Radiant energy – Source with recording detector – Using a stimulable phosphor
Reexamination Certificate
2002-09-13
2004-10-26
Hannaher, Constantine (Department: 2878)
Radiant energy
Source with recording detector
Using a stimulable phosphor
C250S586000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06809331
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an X-ray image reader for reading an X-ray image stored in an X-ray image-storing member having an X-ray storing surface formed of, for example, a storage fluorescent member.
2. Description of the Related Art
The X-ray image-storing member formed by a storage fluorescent member has been known. In a case where an X-ray measurement is performed by using such X-ray image-storing member in order to investigate a crystal structure of a specimen, the specimen is irradiated with X-ray and the X-ray image-storing member is exposed by X-ray emitted from the specimen, for example, diffracted X-ray or scattered X-ray. Therefore, a latent image of energy is formed in an X-ray receiving surface of the X-ray image storing member at a coordinates position, which corresponds to a diffraction angle of the diffracted X-ray or the scattered X-ray thus generated.
The storage fluorescent member has the nature of holding a latent image of energy at a position thereof to which X-ray impinges and the nature of converting the latent image of energy into light when a portion thereof which holds the latent image is irradiated with emission stimulating light, such as laser light. Therefore, it is possible to know intensity of X-ray contributed to the formation of the latent image by detecting externally emitted light from the storage fluorescent member when the storage fluorescent member holding the latent image of energy is irradiated by laser light. Further, it is possible to know the diffraction angle of X-ray contributed to the formation of latent image by the coordinates of the storage fluorescent member from which light is emitted.
As an X-ray image reader utilizing the principle mentioned above, the present inventors had proposed a double-head type X-ray image reader
100
, which is shown in FIG.
10
. In the X-ray image reader
100
, a first read head
101
a
and a second read head
101
b
are arranged symmetrically about a center axis X
0
and laser light from an emitting optical system
102
including a laser light source is divided so that laser light portions are emitted externally through the first and second read heads
101
a
and
101
b
, respectively.
Each of the first read head
101
a
and the second read head
101
b
can take externally supplied light therein. The light thus taken into the read head is guided to a receiving optical system
103
including a photoelectric converter and then converted into an electric signal by the photoelectric converter.
In order to read an X-ray latent image stored in an X-ray image storing member
104
by using the X-ray image reader
100
, the X-ray image storing member
104
takes in the form of a concaved and semi-cylindrical configuration and the center axis X
0
, which is a rotation center of the first and second read heads
101
a
and
101
b
is positioned at substantially a center of the semi-cylindrical X-ray image storing member
104
. The first and second read heads
101
a
and
101
b
are rotated about the axis line X
0
in a direction shown by an arrow A, while the whole X-ray image reader
100
is moved in parallel to the axis line X
0
in a direction shown by an arrow B.
With the rotation of the first and second read heads
101
a
and
101
b
in the arrow direction A and the straight vertical movement of the whole X-ray image reader in the arrow direction B, the first and second read heads
101
a
and
101
b
are alternatively moved to a position opposing to the X-ray image storing member
104
, so that a wide area of the X-ray image storing member
104
is scanned by these read heads. In this scanning, laser light from the first read head
101
a
or the second read head
101
b
scans a surface of the X-ray image storing member
104
and, when the laser light scans a portion of the surface in which a latent image of energy is formed, fluorescent light is emitted from that portion.
This light is taken in the receiving optical system
103
through the first read head
101
a
or the second read head
101
b
and converted into an electric signal, on the basis of a level of which intensity of the light can be obtained. Since the intensity of light corresponds to intensity of X-ray contributed to a formation of the latent image of energy, it is possible to know the intensity of X-ray by measuring the intensity of light.
The conventional double-head type X-ray image reader
100
constructed as mentioned above makes it possible to perform a high speed reading since two read heads
101
a
and
101
b
are used alternatively and effectively. However, this double-head type X-ray image reader
100
requires a processing technique for matching the two data obtained alternatively by the read heads
101
a
and
101
b
with one reference level. Despite use of such technique a complete processing may not be achieved. Therefore, the conventional double-head type X-ray image reader may not perform a highly precise measurement.
Assuming that there is a difference in output between the first and second read heads
101
a
and
101
b
, a correction for compensating for the difference, that is, an intensity correction is required. Further, when the first read head
101
a
and the second read head
101
b
are arranged oppositely with an angular interval, which is not exactly 180 degrees, a compensation for the angle error, that is, the angle error correction is necessary.
In general, such corrections are performed by preliminarily reading a reference object by the two read heads, respectively, preliminarily detecting the difference or error from a result of the reading and electrically processing the difference or error thus obtained by using arithmetic operating means, such as a computer. However, it is very difficult to completely connect the measuring results from the two read heads with using the same reference level. This difficulty is not limited to the double-head type X-ray image reader and the same difficulty also exists in a multi-head type X-ray image reader having three or more read heads.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention was made in view of the above-mentioned problem and an object of the present invention is to provide an X-ray image reader for reading an X-ray image by using a plurality of read heads, which is capable of performing a precise reading.
The object above-mentioned is achieved by the present invention, which is as follows:
(1) An X-ray image reader according to a first aspect of the present invention is featured by comprising a plurality of read heads, scan drive means for scanning an X-ray image storing member by moving the read heads, first control means for performing a process for reading an X-ray image held on the X-ray image storing member by using at least two of the read heads and second control means for performing a process for reading the X-ray image held on the X-ray image storing member by using any one of the read heads.
According to the X-ray image reader of the first aspect of the present invention, it is possible to perform a measurement with using a plurality of read heads, that is, a multi-head mode measurement, by the first control means. Alternatively, it is possible to perform a measurement with using one read head, that is, a single head mode measurement, by the second control means. Therefore, the multi-head mode measurement may be alternatively performed when it is necessary to obtain a result of measurement at high speed regardless of preciseness thereof, that is, when a high-speed measurement is to be performed. On the other hand, the single head mode measurement may be alternatively performed when a precise measurement is to be performed even if the measuring speed is low to some extent.
The single head mode measurement makes it possible to perform a highly precise measurement since there is no situation in which measuring error occurs between the read heads. That is, X-ray image reader according to the present invention makes it possible to perform the highly precise image reading in spite of having the struc
Yamazaki Hideto
Yoshida Toshifumi
Hannaher Constantine
Lee Shun
Rigaku Corporation
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