Computed radiography scanner and envelope for imaging plates
View Patent ↗A scanner for processing intra-oral flexible information carrier plate exposed to X-rays and an envelope for the plate. The scanner comprises housing with an opening for entering an enveloped plate. The envelope is provided with a protrusion and the opening of the scanner is provided with a shoulder. When the enveloped plate is entered in the opening the protrusion abuts the shoulder such that the plate is allowed to exit from the envelope and pass inside the housing while the envelope is retained outside the housing.
1. A scanner for processing intra-oral flexible carrier plates exposed to X-rays and transported to the scanner being dressed in envelopes, each of the envelopes having a protrusion on an outer surface, the scanner having a housing with an opening for entering an enveloped plate inside the scanner, wherein the opening is configured as an entry slot having a barrier, wherein the protrusion on the envelope engages the barrier to prevent entrance of the envelope inside the housing while allowing the plate to exit from the envelope and passing the plate inside the housing.
2. The scanner according to claim 1 , wherein the barrier is configured as a shoulder provided in the entry slot.
3. The scanner according to claim 2 , wherein the entry slot is delimited by a left front guiding face, by a right front guiding face, by a left rear guiding face, and by a right rear guiding face.
4. The scanner according to claim 3 , wherein a distance at least between left front guiding face and right front guiding face is variable.
5. The scanner according to claim 1 , wherein the housing is provided with an entrance panel and the opening is made in the entrance panel.
6. The scanner according to claim 5 , wherein the entrance panel is secured on the housing.
7. The scanner according to claim 3 , wherein the left front guiding face and the right front guiding face are spaced apart by at least a first distance is sufficient for passing the enveloped plate, while the left rear guiding face and the right rear guiding face are spaced apart by at least a second distance sufficient for passing only the carrier plate.
8. The scanner according to claim 2 , wherein the shoulder is defined by a face extending along at least a portion of the entry slot.
9. The scanner according to claim 7 , wherein a barrier face is provided at one of the rear guiding faces.
10. The scanner according to claim 8 , wherein the face has a width of about 0.8 mm.
11. An envelope for an intra-oral flexible information carrier plate which is intended upon exposure to X-rays to be transported to a scanner for digital radiography processing, the envelope comprising a frontal and rear layer defining a compartment for enclosing the plate inside and having an outer surface, the envelope having a protrusion on the outer surface, which upon entering an enveloped plate inside the scanner through a scanner opening is adapted to engage the opening to allow exiting the plate from the envelope and passing the plate inside the scanner while retaining the envelope outside the scanner.
12. The envelope according to claim 11 , wherein the frontal layer is made of a translucent material, while the rear layer is made of an opaque material and the protrusion is located on the frontal layer.
13. The envelope according to claim 12 , wherein the protrusion is configured as a strip.
14. The envelope according to claim 13 , wherein the strip is made of a soft material.
15. The envelope according to claim 14 , wherein the strip has a thickness of about 0.8 mm.
16. The envelope according to claim 13 , wherein the protrusion is adhered to the frontal layer.
17. The envelope according to claim 11 , wherein the envelope is provided with a peel strip covering a portion of the rear layer, which is coated by an adhesive.
18. The envelope according to claim 17 , wherein the envelope is provided with at least one notch.