Radiant energy – Source with recording detector – Including a light beam read-out
Reexamination Certificate
2002-04-16
2004-12-14
Hannaher, Constantine (Department: 2878)
Radiant energy
Source with recording detector
Including a light beam read-out
C378S028000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06831291
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an alternate striped electrode array comprising first and second striped electrode arrays, where the first striped electrode array includes a plurality of first linear electrodes, the second striped electrode array includes a plurality of second linear electrodes alternating with the plurality of first linear electrodes, the plurality of first linear electrodes are transparent to a predetermined type of electromagnetic radiation, the plurality of second linear electrodes are opaque to the predetermined type of electromagnetic radiation, and the plurality of first linear electrodes and the plurality of second linear electrodes are arranged approximately parallel to each other. The present invention also relates to a process for producing the above alternate striped electrode array.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a conventionally known, radiographic-image recording method used in medical radiography and the like for reduction of patient exposure doses, improvement of diagnostic performance, and the like, a solid-state radiographic-image detector which functions as an electrostatic recording medium and includes a charge storage portion and a photoconductor (such as a selenium plate) sensitive to a radiation such as X rays is exposed to X rays carrying information on a radiographic image so that an amount of electric charges corresponding to an exposure dose of the X rays is stored in each area of the solid-state radiographic-image detector, i.e., the information on the radiographic image is recorded in the solid-state radiographic-image detector as a latent image. The information on the radiographic image recorded in the solid-state radiographic-image detector can be read by scanning the solid-state radiographic-image detector with a laser beam or a line-shaped light band. The above method is disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,535,468 and other publications.
The Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-284056 discloses a solid-state radiographic-image detector which concurrently realizes quick response and efficient readout of signal charges in the reading operation. The solid-state radiographic-image detector is constructed by forming a first electrode layer, a recording-side photoconductive layer, a charge storage portion, a reading-side photoconductive layer, and a second electrode layer in this order. The first electrode layer is transparent to recording light, which is a radiation or light emitted from excited states caused by a radiation. The recording-side photoconductive layer exhibits conductivity when the recording-side photoconductive layer is exposed to the recording light which has passed through the first electrode layer. Each area of the charge storage portion stores as latent-image charges an amount of electric charges corresponding to an exposure dose of the recording light in the area of the recording-side photoconductive layer corresponding to the area of the charge storage portion.
The reading-side photoconductive layer exhibits conductivity when the reading-side photoconductive layer is exposed to reading light. The reading-side photoconductive layer exhibits conductivity when the reading-side photoconductive layer is exposed to reading light. The second electrode layer comprises first and second striped electrode arrays, where the first striped electrode array includes a plurality of first linear electrodes, the second striped electrode array includes a plurality of second linear electrodes alternating with the plurality of first linear electrodes, the plurality of first linear electrodes are transparent to the reading light, the plurality of second linear electrodes are opaque to the reading light, and the plurality of first linear electrodes and the plurality of second linear electrodes are arranged approximately parallel to each other.
When the solid-state radiographic-image detector is irradiated with recording light which has passed through an object, the recording light enters the recording-side photoconductive layer through the first electrode layer, and generates first pairs of opposite (positive and negative) charges in each area of the recording-side photoconductive layer, where the amount of the first pairs of opposite charges generated in each area of the recording-side photoconductive layer corresponds to an exposure dose of the recording light in the area of the recording-side photoconductive layer. In the situation in which a negative voltage is applied to the first electrode layer and a positive voltage is applied to the second electrode layer, the negative charges generated in each area of the recording-side photoconductive layer is stored in the corresponding area of the charge storage portion as latent-image charges. Thus, a radiographic image of the object is recorded in the solid-state radiographic-image detector as a latent image. In particular, in the case where the first and second striped electrode arrays are connected at the time of the recording, the latent-image charges stored in each area of the charge storage portion are collected in the positions corresponding to the linear electrodes of the first and second striped electrode arrays.
Thereafter, when the reading-side electrode layer is scanned with the reading light, the reading light enters the reading-side electrode layer through the plurality of first linear electrodes constituting the second electrode layer, and generates second pairs of opposite charges in the reading-side photoconductive layer, and positive charges out of the second pairs of opposite charges are combined with the latent-image charges stored in the charge storage portion. On the other hand, negative charges out of the second pairs of opposite charges are combined with positive charges held in the first and second striped electrode arrays, so that the latent-image charges can be read out from the solid-state radiographic-image detector.
That is, in the solid-state radiographic-image detector disclosed in the Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-284056, transport charge having the opposite polarity to that of the latent-image charges can be held in the second striped electrode array as well as the first striped electrode array. Therefore, the amount of signal charges which can be read out from the solid-state radiographic-image detector can be increased, and thus the reading efficiency can be improved.
In order to produce the above solid-state radiographic-image detector disclosed in the Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-284056, it is necessary to produce an alternate striped electrode array comprising first and second striped electrode arrays which are made of different materials in such a manner that the linear electrodes constituting the first striped electrode array and the linear electrodes constituting the second striped electrode array are arranged alternately and approximately parallel to each other. An easily conceivable technique used for producing the above alternate striped electrode array is photolithography. In this case, the alternate striped electrode array can be produced by using at least two masks respectively provided for the first and second striped electrode arrays.
However, the size of the above solid-state radiographic-image detector is as large as 43 cm×43 cm. Therefore, in order to produce the alternate striped electrode array of the solid-state radiographic-image detector by photolithography, a large-sized exposure system which can realize high-precision mask alignment in a large area is required. In addition, in the case where more than one solid-state radiographic-image detector is concurrently manufactured by using a single exposure system for cost reduction, a larger-size exposure system is required. If only one solid-state radiographic-image detector is concurrently manufactured, the yield rate decreases, and the manufacturing cost and variations in the characteristics of the solid-state radiographic-image detectors increase.
Further, in the operati
Fuji Photo Film Co. , Ltd.
Gabor Otilia
Hannaher Constantine
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