Heat Applied After Imaging Patents (Class 430/350)
  • Patent number: 7261999
    Abstract: 1,3-Diaryl-substituted urea compounds have been found to function as post-processing stabilizers in photothermographic materials. These compounds can be presented by the following Structure (I): wherein R1 and R2 are the same or different substituted or unsubstituted aryl group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2007
    Assignee: Carestream Health, Inc.
    Inventors: Bryan V. Hunt, Kumars Sakizadeh
  • Patent number: 7258967
    Abstract: Incorporating a sulfonyldiphenol compound into photothermographic materials improves Raw Stock Keeping and post-processing “hot-dark” print stability especially under harsh environmental conditions such as high temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2007
    Assignee: Carestream Health, Inc.
    Inventors: Kumars Sakizadeh, Kui Chen-Ho, Bryan V. Hunt, Lilia P. Burleva
  • Patent number: 7255982
    Abstract: Incorporation of certain arylboronic acid compounds into photothermographic materials provides materials with reduced initial image Dmin and improved hot-dark Dmin print stability without unacceptable loss in sensitometric properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2007
    Assignee: Carestream Health, Inc.
    Inventors: Kui Chen-Ho, Kumars Sakizadeh
  • Patent number: 7253826
    Abstract: A thermal development apparatus is provided with: a thermal development section for heating a photosensitive thermal developable recording material to elicit a latent image recorded on an image-forming layer on both faces of the photosensitive thermal developable recording material by a heating unit, a cassette holder section for holding a cassette that houses the photosensitive thermal developable recording material therein, a conveyor unit for taking the photosensitive thermal developable recording material out of the cassette held in the cassette holder section and conveying the photosensitive thermal developable recording material to the thermal development section, and a control unit for controlling at least one of a heating temperature and a conveyance speed in the heating unit in the thermal development section, wherein the control unit is provided with a moisture correction information of the photosensitive thermal developable recording material and the control unit suitably corrects and controls the
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2007
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventor: Koichi Okada
  • Patent number: 7247421
    Abstract: An image forming method using a photothermographic material including, on a support, at least a photosensitive silver halide, a non-photosensitive organic silver salt, a reducing agent for silver ions, and a binder, wherein the photothermographic material includes at least two image forming layers having spectral sensitivities that are different from each other, and wherein the image forming method includes: imagewise exposing the photothermographic material by using at least two laser beams having wavelengths that are different from each other and correspond to photosensitive wavelengths of the image forming layers; and thermally developing the photothermographic material to form a fusion image made up of two or more kinds of image information. An image forming method using a photothermographic material which records a composite image made up of a silver image and a color image of different kinds of image information is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2007
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventor: Tomoyuki Ohzeki
  • Patent number: 7241561
    Abstract: Bis phenol reducing agents incorporating bicyclic and tricyclic substituents ortho to the hydroxyl groups on the aromatic rings have been found to provide photothermographic materials with improved silver efficiency and stability without significant loss in sensitometric properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2007
    Assignee: Carestream Health, Inc.
    Inventors: Doreen C. Lynch, William D. Ramsden, Andrea L. Hansen, Stacy M. Ulrich
  • Patent number: 7223528
    Abstract: The present invention provides a photothermographic material having, on at least one side of a support, at least an image forming layer containing a photosensitive silver halide, a non-photosensitive organic silver salt, and a reducing agent for the organic silver salt, and at least one non-photosensitive layer, wherein the material contains a water-soluble magenta dye, and also provides an image forming method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2007
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventors: Seiichi Yamamoto, Masaharu Sugai, Rikio Inoue
  • Patent number: 7220536
    Abstract: A photothermographic imaging material comprising a support having thereon, (a) a photosensitive layer containing an organic silver salt, photosensitive silver halide grains, a reducing agent and a binder, (b) a light-insensitive layer, and (c) a protective layer, wherein a weight reducing value from 25° C. to 100° C. by a heat drying weight measurement of the photographic imaging material is not more than 0.4% based on a weight value at 25° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2007
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Medical & Graphic, Inc.
    Inventors: Koji Kuwano, Takayuki Sasaki, Kazuhiro Kido
  • Patent number: 7215350
    Abstract: A thermal developing equipment including a conveying unit for conveying a sheet-like photosensitive material and a heating unit for thermally treating a latent image formed on an image forming layer of the photosensitive material to be conveyed by the conveying unit, thereby visualizing it, wherein the heating unit is divided into plural regions which can be independently temperature controlled in the width direction of the photosensitive material perpendicular to the conveying direction of the photosensitive material; plural position detection sensors aligned along the width direction of the photosensitive material are provided in the upstream side of the heating unit; and a temperature control unit for controlling the temperature of the heating unit controls the temperature of each of the regions of the heating unit corresponding to an output of the position detection sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2007
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventor: Nobuyuki Torisawa
  • Patent number: 7214464
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method of forming a positive image in a photothermographic assembly comprising a photothermographic material and an intensifying means for converting ionizing radiation, wherein the assembly has been imagewise exposed to ionizing radiation to form a latent image in the photothermographic material. The photothermographic material has at least one imaging layer comprising a potentially negative-working emulsion, wherein thermal development of unexposed silver salts in exposed areas relative to unexposed areas is inhibiting when thermally developing the imagewise exposed assembly, thereby producing a positive image. The present invention is also directed to a photothermographic assembly that can be used in the present process in which a positive image characterized by high speed and discrimination is formed when exposed and thermally heated above 150° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2007
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Michael R. Roberts, Kurt D. Sieber, Paul B. Gilman, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7208264
    Abstract: A photothermographic material wherein at least an image-forming layer on at least one surface of a support, the image-forming layer containing a photosensitive silver halide, a non-photosensitive organic silver salt, a reducing agent, and a binder, wherein, an outermost layer is provided as a layer most remote from the support on the side of the support where the image-forming layer is provided, a non-photosensitive intermediate layer A containing a binder and provided in adjacent with the image-forming layer and between the image-forming layer and the outermost layer, wherein the binder of the non-photosensitive intermediate layer A contains 80% by mass or more of a polymer formed by copolymerizing a monomer represented by Formula (M), a non-photosensitive intermediate layer B containing a binder and provided between the non-photosensitive intermediate layer A and the outermost layer, and the binder of the non-photosensitive intermediate layer B contains 50% by mass or more of a hydrophilic polymer derive
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2007
    Assignee: FujiFilm Corporation
    Inventors: Keiichi Suzuki, Kouta Fukui, Minoru Sakai
  • Patent number: 7198889
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method of forming a positive image in a photothermographic element comprising a potentially negative-working emulsion wherein fog density development is imagewise inhibited in exposed areas of the image upon thermal development, the element further comprising a developer or precursor thereof and an oxidized developer scavenging agent to accelerate development by removing oxidized developer as it is formed during the thermal development step. In one embodiment of the invention, in which a density-inhibiting agent is released during thermal development that inhibits the thermal development of unexposed silver salts in the exposed areas relative to the unexposed areas, the method comprises imagewise exposing the film with a non-solarizing amount of radiation/energy to form a latent image and thermally developing the latent image in a single development step to produce a positive image in the element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2007
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Michael R. Roberts, Paul B. Gilman, Donald L. Black, Kurt M. Schroeder
  • Patent number: 7192694
    Abstract: A photothermographic material containing, on a substrate, at least a photosensitive silver halide, a non-photosensitive organic silver salt, a reducing agent and a binder in which the total silver iodide content of the photosensitive silver halide is 40 mol % or more and 100 mol % or less, and the coating amount of the photosensitive silver halide, in terms of an amount of silver, is 0.0005 g/m2 or more and 0.4 g/m2 or less, as well as an image forming method for the photothermographic material which comprises exposing the photothermographic material by using a semiconductor laser having an emission peak intensity at a wavelength of from 350 nm to 450 nm as a light source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventor: Fumito Nariyuki
  • Patent number: 7186796
    Abstract: Provided is a method of isolating a bio-molecule from a water-borne mixture, the method comprising: contacting the water-borne mixture with dimethyl ether to form solid particles of the bio-molecule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Phasex Corporation
    Inventors: Val Krukonis, Kara T. Williams, Anthony Gudinas, Hans Schonemann, Paula Wetmore
  • Patent number: 7183024
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method of forming a positive image in a photothermographic element comprising a potentially negative-working emulsion wherein fog density development is imagewise inhibited in exposed areas of the image upon thermal development. In one embodiment of the invention, a density-inhibiting agent is released during thermal development which agent inhibits the thermal development of unexposed silver salts in the exposed areas relative to the unexposed areas. The method preferably comprises imagewise exposing the film with a non-solarizing amount of radiation/energy to form a latent image and thermally developing the latent image in a single development step to produce a positive image in the element. The present invention is also directed to a photothermographic element that can be used in the present process in which a positive image characterized by high speed and discrimination is formed when exposed and thermally heated above 150° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2007
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Michael R. Roberts, Paul B. Gilman, Donald L. Black, Kurt M. Schroeder
  • Patent number: 7179585
    Abstract: The present invention provides an image forming method using an image recording apparatus that includes a laser irradiating means for laser scanning of a photothermographic material that has a support and includes on at least one surface thereof a photosensitive silver halide, a non-photosensitive organic silver salt, a reducing agent and a binder, and a conveying means for guiding the photothermographic material in a sub-scanning direction to a thermal development unit, wherein the reducing agent is a specific bisphenol compound. The invention also provides another image forming method including carrying out thermal development, with an interval time equal to or less than 12 seconds, of the photothermographic material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2007
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventors: Eiichi Okutsu, Katsutoshi Yamane, Yasuhiro Yoshioka
  • Patent number: 7175978
    Abstract: A photothermographic imaging material packed in a packaging material, the imaging material including a support having thereon light-insensitive organic silver salt grains, photosensitive silver halide grains, a reducing agent for silver ions and a binder, wherein the packaging material has a water permeability of not less than 5.0 g/m2 measured at a temperature of 40° C. with a relative humidity of 90% for 24 hours; and the imaging material has a first photographic speed and a second photographic speed and the second photographic speed is not more than 1/10 of the first photographic speed, the measuring methods of the first and the second photographic speeds being defined in the specification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Medical & Graphic, Inc.
    Inventor: Keiko Maeda
  • Patent number: 7172852
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: AGFA Gevaert
    Inventors: Ingrid Geuens, Luc Verberckt, Ivan Hoogmartens, Frank De Voeght, Iris Vanwelkenhuysen
  • Patent number: 7169543
    Abstract: Photothermographic materials contain one or more blocked aliphatic thiol compounds in an amount of at least 1 mg/m2 as stabilizers. These compounds have a calculated octanol-water partition coefficient (c log P value) of 2.0 or greater, and an N value equal to or greater than 6.5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2007
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: William D. Ramsden, James B. Philip, Jr., Doreen C. Lynch, Kui Chen-Ho, Stacy M. Ulrich, Kumars Sakizadeh, Jeffrey W. Leon, George J. Burgmaier
  • Patent number: 7169544
    Abstract: Black-and-white, dry processable thermally developable materials have increased stability after imaging with the incorporation of at least 0.0001 mol/m2 of a thermal solvent having one or more >N—C(?O)— groups. Such thermally developable materials include both thermographic and photothermographic materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2007
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Kui Chen-Ho, William D. Ramsden, Chaofeng Zou, Doreen C. Lynch, James B. Philip, Jr., Karissa L. Eckert, George J. Burgmaier
  • Patent number: 7166421
    Abstract: Black-and-white, aqueous-based, silver halide-containing photothermographic materials have increased stability both prior to use and after imaging with the incorporation of at least 0.005 g/m2 of a tetrafluoroborate salt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2007
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Sharon M. Simpson, Kumars Sakizadeh, Leif P. Olson
  • Patent number: 7157214
    Abstract: High-speed aqueous-based black-and-white photothermographic materials are imageable in any suitable fashion using ultraviolet, visible, infrared, or X-radiation. They can have one or more thermally developable imaging layers on either or both sides of the support and can be imaged with or without a phosphor intensifying screen in an imaging assembly. The photothermographic emulsions and materials have a net Dmin less than 0.25, and require less than 1 erg/cm2 to achieve a density of 1.00 above net Dmin. The imaging layers include hydrophilic binders or water-dispersible latex polymer binders and chemically and spectrally sensitized photosensitive silver halide grains.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2007
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Chaofeng Zou, Doreen C. Lynch
  • Patent number: 7158164
    Abstract: In a thermal development method for generating a image from a latent image recorded on an image formation layer of a photosensitive photothermographic recording material, by means of heating the photosensitive photothermographic recording material, a first surface, which is one surface of the photosensitive photothermographic recording material A, and a second surface, which is the remaining surface of the same, are heated; and a total amount of heat applied to the second surface is controlled so as to fall within a range of 100±30 when a total amount of heat applied to the first surface is taken as 100 in connection with the respective total amounts of heat which are applied to the image formation layer from the first and second surfaces and equal to and higher than the development reaction temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2007
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Koichi Okada
  • Patent number: 7144694
    Abstract: A photothermographic imaging material including a support; an image forming layer containing an organic silver salt, a photosensitive silver halide, a binder and a silver ion reducing agent, the image forming layer being provided on the support; and a cyan coloring leuco dye.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2006
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kashiwagi, Narito Goto
  • Patent number: 7144688
    Abstract: The present invention provides a photothermographic material having an image forming layer including at least a photosensitive silver halide, a non-photosensitive organic silver salt, a reducing agent and a binder, on one surface of a support, and having at least one back layer and a back surface protective layer, on the other surface of the support, wherein a binder of the back surface protective layer contains a water-soluble polymer and a latex polymer having a glass transition temperature of ?30° C. to 40° C.; and an image forming method using the same. The photothermographic material and the image forming method of the invention provide excellent coating property and excellent transportability during thermal development in a thermal developing apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2006
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hajime Nakagawa, Takayasu Yasuda
  • Patent number: 7144689
    Abstract: The use of metal antimonates at high metal antimonate to binder ratios in buried backside conductive layers of thermographic and photothermographic materials allows the use of thin backside overcoat layers. The combination provides antistatic constructions having excellent antistatic properties that show less change in resistivity with changes in humidity. The thin backside overcoat layer serves to protect the buried antistatic layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2006
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Thomas J. Ludemann, Gary E. LaBelle, Darlene F. Philip, Roland J. Koestner, Aparna V. Bhave
  • Patent number: 7141361
    Abstract: Buried backside conductive layers with increased conductive efficiency can be provided for thermally developable materials using a specific organic solvent mixture to coat a protective overcoat directly disposed over the conductive layer. This organic solvent mixture comprises an alcohol in which one or more film-forming polymers used in the formulation are soluble at room temperature. The alcohol is used in an amount of more than 10 and up to 90 weight % of the organic solvent mixture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2006
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Thomas J. Ludemann, Aparna V. Bhave, Gary E. LaBelle, Darlene F. Philip, Samuel Chen
  • Patent number: 7138224
    Abstract: A photothermographic material containing a support having on one side of the support a photosensitive layer containing: photosensitive silver halide grains; and a compound represented by Formula (1) or Formula (2): wherein the symbols in Formulas (1) and (2) are indicated in the specification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2006
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Medical & Graphic, Inc.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Fukusaka, Osamu Ishige, Rie Sakuragi
  • Patent number: 7138225
    Abstract: A silver salt photothermographic dry imaging material wherein said material has photographic speeds (1) and (2) determined based on the predetermined conditions and the photographic speed (2) is not more than 1/10 of the photographic speed (1), and the coefficient of determination value R2 of the linear regression line is 0.998–1.000, which is obtained from the predetermined density points having a* and b* arranged in two-dimensional coordinates in which a* is used as the abscissa and b* is used as the coordinate of the CIE 1076 (L*a*b*) color space, b* of the intersection point of the linear regression line with the ordinate is ?5–5, and gradient (a*/b*) is 0.7–2.5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2006
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Medical & Graphic, Inc.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Suzuki, Hideki Takiguchi, Toshiyuki Marui, Kazuhiko Fujikura, Kazuhito Ihara, Yasuo Taima, Kenji Ohnuma, Hiroto Ito
  • Patent number: 7138221
    Abstract: A photothermographic material comprising: a transparent support; and a photosensitive layer comprising a photosensitive silver halide, a non-photosensitive organic silver salt, a thermal developer and a binder, wherein the photosensitive silver halide comprises silver iodide in a ratio of 5% by mole or more, the non-photosensitive organic silver salt comprises silver behenate in a ratio of 30% by mole or more and less than 80% by mole, and the binder has a glass transition temperature of 45° C. or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2006
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Sumito Yamada
  • Patent number: 7132226
    Abstract: A photothermographic material comprising a support, and an image-forming layer and a non-image-forming layer provided on the support, wherein the image-forming layer comprises a photosensitive silver halide, a non-photosensitive organic silver salt, a reducing agent, and a binder; the non-image-forming layer includes a slipping agent having a melting point of 80° C. to 120° C.; the coefficient (K1) of dynamic friction measured at a velocity of 0.1 cm/sec and the coefficient (K2) of dynamic friction measured at a velocity of 10 cm/sec have a relation represented by formula (1): Formula (1) 1.20>K1/K2>0.90. Also provided is an image-forming method using the photothermographic material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2006
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Katsutoshi Yamane
  • Patent number: 7133057
    Abstract: A heat development apparatus for heat developing a heat-developable recording material from one surface side by a heating unit, while transporting the heat-developable recording material by a transportation unit, the apparatus comprising: an inversion processing mechanism for inverting the heat-developable recording material discharged from a heating region in which the heat developing is made by the heating unit, and returning it to the heating region; and a transportation route switching unit for selectively switching a route of the heat-developable recording material discharged from the heating region to a side of the inversion processing mechanism or a discharge-side transportation route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2006
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yasunori Ohta
  • Patent number: 7132227
    Abstract: A silver salt photothermographic dry imaging material including a support provided thereon a light-sensitive layer containing an organic silver salt, light-sensitive silver halide particles and a reducing agent, wherein the dry imaging material contains organic solid lubricant particles having an average particle diameter of 1 to 30 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2006
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Medical & Graphic, Inc.
    Inventors: Kiyokazu Morita, Kenji Ohnuma
  • Patent number: 7129033
    Abstract: A photothermographic material having, on at least one side of a support, an image forming layer containing at least a photosensitive silver halide, a non-photosensitive organic silver salt, a reducing agent, and a binder, and an X-ray image forming method using the same, wherein 50% or more of a total projected area of the photosensitive silver halide is occupied by tabular grains having an aspect ratio of 2 or more, and the grains have at least one epitaxial junction portion having a multifold structure. A photothermographic material with high sensitivity and excellent storage stability, and an image forming method using the material are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2006
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takayoshi Mori
  • Patent number: 7126620
    Abstract: In a thermal development method for generating an image from a latent image recorded on an image formation layer of a photosensitive photothermographic recording material, by means of heating the photosensitive photothermographic recording material, a first surface, which is one surface of the photosensitive photothermographic recording material, and a second surface, which is the remaining surface of the same, are heated; and wherein a second total amount of heat applied to one surface of the first and second surfaces, the one surface having a larger contact area, is controlled so as to be a value of 80 or less when a first amount of heat applied to the other surface having a smaller contact area is taken as 100, wherein the first and second amounts of heat are total amounts of heat applied to the image formation layer from the first and second surfaces, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2006
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Koichi Okada
  • Patent number: 7123281
    Abstract: In a thermal development method for generating a image from a latent image recorded on an image formation layer of a photosensitive photothermographic recording material, by means of heating the recording material, a first surface, which is one surface of the recording material, and a second surface, which is the remaining surface of the same, are heated; and wherein a second total amount of heat applied to one surface of the first and second surfaces, the one surface being on the side of one unit having a higher heat conductivity of first and second heating units, is controlled so as to be a value of 80 or less when a first amount of heat applied to the other surface is taken as 100, wherein the first and second amounts of heat are total amounts of heat applied to the image formation layer from the first and second surfaces, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2006
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Koichi Okada
  • Patent number: 7119307
    Abstract: A photosensitive material processing device for processing a photosensitive material with a processing liquid while conveying the photosensitive material by a roller pair. A driving device for providing a rotation drive to the roller pair. A drive controlling device that gradually raises voltage of the electric power at the time of starting the rotation drive of the roller pair.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2006
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryoei Nozawa, Akinori Kimura, Shinichi Matsuda, Takayuki Iwamoto, So Konno, Toshihiro Suya, Hideto Yamamoto, Miyuki Endou
  • Patent number: 7118849
    Abstract: Photothermographic materials are coated with imaging layers and an antihalation layer between the support and thermally developable imaging layers on one or both sides of the support. Such materials can be arranged in association with one or more phosphor intensifying screens capable of providing emission at a predetermined wavelength in imaging assemblies. These imaging assemblies can be exposed to X-radiation and thereby excited to form a latent image in the photothermographic material that can eventually be used for medical diagnosis. The antihalation layers contain radiation absorbing compounds (such as a UV-radiation absorbing compounds) that absorb radiation at the predetermined wavelength (for example at 300 to 450 nm) and have limited absorption at higher wavelengths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2006
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Robert E. Dickerson, Kurt M. Schroeder
  • Patent number: 7115358
    Abstract: The present invention provides a black and white photothermographic material having, on at least one side of a support, an image forming layer containing at least a photosensitive silver halide, a non-photosensitive organic silver salt, a reducing agent for silver ions, and a binder, as well as an image forming method. The black and white photothermographic material is characterized in that 1) the non-photosensitive organic silver salt includes at least one compound selected from the group consisting of a silver salt of an azole compound and a silver salt of a mercapto compound, and 2) the photosensitive silver halide has a spectral sensitizing dye in the form of a multilayer adsorbed on its surface. According to the invention, an improved black and white photothermographic material and image forming method realizing high sensitivity, favorable gradation, and less dependence on developing process conditions are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2006
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Funakubo, Takeshi Suzumoto
  • Patent number: 7112399
    Abstract: Photothermographic materials are coated with thermally developable imaging layers on both sides of the support. Such materials can be arranged in association with one or more phosphor intensifying screens capable of providing emission at a predetermined wavelength in imaging assemblies. These imaging assemblies can be exposed to X-radiation and thereby form a latent image in the photothermographic material that can eventually be heat developed and used for medical diagnosis. The photothermographic materials contain an opaque material that acts as a crossover control agent that absorbs radiation at the predetermined wavelength, for example at 300 to 450 nm, and has limited absorption at higher wavelengths. When the photothermographic material is heated, the opaque material loses its opacity. Additional crossover control agents, such as UV-absorbing compounds, can also be added to the support or to an antihalation layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2006
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Robert E. Dickerson, Alphonse D. Camp
  • Patent number: 7112398
    Abstract: This invention relates to an imaging element comprising an imaging layer having associated therewith a compound of Structure I: wherein: the substituents are as defined in the application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2006
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Wojciech K. Slusarek, Xiqiang Yang, Mark E. Irving, David H. Levy, Jared B. Mooberry, James J. Seifert, James H. Reynolds, Lyn M. Irving
  • Patent number: 7112402
    Abstract: A photothermographic material of the present invention contains a slipping agent. One slipping agent is a liquid at a ordinary temperature, and an volatile rate of the slipping agent at 120° C. for one hour is 0.5% by mass or less as measured by a thermo-balance. The other slipping agent is that a permeating rate to the transportation rollers, when the transportation rollers are immersed in the slipping agent at 120° C. for 2 hours, is 6% by mass or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2006
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Yoshioka, Yoshihisa Tsukada, Takayoshi Oyamada, Minoru Sakai
  • Patent number: 7105283
    Abstract: The present invention provides a black and white photothermographic material having, on at least one surface of a support, an image forming layer containing at least a photosensitive silver halide, a non-photosensitive organic silver salt, a reducing agent for silver ions, and a binder, wherein 70% or more of a total projected area of the photosensitive silver halide is occupied by tabular grains having an aspect ratio of 2.5 or more, a mean projected area equivalent diameter of 0.5 ?m to 8 ?m, and a mean grain thickness of 0.02 ?m to 0.2 ?m, and a ratio of a number of sites capable of forming a development initiation point on a corner portion or a fringe portion of the photosensitive silver halide grain to all development initiation points is 50% or more. Also disclosed is an image forming method of forming a radiation image by using a fluorescent intensifying screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2006
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tomoyuki Ohzeki
  • Patent number: 7105282
    Abstract: An image forming method using a photothermographic material a photosensitive silver halide, a reducing agent, a binder and a non-photosensitive organic silver salt, wherein: the photothermographic material is discharged from a thermal developing device within 35 seconds after heating for thermal development is ceased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2006
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsutoshi Yamane, Sumito Yamada, Eiichi Okutsu, Tomoyuki Ohzeki, Yutaka Oka
  • Patent number: 7101658
    Abstract: A heat-developable photosensitive material includes at least a photosensitive silver halide particle, a nonphotonsensitive organic silver salt, a developing accelerator, a reducing agent and a binder on a support, wherein the photosensitive silver halide includes silver iodide at 5 mol % to 100 mol % and the average particle size of the photosensitive silver halide is 5 nm to 80 nm. A heat developing method for the heat-developable photosensitive material is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2006
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Ohzeki, Katsutoshi Yamane
  • Patent number: 7097963
    Abstract: Black-and-white, aqueous-based, silver halide-containing photothermographic materials have increased stability after imaging with the incorporation of at least 0.0002 mol/m2 of a halogen-substituted tetraazaindene compound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2006
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Chaofeng Zou, Kumars Sakizadeh, George J. Burgmaier, Roger L. Klaus
  • Patent number: 7074549
    Abstract: Photothermographic materials contain an X-radiation-sensitive phosphor that emits in the range of from about 100 to about 410 nm. The X-radiation-sensitive phosphor is a rare earth phosphate, a yttrium phosphate, a strontium phosphate or a strontium fluoroborate. These photothermographic materials can be provides out of organic solvent or aqueous solvent coating formulations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2006
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Sharon Mary Simpson, Kurt DeLance Sieber, Andrea Lynnae Hansen
  • Patent number: 7060423
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2006
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsutoshi Yamane, Yasuhiko Goto
  • Patent number: 7056650
    Abstract: Thermally developable imaging materials have an outermost protective layer that is composed of one or more hydrophilic film-forming components. The predominant film-forming component is a positively-charged latex polymer that has cationic groups. The charged latex polymer is present as latex particles that have prepared in the presence of a non-ionic or cationic stabilizer in an amount of at least 0.5% (by weight) that has an HLB value of 7 to 20. The nonionic or cationic stabilizer becomes associated with the latex polymer particles. Both thermographic and photothermographic materials can be prepared with such protective layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2006
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Jon A. Hammerschmidt, Jeffrey W. Leon
  • Patent number: 7052819
    Abstract: The addition of certain aliphatic and non-aromatic carbocyclic polycarboxylic acids provides an improvement in natural age keeping properties of organic-solvent based photothermographic materials. This improvement is particularly useful in organic-based photothermographic materials containing phosphors in the photothermographic emulsion layer. Phosphor-containing materials can be particularly useful for direct radiographic imaging using X-radiation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2006
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: Sharon Mary Simpson