And Inorganic Silver Compound Patents (Class 430/619)
  • Patent number: 7202019
    Abstract: A photothermographic imaging material having a support; a photosensitive layer containing photosensitive silver halide particles on one face of the support; and a non-photosensitive layer provided on a side of the support where the photosensitive layer is provided. At least one of the photosensitive layer and the non-photosensitive layer contains an organic silver salt, a reducing agent, a compound represented by the Formula (1) and a compound represented by the Formula (2a).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2007
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Yasushi Usagawa, Narito Goto, Takeshi Habu
  • Patent number: 7198889
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method of forming a positive image in a photothermographic element comprising a potentially negative-working emulsion wherein fog density development is imagewise inhibited in exposed areas of the image upon thermal development, the element further comprising a developer or precursor thereof and an oxidized developer scavenging agent to accelerate development by removing oxidized developer as it is formed during the thermal development step. In one embodiment of the invention, in which a density-inhibiting agent is released during thermal development that inhibits the thermal development of unexposed silver salts in the exposed areas relative to the unexposed areas, the method comprises imagewise exposing the film with a non-solarizing amount of radiation/energy to form a latent image and thermally developing the latent image in a single development step to produce a positive image in the element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2007
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Michael R. Roberts, Paul B. Gilman, Donald L. Black, Kurt M. Schroeder
  • Patent number: 7192695
    Abstract: An image forming method comprising by imagewise exposing a photothermographic material comprising at least a photosensitive silver halide, a non-photosensitive organic silver salt, a reducing agent, and a binder, on at least one surface of a support, and thermally developing the photothermographic material at a line speed of 20 mm/sec or higher using an image forming apparatus, wherein the reducing agent is a bisphenol compound which has at a meso-position a substituent with ring structure or a substituent having an unsaturated bond.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Assignee: FujiFilm Corporation
    Inventors: Minoru Sakai, Fumito Nariyuki, Yasuhiro Yoshioka
  • Patent number: 7192696
    Abstract: A method of forming an image using a photothermographic material containing a support having thereon an image forming layer which contains an organic silver salt, silver halide grains, a binder and a reducing agent, the method including the steps of: imagewise exposing the photothermographic material to light to form a latent image; and simultaneously or sequentially heating the exposed photothermographic material to develop the latent image, wherein at least two matting agents are contained on one surface of the support, and an average particle size LA of Matting agent A and an average particle size LB of Matting agent B satisfy the following relationship: 1.5?LB/LA?6.0, provided that Matting agent A is the matting agent having a largest weight ratio; and Matting agent B is the matting agent having a second largest weight ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Medical & Graphic, Inc.
    Inventor: Narito Goto
  • Patent number: 7192694
    Abstract: A photothermographic material containing, on a substrate, at least a photosensitive silver halide, a non-photosensitive organic silver salt, a reducing agent and a binder in which the total silver iodide content of the photosensitive silver halide is 40 mol % or more and 100 mol % or less, and the coating amount of the photosensitive silver halide, in terms of an amount of silver, is 0.0005 g/m2 or more and 0.4 g/m2 or less, as well as an image forming method for the photothermographic material which comprises exposing the photothermographic material by using a semiconductor laser having an emission peak intensity at a wavelength of from 350 nm to 450 nm as a light source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventor: Fumito Nariyuki
  • Patent number: 7189500
    Abstract: A photothermographic image-recording material with improved storability before image formation and improved coating characteristics, which has a support having provided thereon an image-forming layer, the layer having at least one light-insensitive organic silver salt, a reducing agent for silver ion and a binder, wherein the binder has a polymer having a recurring unit represented by the formula (1), and the content of the recurring unit represented by the formula (1) in the polymer is from 0.1 to 50% by weight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2007
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihisa Tsukada, Hajime Nakagawa, Seiji Hatano, Tomokazu Yasuda
  • Patent number: 7186501
    Abstract: The present invention provides a photothermographic material, having a support and an image-forming layer containing a photosensitive silver halide, a non-photosensitive organic silver salt, and a reducer for the organic silver salt on at least one surface of the support, wherein the image-forming layer contains a hydrophilic polymer which has a vinyl monomer unit containing a quaternary nitrogen atom-containing group or a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventor: Seiichi Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 7183024
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method of forming a positive image in a photothermographic element comprising a potentially negative-working emulsion wherein fog density development is imagewise inhibited in exposed areas of the image upon thermal development. In one embodiment of the invention, a density-inhibiting agent is released during thermal development which agent inhibits the thermal development of unexposed silver salts in the exposed areas relative to the unexposed areas. The method preferably comprises imagewise exposing the film with a non-solarizing amount of radiation/energy to form a latent image and thermally developing the latent image in a single development step to produce a positive image in the element. The present invention is also directed to a photothermographic element that can be used in the present process in which a positive image characterized by high speed and discrimination is formed when exposed and thermally heated above 150° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2007
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Michael R. Roberts, Paul B. Gilman, Donald L. Black, Kurt M. Schroeder
  • Patent number: 7179585
    Abstract: The present invention provides an image forming method using an image recording apparatus that includes a laser irradiating means for laser scanning of a photothermographic material that has a support and includes on at least one surface thereof a photosensitive silver halide, a non-photosensitive organic silver salt, a reducing agent and a binder, and a conveying means for guiding the photothermographic material in a sub-scanning direction to a thermal development unit, wherein the reducing agent is a specific bisphenol compound. The invention also provides another image forming method including carrying out thermal development, with an interval time equal to or less than 12 seconds, of the photothermographic material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2007
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventors: Eiichi Okutsu, Katsutoshi Yamane, Yasuhiro Yoshioka
  • Patent number: 7175978
    Abstract: A photothermographic imaging material packed in a packaging material, the imaging material including a support having thereon light-insensitive organic silver salt grains, photosensitive silver halide grains, a reducing agent for silver ions and a binder, wherein the packaging material has a water permeability of not less than 5.0 g/m2 measured at a temperature of 40° C. with a relative humidity of 90% for 24 hours; and the imaging material has a first photographic speed and a second photographic speed and the second photographic speed is not more than 1/10 of the first photographic speed, the measuring methods of the first and the second photographic speeds being defined in the specification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Medical & Graphic, Inc.
    Inventor: Keiko Maeda
  • Patent number: 7172857
    Abstract: A photothermographic material having, on at least one side of a support, an image forming layer including at least a photosensitive silver halide, a non-photosensitive organic silver salt, a reducing agent, and a binder, wherein an outermost layer on at least one side of the support includes a polymer latex having a core/shell structure, in which a shell part contains a polymer having a monomer component represented by the following (M2): (M2) a monomer containing a fluorine atom and having an unsaturated bond which performs radical polymerization. A photothermographic material excellent in adhesion resistance during storage until use of the photothermographic material after production thereof and excellent in photographic properties is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventors: Minoru Sakai, Yoshihisa Tsukada
  • Patent number: 7172852
    Abstract: A black and white thermographic recording material comprising a thermosensitive element and a support, the thermosensitive element containing at least one substantially light-insensitive organic silver salt, a binder and optionally photosensitive silver halide, characterized in that the thermosensitive element further contains deliberately added metal nano-particles in a molar ratio with respect to the total molar concentration of the at least one substantially light-insensitive organic silver salt in the range of 0.05:1 to 10?6:1; and the use for the purpose of increasing the ratio of Dmax to the quantity of said substantially light-insensitive organic silver salts per unit area of the above-mentioned thermographic recording material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: AGFA Gevaert
    Inventors: Ingrid Geuens, Luc Verberckt, Ivan Hoogmartens, Frank De Voeght, Iris Vanwelkenhuysen
  • Patent number: 7169544
    Abstract: Black-and-white, dry processable thermally developable materials have increased stability after imaging with the incorporation of at least 0.0001 mol/m2 of a thermal solvent having one or more >N—C(?O)— groups. Such thermally developable materials include both thermographic and photothermographic materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2007
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Kui Chen-Ho, William D. Ramsden, Chaofeng Zou, Doreen C. Lynch, James B. Philip, Jr., Karissa L. Eckert, George J. Burgmaier
  • Patent number: 7166408
    Abstract: Provided is an image forming method including providing a photothermographic material having image forming layers containing at least a photosensitive silver halide, a non-photosensitive organic silver salt, a reducing agent, and a binder on both surfaces of a support, imagewise exposing the photothermographic material with a fluorescent intensifying screen, and thermally developing the photothermographic material in a thermal developing apparatus having a heating section, wherein the heating section has at least two heating means and a difference between a sensitivity when the photothermographic material is developed at 25° C. and relative humidity of 75% and a sensitivity when the photothermographic material is developed at 25° C. and relative humidity of 20% is 0.20 or less. An image forming method similar to that described above in which the photothermographic material has an antistatic layer is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2007
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventors: Takayoshi Oyamada, Takeshi Funakubo
  • Patent number: 7163782
    Abstract: A photothermographic imaging material including an organic silver salt, a binder, a reducing agent, coupler and a main developing agent which forms coloring images by reacting with the coupler, those which are on a support wherein the reducing agent comprises a compound represented by the following Formula (1), the coupler is a compound represented by the following Formula (CP1) and sum of maximum density of colorant images at maximum absorption wavelength formed by the coupler and the main developing agent is 0.01 or more and 0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2007
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Holdings, Inc.
    Inventor: Narito Goto
  • Patent number: 7163786
    Abstract: Ionic liquids are added to black-and-white direct thermographic materials to provide increased image density or to allow for reduced silver coverage (that is, improved silver efficiency). Useful ionic liquids include imidazolium, pyrazolium, pyridinium, pyrimidinium, pyrazinium, tetra-alkylammonium, or tetra-alkylphosphonium cations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2007
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Kumars Sakizadeh, Leif P. Olson, Peter J. Cowdery-Corvan, Takuzo Ishida, David R. Whitcomb
  • Patent number: 7157217
    Abstract: A photothermographic material comprising, on a support, an image forming layer containing at least a photosensitive silver halide, a non-photosensitive organic silver salt, a reducing agent and a binder, and a non-photosensitive outermost layer at a surface side of the support at which the image forming layer is provided, wherein: 1) the non-photosensitive organic silver salt contains 90% by mole or more of silver behenate; and a binder in the outermost layer contains 50% by weight or more of a hydrophobic polymer latex, 2) the outermost layer contains a polymer latex; and a layer adjacent to the outermost layer contains a binder which can lose fluidity upon a decrease in temperature, or 3) the outermost layer contains a polymer latex; and a coating solution for forming the outermost layer can lose fluidity upon a decrease in temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2007
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventors: Hajime Nakagawa, Yoshihisa Tsukada, Keiichi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 7157219
    Abstract: Photothermographic materials are designed with increased photospeed by chemical sensitizing the photosensitive silver halide grains with a combination of compounds. A first chemical sensitizer is a specific gold(III)-containing compound and a second chemical sensitizer is a sulfur-containing compound that is a diphenylphosphine sulfide. The molar ratio of the gold(III)-containing compound to the sulfur-containing compound is at least 1:1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2007
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Sharon M. Simpson, Lilia P. Burleva, Kumars Sakizadeh
  • Patent number: 7157214
    Abstract: High-speed aqueous-based black-and-white photothermographic materials are imageable in any suitable fashion using ultraviolet, visible, infrared, or X-radiation. They can have one or more thermally developable imaging layers on either or both sides of the support and can be imaged with or without a phosphor intensifying screen in an imaging assembly. The photothermographic emulsions and materials have a net Dmin less than 0.25, and require less than 1 erg/cm2 to achieve a density of 1.00 above net Dmin. The imaging layers include hydrophilic binders or water-dispersible latex polymer binders and chemically and spectrally sensitized photosensitive silver halide grains.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2007
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Chaofeng Zou, Doreen C. Lynch
  • Patent number: 7157220
    Abstract: The present invention provides a silver halide photosensitive material and a photothermographic material having, on at least one side of a support, at least a photosensitive silver halide, a non-photosensitive organic silver salt, and a reducing agent for the organic silver salt, wherein the silver halide photosensitive material and the photothermographic material contain a phthalocyanine compound represented by the following formula (PC-1): wherein, M represents a hydrogen atom or a metal atom; R1, R4, R5, R8, R9, R12, R13, and R16 each independently represent a hydrogen atom or a substituent; at least one of R1, R4, R5, R8, R9, R12, R13, and R16 represents an electron-attracting group; and R2, R3, R6, R7, R10, R11, R14, and R15 each independently represent a hydrogen atom or a substituent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2007
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Seiichi Yamamoto, Masahiko Taniguchi, Yasuhiro Yoshioka, Takanori Hioki, Hideo Hanawa
  • Patent number: 7153636
    Abstract: Thermally developable materials including photothermographic and thermographic materials have an outermost backside layer that includes a combination of a polysiloxane and a smectite clay that has been modified with a quaternary ammonium compound. The resulting outermost backside layers exhibit improved abrasion resistance. The materials can also include conductive layers underneath the outermost backside layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2006
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Thomas J. Ludemann, Gary E. LaBelle, Roland J. Koestner, Thomas J. Kub, Karissa L. Eckert
  • Patent number: 7153647
    Abstract: A black and white thermographic recording material comprising a thermosensitive element and a support, the thermosensitive element containing at least one substantially light-insensitive organic silver salt, a binder and optionally photosensitive silver halide, characterized in that the thermosensitive element further contains deliberately added metal nano-particles in a molar ratio with respect to the total molar concentration of the at least one substantially light-insensitive organic silver salt in the range of 0.05:1 to 10?6:1; and the use for the purpose of increasing the ratio of Dmax to the quantity of said substantially light-insensitive organic silver salts per unit area of the above-mentioned thermographic recording material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2006
    Assignee: Agfa Gevaert
    Inventors: Ingrid Geuens, Luc Verberckt, Ivan Hoogmartens, Frank DeVoeght, Iris Vanwelkenhuysen
  • Patent number: 7153646
    Abstract: A photothermographic material having, on at least an image forming layer including at least an organic silver salt and a non-photosensitive layer on the image forming layer, wherein the photothermographic material further has a non-photosensitive intermediate layer between the image forming layer and the non-photosensitive layer, and 50% by weight or more of a binder of the non-photosensitive intermediate layer is formed by a polymer latex, and the photothermographic material contains a metal phthalocyanine dye represented by formula (PC-1): wherein, M represents a metal atom, at least one of R1, R4, R5, R8, R9, R12, R13, and R16 is an electron-attracting group, and R2, R3, R6, R7, R10, R11, R14, and R15 each independently represent a hydrogen atom or a substituent. The invention provides a photothermographic material which exhibits high sharpness, preferable image tone, and excellent image storability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2006
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kouta Fukui, Seiichi Yamamoto, Keiichi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 7153645
    Abstract: A silver salt photo-thermal photographic dry imaging material comprising on a support a light-sensitive layer containing light-insensitive silver salt of aliphatic carboxylic acid particles, a light-sensitive emulsion having light-sensitive silver halide grains, a silver ion reducing agent and a binder. The light-sensitive emulsion contains silver halide particles having diameters of from 0.001 ?m to 0.050 ?m in the ratio of 50% or more by weight in terms of silver of the entire light-sensitive silver halide grains contained, and the number average particle diameter of the light-insensitive silver salt of aliphatic carboxylic acid is from 0.01 ?m to 0.60 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2006
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Medical & Graphic, Inc.
    Inventor: Kiyokazu Morita
  • Patent number: 7153635
    Abstract: Black-and-white direct thermographic materials and photothermographic materials can be processed or developed at lower temperatures because of the incorporation of a quaternary ammonium salt in an amount of at least 0.5 mol % based on total silver in the material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2006
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Joe E. Maskasky, Victor P. Scaccia
  • Patent number: 7150964
    Abstract: Disclosed is an image forming process having the steps of exposing by an exposure device a photothermographic dry imaging material with a support having thereon an image forming layer containing photosensitive silver halide, a reducing agent for silver ions, a binder and a light-insensitive organic silver salt, and developing the photothermographic dry imaging material by a developing device, while the photothermographic dry imaging material is transported, wherein a surface having the image forming layer is brought into contact with sticky rollers during or before each of exposing and developing so as to make an amount of peel-off static electrification between the photothermographic dry imaging material and the sticky roller to be from ?5 to +5 kV.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2006
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Medical & Graphic, Inc.
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Yanagisawa
  • Patent number: 7147999
    Abstract: The present invention provides a photothermographic material, comprising a photosensitive silver halide, a non-photosensitive organic solvent salt, a reducing agent for a silver ion, and a binder on one face of a support, for being applied by using an organic solvent, the photothermographic material further comprising at least one compound selected from the group of compounds consisting of: a compound represented by the following general formula (1), a compound having a ?-lactam ring, a compound having a group that is adsorptive to a silver halide and a group that reduces a silver halide and a precursor thereof:
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2006
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Ohzeki, Hiroyuki Mifune, Tadashi Inaba, Kohzaburoh Yamada, Katsuyuki Watanabe
  • Patent number: 7147998
    Abstract: Thermally developable imaging materials have an outermost protective layer that is composed of one or more hydrophilic film-forming components. The predominant film-forming component is a negatively-charged latex polymer that has negatively-charged ionic groups other than carboxy groups. The latex polymer is present as latex particles that have been prepared in the presence of a nonionic stabilizer in an amount of at least 0.5% (by weight) that has an HLB value of 7 to 20. The nonionic stabilizer becomes associated with the latex polymer particles. Both thermographic and photothermographic materials can be prepared with such protective layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2006
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Jon A. Hammerschmidt, Jeffrey W. Leon
  • Patent number: 7148000
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a heat-developable photosensitive material and an image-forming process using the heat-developable photosensitive material. The material generally includes at least one photosensitive silver halide, a reducing agent for silver ions, a binder, and non-photosensitive organic silver salt particles on one surface of a support. The non-photosensitive organic silver salt particles are specified and the reducing agent is specified. The material may include specific non-photosensitive organic silver salt particles and a development accelerator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2006
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takayoshi Oyamada, Kouta Fukui, Toyohisa Oya
  • Patent number: 7144689
    Abstract: The use of metal antimonates at high metal antimonate to binder ratios in buried backside conductive layers of thermographic and photothermographic materials allows the use of thin backside overcoat layers. The combination provides antistatic constructions having excellent antistatic properties that show less change in resistivity with changes in humidity. The thin backside overcoat layer serves to protect the buried antistatic layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2006
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Thomas J. Ludemann, Gary E. LaBelle, Darlene F. Philip, Roland J. Koestner, Aparna V. Bhave
  • Patent number: 7144694
    Abstract: A photothermographic imaging material including a support; an image forming layer containing an organic silver salt, a photosensitive silver halide, a binder and a silver ion reducing agent, the image forming layer being provided on the support; and a cyan coloring leuco dye.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2006
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kashiwagi, Narito Goto
  • Patent number: 7144692
    Abstract: The invention provides a photothermographic material having, on both sides of a support, an image forming layer including at least a photosensitive silver halide, a non-photosensitive organic silver salt, a reducing agent, and a binder, which is to be exposed with X-rays using a fluorescent intensifying screen, wherein (1) a coating amount of the photosensitive silver halide per one side is from 0.01 g/m2 to 0.45 g/m2 in terms of silver amount; and (2) a crossover (%) is 30% or more, or when parallel light having the same wavelength as a main emission peak wavelength of the fluorescent intensifying screen is incident perpendicular to the surface of the photothermographic material, the parallel light component of transmitted light comprises 5% or more of the incident light. A photothermographic material for medical use having high sensitivity and high image quality is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2006
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takeshi Funakubo
  • Patent number: 7144688
    Abstract: The present invention provides a photothermographic material having an image forming layer including at least a photosensitive silver halide, a non-photosensitive organic silver salt, a reducing agent and a binder, on one surface of a support, and having at least one back layer and a back surface protective layer, on the other surface of the support, wherein a binder of the back surface protective layer contains a water-soluble polymer and a latex polymer having a glass transition temperature of ?30° C. to 40° C.; and an image forming method using the same. The photothermographic material and the image forming method of the invention provide excellent coating property and excellent transportability during thermal development in a thermal developing apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2006
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hajime Nakagawa, Takayasu Yasuda
  • Patent number: 7144695
    Abstract: The invention relates to a photothermographic material, comprising a photosensitive silver halide, a non-photosensitive organic silver salt, a reducing agent, and a binder on a same surface of a support, wherein the non-photosensitive organic silver salt is the non-photosensitive organic silver salt in a dispersion that has been subjected to an annealing treatment at 30° C. or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2006
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takayoshi Oyamada
  • Patent number: 7144693
    Abstract: A photothermographic material comprising a support and an image-forming layer, a non-photosensitive intermediate layer A, and an outermost layer provided in this order on at least one side of the support, wherein the image-forming layer comprises a photosensitive silver halide, a non-photosensitive organic silver salt, a reducing agent, and a binder, and at least 50 mass % of a binder in the non-photosensitive intermediate layer A is a polymer latex having a film water absorption of 5 % or lower.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2006
    Assignee: FujiFilm Corporation
    Inventor: Takayoshi Oyamada
  • Patent number: 7141361
    Abstract: Buried backside conductive layers with increased conductive efficiency can be provided for thermally developable materials using a specific organic solvent mixture to coat a protective overcoat directly disposed over the conductive layer. This organic solvent mixture comprises an alcohol in which one or more film-forming polymers used in the formulation are soluble at room temperature. The alcohol is used in an amount of more than 10 and up to 90 weight % of the organic solvent mixture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2006
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Thomas J. Ludemann, Aparna V. Bhave, Gary E. LaBelle, Darlene F. Philip, Samuel Chen
  • Patent number: 7138224
    Abstract: A photothermographic material containing a support having on one side of the support a photosensitive layer containing: photosensitive silver halide grains; and a compound represented by Formula (1) or Formula (2): wherein the symbols in Formulas (1) and (2) are indicated in the specification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2006
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Medical & Graphic, Inc.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Fukusaka, Osamu Ishige, Rie Sakuragi
  • Patent number: 7138225
    Abstract: A silver salt photothermographic dry imaging material wherein said material has photographic speeds (1) and (2) determined based on the predetermined conditions and the photographic speed (2) is not more than 1/10 of the photographic speed (1), and the coefficient of determination value R2 of the linear regression line is 0.998–1.000, which is obtained from the predetermined density points having a* and b* arranged in two-dimensional coordinates in which a* is used as the abscissa and b* is used as the coordinate of the CIE 1076 (L*a*b*) color space, b* of the intersection point of the linear regression line with the ordinate is ?5–5, and gradient (a*/b*) is 0.7–2.5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2006
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Medical & Graphic, Inc.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Suzuki, Hideki Takiguchi, Toshiyuki Marui, Kazuhiko Fujikura, Kazuhito Ihara, Yasuo Taima, Kenji Ohnuma, Hiroto Ito
  • Patent number: 7138221
    Abstract: A photothermographic material comprising: a transparent support; and a photosensitive layer comprising a photosensitive silver halide, a non-photosensitive organic silver salt, a thermal developer and a binder, wherein the photosensitive silver halide comprises silver iodide in a ratio of 5% by mole or more, the non-photosensitive organic silver salt comprises silver behenate in a ratio of 30% by mole or more and less than 80% by mole, and the binder has a glass transition temperature of 45° C. or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2006
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Sumito Yamada
  • Patent number: 7135277
    Abstract: Provided are a photothermographic material which includes, on at least one side of a support, an image forming layer containing at least a photosensitive silver halide, a non-photosensitive organic silver salt, a reducing agent, and a binder, and is X-ray exposed with a fluorescent intensifying screen, wherein (1) the photosensitive silver halide includes tabular grains having a mean aspect ratio of 2 to 100 and a mean equivalent spherical diameter of 0.3 ?m to 10 ?m, (2) an exposure value necessary for obtaining an image density of fog+0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2006
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tomoyuki Ohzeki
  • Patent number: 7135276
    Abstract: The invention provides a photothermographic material containing a tabular photosensitive silver halide having an average silver iodide content of 40 mol % or higher, 50% or more of a total projected area of the photosensitive silver halide being occupied by tabular grains having an aspect ratio of 2 or more, the photosensitive silver halide grains having a mean equivalent spherical diameter of from 0.2 ?m to 5 ?m and a variation coefficient of an equivalent spherical diameter distribution of 30% or less. Further, a method for preparing the photosensitive silver halide used in the photothermographic material is characterized in that grains are formed in the presence of at least one selected from a silver halide solvent and an amino group-modified gelatin. A high-sensitivity photothermographic material exhibiting a low fog and a high optical density is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2006
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Fumito Nariyuki
  • Patent number: 7135274
    Abstract: An image forming method for forming an image by exposing a photothermographic material to a laser beam, the laser beam being a laser diode beam having a peak light-emission intensity at a wavelength of 350 nm to 450 nm. The photothermographic material comprises at least a non-photosensitive silver salt, a photosensitive silver halide, a binder and a reducing agent, wherein a silver iodide content of the photosensitive silver halide is 40% by mole or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2006
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Fumito Nariyuki, Shinichi Shikii, Tetsuya Kojima
  • Patent number: 7132229
    Abstract: A photothermographic material having an image forming layer containing at least a photosensitive silver halide, a non-photosensitive organic silver salt, a reducing agent, and a binder, and a non-photosensitive layer on at least one side of a support, in which the binder is a hydrophilic binder, the non-photosensitive layer contains gelatin or a gelatin derivative, the reducing agent is a compound represented by the following formula (R), and at least one compound represented by the following formula (I) or (II) is contained: (wherein in formula (R), R11 and R11? each independently represent an alkyl group and at least one of R11 and R11? is a secondary or tertiary alkyl group); (wherein in the formula (I), Q represents an atomic group necessary for forming a 5 or 6-membered imide ring); and (wherein in the formula (II), R5 independently represents a hydrogen atom or a substituent, r represents 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4, and X represents O, S, Se or N(R6)).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2006
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd
    Inventor: Kouta Fukui
  • Patent number: 7132228
    Abstract: Solid particle dispersions of certain ascorbic acid esters are prepared in the presence of at least 0.5 and less than 50 weight % of a particle growth modifier based on the weight of the ascorbic acid ester. The particle growth modifier is an alkyl carboxylic acid having from 8 to 22 carbon atoms, an alkyl ester of glycerol wherein the alkyl moiety has from 8 to 22 carbon atoms, or a stereoisomer of the ascorbic acid ester. The resulting aqueous solid particle dispersion can be used in various thermally developable materials including thermographic and photothermographic materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2006
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Mary C. Brick, William D. Ramsden, Doreen C. Lynch
  • Patent number: 7132226
    Abstract: A photothermographic material comprising a support, and an image-forming layer and a non-image-forming layer provided on the support, wherein the image-forming layer comprises a photosensitive silver halide, a non-photosensitive organic silver salt, a reducing agent, and a binder; the non-image-forming layer includes a slipping agent having a melting point of 80° C. to 120° C.; the coefficient (K1) of dynamic friction measured at a velocity of 0.1 cm/sec and the coefficient (K2) of dynamic friction measured at a velocity of 10 cm/sec have a relation represented by formula (1): Formula (1) 1.20>K1/K2>0.90. Also provided is an image-forming method using the photothermographic material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2006
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Katsutoshi Yamane
  • Patent number: 7132227
    Abstract: A silver salt photothermographic dry imaging material including a support provided thereon a light-sensitive layer containing an organic silver salt, light-sensitive silver halide particles and a reducing agent, wherein the dry imaging material contains organic solid lubricant particles having an average particle diameter of 1 to 30 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2006
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Medical & Graphic, Inc.
    Inventors: Kiyokazu Morita, Kenji Ohnuma
  • Patent number: 7129033
    Abstract: A photothermographic material having, on at least one side of a support, an image forming layer containing at least a photosensitive silver halide, a non-photosensitive organic silver salt, a reducing agent, and a binder, and an X-ray image forming method using the same, wherein 50% or more of a total projected area of the photosensitive silver halide is occupied by tabular grains having an aspect ratio of 2 or more, and the grains have at least one epitaxial junction portion having a multifold structure. A photothermographic material with high sensitivity and excellent storage stability, and an image forming method using the material are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2006
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takayoshi Mori
  • Patent number: 7129030
    Abstract: A method of forming an image using a photothermographic material containing a support having thereon an image forming layer which contains an organic silver salt, silver halide grains, a binder and a reducing agent, the method including the steps of: imagewise exposing the photothermographic material to light to form a latent image; and simultaneously or sequentially heating the exposed photothermographic material to develop the latent image, wherein at least two matting agents are contained on one surface of the support, and an average particle size LA of Matting agent A and an average particle size LB of Matting agent B satisfy the following relationship: 1.5?LB/LA?6.0, provided that Matting agent A is the matting agent having a largest weight ratio; and Matting agent B is the matting agent having a second largest weight ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2006
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Medical & Graphic, Inc.
    Inventor: Narito Goto
  • Patent number: 7130591
    Abstract: In a cellular phone terminal foldable by a hinge and including upper and lower split pieces, monopole antennas are formed on a flexible printed wiring board and a printed wiring board and a lower housing is formed with a finger grip portion such that not only deterioration of characteristics is prevented but the lower housing can be held easily.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2006
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Iwai, Koichi Ogawa, Kenichi Yamada, Kazuhiko Ohta, Tsukasa Takahashi, Masayoshi Hirai
  • Patent number: 7129032
    Abstract: The invention provides a black and white photothermographic material including, on at least one surface of a support, at least a photosensitive silver halide, a non-photosensitive organic silver salt, a reducing agent and a binder, wherein 50% or more of the total projected area of the photosensitive silver halide grains is occupied by tabular grains having an aspect ratio of 2 or more, and at least one apex portion of each tabular grain has an epitaxial junction. An image forming method is also provided, the method including bringing the photothermographic material into close contact with a fluorescent intensifying screen containing a fluorescent substance, wherein 50% or more of emission light of the fluorescent substance has a wavelength of 350 nm to 420 nm, and applying X-ray exposure. The black and white photothermographic material has high sensitivity and is superior in image storability and raw stock storability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2006
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., LTD
    Inventors: Takayoshi Mori, Genichi Furusawa, Hiroyuki Mifune