Abstract: A method for inspecting a chromosome of a fetus includes: a collection step of obtaining maternal blood from a pregnant mother; a concentration step of concentrating nucleated red blood cells in the maternal blood; a sorting step of sorting the nucleated red blood cells in the maternal blood, in which the nucleated red blood cells are concentrated through the concentration step, into mother-derived nucleated red blood cells and fetus-derived nucleated red blood cells in accordance with the shapes of nuclei and spectral characteristics at wavelengths included in a light wavelength region of 400 to 650 nm; an amplification step of amplifying a nucleic acid of a chromosome of the nucleated red blood cells; a definition step of defining an amount of the amplified product of the nucleated red blood cells; and a determination step of determining presence or absence of a numerical abnormality of the fetus-derived chromosome.

Abstract: Provided is a method for sorting nucleated red blood cells in which fetus-derived nucleated red blood cells are sorted out from maternal blood. The method includes a nucleated red blood cell specification step of specifying nucleated red blood cells to be sorted out; a reference red blood cell selection step of setting a search range including the nucleated red blood cells and selecting red blood cells having no nucleus within the search range as reference red blood cells; and a sorting step of sorting the nucleated red blood cells into mother-derived nucleated red blood cells and fetus-derived nucleated red blood cells in accordance with spectral characteristics attributable to oxygen affinity of hemoglobin of the nucleated red blood cells and the reference red blood cells.

Abstract: A method for sorting nucleated red blood cells, the method includes: selecting a candidate cell of nucleated red blood cells in accordance with shapes of cells; setting a search range including the candidate cell and selecting a white blood cell within the search range; defining that the candidate cell is a nucleated red blood cell through comparison of spectral characteristics of hemoglobin between the candidate cell and the white blood cell; and sorting the nucleated red blood cells into mother-derived nucleated red blood cells or fetus-derived nucleated red blood cells through comparison of an allele contained in the nucleated red blood cell after the defining of the nucleated red blood cell with an allele contained in a white blood cell which has not been selected in the selecting of the candidate cell or in the white blood cell selected in the selecting of the white blood cell.

Abstract: An image recording carrier includes: an image recording plate including a plate-shaped supporter, and a recording layer which is superposed on the top of the supporter, and which accumulates and recodes a radiograph when irradiated with radioactive rays carrying an image; and a cassette in which the image recording plate is housed. Multiple steps are formed in the direction along the thickness of the image recording plate on at least one side surface of the image recording plate, and a front portion which is one of the multiple steps including the recording layer, protrudes from the rest of the multiple steps. A facing surface of the cassette facing the side surface of the image recording plate while the image recording plate is housed in the cassette has an opposed portion which is opposed to the front portion, and which dents from the rest of the multiple steps.

Abstract: A radiation image storage panel has a phosphor layer containing an energy-storing phosphor, in which the storage panel has a surface showing an absorbance of 0.2 to 0.5 at the stimulating wavelength of the phosphor, and the phosphor layer contains the phosphor at a packing density of 3.0 g/cm3 or more.

Abstract: A first radiation image storage panel comprises a stimulable phosphor layer, and a transparent protective film, which comprises at least one layer of a water vapor proof film, the water vapor proof film comprising a base material film and a transparent inorganic layer overlaid on the base material film. The transparent protective film is located such that the transparent inorganic layer of the water vapor proof film stands facing the stimulable phosphor layer, and the stimulable phosphor layer is sealed. In a second radiation image storage panel, a protective layer comprises a fundamental inorganic layer and at least one layer of a high-order inorganic layer, which is located on the fundamental inorganic layer, and each high-order inorganic layer is overlaid directly upon an inorganic layer, which is located under each high-order inorganic layer.

Abstract: An image reading device includes at least a disinfection unit that administers a disinfection treatment to either an imaging medium such as a radiation image conversion panel or a protective member that protects at least an imaging surface of the imaging medium. The system of disinfection of the radiation image conversion panel is a disinfection treatment by the disinfection unit that is preferably at least one of heat treatment, ultraviolet ray irradiation treatment, chemical coating treatment and gas treatment.

Abstract: A first radiation image storage panel comprises a stimulable phosphor layer, and a transparent protective film, which comprises at least one layer of a water vapor proof film, the water vapor proof film comprising a base material film and a transparent inorganic layer overlaid on the base material film. The transparent protective film is located such that the transparent inorganic layer of the water vapor proof film stands facing the stimulable phosphor layer, and the stimulable phosphor layer is sealed. In a second radiation image storage panel, a protective layer comprises a fundamental inorganic layer and at least one layer of a high-order inorganic layer, which is located on the fundamental inorganic layer, and each high-order inorganic layer is overlaid directly upon an inorganic layer, which is located under each high-order inorganic layer.

Abstract: An image recording carrier includes: an image recording plate including a plate-shaped supporter, and a recording layer which is superposed on the top of the supporter, and which accumulates and recodes a radiograph when irradiated with radioactive rays carrying an image; and a cassette in which the image recording plate is housed. Multiple steps are formed in the direction along the thickness of the image recording plate on at least one side surface of the image recording plate, and a front portion which is one of the multiple steps including the recording layer, protrudes from the rest of the multiple steps. A facing surface of the cassette facing the side surface of the image recording plate while the image recording plate is housed in the cassette has an opposed portion which is opposed to the front portion, and which dents from the rest of the multiple steps.

Abstract: A first radiation image storage panel comprises a stimulable phosphor layer, and a transparent protective film, which comprises at least one layer of a water vapor proof film, the water vapor proof film comprising a base material film and a transparent inorganic layer overlaid on the base material film. The transparent protective film is located such that the transparent inorganic layer of the water vapor proof film stands facing the stimulable phosphor layer, and the stimulable phosphor layer is sealed. In a second radiation image storage panel, a protective layer comprises a fundamental inorganic layer and at least one layer of a high-order inorganic layer, which is located on the fundamental inorganic layer, and each high-order inorganic layer is overlaid directly upon an inorganic layer, which is located under each high-order inorganic layer.

Abstract: In a radiation image storage panel which has a phosphor layer containing energy-storing phosphor particles, the energy-storing phosphor particles is composed of a mixture of a phosphor particle group having a relatively large median diameter and a phosphor particle group having a relatively small median diameter, the former group having a median diameter of 4 to 30 ?m, the latter group having a median diameter of 1 to 8 ?m, and the mixture having a particle size frequency distribution that satisfies the condition of: (x+y)/5>z in which x is a size frequency (%) at the peak in a larger range of the size frequency distribution curve, y is a size frequency (%) at the peak in a smaller range, and z is the lowest size frequency (%) in the range between the two peaks.

Abstract: According to the present invention, there is provided a disinfection system for a radiation image conversion panel, a radiation image conversion film, and/or a light shielding bag that can be used to wrap such a radiation image conversion film therein including a disinfection unit which applies at least a disinfection treatment to a radiation image conversion panel, and an image reading apparatus including the disinfection system. In the disinfection system for a radiation image conversion panel, preferably the disinfection treatment by the disinfection unit is at least one of a heat treatment, an ultraviolet irradiation treatment, a chemical application treatment or a gas treatment.

Abstract: The invention provides a radiation image conversion panel having a substrate and a phosphor layer laminated on the substrate. A coating layer having at least one metal containing-layer is provided on a surface of the phosphor layer which is other than on the side which the substrate is laminated. The invention further provides a method for forming a radiation image conversion panel having a substrate and a phosphor layer laminated on the substrate, including forming, by a CVD method, a metal containing-layer on a surface of the phosphor layer which is other than on the side which the substrate is laminated.

Abstract: A radiation image conversion panel that has a phosphor layer. The phosphor layer contains a binding agent, a phosphor particle, and at least aryl carboxylic acid or alicyclic carboxylic acid, expressed by the following general Formula: R—R1—COOX, or R—COOX in which R represents (1) an aryl group; (2) an aryl group, replaced with an alkyl group whose number of carbons is 1 to 5, a hydroxyl group, a carboxylic acid group, or a halogen group; (3) a hydroaryl group; or (4) a hydroaryl group (alicyclic group), replaced with an alkyl group whose number of carbons is 1 to 5, a hydroxyl group, or a halogen group; R1 is a hydrocarbon radical whose number of carbons is 1 to 12; and X represents a hydrogen atom, alkaline metal, or —N+ (R2)4 (where R2 represents an alkyl group whose number of carbons is 2 or less).

Abstract: A radiation image storage panel has a phosphor layer containing an energy-storing phosphor, in which the storage panel has a surface showing an absorbance of 0.2 to 0.5 at the stimulating wavelength of the phosphor, and the phosphor layer contains the phosphor at a packing density of 3.0 g/cm3 or more.

Abstract: In a radiation image storage panel which has a phosphor layer containing energy-storing phosphor particles, the energy-storing phosphor particles is composed of a mixture of a phosphor particle group having a relatively large median diameter and a phosphor particle group having a relatively small median diameter, the former group having a median diameter of 4 to 30 ?m, the latter group having a median diameter of 1 to 8 ?m, and the mixture having a particle size frequency distribution that satisfies the condition of: (x+y)/5>z in which x is a size frequency (%) at the peak in a larger range of the size frequency distribution curve, y is a size frequency (%) at the peak in a smaller range, and z is the lowest size frequency (%) in the range between the two peaks.

Abstract: A radiation image storage panel comprises a stimulable phosphor layer, which contains a stimulable phosphor, and a transparent protective layer overlaid on the stimulable phosphor layer. The transparent protective layer has a layer thickness of at most 50 ?m and comprises at least four layers formed on a transparent protective layer support for supporting the transparent protective layer, the at least four layers comprising transparent inorganic layers and organic layers, which are located alternately. Each of the transparent inorganic layers contains a compound selected from the group consisting of a metal oxide, a metal nitride, and a metal oxynitride, and is formed with a vacuum deposition technique. Each of the organic layers is formed with a coating technique or a vacuum deposition technique.

Abstract: A radiation image storage panel has a phosphor layer containing an energy-storing phosphor and a protective film arranged on one side of the phosphor layer in which the protective film has a surface of a universal hardness of 53 N/mm2 or more, a surface roughness Ra in the range of 0.10 to 0.50 ?m, and a thickness in the range of 1 to 40 ?m.

Abstract: A first radiation image storage panel comprises a stimulable phosphor layer, and a transparent protective film, which comprises at least one layer of a water vapor proof film, the water vapor proof film comprising a base material film and a transparent inorganic layer overlaid on the base material film. The transparent protective film is located such that the transparent inorganic layer of the water vapor proof film stands facing the stimulable phosphor layer, and the stimulable phosphor layer is sealed. In a second radiation image storage panel, a protective layer comprises a fundamental inorganic layer and at least one layer of a high-order inorganic layer, which is located on the fundamental inorganic layer, and each high-order inorganic layer is overlaid directly upon an inorganic layer, which is located under each high-order inorganic layer.

Abstract: A radiation image storage panel comprises a stimulable phosphor layer, which contains a stimulable phosphor, and a transparent protective layer overlaid on the stimulable phosphor layer. The transparent protective layer has a layer thickness of at most 50 &mgr;m and comprises at least four layers formed on a transparent protective layer support for supporting the transparent protective layer, the at least four layers comprising transparent inorganic layers and organic layers, which are located alternately. Each of the transparent inorganic layers contains a compound selected from the group consisting of a metal oxide, a metal nitride, and a metal oxynitride, and is formed with a vacuum deposition technique. Each of the organic layers is formed with a coating technique or a vacuum deposition technique.