Patents by Inventor Phillip C. Bunch

Phillip C. Bunch has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7147982
    Abstract: A radiographic imaging assembly comprises a symmetric radiographic silver halide film has an overall system speed of at least 1100 to provide images with improved contrast and sharpness and reduced fog. The imaging assembly includes a symmetric radiographic film having a speed of at least 700 that includes at least two silver halide emulsions on each side of the support that comprise tabular silver halide grains. The emulsions closer to the support comprise a suitable crossover control agent. The imaging assembly also includes a pair of phosphor intensifying screens that have an average screen sharpness measurement (SSM) greater than reference Curve A of FIG. 4. The screens can have a support that includes a reflective substrate comprising a continuous polyester phase and microvoids containing inorganic particles dispersed within the polyester phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2006
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Robert E. Dickerson, Phillip C. Bunch, David J. Steklenski
  • Patent number: 7018770
    Abstract: A reflective radiographic material is useful to provide images that can be viewed without a light box. This reflective radiographic material has a reflective support and a silver halide emulsion on one side of the support only. The material can be used with a single green- or blue-light emitting fluorescent intensifying screen as part of an imaging assembly. The reflective support enables the image in the radiographic material to be viewed without a light box and the speed of the material enables the use of low power X-radiation generating equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2006
    Inventors: Robert E. Dickerson, Kenneth A. Duke, Phillip C. Bunch, Alan S. Fitterman
  • Patent number: 7005226
    Abstract: A radiographic imaging assembly comprises a symmetric radiographic silver halide film has an overall system speed of at least 200 but less than 800 to provide images with improved contrast and sharpness and reduced fog. The imaging assembly includes a symmetric radiographic silver halide film having a speed of at least 700 that includes two silver halide emulsions on both sides of the support that comprise tabular silver halide grains. The emulsions closer to the support comprise a suitable crossover control agent. The imaging assembly also includes a pair of phosphor intensifying screens that have a screen sharpness measurement (SSM) greater than reference Curve A of FIG. 4. The screens can have a support that includes a reflective substrate comprising a continuous polyester phase and microvoids containing inorganic particles dispersed within the polyester phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2006
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Robert E. Dickerson, Phillip C. Bunch, David J. Steklenski
  • Patent number: 6967071
    Abstract: An ultra-high-speed radiographic imaging assembly (at least 900 system speed) is useful especially for pediatric radiography to provide images with improved contrast and sharpness and reduced fog. The imaging assembly includes a symmetric film having a speed of at least 400 that includes at least two silver halide emulsion layers on each side of a film support that comprise tabular silver halide grains. The imaging assembly also includes two fluorescent intensifying screens wherein the pair of screens has a screen speed of at least 400 and the screens have an average screen sharpness measurement (SSM) value greater than reference Curve A of FIG. 4. The screens can have a support that includes a reflective substrate comprising a continuous polyester phase and microvoids containing inorganic particles dispersed within the polyester phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2005
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Robert E. Dickerson, Phillip C. Bunch, David J. Steklenski
  • Patent number: 6387586
    Abstract: High performance, very high contrast radiographic films exhibit visually adaptive contrast when imaged in radiographic imaging assemblies comprising intensifying screens. These films having at least two tabular silver halide emulsions on each side of a film support, and the emulsion closest to the film support on each side includes chemistry to control crossover and a rhodium dopant and has higher photographic speeds than the other emulsions. In addition, the films can be rapidly processed to provide images having a peak gamma >3.1 while maintaining gammas >1.0 out into the toe of a D vs. logE sensitometric curve to a value of −0.9 logE. These films are particularly useful for thoracic imaging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2002
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Robert E. Dickerson, Phillip C. Bunch
  • Patent number: 6350554
    Abstract: High performance, very high contrast radiographic films exhibit visually adaptive contrast when imaged in radiographic imaging assemblies comprising intensifying screens. These films having at least two tabular silver halide emulsions on each side of a film support, and the emulsion closest to the film support on each side includes chemistry to control crossover and a rhodium dopant and has higher photographic speeds than the other emulsions. In addition, the films can be rapidly processed to provide images having visually adaptive contrast wherein the upper scale contrast is at least 1.7 times the lower scale contrast. These films are particularly useful for orthopedic imaging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2002
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Robert E. Dickerson, Phillip C. Bunch
  • Patent number: 6200723
    Abstract: High performance radiographic films exhibit visually adaptive contrast when imaged in radiographic imaging assemblies comprising an intensifying screen on both sides. These films have at least two silver halide emulsions (preferably tabular grains) on each side of a film support, and the emulsion closest to the film support on each side includes chemistry to control crossover. In addition, the films can be rapidly processed to provide the desired image whereby the upper scale contrast is at least 1.2 times the lower scale contrast. Thus, dense objects can be better seen at the higher densities of the radiographic image without any adverse sensitometric changes in the lower scale densities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2001
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Robert E. Dickerson, Phillip C. Bunch
  • Patent number: 6190844
    Abstract: High performance radiographic films exhibit visually adaptive contrast when imaged in radiographic imaging assemblies comprising an intensifying screen on both sides. These films have at least two silver halide emulsions (preferably tabular grains) on each side of a film support, and the emulsion closest to the film support on each side includes chemistry to control crossover. In addition, the films can be rapidly processed to provide the desired image whereby the upper scale contrast is at least 1.2 times the lower scale contrast. Thus, dense objects can be better seen at the higher densities of the radiographic image without any adverse sensitometric changes in the lower scale densities. These films have greater dynamic range that allows them to be scanned and digitized to correct for under- or over-exposure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Robert E. Dickerson, Phillip C. Bunch
  • Patent number: 6190822
    Abstract: High performance, high contrast radiographic films exhibit visually adaptive contrast when imaged in radiographic imaging assemblies comprising an intensifying screen on both sides. These films having at least two silver halide emulsions on each side of a film support, and the emulsion closest to the film support on each side includes chemistry to control crossover and has higher photographic speeds than the other emulsions. In addition, the films can be rapidly processed to provide the desired image having visually adaptive contrast, i.e. the upper scale contrast is at least 1.7 times the lower scale contrast. Thus, dense objects can be better seen at the higher densities of the radiographic image without any adverse sensitometric changes in the lower scale densities. These films are useful for general purpose, high contrast radiographic imaging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Robert E. Dickerson, Phillip C. Bunch
  • Patent number: 5407790
    Abstract: A system for orthopedic imaging is disclosed which consists of a supply of low crossover sensitometrically asymmetric radiographic elements and cassettes with various front and back intensifying screens to produce optimal bone images and useful images of surrounding flesh.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 18, 1995
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Robert E. Dickerson, Phillip C. Bunch
  • Patent number: 5399470
    Abstract: Radiographic elements and assemblies are disclosed. The radiographic element has silver halide emulsion layer units coated on opposite sides of a film support, and are constructed to minimize crossover during exposure by the intensifying screens. The minimal crossover radiographic elements record both bone and soft tissue structure because a silver halide emulsion layer unit on one side of the support is chosen to exhibit an emission and contrast exceeding that of another silver halide emulsion layer unit on the opposite side of the support. Radiographic assemblies consisting of the radiographic elements and various front and back intensifying screens produce clear and useful X-ray images of the various bones and surrounding soft tissue structures of the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 21, 1995
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Robert E. Dickerson, Phillip C. Bunch
  • Patent number: 5285490
    Abstract: A radiographic imaging combination that is capable of detecting soft tissue anomalies is described. This combination is particularly effective for neonatal radiography and comprises a source of X-radiation exhibiting a peak emission in the range of from 40 to 60 keV with a 2 mm aluminum equivalent filtration, a filter for the source which comprises tellurium and/or antimony, at least one X-radiation imaging screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 1993
    Date of Patent: February 8, 1994
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Phillip C. Bunch, Luther C. Roberts, Kenneth E. Huff, Robert E. Dickerson
  • Patent number: 5259016
    Abstract: An X-ray imaging assembly is disclosed comprised of (I) a front and back pair of intensifying screens, (II) a radiographic element mounted between the intensifying screens, and (III) a collimating grid The front screen being chosen to exhibit modulation transfer factors greater than those of reference curve A in FIG. 2 . The radiographic element is comprised of a transparent film support, a front silver halide emulsion layer unit coated on the support and located adjacent the front intensifying screen, a back silver halide emulsion layer unit coated on the support and located adjacent the back intensifying screen, and means for reducing crossover to less than 10 percent. The X-ray collimating grid, located to receive X-radiation prior to the front screen, is comprised of an X-ray opaque material forming an array of at least 85 X-ray transmission apertures per inch providing at least 50 percent open area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 1992
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1993
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Robert E. Dickerson, Phillip C. Bunch, David J. Steklenski
  • Patent number: 5108881
    Abstract: Radiographic elements are disclosed with silver halide emulsion layer units coated on opposite sides of a film support. The radiographic elements are constructed to reduce crossover during exposure by intensifying screens to minimal levels. To permit the minimal crossover radiographic elements to be employed with varied intensifying screens, one of the silver halide emulsion layer units over an exposure range of at least 1.0 log E exhibits an average contrast of from 0.5 to <2.0 and point gammas that differ from the average contrast by less than .+-.40% and the second silver halide emulsion layer unit exhibits a mid-scale contrast of at least 0.5 greater than the average contrast of the first silvert halide emulsion layer unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 1990
    Date of Patent: April 28, 1992
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Robert E. Dickerson, Phillip C. Bunch
  • Patent number: 5021327
    Abstract: Assemblies of double coated radiographic elements exhibiting sharply curtailed crossover and front and back intensifying screen pairs are disclosed. By choosing a front screen that exceeds a stated sharpness criterion, expressed in terms of modulation transfer factors (MTF), and a back screen and adjacent emulsion layer unit combination exhibiting a photicity at least twice that of the combination of the front screen and its adjacent emulsion layer unit an enhancement in detective quantum efficiency (DQE) is realized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 1989
    Date of Patent: June 4, 1991
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Phillip C. Bunch, Robert E. Dickerson
  • Patent number: 4997750
    Abstract: A double coated radiographic element is disclosed which exhibits a crossover of less than 5 percent and which is provided with a silver halide emulsion layer unit on one side of its transparent film support that is at least twice the speed of the silver halide emulsion layer unit on the opposite side of the film support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 1989
    Date of Patent: March 5, 1991
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Robert E. Dickerson, Phillip C. Bunch
  • Patent number: 4994355
    Abstract: A double coated radiographic element is disclosed which exhibits a crossover of less than 5 percent and which is provided with a first silver halide emulsion layer unit on one side of its transparent film support that exhibits an average contrast of less than 2.0 and a second silver halide emulsion layer unit on the opposite side of the silm support that exhibits an average contrast of at least 2.5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 1990
    Date of Patent: February 19, 1991
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Robert E. Dickerson, Phillip C. Bunch
  • Patent number: H1105
    Abstract: An asymmetric radiographic element is disclosed comprised of a transparent film support, silver halide emulsion layer units of differing sensitometric characteristics coated on opposite sides of the film support, and a processing solution decolorizable means for reducing crossover to less than 10 percent. The radiographic element is positioned between intensifying screens and mounted in a cassette for exposure to X-radiation. A feature is included for ascertaining which of the emulsion layer units is positioned nearest a source of X-radiation during exposure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 1990
    Date of Patent: September 1, 1992
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Richard J. Jebo, Paul W. Twombly, Robert E. Dickerson, Phillip C. Bunch