Radiation image read-out apparatus

Claim 1

A radiation image read-out apparatus comprising: (i) a stimulating ray source comprising a plurality of point stimulating ray sources linearly positioned in association with each other in a sub-scanning direction at a portion of a stimulable phosphor sheet carrying a radiation image stored therein, each of said point stimulating ray sources emitting stimulating rays onto a point at said portion of said stimulable phosphor sheet. (ii) a line sensor comprising a plurality of solid state photoelectric conversion devices corresponding to respective pixels and linearly arrayed in association with each other for sequentially receiving and photoelectrically converting light emitted by said stimulable phosphor sheet in proportion to the stored radiation energy upon point-wise exposure to said stimulating rays, said line sensor extending over the length of said portion of said stimulable phosphor sheet linearly exposed to said stimulating rays by sequential point-wise exposures to said stimulating rays emitted by said stimulating ray source so as to stand face to face with said linearly exposed portion of said stimulable phosphor sheet, (iii) a main scanning drive means for conducting main scanning by moving said stimulating ray source and said line sensor with respect to said stimulable phosphor sheet in a main scanning direction along the surface of said stimulable phosphor sheet normal to the array direction of said solid state photoelectric conversion devices, and (iv) a sub-scanning means for conducting sub-scanning by moving said stimulating ray source and said line sensor in said sub-scanning direction with respect to said stimulable phosphor sheet by a distance equal to the length of said linearly exposed portion of said stimulable phosphor sheet in said array direction of said solid state photoelectric conversion devices each time one main scanning step is finished.