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: A thermographic recording material comprising a support and a thermosensitive element, the thermosensitive element comprising at least one substantially light-insensitive organic silver salt, at least one organic reducing agent therefor in thermal working relationship therewith, at least one binder and at least one toning agent represented by formula (I): wherein X represents the optionally substituted atoms necessary to form a 6-membered ring.

Abstract: A black and white monosheet thermographic recording material comprising a support and a thermosensitive element, the thermosensitive element containing a substantially light-insensitive organic silver salt, an organic reducing agent therefor in thermal working relationship therewith, a binder and at least one five-membered heterocyclic ring compound selected from the group consisting of optionally substituted, optionally annelated 1-thia-2,3-diazole compounds; optionally substituted, optionally annelated 1-thia-2,5-diazole compounds; optionally substituted 1-thia-2,4-diazole compounds; optionally substituted 1-thia-3,4-diazole compounds; optionally substituted thiatriazole compounds; optionally substituted, optionally annelated 1-seleno-2,3-diazole compounds; optionally substituted, optionally annelated 1-seleno-2,5-diazole compounds; optionally substituted 1-seleno-2,4-diazole compounds; optionally substituted 1-seleno-3,4-diazole compounds; and optionally substituted selenotriazole compounds, with the provi

Abstract: A device for acquiring information contained in a phosphor layer comprises a light source (2) for irradiating the phosphor layer (1) with excitation light (3) that is suitable for exciting emission light (4) in the phosphor layer (1), a detector (6) for detecting the emission light (4) that has been excited in the phosphor layer (1), and a filter device (8), arranged between the phosphor layer (1) and the detector (6), that is substantially transparent in a first wavelength range (W1) of the emission light (4) and substantially non-transparent in a second wavelength range (W2) of the excitation light (3). To increase the reliability during the acquisition of the emission light, the filter device (8) is made substantially non-transparent in at least a third wavelength range (W3) having longer wavelengths than the second wavelength range (W2) of the excitation light (3).

Abstract: A composition that is photopolymerizable upon absorption of light in the wavelength range from 300 to 450 nm, the composition comprising a binder, a polymerizable compound, a sensitizer and a photoinitiator, characterized in that the sensitizer is an optical brightening agent having a solubility in methyl ethyl ketone of at least 15 g/kg measured at 20° C., allows to produce printing plates without pinhole defects, even if the printing plate precursor is stored before exposure and processing.

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.

Abstract: Several methods for retrospective correction of intensity inhomogeneities in digital diagnostic radiation images are presented. The methods are based on the correction of a digital image representation by means of a bias field. The bias field is deduced from the digital image representation of the diagnostic radiation image.

Abstract: A method of making a liquid crystal alignment layer comprising the steps of: (i) providing a layer on a substrate, the layer comprising a polythiophene according to formula (I): wherein R1 and R2 each independently represent hydrogen or a C1-C4 alkyl group or together represent a C1-C4 alkylene group or a cycloalkylene group; and (ii) mechanically rendering the layer liquid crystal aligning; a liquid crystal alignment layer obtainable by the above-mentioned method; a liquid crystal device incorporating the above-mentioned liquid crystal alignment layer; a liquid crystal display comprising the above-mentioned liquid crystal alignment layer or the above-mentioned liquid crystal device; and the use of the polythiophene according to formula (I) for aligning liquid crystals.

Abstract: A scheduling method is desclosed which allows simultaneous scheduling of multiple appointments. The method provides for grouping and chronological ordering of a plurality of exams for a patient according to attributes and allows the plurality of exams to be forwarded to a scheduling system for simultaneously scheduling all exams such that restrictions imposed during the grouping process are met.

Abstract: The method reproduces an electronic image, having pixels, as a multilevel halftone image on a multilevel output device having N different allowed output values (possible density levels) by choosing for any pixel p a real subset Sp containing Np allowed values out of the set S of N allowed levels quantizing the input pixel value of the pixel p to obtain an output pixel value out of the Np values in Sp by means of a half toning algorithm, rendering the image by rendering the pixels with the output device using the obtained output pixel values. The real subset may be formed by the allowed output values closest to the input pixel value. The quantization may be done by an error diffusion algorithm The used method prevents occurrence of pixels having deviating densities distorting the output image.

Abstract: A printhead cartridge for a multi-printhead ink jet printer includes an array of ink jet nozzles and a heat sink for controlling the temperature of the nozzles. The heat sink is made up of a copper block and thinner copper wing regions extending from the block parallel to the array of nozzles. A passageway for coolant water is formed in the block and extends into the wings as a thinner channel. The block and the wing regions are mounted in thermal contact with the array of ink jet nozzles. The heat sink has the advantage that it allows the cartridges in the printer to be stitched together to cover the full width of a substrate.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of reading out information items stored in a phosphor layer, in which the phosphor layer is excited to emit emission light and the emission light is sensed by a detector and the detector is moved relative to the phosphor layer. During this process, the detector consecutively senses the emission light emitted in each case by individual regions of the phosphor layer. To reduce the dark noise and the movement blur, provision is made that the detector senses the emission light emitted by a region during an integration time that is less than a forward-travel time for the movement of the detector by the width of the region in the forward-travel direction (V).

Abstract: An ink supply system for feeding ink from an ink cartridge to an inkjet printer includes a dry-break valve system and two coupling elements. Preferably use is made of a hollow tappet rod as a coupling element. The valves in the system are automatically opened in a single action during coupling without introduction of air into the system. The system allows for a high volume ink flow and prevents leakage from the ink cartridge and the printer due to pressure changes.

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: A read-out device reads out X-rays stored in phosphor layers. To improve image quality, the read-out device is controlled such that an X-ray of a first body part, e.g. of a limb, stored in a phosphor layer is read out by the read-out device controlled in a first read-out mode, and an X-ray of a second, different body part, e.g. of a thorax, stored in the phosphor layer is read out by the read-out device controlled in a second read-out mode. The scan parameters of the read-out device set in the first read-out mode are different from the scan parameters set in the second read-out mode in at least one scan parameter. The scan parameters include, but are not limited to, the size of the pixels, the intensity and/or the width of a focus range of stimulation light on the phosphor layer, the sampling rate of a detector, and a speed of the phosphor layer in relative movement to the read-out device.

Abstract: A method of reducing noise in an image by decomposing the digital signal representation of the image into a sequence of detail images representing detail at successive scales and a residual image and modulating pixels of at least some of the detail images by applying modulating coefficients. The modulating coefficients are deduced from a single contrast-to-noise ratio image which represents the local contrast-to-noise ratio in each pixel at a predefined scale.

Abstract: A method for slot extrusion coating a liquid composition at a coating temperature and a coating speed at or above 40 m/min, said liquid composition having a viscosity at said coating temperature of at least 500 mPa·s at a shear rate of 100 s?1, comprising the step of: (i) selecting said liquid composition for slot extrusion coating having a tan ? of less than 1000 measured by oscillatory dynamic viscosity measurements at 1 Hz, the coating temperature and a shear stress of 250 Pa under conditions in which there is effectively no variation in shear stress within said liquid composition during said measurement, said liquid composition being selected from liquid compositions each comprising at least one binder and a liquid carrier medium; and (ii) slot extrusion coating the composition via a slot onto a web support with a bead vacuum at the coating temperature and the coating speed.

Abstract: A method for canceling the impact of the physical property variability on the image quality performance of a digital imaging system, obtained during quality control (QC) analysis using a serial numbered quality control (QC) target by applying physical property deviation controlled behaviour model corrections to the raw image quality performance. The serial numbered QC-target used for the QC analysis comprises target-specific, measured physical property data encoded in- or outside of QC-target.

Abstract: A wiper assembly is used to mount large size wiper blades for use in industrial inkjet printers. In order to provide an even wiping action over the length of a print head the wiper is sideways clamped in a rigid wiper blade holder and held in place by a clamping block. Preferably the wiper assembly clamps the wiper over about 20% of the wiper height. The assembly allows for use of individual wiper blades having different characteristics. Separate wiper blades are more easily fabricated and can be replaced easily. The wiper blades may be provided with a heel which enhances mounting efficiency. The wiper assembly may include provisions for easy mounting to allow for rapid exchange of the whole wiper assembly in a printer.

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.