Processing system for a color photothermographic film comprising dry thermal development and wet-chemical remediation
First Claim
1. A method of processing color photographic film that has been imagewise exposed in a camera, said film having at least three light-sensitive units which have their individual sensitivities in different wavelength regions, each of the units comprising at least one light-sensitive silver-halide emulsion, one or more organic silver salts, a binder, and dye-providing coupler, which method in order comprises:
- (a) thermally developing the film step without any externally applied developing agent, comprising heating said film to a temperature greater than 80°
C. in an essentially dry process, such that an internally located blocked developing agent in reactive association with each of said three light-sensitive units becomes unblocked to form a developing agent, whereby the unblocked developing agent forms dyes by reacting with the dye-providing couplers to form a color image; and
(b) scanning the color image to provide a digital electronic record capable of generating a positive color image in a display element, wherein the silver halide and the organic silver salts in the film are removed and/or stabilized before or after step (b), such that the film is in an archival state.
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Abstract
The present invention is directed to a method of processing color photographic film that has been imagewise exposed in a camera, said film having at least three light-sensitive units which have their individual sensitivities in different wavelength regions, each of the units comprising at least one light-sensitive silver-halide emulsion, one or more organic silver salts, a binder, and dye-providing coupler, which method in order comprises: (a) thermally developing the film step without any externally applied developing agent, comprising heating said film to a temperature greater than 80° C. in an essentially dry process, such that an internally located blocked developing agent in reactive association with each of said three light-sensitive units becomes unblocked to form a developing agent, whereby the unblocked developing agent forms dyes by reacting with the dye-providing couplers to form a color image; and (b) scanning the color image to provide a digital electronic record capable of generating a positive color image in a display element, wherein the silver halide and the organic silver salts in the film are removed and/or stabilized before or after step (b), such that the film is in an archival state. Typically, a positive-image color print from the desilvered film. Optionally, the developed metallic silver can also be removed.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method of processing color photographic film that has been imagewise exposed in a camera, said film having at least three light-sensitive units which have their individual sensitivities in different wavelength regions, each of the units comprising at least one light-sensitive silver-halide emulsion, one or more organic silver salts, a binder, and dye-providing coupler, which method in order comprises:
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(a) thermally developing the film step without any externally applied developing agent, comprising heating said film to a temperature greater than 80°
C. in an essentially dry process, such that an internally located blocked developing agent in reactive association with each of said three light-sensitive units becomes unblocked to form a developing agent, whereby the unblocked developing agent forms dyes by reacting with the dye-providing couplers to form a color image; and
(b) scanning the color image to provide a digital electronic record capable of generating a positive color image in a display element, wherein the silver halide and the organic silver salts in the film are removed and/or stabilized before or after step (b), such that the film is in an archival state. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, 19, 24)
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11. A method of processing color photographic film that has been imagewise exposed in a camera, said film having at least three light-sensitive units which have their individual sensitivities in different wavelength regions, each of the units comprising at least one light-sensitive silver-halide emulsion, binder, and dye-providing coupler, which method in order comprises:
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(a) thermally developing the film step without any externally applied developing agent, comprising heating said film to a temperature greater than 80°
C. in an essentially dry process, such that an internally located blocked developing agent in reactive association with each of said three light-sensitive units becomes unblocked to form a developing agent, whereby the unblocked developing agent forms dyes by reacting with the dye-providing couplers to form a color image;
(c) desilvering said film in one or more desilvering solutions to remove the silver halide and organic silver salts, but not the metallic silver, thereby forming an improved color image for scanning; and
(d) scanning the color negative image in the film a second time after desilvering, to provide a digital improved electronic record of the color image to generate an improved digital electronic record of the color image capable of generating a positive color image in a display element. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 25)
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16. A method of processing color photographic film that has been imagewise exposed in a camera, said film having at a light-sensitive layer unit having sensitivity to visible light and comprising at least one light-sensitive silver-halide emulsion, one or more organic silver salts, a binder, and dye-providing coupler, which method in order comprises:
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(a) thermally developing the film step without any externally applied developing agent, comprising heating said film to a temperature greater than 80°
C. in an essentially dry process, such that an internally located blocked developing agent in reactive association with the light-sensitive layer unit becomes unblocked to form a developing agent, whereby the unblocked developing agent forms dye by reacting with the dye-providing coupler to form an image; and
(b) scanning the image to provide a digital electronic record capable of generating a positive image in a display element, wherein the silver halide and the organic silver salts in the film are removed and/or stabilized before or after step (b), such that the film is in an archival state.
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Specification