Abstract: A method for manufacturing a porous metal body according to the present invention includes: a surface oxidizing step of heating a titanium-containing powder in an atmosphere containing oxygen at a temperature of 250° C. or more for 30 minutes or more to provide a surface-oxidized powder; and a sintering step of depositing the surface-oxidized powder in a dry process, and sintering the surface-oxidized powder by heating it in a reduced pressure atmosphere or an inert atmosphere at a temperature of 950° C. or more.

Abstract: A porous titanium-based sintered body, having a porosity of 45% to 65%, an average pore diameter of 5 ?m to 15 ?m, and a bending strength of 100 MPa or more. According to the present invention, a porous titanium-based sintered body having good pore diameter and porosity that are compatible with each other and having a high strength can be provided.

Abstract: A porous titanium-based sintered body, having a porosity of 50% to 75%, an average pore diameter of 23 ?m to 45 ?m, and a specific surface area of 0.020 m2/g to 0.065 m2/g, and having a bending strength of 22 MPa or more. According to the present invention, a porous titanium-based sintered body having a high porosity, a large specific surface area and a large average pore diameter and thereby having good gas permeability or liquid permeability, and further having a high strength can be provided.

Abstract: A porous titanium-based sintered body, having a porosity of 45% to 65%, an average pore diameter of 5 ?m to 15 ?m, and a bending strength of 100 MPa or more. According to the present invention, a porous titanium-based sintered body having good pore diameter and porosity that are compatible with each other and having a high strength can be provided.

Abstract: A reading apparatus includes a cassette loader, which is loaded with a radiation cassette storing a radiation conversion panel therein. The radiation cassette has at least one portion thereof that is exposed outside of the reading apparatus. The cassette loader includes a shield cover disposed at least between a radiation source and the exposed portion of the radiation cassette, for thereby shielding the radiation cassette from radiation produced by the radiation source. The shield cover can be stored on the reading apparatus.

Abstract: A photothermographic material including, on at least one surface of a support, at least a photosensitive silver halide containing a silver iodide at 40 mol % or more, a non-photosensitive organic silver salt, and a reducing agent, wherein the photothermographic material contains two or more kinds of the reducing agent at the mixing ratio to satisfy at least one of a), b), c) and d): a) a difference between a sensitivity or b) a difference between a maximum density is 0.10 or less, when developed at 120° C. for 10 sec and a sensitivity when developed at 120° C. for 14 sec; c) a difference between a sensitivity or d) a difference between a maximum density is 0.10 or less, when developed at 117° C. for 12 sec and a sensitivity when developed at 123° C. for 12 sec. An image forming method using the photothermographic material is also provided.

Abstract: The heat-developable photosensitive material of the present invention comprises a support, a photosensitive silver halide, a non-photosensitive organic silver salt, a heat developer and a binder, wherein the photosensitive silver halide is a specific photosensitive silver halide.

Abstract: A photothermographic material including, on at least one surface of a support, at least a photosensitive silver halide containing a silver iodide at 40 mol % or more, a non-photosensitive organic silver salt, and a reducing agent, wherein the photothermographic material contains two or more kinds of the reducing agent at the mixing ratio to satisfy at least one of a), b), c) and d): a) a difference between a sensitivity or b) a difference between a maximum density is 0.10 or less, when developed at 120° C. for 10 sec and a sensitivity when developed at 120° C. for 14 sec; c) a difference between a sensitivity or d) a difference between a maximum density is 0.10 or less, when developed at 117° C. for 12 sec and a sensitivity when developed at 123° C. for 12 sec. An image forming method using the photothermographic material is also provided.

Abstract: An image forming method comprising exposing a heat-developable light-sensitive material comprising a support having thereon at least a light-sensitive silver halide having a silver iodide content of 5 to 100 mol %, a light-insensitive organic silver salt, a heat developing agent, and a binder by means of a scanning optical system having a light source emitting a laser beam having an emission peak between 350 nm and 450 nm to form a latent image on said heat-developable light-sensitive material, heating said heat-developable light-sensitive material to about 80 to 250° C. in a heat development section, and cooling said heat-developable light-sensitive material having been heat treated in said heat development section to or below a development stopping temperature while said heat-developable light-sensitive material is transported in a cooling section.

Abstract: An image forming method comprising exposing a heat-developable light-sensitive material comprising a support having thereon at least a light-sensitive silver halide having a silver iodide content of 5 to 100 mol %, a light-insensitive organic silver salt, a heat developing agent, and a binder by means of a scanning optical system having a light source emitting a laser beam having an emission peak between 350 nm and 450 nm to form a latent image on said heat-developable light-sensitive material, heating said heat-developable light-sensitive material to about 80 to 250° C. in a heat development section, and cooling said heat-developable light-sensitive material having been heat treated in said heat development section to or below a development stopping temperature while said heat-developable light-sensitive material is transported in a cooling section.

Abstract: An image forming method comprising exposing a heat-developable light-sensitive material comprising a support having thereon at least a light-sensitive silver halide having a silver iodide content of 5 to 100 mol %, a light-insensitive organic silver salt, a heat developing agent, and a binder by means of a scanning optical system having a light source emitting a laser beam having an emission peak between 350 nm and 450 nm to form a latent image on said heat-developable light-sensitive material, heating said heat-developable light-sensitive material to about 80 to 250° C. in a heat development section, and cooling said heat-developable light-sensitive material having been heat treated in said heat development section to or below a development stopping temperature while said heat-developable light-sensitive material is transported in a cooling section.

Abstract: A thermal recording system for recording an image on a thermo-sensitive recording medium using a laser beam under a preheated condition of the thermo-sensitive recording medium. In the thermal recording system, a preheating device preheats the thermo-sensitive recording medium which has leuco dyes, a developer and light-absorbing dyes all provided on a support, and which develops color in a continuous tone at a density corresponding to the energy of the applied heat, to a predetermined temperature less than a color-developing temperature. A heating-beam generating device allows a laser beam to scan the thermo-sensitive recording medium so as to heat the thermo-sensitive recording medium to a predetermined color-developing temperature. Thus, the heating-beam generating device can control the laser beam in a sufficient control range, thereby making it possible to record an image on the thermo-sensitive recording medium with high accuracy.

Abstract: The heat-developable photosensitive material of the present invention comprises a support, a photosensitive silver halide, a non-photosensitive organic silver salt, a heat developer and a binder, wherein the photosensitive silver halide is a specific photosensitive silver halide.

Abstract: An image forming method comprising exposing a heat-developable light-sensitive material comprising a support having thereon at least a light-sensitive silver halide having a silver iodide content of 5 to 100 mol %, a light-insensitive organic silver salt, a heat developing agent, and a binder by means of a scanning optical system having a light source emitting a laser beam having an emission peak between 350 nm and 450 nm to form a latent image on said heat-developable light-sensitive material, heating said heat-developable light-sensitive material to about 80 to 250° C. in a heat development section, and cooling said heat-developable light-sensitive material having been heat treated in said heat development section to or below a development stopping temperature while said heat-developable light-sensitive material is transported in a cooling section.

Abstract: A thermal recording system for recording an image or the like on a thermo-sensitive recording medium using a laser beam under a preheated condition of the thermo-sensitive recording medium. In the thermal recording system, a preheating means preheats the thermo-sensitive recording medium which has leuco dyes, a developer and light-absorbing dyes all provided on a support and which develops color in continuous tone at a density corresponding to the energy of applied heat, to a predetermined temperature less than a color-developing temperature. A heating-beam generating means allows the thermo-sensitive recording medium to be scanned with a laser beam emitted therefrom so as to heat the thermo-sensitive recording medium to a predetermined color-developing temperature. Thus, the heating-beam generating means can control the laser beam in a sufficient control range, thereby making it possible to record an image or the like on the thermo-sensitive recording medium with high accuracy.

Abstract: A thermal recording system for recording an image on a thermo-sensitive recording medium using a laser beam under a preheated condition of the thermo-sensitive recording medium. In the thermal recording system, a preheating device preheats the thermo-sensitive recording medium which has leuco dyes, a developer and light-absorbing dyes all provided on a support, and which develops color in a continuous tone at a density corresponding to the energy of the applied heat, to a predetermined temperature less than a color-developing temperature. A heating-beam generating device allows a laser beam to scan the thermo-sensitive recording medium so as to heat the thermo-sensitive recording medium to a predetermined color-developing temperature. Thus, the heating-beam generating device can control the laser beam in a sufficient control range, thereby making it possible to record an image on the thermo-sensitive recording medium with high accuracy.

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: Digital image signals are detected from radiation images of an object constituted of bones and soft tissues. A subtraction process is carried out with a predetermined parameter on the digital image signals, and a difference signal representing an image of part of the object is obtained. Each of images of a phantom, which has part exhibiting an equivalent radiation absorption coefficient to bones and/or part exhibiting an equivalent radiation absorption coefficient to soft tissues, is read out together with each object image. A value of the parameter is found, with which the image of either part of the phantom becomes erased in a subtraction image of the phantom obtained from subtraction processing. The value of the parameter, which has thus been found, is determined as an optimum value of the parameter. Subtraction processing is then carried out by using the optimum value of the parameter.