Radiation image read-out apparatus

Claim 1

A radiation image read-out apparatus comprising: (i) an elongated stimulating ray source (2) for linearly emitting stimulating rays to a stimulable phosphor sheet (1) carrying a radiation image stored therein. (ii) an elongate photodetector comprising a photoelectric conversion device (3A) axially aligned with and separate from said stimulating ray source and positioned to stand face to face with a portion of said stimulable phosphor sheet exposed to said stimulating rays emitted by said stimulating ray source, said photoelectric conversion device comprising a line sensor (3). (iii) a wavelength converting phosphor layer (1D) positioned between said line sensor and a stimulable phosphor layer (1B) of said stimulable phosphor sheet, said wavelength converting phosphor layer emitting fluorescent light having a wavelength distribution within a sensitive wavelength range of said line sensor upon reception of light emitted by said stimulable phosphor sheet in proportion to the stored radiation energy when said stimulable phosphor sheet is exposed to said stimulating rays, said fluorescent light impinging upon said line sensor. (iv) a long wave cut-off filter layer (IC), disposed between said stimulating ray source and said wavelength converting phosphor layer, for enabling read-out of radiation stored in said stimulable phosphor sheet, and (v) a read-out means (3B) for reading out the output of said line sensor in a line by line manner.