Process and apparatus for encapsulating a photo-stimuable phosphor imaging plate within a barrier envelope and barrier envelope therefore
There are disclosed by a process and apparatus for positioning and sealing photostimuable phosphor imaging plates within barriers envelope blanks therefore and formed on a roll thereof wherein a barrier envelope blank including a U-shaped heat sealed portion thereof of such roll is indexed to a positioning station whereat the barrier envelope blank is caused to be opened at a free end thereof thereby permitting insertion of a restored imaging plate into such barrier envelope whereupon the barrier envelope including restored imaging plate is indexed to a station whereat heat sealing of the free end of the U-shaped heat sealed is effected to thereby enclose the restored imaging plate therein and thereafter the thus heat sealed barrier envelope is indexed to a product station for removal from the roll of barrier envelope blanks.
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Applicant claims the benefit of provisional application Ser. No. 60/648,748, filed Feb. 2, 2005.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to photo-stimuable phosphor imaging technology, and more particularly, to a process and apparatus for encapsulating a photo-stimuable phosphor imaging plate within a barrier envelope.
2. Background of the Prior Art
The use of photo-stimuable phosphor imaging plates in a dental operatory are replacing the usage of x-ray films since photo-stimuable phosphor imaging plates are reusable over an extended period of time. Photo-stimuable phosphor imaging plates are similarly exposed to a source of x-ray radiation, however are thereafter optically scanned with the resulting information stored in a suitable computer processing unit. In U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/919,123, filed Aug. 16, 2004, assigned to the same assignee as the present invention there is disclosed a process and apparatus for optically scanning exposed photostimuable phosphor imaging plates. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,866,149, assigned to the same Assignee as the present invention, there is disclosed a barrier envelope used for protecting the restored image plate.
Since such exposed photostimuable phosphor imaging plates are reusable, the thus scanned imaging plate is subjected to luminescence to discharge electrons forming the latent image to restore imaging capability. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,778,776, issued Aug. 17, 2004, and assigned to the same assignee as the present invention, there is disclosed an apparatus for restoring imaging capabilities of exposed photostimuable phosphor imaging plates. Such restored imaging plates must be enclosed in a barrier envelope prior to reuse.
OBJECTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTIONAn object of the present invention is to provide a process and apparatus for positioning and sealing restored photo-stimuable phosphor imaging plates in a barrier envelope in a facile manner.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a process and apparatus for positioning and sealing restored photostimuable phosphor imaging plates to ensure effective enclosure within a barrier envelope.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a process and apparatus for positioning and sealing restored photostimuable phosphor imaging plates within barrier envelopes requiring minimal manipulation of restored photostimuable phosphor imaging plates.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a barrier envelope blank for restored photostimuable phosphor imaging plate of facile handling.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a barrier envelope blank for restored photostimuable phosphor imaging plate provide aseptic properties to a resulting barrier envelope enclosing an imaging plate.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThese and other objects of the present invention are achieved by a process and apparatus for positioning and sealing photostimuable phosphor imaging plates within barriers envelopes blanks formed on a roll thereof wherein a barrier envelope blank including a U-shaped heat sealed portion thereof of such a roll is indexed to a positioning station whereat the barrier envelope blank is caused to be opened at a free end thereof thereby permitting insertion of a restored imaging plate into such barrier envelope blank whereupon the barrier envelope blank including restored imaging plate is indexed to station whereat heat sealing of the free end of the U-shaped heat sealed is effected to thereby encloses the restored imaging plate therein and thereafter the thus heat sealed barrier envelope is indexed to a product station for removal from the roll of barrier envelope blanks.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSFurther objects and advantages of the process and apparatus of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description thereof when taken with the accompanying drawings wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout:
Referring now to the drawings, and particularly
The cover member 14, referring again to
The apparatus 10 of the present invention processes a roll, generally indicated as 30, of barrier envelope blanks BE1, BE2, BE3 and BEn, delineated by a perforated line 32 there between and mounted on cylindrically-shaped shaft portions 34 of the positioning and sealing assembly 16, referring to FIGS. 2 to 5. The perforated line 34 facilitates separation of individual barrier envelopes BE1 et seq.
Each barrier envelope blank BE, referring to
The positioning and sealing assembly 18, referring again to FIGS. 4 to 6, is comprised of parallelledly-disposed left and right side frame members 60 and 62. (right side frame member 62 being essentially a mirror image of left side frame member 60) mounted to each other by a plurality of parallelledly-disposed intermediated arm member 64 perpendicularly-disposed to the side frame members 60 and 62. A back portion of the positioning and sealing assembly 18 includes the shaft portions 34 for positioning the roll 30 of preformed barrier envelope blanks BE. A motor 68 including a drive shaft 70 is mounted in a lower portion of the positioning and sealing assembly 18 with an end of the drive shaft 70 provided with a gear 72 in geared relationship to a driven gear member 74 mounted on a shaft 76 in geared relationship with a gear 78 mounted on a shaft 80 including clutched advancement drive roller members 82 in contacting relationship with idler wheels 84 and 86. The advancement drive roller members 82 rotate in a clockwise direction, but are free wheeling when the shaft 80 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction during clockwise rotation of the shaft 76 in a heat sealing mode) referring to
Guide roller members 88, 90 and 92 are provided in the upper portion of the positioning and sealing assembly 18 defining a track for the passage of barrier envelope blanks BE from the roll 30 thereof through the apparatus of the present invention. The guide roller member 92 is positioned proximate the imaging plate positioning opening 22 of the cover member 14 thereby guiding the barrier envelope blank BE around such roller member 92 to cause an unsealed portion of the transparent thermoplastic film 40 to rotate outwardly from the opaque thermoplastic film 42 thereby exposing the chamber 52 for manual insertion of a restored imaging plate, i.e. positioning station, referring particularly to
Positioned below the roller member 92 is a heat sealing station comprised of a fixed platen member 94 and a heating platen member 96 mounted on arm members 98 mounted for rotation on shaft 76, as more fully hereinafter discussed. The fixed platen member 94 functions as an anvil for the heat sealing process. The heating platen member 96 is provided with an inverted U-shaped member (not shown) to complete sealing of a thus inserted imaging plate in the barrier envelope blank BE to complete the process of protecting the thus enclosed imaging plate within a barrier envelope.
Associated with the advancement drive roller members 80 is a sensor assembly, generally indicated as 100, which senses the registration indicia portions 56 to insure proper registration of barrier envelope blanks being processed and alignment within the heat sealing station.
In operation, referring to
It will be understood by one skilled in the art, that the process and apparatus of the present invention is capable of processing barrier envelope blanks of varying dimension to accommodate imaging plates of various sizes used in the dental operatory. Accordingly, the process and apparatus of the present invention is accordingly adjusted prior to processing barrier envelope blanks of such varying dimension.
While the present invention has been described in connection with an exemplary embodiment thereof, it will be understood that may modifications thereof will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art and that this application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations thereof, and therefore it is manifestly intended that this invention be only limited by the claims and the equivalents thereof
Claims
1. A process for encapsulating a photostimulable phosphor imaging plate, which comprises:
- positioning said imaging plate between a rear film and a front film of thermoplastic material; and
- heat sealing said front film to said rear film peripherally about said imaging plate.
2. The process for encapsulating a photostimulable phosphor imaging plate as defined in claim 1 wherein said front film is partially heat sealed to said rear film prior to positioning of said imaging plate to thereby form a barrier envelope around said imaging plate.
3. The process for encapsulating a photostimulable phosphor imaging plate as defined in claim 1 wherein said front film is formed of a transparent thermoplastic material and said rear film is formed of an opaque thermoplastic material.
4. The process for encapsulating a photostimulable phosphor imaging plate as defined in claim 1 wherein said rear and front films are formed on a roll and provided with a separation line there between to delineate respective barrier envelope blanks components.
5. The process for encapsulating a photostimulable phosphor imaging plate as defined in claim 4 wherein positioning of said imaging plate between said films is effected in a positioning station of an apparatus for processing said photostimulable phosphor imaging plate.
6. The process for encapsulating a photostimulable phosphor imaging plate as defined in claim 5 wherein heating sealing is effected in a heat sealing station of said apparatus.
7. The process for encapsulating a photostimulable phosphor imaging plate as defined in claim 6 wherein said films forming said components of said barrier envelope are indexed between said stations.
8. The process for encapsulating a photostimulable phosphor imaging plate as defined in claim 7 wherein said encapsulating barrier envelope is indexed to a product recovery station.
9. An apparatus for encapsulating a restored photo-stimulable phosphor imaging plate in a barrier envelope blank having an access opening, which comprises:
- a positioning station for manual positioning of said imaging plate in said barrier envelope blank through said access opening;
- a heat sealing station for heat sealing of said imaging plate within said barrier envelope blank to form barrier envelope including said imaging plate;
- a product recovery station for said barrier envelope including said imaging plate; and
- means for transporting said barrier envelope blank sequentially to said stations.
10. The apparatus for encapsulating a restored photo-stimulable phosphor imaging plate in a barrier envelope blank having an access opening as defined in claim 9 wherein said barrier envelope blank is formed on a roll thereof delineated by a separation line there between and is mounted in said apparatus co-axially disposed to said means for transporting said barrier envelope blank to and through said stations.
11. The apparatus for encapsulating a restored photo-stimulable phosphor imaging plate in a barrier envelope blank having an access opening as defined in claim 10 wherein said barrier envelope blank is formed with a U-shaped heat sealed portion between a front transparent film and a rear opaque film of thermoplastic materials with a base portion thereof disposed on a leading edge portion of said barrier envelope blank whereby positioning of said barrier envelope blank at said positioning station causes a free end portion of said transparent front film to separate from said opaque rear film to permit access of said restored imaging plate within said barrier envelope blank.
12. The apparatus for encapsulating a restored photo-stimulable phosphor imaging plate in a barrier envelope blank having an access opening as defined in claim 11 and further including means for indexing said barrier envelope blanks and barrier envelopes through said stations by a dimension defined by the distance between separation lines between said barrier envelope blanks.
13. A barrier envelope blank for a restored photo-stimulable phosphor imaging plate which comprises:
- a transparent thermoplastic film; and
- an opaque film sealed to said transparent thermoplastic film forming a chamber for said imaging plate via an access opening theret.
14. The barrier envelope blank for a restored photo-stimulable phosphor imaging plate as defined in claim 13 wherein said opaque film is formed of a thermoplastic material.
15. The barrier envelope blank for a restored photo-stimuable phosphor imaging plate as defined in claim 14 and further including a backing paper layer mounted to said opaque thermoplastic layer.
16. The barrier envelope blank for a restored photo-stimuable phosphor imaging plate as defined in claim 13 and further including a fronting paper layer disposed on said transparent thermoplastic film.
17. The barrier envelope blank for a restored photo-stimuable phosphor imaging plate as defined in claims 14 wherein said transparent thermoplastic layer is heat sealed to said opaque thermoplastic layer.
18. The barrier envelope blank for a restored photo-stimulable phosphor imaging plate as defined in claim 17 wherein said heat sealed portion is U-shaped.
19. The barrier envelope blank for a restored photo-stimulable phosphor imaging plate as defined in claim 13 sequentially-formed in a roll thereof delineated by a separation line perpendicularly-disposed to a major axis of barrier envelope blanks.
20. The roll barrier envelope blanks as defined in claim 19 and further including a positioning indicia denoting said separation line.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 8, 2007
Publication Date: Jan 24, 2008
Applicant:
Inventors: Edgar Alzner (Garden City, NY), Henry Hubner (Amityville, NY), Yehuda Rosenstock (Freeport, NY), John Sylvester (Garden City, NY)
Application Number: 11/890,583
International Classification: G03C 3/00 (20060101); B65B 9/02 (20060101);