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US5466561A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Image plate for dental X-ray photography and a method of taking it out of its shield

Assignee: KaVo Kerr Group Finland
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Filing: 1993-03-01
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Granted: 1995-11-14
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Expires: 2013-03-01
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Abstract

Abstract The invention relates to an image plate (1) for intra-oral dental X-ray photography, the plate being placed in a shield (3) enveloping it for the duration of photography. According to the invention the shield has been made pervious to X-rays but impervious to visible light, and it comprises a closed shielding bag of plastic membrane. The shield may be made up of an inner shielding bag (3) impervious to light and a surrounding closed outer shielding bag which may be of transparent plastic membrane. After photography, the possible outer bag is first removed, the patient's saliva being removed along with it. Thereafter the image plate (1) and the surrounding shielding bag (3), one end (6) of which has been opened or, if an outer bag is used, is possibly already open, are introduced into the read-out apparatus, in which a pulling device grips the end of the plate in the bag, whereafter the bag can be pulled out while the plate remains in the read-out apparatus for the reading out of the image. The gripping is achieved, for example, by means of metal parts (2 ) at the ends of the plate (1) and a magnet in the pulling device.

Inventors

  • 👤 Matti Rantanen

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-07 23:39
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03C; G03C3/00; G03C3/003; G03B; G03B42/00; G03B42/02; G03B42/04; G03B42/042; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S430/00; Y10S430/167; Y10S430/168

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim 71 words
A shielded image plate for use in intra-oral dental Xray photography comprising an image plate having a substantially rigid substrate plate and a stimulable material on its surface, an inner shield bag enveloping said image plate, said inner shield bag being of a material pervious to X-rays but impervious to visible light, and a closed outer shield bag enclosing said inner shield bag, said outer shield bag being of plastic membrane.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 71 words
A shielded image plate for use in intra-oral dental Xray photography comprising an image plate having a substantially rigid substrate plate and a stimulable material on its surface, an inner shield bag enveloping said image plate, said inner shield bag being of a material pervious to X-rays but impervious to visible light, and a closed outer shield bag enclosing said inner shield bag, said outer shield bag being of plastic membrane.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 22 words
A shielded image plate according to claim 1 wherein the image plate is a plastic plate with stimulable phosphor on its surface.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 18 words
A shielded image plate according to claim 1 wherein the inner shield bag is of black plastic membrane.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 32 words
A shielded image plate according to claim 1 wherein the inner shield bag is open from one end for enabling the image plate to be pulled out from said inner shield bag.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 18 words
A shielded image plate according to claim 1 wherein the outer shield bag is of transparent plastic material.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 48 words
An image plate according to claim 1, characterized in that the inner shield bag has one end which is open or capable of being opened, and is equipped at its other end with a pulling lug by which the bag can be pulled from around the image plate.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 122 words
A method for taking an image plate according to claim 1 out of the shield for a reading out of an image, characterized in that the shield, which is pervious to X-rays but impervious to visible light and comprises a closed shield bag of plastic membrane, is opened, that the image plate is introduced, in a light-impervious bag which is open at one end and is part of the shield, into a space protected from light in a read-out apparatus, where a gripping member will attach to that image plate end which is at the open end of the bag, and that the bag is thereafter pulled by its opposite end so that it will be removed from around the image plate.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 53 words
A method according to claim 7, characterized in that the outer shield bag of plastic membrane, being part of the shield, is first opened and removed, whereafter the inner shield bag, which is impervious to light and open at one end, and the image plate inside it are introduced into the read-out apparatus.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 36 words
A method according to claim 8, characterized in that the removing of the inner shield bag introduced into the readout apparatus is carried out by pulling by the pulling lug at the end of the bag.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 44 words
A method according to claim 8, characterized in that the image plate is gripped by a magnet in a pulling device belonging to the read-out apparatus, the magnet adhering to a metal part provided for that purpose at the end of the image plate.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 36 words
A method according to claim 7, characterized in that the removing of the inner shield bag introduced into the readout apparatus is carried out by pulling by a pulling lug at the end of the bag.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 52 words
A method according to claim 11, characterized in that the inner shield bag is introduced into the read-out apparatus in such a way that the pulling lug will remain at least in part outside the feed-in aperture, whereupon the bag can be removed from the read-out apparatus by pulling through the aperture.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 44 words
A method according to claim 12, characterized in that the image plate is gripped by a magnet in a pulling device belonging to the read-out apparatus, the magnet adhering to a metal part provided for that purpose at the end of the image plate.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 44 words
A method according to claim 11, characterized in that the image plate is gripped by a magnet in a pulling device belonging to the read-out apparatus, the magnet adhering to a metal part provided for that purpose at the end of the image plate.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 44 words
A method according to claim 7, characterized in that the image plate is gripped by a magnet in a pulling device belonging to the read-out apparatus, the magnet adhering to a metal part provided for that purpose at the end of the image plate.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 54 words
A shielded image plate for use in intra-oral dental Xray photography comprising an image plate having a substantially rigid substrate plate and a stimulable material on its surface, and a closed shield enclosing said image plate, said shield being a bag of plastic membrane which is pervious to X-rays but impervious to visible light.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 54 words
A shielded image plate for use in intra-oral dental Xray photography comprising an image plate having a substantially rigid substrate plate and a stimulable material on its surface, and a closed shield enclosing said image plate, said shield being a bag of plastic membrane which is pervious to X-rays but impervious to visible light.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 22 words
A shielded image plate according to claim 16 wherein the image plate is a plastic plate with stimulable phosphor on its surface.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 51 words
An image plate according to claim 16, characterized in that the shield comprising a bag impervious to light, one end of which is open or capable of being opened, is equipped at its other end with a pulling lug by which the bag can be pulled from around the image plate.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 53 words
An image plate according to claim 18, characterized in that the image plate end which is at the open or opening end of the bag impervious to light is equipped with a metal part to which a magnet belonging to a pulling device used in a reading out of the image can adhere.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 22 words
An image plate according to claim 19, characterized in that there is a metal part at each end of the image plate.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

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US3958693A Cited
JPS62258444A Cited
EP0249878A2 Cited
EP0316520A2 Cited
US4913288A Cited
EP0394564A1 Cited
EP0363092A2 Cited
US5077779A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1998-11-13 1999-05-15 1999-11-14 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2002-11-13 2003-05-15 2003-11-14 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2006-11-13 2007-05-15 2007-11-14 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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