Radiation image conversion panel

• US 6,835,940 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2003
• Issued: 12/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konica Corporation (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Konica Corporation (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Honda, Satoshi, Morikawa, Osamu
• Primary Examiner(s): Porta, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sung, Christine
• Application Number:
  US10/364,020
• Publication Number:
  US 20030155529A1
• Time in Patent Office: 687 Days
• Field of Search: 250/484.4, 250/484.2, 250/483.1, 250/472.1, 250/390.11, 250/390.01, 250/336.1
• US Class Current: 250/484.4
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 42/02 using X-rays

Abstract

A radiation image conversion panel is disclosed, comprising a support having thereon a stimulable phosphor layer comprising columnar stimulable phosphor crystals, wherein the tip of the columnar crystals have a tip exhibiting an average angle of 20° to 80° which a centerline in the direction of crystal growth makes with a line tangent to a section of the tip having the centerline.

Claims

1. A radiation image conversion panel comprising a support having thereon a stimulable phosphor layer comprising columnar stimulable phosphor crystals, wherein the columnar crystals have a tip exhibiting an average angle of 20°

to 80°

which a centerline in the direction of crystal growth makes with a line tangent to a section of the tip having the centerline.

2. The radiation image conversion panel of claim 1, wherein the columnar crystals have an average diameter of 0.5 to 50 μ

m.

3. The radiation image conversion panel of claim 1, wherein the columnar crystals are a stimulable phosphor represented by the following formula (1)

4. The radiation image conversion panel of claim 3, wherein in formula (1), M¹ is an alkali metal selected from the group consisting of K, Rb and Cs.

5. The radiation image conversion panel of claim 3, wherein in formula (1), X is Br or I.

6. The radiation image conversion panel of claim 3, wherein in formula (1), M² represents a divalent metal selected from the group consisting of Be, Mg, Ca, Sr and Ba.

7. The radiation image conversion panel of claim 3, wherein in formula (1), M³ represents a trivalent metal selected from the group consisting of Y, Ce, Sm, Eu, Al, La, Gd, Lu, Ga and In.

8. The radiation image conversion panel of claim 3, wherein in formula (1), b is 0≦

b≦

10<sup>−

2</sup>.

9. The radiation image conversion panel of claim 3, wherein in formula (1), A is a metal selected from the group consisting of Eu, Cs, Sm, Tl and Na.

10. The radiation image conversion panel of claim 3, wherein the stimulable phosphor represented by formula (1) is a stimulable phosphor represented by the following formula (2):

11. The radiation image conversion panel of claim 1, wherein the stimulable phosphor layer is formed by a vapor deposition process.

12. The radiation image conversion panel of claim 11, wherein the process comprises causing a vapor stream of a stimulable phosphor to be entered into an evaporation chamber at an incident angle of 0 to 5°

to the direction normal to the surface of the support to form the columnar crystals on the support.

13. The radiation image conversion panel of claim 12, wherein the support is maintained at a temperature of 100 to 300°

C.