Hand-held processing container with vacuum creating assembly and kit for roomlight processing of black-and-white photographic elements
First Claim
1. A processing kit comprising:
- a black-and-white photographic silver halide element comprising a support having thereon one or more layers, at least one of said layers being a silver halide emulsion layer;
said black-and-white photographic silver halide element further comprising;
in one of said layers, a microcrystalline particulate dye that absorbs electromagnetic radiation in the visible and UV portions of the spectrum and is decolorized upon contact with a fixing agent other than a sulfite; and
in each silver halide emulsion layer, a desensitizer that reduces sensitivity of the silver halide emulsion layer to electromagnetic radiation in the visible portion of the spectrum by trapping electrons generated by exposure to that electromagnetic radiation;
a first vessel containing a black-and-white developing composition comprising from about 0.1 to about 0.5 mol/l of a black-and-white developing agent, and from about 0.25 to about 0.7 mol/l of a sulfite;
a second vessel containing a fixing composition comprising from about 0.5 to about 2 mol/l of a fixing agent other than a sulfite;
a hand-held container including a holder for holding in said container said black-and-white photographic silver halide element which has been exposed, and a manually actuated assembly for creating a vacuum within said container in order to draw processing compositions into said container to contact said exposed black-and-white photographic silver halide element; and
complementary structure associated with said container and said first and second vessels for mating said container with one of said vessels to facilitate transfer of composition from said vessel into said container when said assembly is manually actuated to create a composition drawing vacuum within said container.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Black-and-white elements, such as radiographic films, can be processed in roomlight because they include certain light absorbing dyes and desensitizers. Processing of such elements can be achieved using a processing kit and a two-stage process carried out in the same light- and fluid-tight processing apparatus. In the first stage, development is initiated with a developing composition having a pH of from about 10 to about 12.5, and comprising an appropriate black-and-white developing agent and a sulfite. After an appropriate time, a non-sulfite fixing agent is introduced into the processing apparatus or container to provide a combined developing/fixing composition, and development and fixing are carried out simultaneously. The processing method is carried out quickly, usually within about 90 seconds. The presence of sulfite and high pH in both stages decolorizes or deactivates the particulate dyes. The processing kit includes the photographic element, a first vessel containing a developing composition, a second vessel containing fixing composition, and a hand-held container for holding one or more exposed photographic elements. The container has a manually actuated assembly for creating a vacuum within said container in order to draw developing and fixing compositions into said container to contact and develop the exposed photographic element.
31 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A processing kit comprising:
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a black-and-white photographic silver halide element comprising a support having thereon one or more layers, at least one of said layers being a silver halide emulsion layer; said black-and-white photographic silver halide element further comprising; in one of said layers, a microcrystalline particulate dye that absorbs electromagnetic radiation in the visible and UV portions of the spectrum and is decolorized upon contact with a fixing agent other than a sulfite; and in each silver halide emulsion layer, a desensitizer that reduces sensitivity of the silver halide emulsion layer to electromagnetic radiation in the visible portion of the spectrum by trapping electrons generated by exposure to that electromagnetic radiation; a first vessel containing a black-and-white developing composition comprising from about 0.1 to about 0.5 mol/l of a black-and-white developing agent, and from about 0.25 to about 0.7 mol/l of a sulfite; a second vessel containing a fixing composition comprising from about 0.5 to about 2 mol/l of a fixing agent other than a sulfite; a hand-held container including a holder for holding in said container said black-and-white photographic silver halide element which has been exposed, and a manually actuated assembly for creating a vacuum within said container in order to draw processing compositions into said container to contact said exposed black-and-white photographic silver halide element; and complementary structure associated with said container and said first and second vessels for mating said container with one of said vessels to facilitate transfer of composition from said vessel into said container when said assembly is manually actuated to create a composition drawing vacuum within said container. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A processing kit comprising:
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a hand-held container including a holder for holding in said container at least one photographic element which has been exposed; and
furtherincluding a manually actuated assembly for creating a vacuum within said container in order to draw fluids into said container; a first vessel containing developer fluid; a second vessel containing fixer fluid; and complementary structure associated with said container and with each of said first and second vessels for mating said container with each of said vessels to facilitate transfer of fluid from said vessel into said container when said assembly is manually actuated to create a fluid drawing vacuum within said container so that an exposed photographic element held in said container is contacted by processing fluid to develop said element. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification