Radiographic-image recording medium containing shock-resistant member

Abstract

An image recording medium includes: a support which is transparent to radiation for use in recording, and resistant to shock; a wavelength conversion layer which contains an organic binder and a fluorescent material which converts the radiation into visible light; a first electrode layer which is transparent to the visible light; a recording-side photoconductive layer which exhibits photoconductivity when the recording-side photoconductive layer is exposed to the visible light; a charge storage region which stores electric charges which are generated in the recording-side photoconductive layer in response to exposure to the visible light; a reading-side photoconductive layer which exhibits photoconductivity when the reading-side photoconductive layer is exposed to reading light; and a second electrode layer which is transparent to the reading light.

1 . A radiographic-image recording medium comprising: 
 a support which is transparent to radiation for use in recording, and resistant to shock;    a wavelength conversion layer which is formed under said support, and contains an organic binder and a fluorescent material which converts said radiation into a first electromagnetic wave for use in recording, where the first electromagnetic wave belongs to a first wavelength band different from a second wavelength band to which the radiation belongs;    a first electrode layer which is formed under said wavelength conversion layer, and transparent to said first electromagnetic wave;    a recording-side photoconductive layer which is formed under said first electrode layer, and exhibits photoconductivity when the recording-side photoconductive layer is exposed to said first electromagnetic wave after the first electromagnetic wave has passed through said first electrode layer;    a charge storage region which is formed under said recording-side photoconductive layer, and stores electric charges which are generated in said recording-side photoconductive layer in response to exposure to said first electromagnetic wave;    a reading-side photoconductive layer which is formed under said charge storage region, and exhibits photoconductivity when the reading-side photoconductive layer is exposed to a second electromagnetic wave for reading; and    a second electrode layer which is formed under said reading-side photoconductive layer, and transparent to said second electromagnetic wave.    
   
   
       2 . A radiographic-image recording medium according to  claim 1 , further comprising a substrate which is resistant to shock, and on which said second electrode layer, said reading-side photoconductive layer, said charge storage region, said recording-side photoconductive layer, said first electrode layer, said wavelength conversion layer, and said support are formed.  
   
   
       3 . A radiographic-image recording medium according to  claim 1 , further comprising a substrate which is realized by a thin glass film, and on which said second electrode layer, said reading-side photoconductive layer, said charge storage region, said recording-side photoconductive layer, said first electrode layer, said wavelength conversion layer, and said support are formed.  
   
   
       4 . A radiographic-image recording medium according to  claim 2 , wherein said substrate and said support are made of materials having approximately identical thermal expansion coefficients.  
   
   
       5 . A radiographic-image recording medium according to  claim 3 , wherein said substrate and said support are made of materials having approximately identical thermal expansion coefficients.  
   
   
       6 . A radiographic-image recording medium according to  claim 1 , wherein said wavelength conversion layer and said first electrode layer are bonded together through a viscoelastic material which is transparent to said first electromagnetic wave.  
   
   
       7 . A recording-medium unit comprising: 
 a radiographic-image recording medium;    a reading-light illumination unit which illuminates said radiographic-image recording medium with a first electromagnetic wave for reading; and    a portable casing which encloses said radiographic-image recording medium and said reading-light illumination unit, is transparent to radiation for use in recording, and shields the radiographic-image recording medium from said first electromagnetic wave and a second electromagnetic wave for use in recording; wherein    said radiographic-image recording medium includes, 
 a support which is transparent to said radiation, and resistant to shock,  
 a wavelength conversion layer which is formed under said support, and contains an organic binder and a fluorescent material which converts said radiation into said second electromagnetic wave, where the second electromagnetic wave belongs to a first wavelength band different from a second wavelength band to which the radiation belongs,  
 a first electrode layer which is formed under said wavelength conversion layer, and transparent to said second electromagnetic wave,  
 a recording-side photoconductive layer which is formed under said first electrode layer, and exhibits photoconductivity when the recording-side photoconductive layer is exposed to said second electromagnetic wave after the second electromagnetic wave has passed through said first electrode layer,  
 a charge storage region which is formed under said recording-side photoconductive layer, and stores electric charges which are generated in said recording-side photoconductive layer in response to exposure to said second electromagnetic wave,  
 a reading-side photoconductive layer which is formed under said charge storage region, and exhibits photoconductivity when the reading-side photoconductive layer is exposed to said first electromagnetic wave, and  
 a second electrode layer which is formed under said reading-side photoconductive layer, and transparent to said first electromagnetic wave.  
   
   
   
       8 . A recording-medium unit according to  claim 7 , further comprising a substrate which is resistant to shock, and on which said second electrode layer, said reading-side photoconductive layer, said charge storage region, said recording-side photoconductive layer, said first electrode layer, said wavelength conversion layer, and said support are formed.  
   
   
       9 . A recording-medium unit according to  claim 7 , further comprising a substrate which is realized by a thin glass film, and on which said second electrode layer, said reading-side photoconductive layer, said charge storage region, said recording-side photoconductive layer, said first electrode layer, said wavelength conversion layer, and said support are formed.  
   
   
       10 . A recording-medium unit according to  claim 8 , wherein said substrate and said support are made of materials having approximately identical thermal expansion coefficients.  
   
   
       11 . A recording-medium unit according to  claim 9 , wherein said substrate and said support are made of materials having approximately identical thermal expansion coefficients.  
   
   
       12 . A recording-medium unit according to  claim 7 , wherein said wavelength conversion layer and said first electrode layer are bonded together through a viscoelastic material which is transparent to said first electromagnetic wave.