Abstract: Corrected recording data for a present pixel are generated from recording data stored in an image memory based on recording data for pixels preceding, following, above, and beneath the present pixel, and stored in a corrected image memory. A laser diode is energized according to the corrected recording data to output a laser beam for thereby recording an image on a thermosensitive recording medium. Since the recording data have been corrected taking into account the thermal energy from the adjacent pixels, the image thus recorded on the thermosensitive recording medium is highly accurate at a high speed.

Abstract: In a thermal recording apparatus using a thermo-sensitive recording medium, a semiconductor laser outputs a laser beam modulated according to a gradation signal of an image to be recorded for a first time interval required to scan an image region of the recording medium, and an acousto-optic modulator modulates a laser beam generated by a gas laser to supply the image region with heat energy less than a coloring energy of the recording medium for the first time interval, and to supply a region other than the image region with a high energy exceeding the coloring energy for a time interval required to scan the other region, to draw black borders surrounding the image recorded on the recording medium.

Abstract: A method of and an apparatus for thermally recording an image on a thermo-sensitive recording medium. The apparatus comprises a heating mechanism for applying the thermo-sensitive recording medium with a coloring thermal energy to record the image, a conveying mechanism for moving the recording medium in a sub-scanning direction, a moisture content adjusting mechanism for adjusting the moisture content of the recording medium unexposed to the thermal energy, a humidity detecting mechanism for detecting the humidity in the vicinity of the position where the recording medium is exposed to the thermal energy, and a controller for controlling the moisture content adjusting mechanism based on the detected humidity.

Abstract: Images or other information is recorded by a thermal recording apparatus on a thermosensitive recording medium which has a support coated with a coloring agent, a color developer, and light-absorbing dyes, and produces color whose density depends on thermal energy that is applied to the thermosensitive recording medium. The thermal recording apparatus has a plurality of laser beam generators for generating respective laser beams, and an optical scanning system for scanning the thermosensitive recording medium with the laser beams at respective different positions thereon. One of the laser beam generators produces a laser beam to scan the thermosensitive recording medium earlier than the laser beams generated by the other laser beam generators, and the laser beam has a thermal energy which is high enough to enable the thermosensitive recording medium to produce the color. The laser beam generators apply the respective laser beams at different incident angles to the optical scanning system.

Abstract: A laser beam of a constant intensity is generated by a semiconductor laser and applied to a thermosensitive recording medium. The density of a colored recorded area of the thermosensitive recording medium is detected by a densitometer, and shading correcting data for making the density of the colored recorded area constant based on the detected density are stored in a shading data memory. A controller reads the stored shading correcting data and controls the intensity of the laser beam generated by the semiconductor laser based on the shading correcting data for thereby compensating for variations in the level of an image signal due, for example, to intensity irregularities of the laser beam applied to the thermosensitive recording medium and irregularities of the speed at which the thermosensitive recording medium is scanned with the laser beam.

Abstract: An image reading and recording apparatus has a first feed system for feeding an image-bearing sheet with image information recorded thereon to an image reading and recording device, and a second feed system for feeding a thermosensitive recording sheet to the image reading and recording device, the thermosensitive recording sheet having a support coated with a coloring agent, a color developer, and light-absorbing dyes, the thermosensitive recording sheet being capable of producing a color whose density depends on the thermal energy of a laser beam irradiated thereto. An optical laser beam scanning system scans the image-bearing sheet and the thermosensitive recording sheet with a laser beam in a main scanning direction while the image-bearing sheet and the thermosensitive recording sheet are fed in an auxiliary scanning direction in the image reading and recording means, to read the image information from the image-bearing sheet and record image information on the thermosensitive recording sheet.

Abstract: Image data representing one pixel line and supplied from a line memory are divided by a dividing circuit into three sets of image data which are stored in respective line memories. A switcher is controlled by a timing signal from a controller to successively supply the image data from the line memories to a thermal head driver. Based on the supplied image data, the thermal head driver enables a thermal head to record three lines on a thermosensitive recording medium. The thermosensitive recording medium now records thereon a high-quality image free of coarse image textures which has recorded image areas dispersed in one pixel interval in the direction in which the thermosensitive recording medium is fed.

Abstract: A thermal recording apparatus capable of preventing in advance a thermo-sensitive recording medium or the apparatus from being excessively heated when the apparatus is defective in operation. When a failure in operation of a polygon mirror is detected by a scanning sensor, when a failure in operation of a motor is detected by an encoder or when jamming or the like of a thermo-sensitive recording medium S is detected by a pair of feed sensors, a controller outputs a malfunction signal to a solenoid. The solenoid, activated at all times, is de-activated by the malfunction signal thereby to cause the shielding plate to cut off a laser beam L. Thus, even if a failure in operation of the thermal recording apparatus is developed, the thermo-sensitive recording medium S and the thermal recording apparatus can be prevented from being excessively heated with the laser beam L.

Abstract: A light beam is modulated in accordance with an image signal, which is made up of a series of image signal components representing an image recorded on a recording medium, and the modulated light beam is caused by a light beam scanning system, which includes a rotating polygon mirror, to two-dimensionally scan a recording material, the image being thereby reproduced on the recording material. The light beam modulated in accordance with image signal components of the image signal, which correspond to positions lying along each scanning line on the recording medium, is utilized to scan along a plurality of scanning lines on the recording material such that parts of adjacent scanning lines on the recording material may overlap one upon the other. The intensity of the light beam is changed each time the light beam scans along one of the plurality of the scanning lines on the recording material.

Abstract: An energy subtraction processing method and apparatus for radiation images includes irradiating radiation, which has a predetermined energy range, into an object in a recording unit, and irradiating the radiation, which has passed through the object, to a recording medium capable of recording a plurality of radiation images during its exposure to radiation with different energy distributions. A plurality of radiation images of the object are thereby recorded on the recording medium. From the recording medium on which the radiation images have been recorded, a plurality of image signals are obtained by a read-out unit. The image signals represent the radiation images of the object. A modulation transfer function (MTF) correcting process is carried out on the image signals in an operation unit such that differences between MTF's of the radiation images of the object may be eliminated.

Abstract: A stimulable phosphor sheet cassette has a light-tight casing which has an opening through which a stimulable phosphor sheet can be got in and out of the casing by moving the stimulable phosphor sheet in a direction parallel to the surface thereof and a light shielding member provided at the opening to prevent light from entering the casing but to permit the stimulable phosphor sheet to move through the opening. The casing is in such a size that it receives the stimulable phosphor sheet with one end portion of the stimulable phosphor sheet projecting outside the casing through the opening.

Abstract: A method for detecting artifact signal components comprises the steps of detecting an image signal made up of a series of image signal components representing a radiation image from a recording medium on which the radiation image has been recorded. Specific image signal components, which have values smaller than a predetermined threshold value, are detected from the image signal. Investigation is made to find how many neighboring picture elements the specific image signal components correspond to. In cases where the number of the neighboring picture elements is smaller than a predetermined number, it is determined that the specific image signal components are artifact signal components.

Abstract: A stimulable phosphor sheet, on which a radiation image has been stored, is scanned with stimulating rays in a main scanning direction and in a sub-scanning direction. The stimulating rays cause the stimulable phosphor sheet to emit light in proportion to the amount of energy stored thereon during its exposure to radiation. The light emitted by the portion of the stimulable phosphor sheet exposed to the stimulating rays is photoelectrically detected, and an image signal representing the radiation image is thereby obtained. The speed, with which a stimulable phosphor sheet is scanned with the stimulating rays in the main scanning direction, is set to be the same for a plurality of stimulable phosphor sheets. The speed, with which a stimulable phosphor sheet is scanned with the stimulating rays in the sub-scanning direction, is set to be equal to a value inherent to each of the plurality of stimulable phosphor sheets.

Abstract: In a radiation image read-out apparatus, a stimulable phosphor sheet, on which a radiation image has been stored, is exposed to stimulating rays which cause the stimulable phosphor sheet to emit light in proportion to the amount of energy stored thereon during its exposure to radiation. The light, which is emitted by the portion of the stimulable phosphor sheet exposed to the stimulating rays, is photoelectrically detected, and an image signal representing the radiation image is thereby obtained. A plurality of laser beam sources produce laser beams, which serve as the stimulating rays. A beam combining device combines the laser beams, which have been produced by the laser beam sources, such that the beam spots of the laser beams are superposed one upon another on the stimulable phosphor sheet. A beam number reducing device prevents the laser beams, except for a single laser beam, from impinging upon the stimulable phosphor sheet.

Abstract: A medical image reproducing system comprises a plurality of medical image signal feeding apparatuses, which feed out image signals representing medical images, and a single image reproducing and recording apparatus, which is connected to the plurality of the medical image signal feeding apparatuses, and which reproduces an image from each of the image signals fed out from the medical image signal feeding apparatuses and records the image. Each medical image signal feeding apparatus is provided with a device for generating an identification signal representing the resolution, with which the picture elements in an image represented by an image signal fed out from each medical image signal feeding apparatus are arrayed. The identification signal is fed into the image reproducing and recording apparatus together with the corresponding image signal.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus for recording an image on an image recording medium includes a digital-to-analog converter for converting digital image data into analog image data, and a multiplier for multiplying the analog image data from the digital-to-analog converter by a signal for correcting for variations in the image recording apparatus. The density of gradations of the image to be recorded is controlled with an output signal from the multiplier. The resolution of the digital-to-analog converter ranges from 8 to 12 bits. The apparatus comprises a multiplying digital-to-analog converter, and the signal for correcting for variations is represented by digital data.

Abstract: A radiation image recording and read-out apparatus for use in energy subtraction processing for mamma images comprises an image recording table, on which the mamma is supported and secured, and a single stimulable phosphor sheet, which can be moved from the position under the image recording table to an image read-out section and then to an erasing section. After a first exposure of the stimulable phosphor sheet to radiation is carried out at the image recording table, a radiation image stored on the stimulable phosphor sheet is read out therefrom. Thereafter, any energy remaining on the stimulable phosphor sheet is erased, and the erased stimulable phosphor sheet is moved to the position under the image recording table. A second exposure of the stimulable phosphor sheet to the radiation is then carried out, and a radiation image stored on the stimulable phosphor sheet is read out therefrom. Image signals obtained from the two image read-out operations are then subtracted from each other.

Abstract: A radiation image recording and read-out apparatus comprises a belt feed device for positioning and moving a flexible, endless stimulable phosphor belt in its longitudinal direction, so that two desired portions of the stimulable phosphor belt, which have support sides that face each other, may be positioned for exposure to radiation in such a way that the support sides are in close, face-to-face contact with each other or are approximately parallel to and slightly spaced apart from each other. In an image recording section, radiation carrying image information is irradiated onto two portions of the stimulable phosphor belt, which have support sides that face each other and which have been positioned so as to be exposed to the radiation, and radiation images are thereby stored on the two portions. In a single image read-out section, the radiation images are read out from the two portions. The two portions are then erased in an erasing section.

Abstract: In a radiation image read-out apparatus, a stimulable phosphor sheet, on which a radiation image has been stored, is scanned with a stimulating ray beam, which causes the stimulable phosphor sheet to emit light in proportion to the amount of energy stored thereon during its exposure to radiation. The light, which is emitted by part of the stimulable phosphor sheet being scanned with the stimulating ray beam, is photoelectrically detected and converted into an image signal. The beam diameter of the stimulating ray beam is adjusted such that it is larger than the size of each picture element in the radiation image. Each picture element is scanned with the stimulating ray beam by a plurality of scanning steps such that the position, which is scanned, is shifted for different scanning steps.

Abstract: In a radiation image read-out apparatus, a stimulable phosphor sheet, on which a radiation image has been stored, is exposed to stimulating rays, which cause the stimulable phosphor sheet to emit light in proportion to the amount of energy stored thereon during its exposure to radiation. The emitted light is photoelectrically detected and converted into an image signal representing the radiation image. An ultraviolet lamp is provided, which produces ultraviolet rays such that energy from the ultraviolet rays is approximately uniformly stored on a stimulate phosphor sheet. The image signal is corrected in accordance with information about the characteristics of shading. The information about the characteristics of shading is corrected in accordance with a signal detected from a stimulable phosphor sheet, on which the energy from the ultraviolet rays have been approximately uniformly stored.