen or panel has been disclosed, providing ratios of ultraviolet luminescence intensities of at least 10/9 after having been exposed to radiation having a wavelength in the range from 150 to 400 nm, measured at same sites without and with pretreatment exposure of said storage phosphor screen or panel with short ultraviolet radiation in the range from 150 to 300 nm and having an energy of 10 mJ/mm2, as well as a method of producing a stimulable phosphor screen or panel, characterized in that during or after at least one of the manufacturing steps a radiation exposure treatment is given with radiation sources emitting short ultraviolet radiation in the range from 150 to 300 nm with an energy of at least 10 mJ/mm2.

Abstract: A binderless storage phosphor screen comprises a vacuum deposited phosphor layer on a support, wherein the support includes a layer of amorphous carbon and, optionally, one or more auxilliary layers.

Abstract: A binderless storage phosphor screen comprises a vacuum deposited CsBr:Eu phosphor layer on a support, wherein the support includes a layer of amorphous carbon and optionally one or more auxilliary layers.