Phosphor imaging plate and cassette handling system

US6773160B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Alara, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Wayne Evans · Chandler, US
• H. Keith Nishihara · Los Altos, US
• Brian P. Wilfley · Los Altos, US
• Douglas A. Reim · San Jose, US
• William F. Witt · Palo Alto, US
• Sung Kim · Palo Alto, US
• Ron Smith · Lake Forest, US
• Perry Anderson · Kensington, US
• Heather Klaubert · Menlo Park, US
• Gary R. Cantu · Redwood City, US
• James Olef Jensen · Mountain View, US
• Eric J. Shrader · Belmont, US

Key dates

• Filing date: May 1, 2001
• Grant date: Aug 10, 2004
• Expiry date: May 1, 2021

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01T1/2016
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A combined imaging plate scanning and erasing system, comprising: (a) a housing; (b) an imaging plate cassette infeed assembly positioned within the housing, the maging plate cassette infeed assembly comprising: (i) a mechanism to pull an imaging plate cassette into the housing; (ii) a mechanism to open the imaging plate cassette; and (iii) a mechanism to remove an imaging plate from the cassette; (c) a scanner positioned within the housing; (d) a curved path erasing assembly positioned between the imaging plate infeed assembly and the scanner; and (e) an imaging plate transportation assembly to move the imaging plate back and forth in a path extending from the imaging plate cassette, past the erasing assembly and through a scan area adjacent to the scanner.