Radiation-image reading apparatus

Claim 1

A radiation-image reading apparatus, comprising: a radiation-image recording member having a phosphor layer having a property of emitting light from a point previously irradiated with radiation when being irradiated at said point with excitation light, the intensity of light emitted from said phosphor layer being determined in accordance with the intensity of said radiation; a light source for generating excitation light with which said phosphor layer of said radiation-image recording member is irradiated; and light detecting means for detecting light emitted from said phosphor layer of said radiation-image recording member when said phosphor layer is irradiated with said excitation light, said detecting means performing said detecting at a position deviated from an optical axis of said excitation light, said radiation-image reading apparatus reading a radiation image recorded on said radiation-image recording member by scanning said phosphor layer with said excitation light along a scanning line and detecting, by means of said light detecting means, light emitted from respective points of said phosphor layer along the scanning line, said radiation-image recording member being formed of a support plate in the form of a disk capable of rotating about an axis passing said disk at the center thereof perpendicularly thereto, and a phosphor layer having said property and formed on said support plate, said radiation-image reading apparatus further comprising: condenser means for condensing said excitation light emitted from said light source to a point on said phosphor layer of said radiation-image recording member while changing divergent rays of light coming from said point on said phosphor layer, to which said excitation light is condensed, into parallel rays; driving means for moving said position of said point on said phosphor layer of condensation effected by said condenser means so that said point moves relative to said disk-like support body in the radial direction of said disk; and a light reflecting member for allowing excitation light emitted from said light source to pass, for leading said excitation light to the optical axis of said condenser means, for reflecting light emitted from said phosphor layer and changed into parallel rays by said condenser means, and for leading said parallel rays to said light detecting means, said light reflecting member including a member which serves as a total reflection mirror, having an aperture formed at a center of said light reflecting member, for transmitting said excitation light, at which said reflecting member intersects the path of said excitation light, a total reflection surface for reflecting light in a total reflection manner being formed on a surface of said reflecting member facing said phosphor layer.