Abstract: A cassette has a housing with a stimulable phosphor sheet stored therein, a lid mounted on an end of the housing, and an opening/closing lock mechanism mounted in the housing for locking the lid against opening and closing movement. The stimulable phosphor sheet stored in the housing is locked against displacement by a lock mechanism mounted in the housing. When the opening/closing lock mechanism is actuated to open the lid and the lock mechanism is actuated to unlock the stimulable phosphor sheet, the stimulable phosphor sheet can be removed from the housing.

Abstract: A radiation cassette has a casing for storing a stimulable phosphor plate and a lid openably and closably mounted on the casing. The lid has a guide structure for guiding the stimulable phosphor plate when the radiation image recording medium is removed or inserted into the cassette while the lid is open with respect to the casing. The guide structure has a pair of engaging members fixed to an inner surface of the lid and a pair of recesses that are defined in respective opposite side edges of the stimulable phosphor plate.

Abstract: When cassettes are placed on a conveyor disposed in a cassette loader and detectors disposed on a support plate on the conveyor detect information of identification strips on side walls of the cassettes, the cassettes are judged as being loaded properly in the cassette loader. When the detectors fail to detect the identification strips, the cassettes are judged as not being loaded in a desired state in the cassette loader.

Abstract: Radiation detector units provided with solid-state radiation detectors are supported on a supporting section, such that the radiation detector units are located at different distances from a radiation source and arrayed in a one-dimensional direction or two-dimensional directions. One of the radiation detector units is taken as a reference unit. Image size enlargement or reduction processing is performed on each of image signals outputted from the radiation detector units other than the reference unit and in accordance with a ratio between a distance from the radiation source to the reference unit and a distance from the radiation source to each of the radiation detector units other than the reference unit. Image composing processing is performed on the image signal outputted from the reference unit and processed image signals obtained from the image size enlargement or reduction processing.

Abstract: A cassette is delivered from a cassette loader through a stock unit to a releasing unit. After a stimulable phosphor panel is supplied from the cassette to a reading unit by an unlocking mechanism and a panel ejecting mechanism, the cassette is fed to a position below an erasing unit so as to wait for the stimulable phosphor panel. After recorded radiation image information is read from the stimulable phosphor panel by the reading unit, the stimulable phosphor panel is fed to the erasing unit, which erases remaining radiation image information from the stimulable phosphor panel. Thereafter, the stimulable phosphor panel is stored back into the waiting cassette, which is delivered to a cassette discharger.

Abstract: A spring is mounted on a side of a stimulable phosphor sheet. A cassette for use in radiation image forming apparatus includes a housing and a lid hinged thereto. When the lid is closed over the housing with the stimulable phosphor sheet inserted in the cassette, the stimulable phosphor sheet is lowered toward a bottom surface of the housing, and the spring presses a side wall of the housing and is also lowered toward the bottom surface. The stimulable phosphor sheet is positioned and held with respect to the side wall by the spring, and housed in a space defined by the housing and the lid.

Abstract: A plurality of stacked cassettes are loaded into a cassette loader, and the cassettes loaded in the cassette loader are changed in attitude and stocked in an erected state in a stock unit. After the cassettes are processed, they are discharged in an erected state into a cassette discharger.

Abstract: After a housing of a cassette is opened by a suction cup, then a stimulable phosphor sheet is removed from the cassette by a shiftable roller and then fed in an auxiliary scanning direction by a feed mechanism. While being fed in the auxiliary scanning direction, the stimulable phosphor sheet is irradiated with a laser beam emitted from a stimulating optical system. Light emitted from the stimulable phosphor sheet upon exposure to the laser beam is guided through a light guide to a photoelectric transducer. After the recorded radiation image information is read from the stimulable phosphor sheet, the stimulable phosphor sheet is stored back into the cassette, and erasing light from erasing light sources is applied to the stimulable phosphor sheet in the cassette to erase remaining radiation image information from the stimulable phosphor sheet.

Abstract: A radiation image forming unit has a stimulable phosphor sheet and a case. The stimulable phosphor sheet includes a phosphor layer and a frame covering the four sides of the phosphor layer. The frame has a recess, and a lead sheet for blocking backward scattered rays is replaceably mounted in the recess by a double-sided tape. The radiation image forming unit may be used without the lead sheet. The lead sheet may be replaced with another lead sheet having a different thickness.

Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes a casing having a side panel which has a cassette loading slot defined therein for loading a cassette therein. A stimulable phosphor sheet stored in the cassette loaded in the cassette loading slot is removed from the cassette and fed vertically downwardly along a first vertical feed path. Radiation image information recorded in the stimulable phosphor sheet is read by a reader. Thereafter, the stimulable phosphor sheet is stored back into the cassette, which is then delivered toward a cassette unloading slot by a sliding displacement mechanism. The stimulable phosphor sheet is removed again from the cassette, and fed along a second vertical feed path for an eraser to erase remaining radiation image information from the stimulable phosphor sheet.

Abstract: Radiation detector units provided with solid-state radiation detectors are supported on a supporting section, such that the radiation detector units are located at different distances from a radiation source and arrayed in a one-dimensional direction or two-dimensional directions. One of the radiation detector units is taken as a reference unit. Image size enlargement or reduction processing is performed on each of image signals outputted from the radiation detector units other than the reference unit and in accordance with a ratio between a distance from the radiation source to the reference unit and a distance from the radiation source to each of the radiation detector units other than the reference unit. Image composing processing is performed on the image signal outputted from the reference unit and processed image signals obtained from the image size enlargement or reduction processing.

Abstract: A cassette has a housing with a stimulable phosphor sheet stored therein, a lid mounted on an end of the housing, and an opening/closing lock mechanism mounted in the housing for locking the lid against opening and closing movement. The stimulable phosphor sheet stored in the housing is locked against displacement by a lock mechanism mounted in the housing. When the opening/closing lock mechanism is actuated to open the lid and the lock mechanism is actuated to unlock the stimulable phosphor sheet, the stimulable phosphor sheet can be removed from the housing.

Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes a casing having a side panel which has a cassette loading slot defined therein for loading a cassette therein. A stimulable phosphor sheet stored in the cassette loaded in the cassette loading slot is removed from the cassette and fed vertically downwardly along a first vertical feed path. Radiation image information recorded in the stimulable phosphor sheet is read by a reader. Thereafter, the stimulable phosphor sheet is stored back into the cassette, which is then delivered toward a cassette unloading slot by a sliding displacement mechanism. The stimulable phosphor sheet is removed again from the cassette, and fed along a second vertical feed path for an eraser to erase remaining radiation image information from the stimulable phosphor sheet.

Abstract: A cassette is delivered from a cassette loader through a stock unit to a releasing unit. After a stimulable phosphor panel is supplied from the cassette to a reading unit by an unlocking mechanism and a panel ejecting mechanism, the cassette is fed to a position below an erasing unit so as to wait for the stimulable phosphor panel. After recorded radiation image information is read from the stimulable phosphor panel by the reading unit, the stimulable phosphor panel is fed to the erasing unit, which erases remaining radiation image information from the stimulable phosphor panel. Thereafter, the stimulable phosphor panel is stored back into the waiting cassette, which is delivered to a cassette discharger.

Abstract: A plurality of stacked cassettes are loaded into a cassette loader, and the cassettes loaded in the cassette loader are changed in attitude and stocked in an erected state in a stock unit. After the cassettes are processed, they are discharged in an erected state into a cassette discharger.

Abstract: When cassettes are placed on a conveyor disposed in a cassette loader and detectors disposed on a support plate on the conveyor detect information of identification strips on side walls of the cassettes, the cassettes are judged as being loaded properly in the cassette loader. When the detectors fail to detect the identification strips, the cassettes are judged as not being loaded in a desired state in the cassette loader.

Abstract: A preceding erasure time stored in an IC chip embedded in a stimulable phosphor sheet is read in step S3. After radiation image information is read from the stimulable phosphor sheet in step S5, an elapsed time up to the present time is calculated in step S6, and a required amount of erasing light corresponding to the elapsed time is read from a required-amount-of-applied-light memory in step S7. An erasing light application time is calculated from the radiation image information and the read required amount of erasing light in step S8. Erasing light sources are energized for the calculated erasing light application time to apply erasing light to the stimulable phosphor sheet to erase remaining radiation energy therefrom in step S10.

Abstract: After a housing of a cassette is opened by a suction cup, then a stimulable phosphor sheet is removed from the cassette by a shiftable roller and then fed in an auxiliary scanning direction by a feed mechanism. While being fed in the auxiliary scanning direction, the stimulable phosphor sheet is irradiated with a laser beam emitted from a stimulating optical system. Light emitted from the stimulable phosphor sheet upon exposure to the laser beam is guided through a light guide to a photoelectric transducer. After the recorded radiation image information is read from the stimulable phosphor sheet, the stimulable phosphor sheet is stored back into the cassette, and erasing light from erasing light sources is applied to the stimulable phosphor sheet in the cassette to erase remaining radiation image information from the stimulable phosphor sheet.

Abstract: A spring is mounted on a side of a stimulable phosphor sheet. A cassette for use in radiation image forming apparatus includes a housing and a lid hinged thereto. When the lid is closed over the housing with the stimulable phosphor sheet inserted in the cassette, the stimulable phosphor sheet is lowered toward a bottom surface of the housing, and the spring presses a side wall of the housing and is also lowered toward the bottom surface. The stimulable phosphor sheet is positioned and held with respect to the side wall by the spring, and housed in a space defined by the housing and the lid.

Abstract: A radiation cassette has a casing for storing a stimulable phosphor plate and a lid openably and closably mounted on the casing. The lid has a guide structure for guiding the stimulable phosphor plate when the radiation image recording medium is removed or inserted into the cassette while the lid is open with respect to the casing. The guide structure has a pair of engaging members fixed to an inner surface of the lid and a pair of recesses that are defined in respective opposite side edges of the stimulable phosphor plate.