A radiation sensitive recording plate with an orientation identifying marker and method of using same

Detailed description of the invention

<u style="single">Cross-reference of related applications</u> This application is under 35U.SC119 (e), "METHOD FOR INTERNALLY LABELING THE ORIENTATION OF EXPOSURE OF RADIATION-SENSITIVE PLATES BY PRODUCING A RECOGNIZABLE PATTERN WITHIN THE INFORMATION SET PRODUCED BY SUCH EXPOSURE" dated December 6, 2002. US Patent Provisional Application No. 60 / 372,323, filed December 6, 2002, "RADIATION SENSITIVE RECORDING PLATE," US Patent Application No. 60 / 431,282 entitled "A METHOD OF MAKING SAME AND A METHOD OF RECORDING AND ORIENTING IMAGES" and "A RADIATION SENSITIVE RECORDING PLATE AND METHODOF MAKING AND USING SAME" filed March 18, 2003 Claims the priority of U.S. Patent Application No. 10 / 392,158, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

<u style="single">background</u> The present application generally relates to image processing. More specifically, the present application relates to identification of image orientation. More specifically, the present application relates to image orientation identification in medical and dental X-ray shadow-grams.

The images produced on the film in a conventional roll film camera are easy to orient correctly because the camera is constructed so that the emulsion of the film always faces the lens. is there. Due to the shape of the film cassette and the camera, it is not possible to load film into modern cameras with the emulsion facing away from the lens. Therefore, it is always known that the light or other radiation recorded by the film hits the film from the photosensitive emulsifier side. Therefore, when orienting a slide for projection or orienting a film image for viewing on a lightbox, either place the emulsion toward the projection lens of the slide projector, or place the emulsion on the observer's eye. I always know to put the film on the lightbox in the direction. By doing this, the image seen by the observer, whether projected or observed on the lightbox, will have a known set correspondence with the orientation of the object in the original scene. Furthermore, even if the orientation is unknown, the proper orientation can be restored by reorienting based on identifying the location of the emulsion.

Similarly, digital images produced using a camera with a detector such as an electrified coupled device (CCD) that is sensitive to exposure from only one side are inherently obvious. The camera used to generate such an image is physically constructed and positioned so that the lens or lens mount is in a fixed position with respect to the detector, so that exposed radiation hits the detector. The direction is always known. CCD sensors used in dental digital radiography are also physically constructed and placed so that diagnostic images are generated only when exposed from the correct orientation. Such a CCD sensor contains a radiation opaque element that is opposite the intended exposure direction.

For dental or medical diagnostic images produced on conventional film, the problem is somewhat more complicated. One of the common dental or medical diagnostic images is the shadowgram, which places a radiographic film on one side of the object to be imaged and captures the radiation source to which the film is sensitive. It is generated by placing it on the opposite side of. Radiation, such as X-rays, casts a shadow on the film of the object to be imaged, thereby exposing the density change inside the shadowed object. When using the standard orientation of the test object and viewing the film from the same side that the radiation source exposes to emulsion, the laterality, or right-to-left relationship of the object, is preserved. This is because the observer can clearly distinguish between the right side and the left side by observing only the image. However, medical or dental X-ray films can be exposed and viewed from both sides because the film is transparent to both X-rays and visible light. To further complicate the directional problem, photosensitive emulsifiers are often applied to both sides of the film in order to reduce the radiation dose required to produce diagnostic images by increasing the sensitivity of the film. That is. However, the film constructed in this way cannot be oriented based on the side having the photosensitive emulsifier. Therefore, it is desirable to identify the side of the film exposed to radiation, thereby indicating the side on which the film should be viewed.

Due to convention and, in part, high sensitivity to visible light along with X-rays, radiographic film is usually held in an opaque cassette, which only prevents exposure to visible light. Instead, limit X-ray exposure to only one side of the film. The sides of the cassette, which exposes large films such as those used for medical X-ray applications, show various patient information, including patient name, date and time of exposure, patient side (eg, left or right arm), and more. , Often include a radiation opaque label, which provides a clear indication embedded in the image, for example, about the side of the exposed film. When using such a label, if the image is reversed by viewing from the opposite side exposed to the incident line, the label text is also reversed, clearly indicating that the direction of the diagnostic image is reversed. Will be done. Some systems incorporate a mechanism within the film cassette that automatically prints optically on the margins of the film, thereby printing the image during exposure of the film, the patients involved, and the exposure and orientation data ( For example, Planmeca's pantomograph.

The correct orientation of the film in the cassette and the exposure device, and thus, using the keyway that directs the cassette itself to the cassette holder, within the physical structure, eg, notches at the edges or corners of the film, or in the device that exposes the object. Often, the relative orientation of the film and the image recorded on it with respect to the object is obtained, and it is often further ensured that it can be extracted independently of the structure represented by the diagnostic image itself. The "backside" of the cassette is itself at least partially opaque to radiation over its entire surface, thereby preventing accidental exposure from the wrong side. In this way, the spatial orientation of the original shape that casts the shadow in the image is clearly and clearly defined. However, this clear and obvious result depends on the mechanical structure described above, or on the X-ray technician who charges the cassette, places the directional label, and then exposes from the correct side. Otherwise, if the film or cassette is improperly placed, the resulting image will visually reflect the improper orientation, which requires repeated processing.

Unlike the large films described above, dental intraoral films are customarily pre-wrapped and supplied in packets, which are disposable and flexible. The intraoral film must be small enough to be placed in the mouth, so there is little room available for labels of the above types. In the case of conventional dental oral film, proper orientation identification faces the opposite side of the radiopaque backrest in the packet, which prevents or limits accidental exposure from the wrong side. This is done by bumps or embossed protrusions on the film and packets. The protrusions protruding from the film surface in the direction in which the shadows are cast are the permanent structure of the film and continue as markers of direction in the dimension perpendicular to the film surface, providing a way for the observer to identify the exposed side. To do. When exposed from the wrong side, the resulting image is indistinguishable (undiagnositc) due to the degradation caused by the radiation impervious backing contained within the packet.

Radiation opaque backing is usually a textured heavy metal foil that allows exposure from the wrong side to appear as a texture pattern in the image, while the embossed structure preserves directional information for the observer. And be identified. Proper results with intraoral dental film, as well as medical X-rays, where correct loading of cassettes guarantees proper results, are the correct assembly of packets in the factory and subsequent dental X-rays. Guaranteed only by correct operation by a professional technician. However, improper exposure of the film causes a reversal of the diagnostic image when orienting the image using a protruding structure, which evidences image degradation that is immediately apparent to the observer and in the image. The structure is unlikely to be misidentified and is guaranteed to be traceable. Oriented structures and structures that prevent exposure from the wrong side are now customary.

By convention, dental intraoral films are manufactured in a variety of standard dimensions, generally rectangular, with rounded corners. Also customarily, when preparing for observation, they are grouped in an anatomical arrangement within a holder called a mount. The standard mount holds the film in only one of two directions. That is, the long dimension of the film is horizontal, hereafter referred to as the "landscape" direction in the present application, and the long dimension of the film is oriented vertically, hereafter referred to as the "portrait" direction in the present application. ..

In keeping with the practice of observing radiophotographic images on film or on a computer monitor, and for clarity and clarity of description, the main-direction frame of reference is itself based on the image plane. The upper direction is the direction from any point in the image toward the upper end of the image, while the lower direction is the opposite direction. When the upward direction is directed to the observer's natural direction, the left and right correspond to the observer's left and right. Vertical corresponds to the direction of a line extending up and down from any point in the image.

Japanese Patent No. 4,625,325 describes a method of introducing a conventional radiophotographic film and a phosphor in the same process as a radiopaque material. The patented device described herein includes a film packet similar to the oral dental film packet described above. The device is also equipped with pockets to hold the plate inserted by a professional technician before exposing the film. The plate is coated with a phosphor on the side facing the film and the radiation source, and incorporates a radiation opaque material on the opposite side, which is placed adjacent to the film in the packet. This plate is an image amplification device. During exposure, the film is exposed by both the X-rays that hit the film directly and the phosphorescence emitted by the plate-like phosphors that are excited by the same X-rays. X-rays that have passed through both the film and the phosphor are absorbed by the radiation opaque backing, which limits tissue exposure downstream of the recording surface. The packet, film and plate are held by the jig in a position where the film and plate can be exposed from only one side. The phosphor acts only as an amplification device to ensure a high signal-to-noise ratio and reduce the radiation dose per exposure. The phosphor film does not function as a storage phosphor that holds a latent image and is not scanned to produce a diagnostic digital image. Further, since the image is recorded on the conventional radiophotographic film as in the conventional case, this step does not cause the problem of image orientation ambiguity in the digital electronic image.

Recently, radiation-sensitive memory phosphor plates have begun to replace conventional radiophotographic emulsion films for recording medical and dental images. Advantages include high sensitivity, independence from toxic chemicals, relatively low sensitivity to ambient light, reusability, and ease of digital data storage and transmission. Everything has stimulated the growth of this technology. However, the image orientation problems described above for conventional films, as well as new image orientation problems resulting from the use of, for example, image processing software, become apparent in the use of such radiation sensitive plates. As discussed above, the orientation of the image produced by film technology is clearly identified by the presence of a three-dimensional object, that is, the presence of protrusions that project from the surface of the film toward the object that casts shadows, and is the surface of the film. Provides an invariant absolute reference in the dimension perpendicular to. The other two dimensions, superior-inferior and anterior-posterior, are inferred from the anatomical structure in the image. Unlike images incorporated into 3D physical objects, namely film with protrusions, the images produced by existing phosphor plate technology are complete, unambiguous and unfixed in the direction of exposure or observation. It is stored and displayed as a two-dimensional diagram. Incomplete criteria or markers are incorporated into the existing system, as discussed below. However, none of these systems are obvious, immutable, or complete from their design.

Radiation-sensitive plates are sensitive to certain diagnostic radiation types, such as X-rays, but they are substantially insensitive to visible light for the purpose of recording images. These plates can be handled under normal room lighting without a normal cassette until exposed. They are inserted into a radiation permeable plastic film sleeve prior to use for other purposes, such as hygiene and reducing phosphorescence wear. These plates are also reusable and can generate multiple images over a period of time. Erasure by long-term exposure to strong visible light and repackaging in disposable radiation permeable plastic film sleeves are performed by field technicians, not manufacturing sites.

The scanner excites the phosphor by laser irradiation to emit light that depends on the amount of pre-exposure to X-rays, and that amount is recorded as a data signal. Currently, commercially available phosphor-colored digital radiomedical systems use plates with a polymer sheet substrate that supports a pastel-colored phosphor layer coated on one side of the substrate. The surface on the opposite side of the substrate is black. For the purposes of the present application, the side surface of the plate intended by the manufacturer as, for example, the preferred side surface to be read by a scanner, will be referred to as the "front side", while the opposite side of the plate and the sensitive layer will be referred to as "the front side". I will call it "the back side". For practical reasons related to current technology, the side of the plate, which is generally intended as the side to be scanned (the "front side"), is also the side where the sensitive layer is closer to and visible to the plate surface. Thereby, it can be excited by the scanning mechanism.

Even if a sensitive layer, such as a phosphor, is available for scanning from only one side, the "front side", it is exposed and latent equally well from either side and in some commercial systems. It is possible to record an image. As a result of the shadows recorded by the sensitive layer, eg, phosphors, may have been projected from either side of the plate surface, the recorded latent images and the visible images obtained from their scans are to the left and right. Ambiguous about laterality. Therefore, when recording bidirectionally symmetrical structures, such as the left or right jaw, mirror images are obtained, which can easily be confused because they are not uniquely oriented. Therefore, the two sides of the torso (or mouth) can be confused by the observer of the image, resulting in false diagnosis and / or treatment. As a result, current commercially available phosphor plate systems, such as those manufactured by Air Techniques Inc. and Gender, are detailed and explicit for packaging and exposing the plate in the specified orientation in order to preserve the image orientation. Instructions are given.

Some digital systems utilize techniques similar to those used for conventional emulsion films. For example, the DigiraTM (sold by Soredex) system phosphor plate has a slightly opaque layer mounted on the "backside" of the plate, which allows it to pass through the plate and penetrate into the patient. Patient irradiation with radiation is reduced. The radiation impermeability of the backing has no structural features, but this backing degrades the image exposed by irradiation from the "back side".

Systems such as Scan-XT® (available from Air Techniques lnc.) And Denoptics® (available from Gendex Dentsply) each feature unique markers. This marker has a distinctive shape, each with a lowercase letter "a" opaquely printed on the "front side" of the phosphor, or a small reveal that there is no phosphor in the local area. It is a hollow circle. These markers are implemented by the manufacturer at the time of plate fabrication so that they are always read consistently from the phosphor by the scanner, independent of all exposure variables. The result of the presence of markers made by either of the above variants, namely Scan-X and Denoptics, is that during scanning, phosphorescence from the area of the plate so modified is reduced or present. Do not do it. Such a relative lack of signal is reflected in the visible scan image as a unique shape corresponding to the shape and location of the marker on the phosphor plate.

Any structure of such markers, which is asymmetric, or is arranged asymmetrically with respect to the vertical axis of symmetry of the plate, or both, will be similarly asymmetrical in the scanned plate image. Appears. In addition, the marker image is reversed in its left-right relationship with respect to its asymmetric location, or its internal asymmetry, as a result of the software horizontal reflection of the scanned image. This marker is suitable as a marker when there is a literacy reversal in the overall image after the completion of the scan, as the placement of the radiation source during exposure does not affect the appearance of the image of such a marker. ..

For practical reasons, i.e., the images produced by each of the commercially available phosphorescent plate technology systems can be viewed and observed in only one of the four directions, which directions are emulsion-based. The rotation conversion of the image (and plate position) in the present application is also a 90 degree step, or because it corresponds to the conventional orientation for film mounting and the orientations are separated from each other by a 90 degree rotation step. It is constrained by its multiple. A possible set of directions to consider for any image is two "landscape" and two "portrait" possibilities, one right up and one up and down for each category. is there.

The configuration shown in FIG. 1 outlines a method that allows the generation of images of the patient's mandible and teeth, X-ray shadowgrams, using a dental x-ray plate. This particular physiological structure explains the symmetry problem described above. However, this problem arises in connection with many physiological structures as a result of the intrinsic symmetry present in most biological systems, especially humans and animals. Next, the configuration of FIG. 1 will be described in relation to the conventional digital dental X-ray plate. Later, in a "detailed description", the configuration of FIG. 1 will be referred to in relation to the viewpoint of the present invention which can be implemented in this configuration and other suitable configurations.

The anatomical structure shown in FIG. 1 is the mandible, i.e., the mandible 101, in which a pair of teeth 102 is located. For clarity, the mandible 101 and teeth 102, not shown, can be assumed to be parts of the living patient's body covered with soft tissue, etc. This particular patient has a diagnostically significant condition, eg, an abscess, represented by a solid circle 103. A dental technician, dentist or others places the conventional digital dental X-ray plate 104 in a suitable position to image the shadowgrams of the three molars 105 on either side of the patient's mouth. .. In practice, the plate 104 would be placed close to the tooth recording the shadowgram to produce a clear image, but for convenience of explanation, the plate 104 is placed in the patient's oral cavity. , Centered between the left and right teeth. Finally, two alternative locations for the X-ray source, "Source L" and "Source R", are shown. The X-ray source, "source R," produces the images shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, whereas the X-ray source, "source L," produces the images shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. Next, FIGS. 2, 3, 4 and 5 will be described with reference to FIG. 1 as necessary.

Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5 show conventional exposures from each of the two sides, using each of the sources located in two different locations, eg, "source L" and "source R". It shows four images that can be generated using a digital X-ray plate. Reference Conventional commercial plates have a hollow circle mark on the "front side" of the plate, so that a hollow circle 201 appears in one corner of each of the images. The image generated by the source "source L" includes the image of the molar 105, and the image generated by the "source R" is the image 205 of the molar 105 and the image 203 of the diagnostically significant state 103. including. In the use of conventional digital X-ray plates, a hollow circle resides on the "front side" of the plate, guiding a technician, dentist or others to point that side of the plate toward the source of exposure. Is intended to be. However, such consistent use is not guaranteed.

If the plate is consistently exposed from only one side (eg, the "front side"), this marker is an absolute reference for left-right relationships by eliminating the confusion introduced by flipping the image horizontally. Will be provided. Such reflection would displace the hollow marker from the lower right or upper left corner of the image to the lower left or upper right corner of the image in the "landscape" direction. This displacement is a reversal with respect to the "portrait" direction. Although recommended and consistent with the best methods, such consistent, sensitive side exposure of the plate is also in the insertion of the plate into the sleeve, or during the exposure itself. There is no guarantee on the placement of the plates.

Certain predictable rules for translocation are the radiograph plate, the image it holds, the major and minor axes of symmetry in the plate or its image, and two types of motion, a vertical plane perpendicular to the axis of the image. It should be noted that it dominates the system consisting of all combinations of reflection through, and 90 degree rotation around the axis perpendicular to the plane of the plate at the intersection of its symmetric major axis and uniaxial axis. Is. Image reflection in this system can occur via one of two modes. The first mode is to cast a shadow on a sensitive layer, eg, a phosphor, from one side of the plate, eg, the "backside", i.e. record an image, and the opposite perspective of the sensitive layer, eg, the "front side". Including reading from. For each image, only one example of this mode can occur. In the present application, this reflection mode will be referred to as "pre-exposure" reflection. The second mode involves the use of image processing software tools that reflect the left and right of any selected image. The number of cases of reflection of this mode is theoretically unlimited. Reflection of this mode will be referred to as "software" reflection in the present application.

There are two different modes of rotation. The first mode is the physical rotation of the plate, including the marker, with respect to the object to be imaged, from "landscape" to "portrait" and, if continued, "landscape". This is due to the change in the direction of returning to. This mode of rotation is hereafter referred to as the "pre-exposure" rotation mode in the present application. The second mode of rotation can occur in several ways. After exposure, the plate, which is a small, unfixed object, is free to move and random in direction. These plates are then removed from their sleeves and arbitrarily rotated to fit within the scanner's plate holding mechanism, but the limitation at this stage is that the "front side" does not face the sensor. It must not be done. When the image is generated on the computer screen, the operator uses the image processor to rotate the image to align the image in the proper top-bottom direction.

This software-mediated rotation is limited to multiples of 90 degrees, which is the mechanism for achieving proper "landscape" and "portrait" directions, as well as upper-lower relationships, as needed. .. All three rotations mentioned above maintain a relationship between marker location and shadowgram details. They also maintain a left-right relationship. Some rotation mechanisms, including a second rotation mode, are performed after the sensitive layer has been exposed, which is hereafter referred to as the "post-exposure" rotation mode. When the "post-exposure" rotation results in a 180 degree rotation, the resulting transformation is equivalent to a reflection of the entire recorded image through points located at the intersection of the major and uniaxial axes of the plate.

To better understand the discussion in the "detailed description" of how the structure from the point of view of the invention, shown below, clearly identifies the correct and incorrect image orientations of the first possible image. Consider transposition. In the context of this application, two modes of reflection and two modes of rotation are made possible by the laws of physics, and by the graphic features included in the software of the image processor, generally equipped with a digital radiation system. Contains a set of. For the purposes of this example, and to demonstrate that conventional markers alone cannot distinguish between the various transformations, the previously defined marker 3811 was placed on the plate in the "landscape" direction. Place it in the lower right corner when viewed from the "front side". In FIG. 38, images 3801, 3802, 3803, 3804, 3805, 3806, 3807 and 3808 in the same row (eg 3801, 3802, 3803 and 3804; or 3805, 3806, 3807 and 3808) are adjacent images thereof. Is related by one 90 degree "after exposure" rotation for each step. Images in the same column (eg, 3801 and 3805, etc.), on the other hand, are related by a "software" reflection through a vertical plane perpendicular to the vertical plane of the plate.

Images 3801, 3802, 3803 and 3804, and as images 3805, 3806, 3807 and 3808 show, two markers 3811, respectively, for both the "portrait" and "landscape" directions of the image, depending on rotation alone. Only position is possible. That is, if the image only rotates (ie, the image is in the same row in Figure 38), then there are two possible positions 3801 and 3803 of the marker 3811 with respect to the "landscape" direction: the lower right corner and the upper left corner. There are also two possible positions of the marker in the "portrait" direction, 3802 and 3804, namely the lower left corner and the upper right corner of the image. Also, the combination of in-plane rotation and vertical plane manipulation reflections for both "portrait" and "landscape" directions is sufficient to generate all possible marker positions, as described above. It is clear from FIG. 38. In addition, all paths that contain an odd number of reflections (ie, those that cause the final movement of the image to different rows in FIG. 38) contain an even reflection (ie, the final movement of the rows generated in the process). It is also clear that it is qualitatively different from the pathway.

Therefore, assuming the original position of the marker 3811 in the lower right corner in the "landscape" direction as in image 3801, the left-right relationship of image 3803 is not reversed with respect to the original image 3801, but that of image 3807 is. It's reversed. Furthermore, it is possible to infer the left-right relationship by observing the marker position of the plate and the "portrait" vs. "landscape" direction without knowledge of the original images 3809 and 3810. The mandibular and maxillary teeth are sufficiently sized to recognize them in radiographic images, thereby preserving the upper-lower dimensional orientation. Similarly, assuming that the long arrow 3810 acts as an upward recognizable indicator and the short arrow 3809 serves as a forward recognizable indicator, only images 3801 and 3805 are relative to the upper-lower dimensions. Represents a properly oriented image. Moreover, of these two, only image 3801 preserves the original left-right relationship of the shadowed object. Further complicating the situation is that the plate may have been exposed from the "back side" and viewed from the "front side", which could have resulted in image 3805. This image must be reflected horizontally in order to be viewed in the "correct" direction of image 3801.

For the purposes of image analysis in FIGS. 2, 3, 4 and 5, a specialist, dentist or others exposing this patient's digital dental X-ray plate 104 has defined the "front side" as a hollow circle. As a result, the sensitive side of the plate faces the direction of the X-ray source at position "source L" and at the lower right corner of the plate 104 when viewed from the direction of the X-ray source at position "source L". It is assumed that they are oriented so as to come together. FIG. 3 is an image read from the "front side" of the plate 104 when such an oriented plate is exposed by X-rays at the location indicated by "Source R". If the dentist reading such an image knows that the exposure was made from the wrong "side", the "back side" of the plate, this dentist uses image processing software. By flipping the image horizontally, the image can be reoriented as shown in FIG. Mark 201 is transposed from the right side to the left side of the image. The same plate 104, similarly oriented but exposed by an X-ray source at the location indicated by "Source L", produces the image shown in FIG. 5 when read from the sensitive side of the plate.

The image of FIG. 4 may be unintentionally generated by the operation of image processing software that inverts the image of FIG. 4 in the horizontal direction. Since FIGS. 2 and 4 and FIGS. 3 and 5, respectively, are indistinguishable without knowing from which side the plate 104 was exposed, the state 103, which is only seen in the images in FIGS. 2 and 3, is , It is not possible to determine which side of the patient's jaw it is. If condition 103 produces no externally observable symptoms, x-ray images may be the only evidence that the dentist can rely on to determine the location of treatment. Ambiguity is introduced during recording, which cannot be resolved without re-exposing the patient to radiation. Current forms of digital plate technology do not guarantee that the orientation of the image can be determined. Current technology instead relies on the statistical expectation that professional technicians will expose the film correctly in most cases. However, there are no clear markers of exposure in the image. The following four examples show the problem of lack of internal standards.

1. If only one image is available that can be viewed independently of the other patient's information, the observer identifies the correct orientation of the image, except by assuming it was exposed from the "front side". Can not do it. 2. If the professional engineer consistently makes the mistake of exposing the film from the "backside", which the observer does not know, the observer is correctly exposed and oriented when comparing the images. You end up concluding that the image (fact) is misaligned (which is not the correct fact), thus complicating the problem. 3. A complaining or incapacitated employee spoils the record by changing the apparent orientation of the image being recorded, without anyone noticing it or tracking the problem. There is a possibility of 4. An unintentional person may intentionally expose the plate from the "backside" to make the image appear to show the other side of the body.

The analysis of FIGS. 6, 7, 8 and 9 is similar to that of FIGS. 2, 3, 4 and 5, except for the initial orientation of the plate. These images point the hollow circle, and thus the sensitive side of the plate 104, toward the X-ray source at position "source L", but from the direction of the X-ray source at position "source L". As seen, it is produced by a plate 104 oriented so that it is in the upper left corner of the plate. Figures 10, 11, 12 and 13 point the hollow circle, and thus the sensitive side of the plate 104, toward the X-ray source at position "source R", but the X at position "source R". It represents the image produced by the plate 104 oriented so that it is in the upper right corner of the plate when viewed from the direction of the source.

FIG. 10 shows an image generated by "source R", in which the open circle 201 is in the lower right corner. FIG. 11 may be unintentionally generated by flipping the image of FIG. 10 horizontally using image processing software. FIG. 12 shows the result of exposing the plate using Source L. In order to view the image from the direction the dentist expects, the image of FIG. 12 can be flipped horizontally to generate the image of FIG. Similar to the situation described above in relation to FIGS. 2, 3, 4 and 5, FIGS. 10 and 12 are essentially indistinguishable, as are in FIGS. 11 and 13. The analysis of FIGS. 14, 15, 16 and 17 is similar to that of FIGS. 10, 11, 12 and 13, except for the initial orientation of the plate. These images point the hollow circle, and thus the sensitive side of the plate 104, toward the X-ray source at position "source R", while the hollow circle is at position "source R". It is produced by a plate 104 oriented so that it is in the upper left corner of the plate when viewed from the source.

<u style="single">Outline of the invention</u> The radiation recording plate can be constructed and arranged to form an image when exposed from both the front and back sides. The plate can include markers that are detectable in the image after exposure and indicate whether the plate is exposed from the front or back side. The marker can include a radiation-impermeable medium that coats areas that do not interfere with image reading when the plate is exposed from either side. The plate may be sensitive to X-rays and the medium can contain one of a heavy element, an alloy containing a heavy element, a compound containing a heavy element or a salt of the heavy element. The medium can be one of Pb, Sn, Bi, I and Ba. The medium may be a heavy metal suspended in a binder applied to the region. Markers can be asymmetric around at least one axis. The marker can be horizontally asymmetric about the vertical axis with respect to the normal image direction, or the marker can be vertically asymmetric about the horizontal axis with respect to the normal image direction. The marker may further include a backside marker so that the appearance of this backside marker in the image on the plate indicates that it has been exposed from the backside.

The plate may have a radiation sensitive layer that can only be read from the front side, and the back side marker may be at least one of a material that enhances the reading of the sensitive layer and a material that attenuates the reading of the sensitive layer. May be further included. Such a backside marker may further include at least one of a material that enhances the exposure of the plate within the set area and a material that reduces the exposure of the plate within the set area. The backside marker can further include one of a heavy element, an alloy containing a heavy element, a compound containing a heavy element, or a salt of the heavy element. This medium can be one of Pb, Sn, Bi, I and Ba.

The plate may further include a front side marker, and the appearance of this marker in the image on the plate can indicate that it has been exposed from the front side. The plate may further have a radiation sensitive layer that is at least readable from the front side, where the front side markers are voids defined within the radiation sensitive layer and the area of the marker when reading the sensitive layer. It comprises at least one of a material that enhances the signal returned in and a material that attenuates the signal returned into the area of the marker when reading the sensitive layer. The plate can make the radiation sensitive layer readable only from the front side by exciting the radiation sensitive layer at the excitation wavelength to generate a return signal at the return signal wavelength, and the front side marker is the induced signal. It is functionally opaque to at least one of the wavelength and the return signal wavelength. The front side marker can further include one of a heavy element, an alloy containing a heavy element, a compound containing a heavy element, or a salt of the heavy element. This medium can be one of Pb, Sn, Bi, I and Ba. The front side marker can further include voids defined within the radiation sensitive layer.

The markers are asymmetric about at least one axis, and the markers can further include front and back markers. This marker is either horizontally asymmetric about the vertical axis or vertically asymmetric about the horizontal axis with respect to the normal image orientation. In this case, the front side marker may further include a region defined to have the shape of an arrow pointing in the first direction when viewed from the front side. The backside marker may further include a region defined to have the shape of an arrow pointing in a second direction different from the first direction when viewed from the front side. The back side marker can be arranged so as to cover the front side marker when the plate is exposed from the back side and read from the front side. The plate may include another sensitive layer, in which case a backside marker is placed between the sensitive layer and the other sensitive layer, and the plate further adds another front side marker to the other sensitive layer. Including.

A method of identifying the exposed side of the radiation recording plate is to identify the exposed side of the plate by appearing in the image at a position within the plate that does not substantially interfere with the image area of the plate. Incorporation of markers, exposure of the plate to radiation, and observation of the image to identify the exposed side of the plate can be included. The method can further include arranging the markers to indicate the direction of rotation of the plate and observing the image to obtain an indication of the direction of rotation of the plate. The method further includes observing the image using image processing software so that the image processing software recognizes the marker and has the clinically expected orientation of the plate image. Can be reoriented. The method can further include storing in the image an indication of whether the image has been reoriented an odd number of times. The method can also include replacing the marker with a replacement marker indicating that the software has processed the image, and storing the replacement marker in the image. The method can also include storing in the image an indication of whether the image has been reoriented an odd number of times. Methods of making a radiation sensitive plate with at least one radiation sensitive layer include providing a radiation sensitive film on the first side of the radiation sensitive plate and suspending heavy metals in the binder. Application can be included in one area of the second side of the radiation sensitive layer.

<u style="single">Detailed explanation</u> The attached drawings are not drawn to change the magnification. In the drawings, the same or nearly identical components shown in the various figures are represented by the same numbers. For clarity, all components are not labeled in all drawings. Various aspects of embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below. The present invention is not limited in its application to the details of the construction and arrangement of components described in the following description or shown in the drawings. Other embodiments are possible in the present invention, and the present invention can be practiced or practiced in various ways. Also, the terminology and terminology used herein are for explanatory purposes only and should not be considered limiting. The use of "including," "comprising," or "having," "containing," "involving," and variants thereof herein is used. It is intended to include the items listed after those words, and additional items along with their equivalents.

According to an embodiment of the invention, exposure on one side of the radiation sensitive plate produces one labeling pattern in the image, whereas exposure on the other side of the radiation sensitive plate is different in the image. Generate a marking pattern. The marking pattern recorded on the radiation sensitive plate is an invariant portion of the data pattern recorded by the individual exposures. Thus, whether the dataset is embodied in a radiation sensitive plate, a digital image data file, or a display or printed image, the labeling pattern forms an immutable portion of the recording. The marking pattern may cover the image all over or be localized. It either renders the image exposed through the substrate of the plate unusable, or slightly degrades the image quality, or makes it smaller, for example, outside the main image formation area, such as the corners of a rectangular plate. By arranging it in, it can be arranged so as not to deteriorate the quality of the image or the data set in any case.

Since the means of forming the marking pattern is the permanent part of the plate that is installed there during manufacture, marking the direction of exposure on the plate does not require a single or repetitive operator action and is "wrong". Unless you use a type of marker that disables the image when exposed from the "side", no protocol is required to ensure the exposure of the plate from a particular side, and even generated from such a plate. An indication of the direction of exposure is explicitly embedded in any dataset that is created. No special protocol or protective sleeve specification is required for image orientation purposes unless a type of marker is used that disables the image when exposed from the "wrong side".

Labeling patterns can be further used to identify left-right relationships, i.e., the "handedness" of an image. Preservation of the left-right relationship of the image may be important because of the inherent symmetry of the human body and most higher animals, such as the patient's left incisor and the patient's right incisor alone. That is, it is difficult to distinguish without other sources of identification. In the case of oral dental radiographs, the left-right relationship is completely defined by the direction of exposure and the structure projected. This is because the radiation source for oral dental X-rays is always located outside the patient's mouth and the sensitive plate is always located inside the patient's mouth. Several different structures that generate a labeling pattern with the above characteristics and clearly identify each of the possible transposes are described in detail below. There are two independent, non-overlapping categories of markers, the "front" marker and the "back" marker.

A "front" marker is a marker that produces a mark on an image on a plate that is exposed from the "front" or side from which the plate is read, whereas a "back" marker is exposed from the "back". , Followed by a marker that creates a mark on the image on the plate that is read from the "front side". In general, the marker pattern can be produced by a material with a suitable pattern that is placed between the plate sensitive layer and the exposed radiation source. These patterns can be generated as an alternative by exciting and recording the synthetic phosphorescence of the phosphor during the scanning process, for example by perforating or obscuring the phosphor layer. it can. For example, the material can be coated, printed, coated, laminated, sublimated, bonded, riveted, etc. to the plate surface during the manufacturing process using any suitable process. By choosing the material, for example by using different phosphors, the radiation reaching the plate in the covered area can be partially or completely blocked or enhanced. A common material that blocks X-rays and can be effectively applied to plates as a laminated form, paint, or ink is lead. Other heavy metals or other heavy elements can also be used in various forms, such as lead, tin, bismuth, barium, other foils, granules and the like. Here, heavy metals and heavy elements generally include any element from the fourth column of the periodic table and heavier elements.

An example of a type of plate to which the principles of the present invention can be applied is a dental plate comprising a plastic substrate coated with a memory phosphorescent material that is sensitive to dental X-rays. The plate is manufactured as a large sheet or continuous web and then die cut to finish dimensions and shape. A simple embodiment will be described below. In this embodiment, a plate such as the one described above, which can be read from one side or the "front side", has a labeling pattern forming material, i.e., a marker, which is a marker. It is incorporated on the surface opposite to the sensitive layer surface that can be read. This is the "backside" marker.

In this embodiment, the mark is printed on the "backside" of its corner. This mark is printed using lead impregnated paint or other suitable material. Other suitable constructions are described in more detail below. When exposed from the "front side" of the plate, the resulting image does not contain marks. However, when exposed from the "back side" of the plate, unexposed marks are formed in the portion of the image corresponding to the corners of the plate on which the marks are printed. The generated image contains marks and may take the form of any image shown in FIGS. 2-33. This mark does not need to have a special shape simply because information can be derived from the presence or absence of the mark in the image. Images produced by exposing the plate from one or the other can be distinguished, for example, in the same manner as described below in connection with FIGS. 18, 19, 20 and 21. According to this embodiment, unlike conventional media that use only "front" markers, only "back" markers are required.

In the second embodiment, both "front" and "back" markers may be present. For example, different patterns of label forming material can be provided on the opposite side of the plate, which can be read from one side. As an alternative, the "front" marker may be one or more holes in the phosphor. In this embodiment, the formed labeling pattern can inform the person reading the resulting image from which side the plate was exposed, whereas the plate of the first embodiment. When exposed from a direction that does not form a marker pattern, this image is indistinguishable from an image produced by a plate that does not contain markers or is horizontally flipped.

In an embodiment of the invention incorporating both "front" and "back" markers, the orientation of the imaged structure, even when the position of the radiation source and the position of the radiation sensitive plate relative to the structure is unknown. , Can be displayed completely. If the plate is marked with both "front" and "back" markers, as described in connection with the second embodiment, the direction of exposure of the plate is operator intervention or special. It is clearly recorded in the image without any action. In addition, cassettes or sleeves on which the plate is placed during exposure should include radiation opaque marks on one or both sides to ensure the correct orientation of the cassette or sleeve with respect to absolute criteria such as the patient's left or anterior side. Can be clearly shown.

Figures 18, 19, 20 and 21 are four images that can be generated using a digital X-ray plate according to this embodiment of the viewpoint of the present invention, eg, "Source L" and "Generation". Each of the two differently located sources, located at Source R, is used to show images exposed from both sides. This embodiment has a hollow yen mark in one corner on the X-ray sensitive side of the plate and a faithful yen mark on the opposite side of the plate, in this case the same corner. When using this embodiment, it is not necessary to pay attention to which side faces the source, as different marks appear on the image depending on the side that exposes the plate, as described below. Because.

For the purpose of analyzing the images of FIGS. 18, 19, 20 and 21, a specialist, dentist or others exposing the patient's digital dental X-ray plate 104 will create a hollow circle, and as a result, the sensitive side of the plate. It is assumed that the hollow circle is oriented to the X-ray source at the position "Source L" and is oriented to the lower right corner of the plate 104 when viewed from the direction of the X-ray source at the position "Source L". In this embodiment, the solid circle is on the opposite side of the plate 104, in the same corner as the hollow circle. FIG. 19 is an image read from the sensitive side of the plate 104 when the so oriented plate is exposed by an X-ray source at the location indicated by "Source R". The dentist reading such an image recognizes that the image was exposed from the opposite side of the plate 104 due to the presence of the closure circle 1801 and uses image processing software to flip the image horizontally. This causes the solid circle 1801 to appear in the expected corners of the image, as shown in FIG.

As mentioned above, the solid mark is oriented to the bottom left corner of the plate 104 and is medium when the image is properly oriented, i.e. when the structure is oriented so that it is drawn in its natural, expected direction. Note that the real mark must appear in that corner. Therefore, it is clear that FIG. 18 represents the correct orientation of the image exposed from the back side of the plate 104. The same plate 104, similarly oriented but exposed from the X-ray source at the location indicated by "source L", produces the image shown in FIG. 21 when read from the sensitive side of the plate 104. .. The image of FIG. 20 may be unintentionally generated by the operation of image processing software that inverts the image of FIG. 21 in the horizontal direction. However, since the open mark is located in the lower right corner of the plate 104 as described above, it can be seen that FIG. 21 must be in the correct direction. Figures 18 and 21 are clearly, clearly, and correctly oriented images, so the technician, dentist, or other person reading the image should be confident that condition 203 is on the right side of the patient. Can be done.

As in FIGS. 18, 19, 20 and 21, FIGS. 22, 23, 24 and 25 are four images that can be generated using a digital X-ray plate according to this embodiment of the viewpoint of the present invention. An image exposed from both sides is shown using each of the sources at two different locations, eg, located at "source L" and "source R". This embodiment has a hollow circle mark in one corner on the X-ray sensitive side of the plate and a solid circle mark on the opposite side of the plate, in this case in the same corner. In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 22, 23, 24 and 25 according to the resulting images, these marks are located in the top corners rather than the bottom corners, as described below. When using this embodiment, care must be taken as to which side faces the source, as different marks will appear in the generated image depending on which side the plate is exposed to, as described below. There is no.

For the purpose of analyzing the images of FIGS. 22, 23, 24 and 25, a specialist, dentist or others exposing the patient's digital dental X-ray plate 104 will create a hollow circle, and as a result, the sensitive side of the plate. It is assumed that the hollow circle is directed toward the X-ray source at the position "Source L" and toward the upper left corner of the plate 104 when viewed from the direction of the X-ray source at the position "Source L". In this embodiment, the solid circle is on the opposite side of the plate 104, in the same corner as the hollow circle. FIG. 23 is an image read from the sensitive side of the plate 104 when the so oriented plate is exposed by an X-ray source at the position indicated by "source R". The dentist reading such an image recognizes that the image was exposed from the opposite side of the plate 104 due to the presence of the closure circle 1801 and uses image processing software to flip the image horizontally. This causes the solid circle 1801 to appear in the expected corners of the image, as shown in FIG.

It should be noted that, as mentioned above, the solid mark is oriented to the bottom left corner of the plate 104 and must appear in that corner when the image is properly oriented. Therefore, it is clear that FIG. 22 represents the correct orientation of the image exposed from the back surface of the plate 104. The same plate 104, similarly oriented but exposed from the X-ray source at the location indicated by "source L", produces the image shown in FIG. 25 when read from the sensitive side of the plate 104. .. The image of FIG. 24 may be unintentionally generated by manipulating image processing software that flips the image of FIG. 25 horizontally. However, since the open mark is located in the lower right corner of the plate 104 as described above, it can be seen that FIG. 25 must be in the correct direction. Figures 22 and 23 are clearly, clearly, and correctly oriented images that a technician, dentist, or other person reading the image can be confident that condition 103 is on the right side of the patient. it can.

26, 27, 28 and 29 are four images that can be generated using the digital X-ray plate according to this embodiment from the viewpoint of the present invention, for example, "source L" and "source L". Each of the sources at two different locations, located at "R", is used to show images exposed from both sides. This embodiment has a hollow circle mark in one corner on the X-ray sensitive side of the plate and a solid circle mark on the opposite side of the plate, in this case in the same corner. When using this embodiment, care must be taken as to which side faces the source, as different marks will appear in the generated image depending on which side the plate is exposed to, as described below. There is no.

For the purpose of analyzing the images of FIGS. 26, 27, 28 and 29, a specialist, dentist or others exposing the patient's digital dental X-ray plate 104 will create a hollow circle, and as a result, the sensitive side of the plate. It is assumed that the hollow circle is directed toward the X-ray source at the position "Source R" and toward the lower right corner of the plate 104 when viewed from the direction of the X-ray source at the position "Source R". In this embodiment, the solid circle is on the opposite side of the plate 104, in the same corner as the hollow circle. FIG. 26 is an image read from the sensitive side of the plate 104 when the so oriented plate is exposed by an X-ray source at the location indicated by "Source R". The dentist reading such an image will recognize from the presence of the hollow circle 201 that the image was exposed from the sensitive side of the plate 104. However, this image can be unintentionally or intentionally reoriented by flipping the image horizontally so that the hollow circle 201 appears in the lower left corner of the image, as shown in FIG. There is also sex.

As mentioned above, the solid marks are oriented to the bottom right corner of the plate 104 and when the image is properly oriented, i.e. when the structure is oriented so that it is drawn in its natural, expected direction. Note, it is known that it must appear in that corner. Therefore, it is clear that FIG. 26 represents the correct orientation of the image exposed from the sensitive side of the plate 104. The same plate 104, similarly oriented but exposed from the X-ray source at the location indicated by "source L", produces the image shown in FIG. 28 when read from the sensitive side of the plate 104. .. The image of FIG. 29 is an image of FIG. 28 such that the closure circle 1801 is placed in the lower left corner of the image, as expected in the image produced by exposing the plate 104 from the "backside" of the plate. It can be generated by operating image processing software that flips horizontally. Since the closure mark is located in the lower left corner of the plate 104 as described above, it can be seen that FIG. 29 must be in the correct direction. Figures 26 and 29 are clearly, clearly, and correctly oriented images, so the technician, dentist, or other person reading the image should be confident that condition 103 is on the right side of the patient. Can be done.

As in FIGS. 26, 27, 28 and 29, FIGS. 30, 31, 32 and 33 are four images that may be produced using a digital X-ray plate according to this embodiment of the embodiment of the present invention. There, for example, using each of the sources at two different locations located at "source L" and "source R", the images exposed from both sides are shown. This embodiment has a hollow circle mark in one corner on the X-ray sensitive side of the plate and a solid circle mark on the opposite side of the plate, in this case in the same corner. In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 30, 31, 32 and 33 according to the resulting images, these marks are located in the top corners rather than the bottom corners, as described below. When using this embodiment, care must be taken as to which side faces the source, as different marks will appear in the generated image depending on which side the plate is exposed to, as described below. There is no.

For the purpose of analyzing the images of FIGS. 30, 31, 32 and 33, a specialist, dentist or others exposing the patient's digital dental X-ray plate 104 will create a hollow circle, and as a result, the sensitive side of the plate. It is assumed that the hollow circle is directed toward the X-ray source at the position "Source R" and toward the upper left corner of the plate 104 when viewed from the direction of the X-ray source at the position "Source R". In this embodiment, the solid circle is on the opposite side of the plate 104, in the same corner as the hollow circle. FIG. 30 is an image read from the sensitive side of the plate 104 when the so oriented plate is exposed by an X-ray source at the location indicated by "Source R". The dentist reading such an image recognizes that the hollow circle 201 is exposed from the sensitive side of the plate 104 due to its presence. However, this image is unintentionally or intentionally reoriented by flipping the image horizontally so that the hollow circle 201 appears in the upper right corner of the image, as shown in FIG. There is a possibility.

It should be noted here that the hollow mark is oriented in the upper left corner of the plate 104, as described above, and must appear in that corner when the image is properly oriented. Therefore, it is clear that FIG. 30 represents the correct orientation of the image exposed from the sensitive side of the plate 104. The same plate 104, similarly oriented but exposed from the X-ray source at the location indicated by "source L", produces the image shown in FIG. 32 when read from the sensitive side of the plate 104. The image of FIG. 33 is such that the closure circle 1801 is placed in the upper right corner of the image, as expected for the image produced by exposing the plate 104 from the "backside" of the plate. It is possible to generate an image by operating an image processing software that inverts the image in the horizontal direction. Since the closure mark is located in the lower left corner of the plate 104 as described above, it can be seen that FIG. 33 must be in the correct direction. Figures 30 and 33 are clearly, clearly, and correctly oriented images, so the technician, dentist, or other person reading the image should be confident that condition 103 is on the right side of the patient. Can be done.

In a third embodiment of the invention, shown in FIG. 39, the markers are asymmetric, arranged asymmetrically with respect to the axis of symmetry of the plate, and both "front" and "back" markers are used. Has been done. In this example, the markers 3901 and 3902 are in the shape of arrows. Of course, the markers 3901 and 3902 can also be optional suitable directional markers that meet the additional requirements described in connection with this embodiment. Here, the "front" marker 3901 is a horizontally oriented, thin, short arrow pointing to the right vertical side of the plate at the bottom edge of image 3900, whereas the "back" marker 3902 is "back". Suppose it is a solid arrow at the bottom edge of the plate in the "landscape" direction, also horizontally oriented, but pointing in the direction opposite to the vertical side of the plate in image 3900. For purposes of illustration, the relationship between markers 3901 and 3902 creates overlap between the images of the two markers, depending on the size and placement of the markers on both sides of the plane defined by the plate. In this particular arrangement, when the plate is exposed from the "backside" and then scanned, the two arrows overlap to generate a relatively large solid arrow for the "backside" marker on the plate image, as well as Cover the relatively thin "front" marker. Therefore, only one arrow appears in all exposed, scanned plate images.

In extending the analysis method used in the discussion with respect to FIG. 38 to this third embodiment, all possible that can be generated by exposing from the "front side" and then by the above-mentioned surface rotation and reflection operations. A landscape image is shown in Figure 40. For simplicity, we need to consider only the "landscape" orientation of the image. Due to the relative ease of finding the upper-lower directions, for practical reasons, the horizontal and vertical images are easily distinguishable, ie, teeth aligned with either the minor or major axis of the plate. It is highly unlikely to confuse two oral dental images, as well as many other anatomical images, which are related to each other by rotations in multiples of 90 degrees, as they include the condition. Moreover, plates in different directions are typically used for different purposes. The "portrait" orientation is generally anterior tooth periapical study and vertical bitewing. Whereas the "landscape" orientation is used for study), it is used for molar root tip peri-examination and horizontal wing examination. For "landscape" directional images, as already shown earlier in the discussion with respect to FIG. 38, this analysis method is also extensible and effective for "portrait" directional images.

The discussion of FIG. 40 below extends the analytical method applied with respect to FIG. 38 to a third embodiment of the present invention. The two movements, the 180 degree rotation around the axis perpendicular to the plane of the plate (or image) at the intersection of the major and minor axes, and the reflection through the vertical plane perpendicular to the plane of the image are of operation. There are four modes, which, alone or in combination, produce all possible orientations of the image. The first mode is a "pre-exposure" reflection of the surface, which changes whether the plate is exposed from the "front" side or the "back side". One of the groups 4001 and 4002 is the starting point for the analysis, depending on which initial reflection position the plate was exposed to.

The second mode of operation is the physical rotation of the pre-exposed surface with a change of direction from "portrait" to "landscape" and, if continuous, back to "landscape", thereby the marker. The relationship between the position of and the details of the image produced by the shadowgram is changed. As shown in the discussion with respect to FIGS. 38 and 2-33, in the "landscape" direction and thus in the "portrait" direction, between the two possible directions achievable through this mode. There is equivalence. Therefore, a further consideration of this operation is for markers placed asymmetrically or asymmetrically, where this mode of rotation is equivalent to reflection through points located at the intersection of the semi-major and minor axes of interest in the plate. Turn after stating that it will affect you. As a result of the initial exposure rotation, it is determined whether the starting point of image analysis is the left column of the image or the right column of the image in FIG. 40.

The third mode, the rotation of the plate after exposure, maintains the relationship between the marker position and the shadowgram details when mounted in the scanner or once the data is captured by the software. As discussed below, this mode is indicated by the movement between the left and right columns of FIG. 40, and this mode is referred to as "post-exposure" rotation. The fourth mode is software reflection of the captured image. This operation is shown in FIG. 40 by vertical movement between rows, while remaining within the range of the original group 4001 or 4002.

A plate with "front" and "back" markers exposed from any side and then manipulated by image processing software produces one of the images in FIG. 40 above. The analysis of these images is discussed below in relation to the four hypothetical starting points 4003, 4004, 4007 and 4008.<u style="single">Hypothesis # 1</u> Image 4003 shows an image scanned from a plate traditionally exposed in the "correct" direction, i.e., with the "front" marker facing the radiation source and exposed from the direction at the bottom. Software operations by rotation or reflection can generate any of the images 4004, 4005, or 4006 contained in group 4001. However, it should be noted that when the image 4002 is in the correct orientation, the thin "front" marker arrow is pointing to the right and at the bottom.

<u style="single">Hypothesis # 2</u> An image scanned from a plate that was exposed from the "front side" but had a "front side" marker at the top and was rotated to produce a scanned image 4004. Again, software manipulation can generate any of the images 4003, 4005 and 4006. When pointed in the correct viewing direction, image 4004 contains a thin "front" marker arrow pointing to the left at the top.<u style="single">Hypothesis # 3</u> According to this hypothesis, the plate is exposed from the "backside" with the "backside" marker at the bottom. When scanned, a left-facing image 4007 is generated with the "backside" marker down to the right. Since this image was reflected before exposure, a scanned image 4007 is generated. Correct image 4009 is generated by software reflection. Images 4008 and 4010 can also be generated by software manipulation, but note that the "correct" image 4009 contains a thick "backside" marker arrow pointing to the right at the bottom.

<u style="single">Hypothesis # 4</u> According to this final hypothesis, the plate is rotated so that the "backside" marker is at the top and then exposed from the "backside" to produce a scanned image 4008. To view the image from the "correct" direction, software is used to reflect image 4008 horizontally and manipulate it to generate image 4010. The correct image 4010 contains a thick left-pointing "backside" marker arrow at the top. From the above four hypotheses, a simple rule can be derived using the perspective of the third embodiment, and any image generated using this embodiment will be oriented in the correct direction for observation. It can be aimed quickly and accurately. For images in landscape mode, after correctly pointing the image to the top / bottom parts using rotation, all marker arrows at the top of the image point to the left, and the marker arrows at the bottom of the image You have to point all to the right. The image must be flipped horizontally using software to achieve the correct orientation if it does not initially meet the rules.

In a fourth embodiment of the invention, shown in FIG. 41, two "front" markers 4101, 4102 and two "back" markers 4103, 4104 are used as follows. The relationships of markers 4101, 4103 and 4104 are similar to those described in relation to markers 3901 and 3902 of the third embodiment. However, a similar relationship, the second set of markers 4102, 4104, is located at the point of reflection of the first set, via a line that passes vertically through the center of the plane of the plate. All possible images 4201-4208 produced by scanning the plate, exposed to radiation sources from the "front" and "back", are shown at their corresponding positions in FIG. 40. All arrows associated with an image pointing in the right direction point to the right when it is in the lower half of the image and to the left when it is in the upper half of the image, making it easier to apply the above rules. By designing the marker shape and position in the processed image in this way, not only the precise and obvious orientation, but also the number of decisions the operator has to make in the process of arranging the images in the mount is further reduced. Therefore, the time required for operation is reduced.

Moreover, even in such rare situations, there are markers, even if one of the markers is obscured by the shadow of a radiation-impermeable clinical structure, such as a metal padding or crown. Provides a display of the left-right relationship of an image. In yet another embodiment of the invention, the plate is fitted with two layers of sensitive material, each with a small "front" marker, and a mechanism that transforms the latent image into a visible diagnostic image. Can be read from one or both sides and is contained between the recognizable pattern of the marker and the two sensitive layers in such a diagnostic image, preferably as in the embodiments described above. It is possible to obscure the image of the "front" marker and generate a readable and recognizable pattern from any of the sensitive layers if such material is present between the source and that layer. , Produce different label-forming markers or materials.

An example of the viewpoint of this embodiment is shown by the plate 4400 shown in FIGS. 44A and 44B. "Front" marker set Figure 44A consists of two pairs of two arrows 4401, one on each side, arranged on the plate as follows: That is, if each arrow near the long side of the plate and along it originates near the midpoint of the nearest long side and is located near the lower long side, it points in the direction of the right short side. Or, when it is located near the upper long side, it points in the direction of the left short side. The same arrow arrangement exists on the opposite side of the plate. The two arrows reflect on each other through the intersection 4402 of the semimajor axis 4403 and the minor axis 4404 of the plate object, as shown in FIGS. 44A and 44B. The resulting "front" marker configuration is that the two sides 4405 and 4406 of the plate are indistinguishable from each other and both contain both a phosphor coating and an arrow, which are the "landscape" or "landscape" of the plate 4400. They are co-located with each other via any operation that preserves 180 ° or multiples of rotation in the "portrait" direction, that is, either of the symmetric spindles 4403 and 4404, or the point of interest 4402.

According to yet another aspect of this embodiment, between the two phosphor film layers, near the ends of each of the four arrows 4401, there is a radioactive opaque medium deposit 4407, which is the source of radiation. Shadows can be cast on the phosphor on the side of the opposite plate and on the object to be radiographed. In the landscape direction (as shown), in the above array of internal material 4407, including the arrow-shaped "front" marker 4401 and the "back" marker, the image of the object exposed and read from the same side of the plate is Always in the scanned state, the bottom arrow 4401 points to the right and there is no shadow of the "backside" marker 4407. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 45, all images 4501 of an object exposed from one side of the plate and read from the other side expose the "backside" marker image 4502 and the diagnostic image is properly oriented by software. When, this appears on the right side of the down arrow 4503, that is, at the end. Images with a down arrow (Fig. 44, 4401) pointing to the right without the "backside" marker shadow are also properly oriented. However, the left edge of the "front" marker, that is, the image containing the "back" marker shadow at the end (not shown), is reflected in the software in order for the right and left to be reversed and the diagnostic image to be properly oriented. Needs. Similar to the previous embodiment, a similar analysis produces simple rules for correct image orientation.

As can be seen from the above discussion, the plates according to the various embodiments described produce images with distinguishable markers that are permanently embedded in the image information. This unique marker can be recognized and manipulated by a dentist or technician, or automatically recognized and manipulated by image processing software used to view the image. Higher-performance software first performs its own up / down orientation based on arbitrary appropriate image processing rules, whereas poorer-performance software relies on the operator first. Perform upper / lower orientation. To achieve automatic orientation recognition and reorientation, the image processing software then searches for known locations where the marker may be for a particular shape that corresponds to the marker. Once one of those shapes is found in one of their possible locations on the marker, then the rules for correctly orienting the image are applied. In the case of the third or fourth embodiment described above, the simple rules described above can easily be automatically applied by software to instantly orient each image in the correct orientation. You can also write software to replace the markers that are recognized in an image that contains one of itself. This replacement will help those who use the image to recognize that the image has been processed and correctly oriented.

Other software enhancements are also possible in connection with the viewpoint of embodiments of the present invention. The reflection process performed by the image processing software can modify the file by switching the "reflection flag", which indicates whether the image was reflected an even number or an odd number of times. The reflection flag can be embedded in the image file, stored in an independent file, part of the image file name, or stored in any other suitable location. The value of the reflect flag can represent one of two states. The reflection process and reflection flag preferably satisfy the following conditions.

1. The reflection process switches the reflection flag state from 1 to other, each time the reflection is applied to a given image, thereby tracking the number of reflections, modulo two; 2. The image file so processed is modified to include other indications that the graphic, text or image has been reflected horizontally (via the vertical axis of reflection); 3. Repeated use of the reflect tool switches the reflect flag between the two states each time it is used.

The image processing system indicates that the "backside" marker is present and the reflection flag indicates an odd number of reflection operations, or the "backside" marker is absent and the reflection flag indicates an even number of reflection operations (including zeros). If so, display a properly oriented image. The plate that realizes the viewpoint of the present invention can be produced by any suitable method. The mark to be manufactured can be of any size with respect to the size of the plate to be manufactured. In the manufacturing process of cutting one or more plates from a larger sheet or web coated with a phosphor on one side and a radiation sensitive material on the other side, the placement of the mark is at the place where the plate is cut. They may be matched, placed irregularly relative to where the plate is cut, or completely covered where the plate is cut. Matching the locations can be achieved by any suitable method, including methods known in printing techniques, for aligning the printed elements with the die punched product.

Small, clearly distinguishable marks can be placed in fixed, in-place locations, while blanket patterns used as marks can also distinguish them from patterns often seen in diagnostic images. In addition, it must be a clearly distinguishable mark. Preferred blanket patterns are linear or angular rather than mottled, curved or irregular, as distinguished from naturally occurring patterns in diagnostic images. As mentioned above, the generation of marks or patterns on the plate can be done using any suitable means of altering the transmission or absorption of diagnostic radiation. For example, a substance on a plate that holds a phosphor can be produced so that the substance produces a latent image in the phosphor and the absorption of radiation by the substance is not uniform. This non-uniformity can take the form of the desired mark or pattern. Examples of steps that can produce the desired non-uniformity are described below.

As an alternative, as described above, the manufacture of marks or patterns can be carried out by varying the output of the exposed plate, eg, by varying the type, thickness or presence of phosphors. This pattern can be an integral part of the bulk material of the plate with a non-uniform composition. This is done by adopting a material that locally increases the extinction coefficient of radiation to produce a distinctive pattern of shadows cast on the phosphor when exposed from the phosphor side. Can be achieved. During production, a radiation impermeable material, such as a heavy metal salt powder of suitable particle size, can be added to the material forming the plate. Such addition can be carried out before finishing the plate, eg, before the material has hardened into a finished sheet, while in a semi-fluid state, so that the material is not uniform.

This pattern can be introduced during the manufacture of the plate as a modification of the sheet that holds the phosphor of the finished plate. Examples that can be combined as desired are hot-pressing, adsorption, stamping, printing with ink or foil, spraying, re-sublimation, powder sprinkling, and fitting on the sheet with a material with an absorption coefficient different from that of the bulk material of the sheet. , Or otherwise deposited or stamped. This introduces a distinguishable pattern in the shadow cast on the phosphor when exposed from the side of the phosphor.

As shown in FIG. 34, the sheet for making the plate may be in a laminated or sandwiched structure, in which at least one layer 3401 can cast a non-uniform shadow on the phosphor 3402. .. For example, the layer 3401 can be a metal leaf punched product that gives the label pattern 3403. Alternatively, the heterogeneous layer can be obtained by one of the other methods and then laminated over the layer to form a finished structure. Layer 3401 is attached to one side of the substrate 3404, while phosphorescent layer 3402 contains a material 3405 on which it casts a non-uniform shadow, which is attached to the other side of the substrate 3404. Protective layers 3406 and 3407 are attached to the outer surface of the structure. One of the potential advantages of this technique is that the method of depositing radiation opaque deposits, which may be inappropriate due to instability, eg mechanical or chemical, deposits inside the sandwich. It is to be ready for use by sealing the material and thereby stabilizing it between layers. Another advantage is that otherwise convenient materials, which may be excluded from consideration as a surface coating due to undesired properties such as toxicity, are safely sealed inside the structure of the plate in very small amounts. If it is stopped and exists, it can be used. Such materials can be powders, inks, or foils containing heavy metals, elements, alloys thereof, compounds or salts.

Another method of creating a contrasting radiation opaque region inside the plate is to embed a full-thickness or partial-thickness material in the substrate of the plate that has significantly different absorptivity at the wavelengths involved. One way to generate this kind of full-thickness inset is to embed a material 3502 in it that can cast a non-uniform shadow on the phosphor (eg, Figures 34, 3402), as shown in Figure 35. This is a method by cutting the heterogeneous extrusion block 3501 in the lateral direction.

According to another structure shown in FIG. 36, the plate is made of a material that itself has a considerable degree of phosphorescence, and the change in the intensity of the shadow cast by the plate when exposed from one side. Can also be generated by changing the thickness of the substrate 3601 on which the phosphor is deposited. In this example, the material used to make the plate needs to have a large absorption rate for the wavelength of the radiation used for exposure. For example, for a substrate containing heavy metals, the thick region 3602 casts a darker shadow than the thin region 3603. Protective layers 3406 and 3407 are also included to protect the patient from heavy metal exposure and improve durability.

According to yet another structure, as shown in FIG. 37, the mark or pattern casts a shadow on the phosphor when the plate is exposed from the wrong direction, i.e. the "backside", and the radiograph observer. Can be made to clearly warn that the plate has been exposed from the "wrong" side. This pattern 3701 and its density can make such an image unreadable, thereby causing the predetermined method, i.e., the method of exposing the phosphor to the radiation source, to be repeated. The structure of this plate and mark or pattern is an improvement over current phosphor plate technology in disambiguating the anatomical location of the source of the image recorded by the phosphor. Another advantage of this structure is that conventional dental film packets produce similar results and therefore dental professionals are accustomed to such techniques. However, such a destructive label simply indicates that the exposure was made from the opposite side of the plate when the exposure was improper, and the observer then the image is in the normal orientation. It requires re-exposure of the patient to ionizing radiation, rather than allowing it to be manipulated.

According to yet another embodiment, as shown in the cross section of FIG. 43, the small rivets, needles, brad, and other 4301 optionally hold the structure of the plate 4300 together and "front side". It can serve as both a "backside" marker and a "backside" marker. In view of this embodiment, the head 4302 of the rivet, needle, headless nail or other 4301 provides a "front" marker, whereas the rivet, needle, headless needle or other 4301 is relatively A large, widened foot 4303 can provide a "backside" marker. It should be understood here that the roles of rivets, needles, headless needles or other 4301 head 4302 and foot 4303 can also be altered.

According to yet another structure, as shown in FIG. 46, the marker or patterning mass of the radiation opaque material 4602 can be housed or embedded within the matrix 4601 and then this. The matrix itself is mounted on the plate 4600 where it is selected to indicate the exposure of the sensitive layer in the image from the indicated point of view. As shown, the matrix can be, for example, a plastic frame 4601. The radiation opaque material 4602 produces a "backside" marker in this example. flame<u style="single">4601</u>Can be built to provide compatibility with existing plate processing systems. The second frame 4603 can also be configured to generate a "front" marker, as shown. In this example, the "front" marker is blocked by part 4604 of frame 4603, thus creating an unreadable area. Such matrices 4601, 4603 can be attached to plate 4600 by chemical bonding, solvent welding, ultrasonic welding, direct molding on it, mechanical mounting, or other methods to convert latent images into visible forms. It can be prevented from interfering with the operation of the mechanism used to do this.

Modifications of the embodiment of FIG. 46 are shown in FIGS. 50, 51 and 52. In this variant, the "frame" is not really a complete frame surrounding the image area, but occupies only one corner of the plate 500 (or, optionally, another small area outside the main image area). Has been reduced to. Then, a part of this embodiment will be described in detail. The plate 5000 has a corner region 5001 with two voids 5002 and 5003 formed therein. Voids 5002 and 5003 are arranged, measured and molded to hold the corner elements (FIGS. 51, 5100) on the plate 5000.

As shown in FIG. 51, the corner element 5100 has two retaining studs 5101 and 5102 that are arranged, measured and molded to fit the voids 5002 and 5003 of the plate 5000. Further, what is embedded in the material in which the corner element 5100 is formed is a molded product 5103 made of a radiation opaque material. The molded body 5103 of this radiation opaque material acts as a "backside" marker, whereas the top shape of the studs 5101 and 5102 serves as a "front side" marker. For completeness, FIG. 52 shows the bottom end view of the corner element 5100 attached to the plate 500.

According to a simplified embodiment shown in FIG. 53, the plate 5300 has a pair of "front" markers 5301 and a pair of "back" markers 5302. When only the "front" marker 5301 appears, in the resulting image, the corner where the "front" marker appears indicates whether the image was reflected after exposure. When both the "front" marker 5301 and the "back" marker 5302 appear, the resulting image is exposed, i.e., pre-exposed, from the opposite side from which it was read. The information in the image alone is not sufficient to determine if the reflection was corrected by the subsequent post-exposure reflection. However, as mentioned elsewhere, software can replace markers in an image with markers designed to permanently point in the correct direction. This simplified embodiment works equally well for materials that need to be read only from the "front side" and materials that can be read from both sides.

As shown in FIG. 47, the viewpoint of the present invention can be incorporated into a plate 4700 having a phosphorescent radiation sensitive layer 4701 and two permeable layers 4702, 4703. One or the other of the two permeable layers 4702 and 4703 can be considered as substrate layers that provide mechanical support for the structure, or separate permeable substrate layers (not shown) can be used. In fact, the permeable layers 4702 and 4703 can also be excluded if separate substrate layers are provided and the radiation opaque patterns 4704 and 4705 are provided on both sides of the layer 4701, for example by overprinting. .. The transparent layers 4702 and 4703, respectively, must be functionally transparent to both the excitation and phosphorescent wavelengths of the radiation sensitive layer 4701. In addition to functional transparency, layers 4702 and 4703 must be sufficiently dispersal to the extent appropriate for the resolution required by the application in which the plate is to be used.

Each permeable layer contains radiation opaque patterns 4704 and 4705 at the edges. Patterns 4704 and 4705 are selected for several characteristics. These may be the same pattern when viewed from the side of the radiation sensitive layer 4701, on which the pattern is placed, in this example. Patterns 4704 and 4705 must be essentially asymmetric, as shown in Figure 48, when the plates are exposed and viewed from the same side, thereby resulting in a horizontal and vertical reflection of the pattern. It becomes clear easily in the image obtained as. Patterns 4704 and 4705, when exposed from one side and viewed from the other side, combine to produce a unique pattern that differs from that shown in FIG. 48, as shown in FIG.

As soon as an image as shown in FIG. 48 is read from the plate, the operator can recognize that the image is correctly oriented. In fact, if the image is unintentionally reflected in the horizontal direction, the pattern can identify the wrong direction and then correct this direction. When an image as shown in FIG. 49 was read from the plate, the operator (or software that reads the plate and stores the image) said that the image was exposed from one side and read from the other side. Can be immediately identified as being inverted. The image is then reflected horizontally so that the pattern shown in FIG. 49 can be replaced with the pattern shown in FIG. 48, thereby permanently embedding the correct orientation indication in the image.

The markers according to various aspects of the embodiments of the present invention described above can be made by injecting and molding a low melt temperature composition or alloy into a suitable shape in a plate. Eutectic alloys, including low temperature alloys, Sn, Sb, Bi, Pb and / or others, are preferred. Although described in relation to digital intraoral dental plates, various aspects of embodiments of the present invention are easily exposed from both sides, but can be read or scanned from only one side, or other medical and dental plates or It can be applied to films.

Although some aspects of at least one embodiment of the present invention have been described above, one of ordinary skill in the art will come up with various changes, modifications and improvements. Such changes, modifications, and improvements are part of this disclosure and are within the gist and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the above description and drawings are for example only.

<figref num="1">It is a perspective view of a person's mandible showing a method of exposing a dental X-ray plate from both left and right sides.</figref><figref num="2">A conventional digital dental x-ray plate with a left-facing "front side" is exposed through the right side of the patient's lower jaw, the image is scanned from the "front side" of the plate, and the image is horizontally oriented using software. It is a figure which shows the image generated by inversion to.</figref><figref num="3">FIG. 5 shows an image produced by exposing a conventional digital dental X-ray plate with a left-facing "front side" through the right side of the patient's mandible and scanning the image from the "front side" of the plate.</figref><figref num="4">A conventional digital dental X-ray plate with a left-facing "front side" is exposed through the left side of the patient's lower jaw, the image is scanned from the "front side" of the plate, and the image is horizontally oriented using software. It is a figure which shows the image generated by inversion to.</figref><figref num="5">FIG. 5 shows an image produced by exposing a conventional digital dental X-ray plate with a left-facing "front side" through the left side of the patient's mandible and scanning the image from the "front side" of the plate.</figref>

<figref num="6">Generated by exposing a conventional digital dental x-ray plate with a left-facing "front side" through the right side of the patient's mandible, scanning the image from the "front side" of the plate, and flipping the image horizontally. It is a figure which shows the image to be done.</figref><figref num="7">FIG. 5 shows an image produced by exposing a conventional digital dental X-ray plate with a left-facing "front side" through the right side of the patient's mandible and scanning the image from the "front side" of the plate.</figref><figref num="8">Generated by exposing a conventional digital dental x-ray plate with a left-facing "front side" through the left side of the patient's mandible, scanning the image from the "front side" of the plate, and flipping the image horizontally. It is a figure which shows the image to be done.</figref><figref num="9">FIG. 5 shows an image produced by exposing a conventional digital dental X-ray plate with a left-facing "front side" through the left side of the patient's mandible and scanning the image from the "front side" of the plate.</figref><figref num="10">FIG. 5 shows an image produced by exposing a conventional digital dental X-ray plate with a right-facing "front side" through the right side of the patient's mandible and scanning the image from the "front side" of the plate.</figref><figref num="11">Generated by exposing a conventional digital dental x-ray plate with a right-facing "front side" through the right side of the patient's mandible, scanning the image from the "front side" of the plate, and flipping the image horizontally. It is a figure which shows the image to be done.</figref>

<figref num="12">FIG. 5 shows an image produced by exposing a conventional digital dental X-ray plate with a right-facing "front side" through the left side of the patient's mandible and scanning the image from the "front side" of the plate.</figref><figref num="13">Generated by exposing a conventional digital dental x-ray plate with a right-facing "front side" through the left side of the patient's mandible, scanning the image from the "front side" of the plate, and flipping the image horizontally. It is a figure which shows the image to be done.</figref><figref num="14">FIG. 5 shows an image produced by exposing a conventional digital dental X-ray plate with a right-facing "front side" through the right side of the patient's mandible and scanning the image from the "front side" of the plate.</figref><figref num="15">Generated by exposing a conventional digital dental x-ray plate with a right-facing "front side" through the right side of the patient's mandible, scanning the image from the "front side" of the plate, and flipping the image horizontally. It is a figure which shows the image to be done.</figref><figref num="16">FIG. 5 shows an image produced by exposing a conventional digital dental X-ray plate with a right-facing "front side" through the left side of the patient's mandible and scanning the image from the "front side" of the plate.</figref>

<figref num="17">Generated by exposing a conventional digital dental x-ray plate with a right-facing "front side" through the left side of the patient's mandible, scanning the image from the "front side" of the plate, and flipping the image horizontally. It is a figure which shows the image to be done.</figref><figref num="18">To expose a conventional digital dental X-ray plate with a left-facing "front side" through the right side of the patient's lower jaw, scanning an image from the "front side" of the plate, and imaging the image, embodying the aspects of the invention. It is a figure which shows the image generated by inverting in the horizontal direction.</figref><figref num="19">Generated by exposing a conventional digital dental X-ray plate with a left-facing "front side" through the right side of the patient's lower jaw and scanning an image from the "front side" of the plate, embodying the aspects of the invention. It is a figure which shows the image.</figref><figref num="20">To expose a conventional digital dental X-ray plate with a left-facing "front side" through the left side of the patient's lower jaw, to scan an image from the "front side" of the plate, and to view the image, embodying the aspects of the invention. It is a figure which shows the image generated by inverting in the horizontal direction.</figref><figref num="21">Generated by exposing a conventional digital dental X-ray plate with a left-facing "front side" through the left side of the patient's lower jaw and scanning an image from the "front side" of the plate, embodying the aspects of the invention. It is a figure which shows the image.</figref><figref num="22">To expose a conventional digital dental X-ray plate with a left-facing "front side" through the right side of the patient's lower jaw, scanning an image from the "front side" of the plate, and imaging the image, embodying the aspects of the invention. It is a figure which shows the image generated by inverting in the horizontal direction.</figref>

<figref num="23">Generated by exposing a conventional digital dental X-ray plate with a left-facing "front side" through the right side of the patient's lower jaw and scanning an image from the "front side" of the plate, embodying the aspects of the invention. It is a figure which shows the image.</figref><figref num="24">To expose a conventional digital dental X-ray plate with a left-facing "front side" through the left side of the patient's lower jaw, to scan an image from the "front side" of the plate, and to view the image, embodying the aspects of the invention. It is a figure which shows the image generated by inverting in the horizontal direction.</figref><figref num="25">Generated by exposing a conventional digital dental X-ray plate with a left-facing "front side" through the left side of the patient's lower jaw and scanning an image from the "front side" of the plate, embodying the aspects of the invention. It is a figure which shows the image.</figref><figref num="26">Generated by exposing a conventional digital dental X-ray plate with a right-facing "front side" through the right side of the patient's lower jaw and scanning an image from the "front side" of the plate, embodying the aspects of the invention. It is a figure which shows the image.</figref><figref num="27">To expose a conventional digital dental X-ray plate with a right-facing "front side" through the right side of the patient's lower jaw, scanning an image from the "front side" of the plate, and imaging the image, embodying the aspects of the invention. It is a figure which shows the image generated by inverting in the horizontal direction.</figref>

<figref num="28">Generated by exposing a conventional digital dental X-ray plate with a right-facing "front side" through the left side of the patient's lower jaw and scanning an image from the "front side" of the plate, embodying the aspects of the invention. It is a figure which shows the image.</figref><figref num="29">To expose a conventional digital dental X-ray plate with a right-facing "front side" through the left side of the patient's lower jaw, scanning an image from the "front side" of the plate, and imaging the image, embodying the aspects of the invention. It is a figure which shows the image generated by inverting in the horizontal direction.</figref><figref num="30">Generated by exposing a conventional digital dental X-ray plate with a right-facing "front side" through the right side of the patient's lower jaw and scanning an image from the "front side" of the plate, embodying the aspects of the invention. It is a figure which shows the image.</figref><figref num="31">To expose a conventional digital dental X-ray plate with a right-facing "front side" through the right side of the patient's lower jaw, scanning an image from the "front side" of the plate, and imaging the image, embodying the aspects of the invention. It is a figure which shows the image generated by inverting in the horizontal direction.</figref><figref num="32">Generated by exposing a conventional digital dental X-ray plate with a right-facing "front side" through the left side of the patient's lower jaw and scanning an image from the "front side" of the plate, embodying the aspects of the invention. It is a figure which shows the image.</figref>

<figref num="33">To expose a conventional digital dental X-ray plate with a right-facing "front side" through the left side of the patient's lower jaw, scanning an image from the "front side" of the plate, and imaging the image, embodying the aspects of the invention. It is a figure which shows the image generated by inverting in the horizontal direction.</figref><figref num="34">It is an exploded view of the laminated body which has a radiation opaque label mark from the viewpoint of this invention.</figref><figref num="35">FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a bulk material having an inset radiation opaque material and a slice of bulk material that can be used to construct a digital X-ray plate according to the viewpoint of the present invention.</figref><figref num="36">It is an exploded view of a radiation opaque plate generated using a radiation opaque substrate of varying thickness so as to generate a unique marker when exposed through the substrate.</figref><figref num="37">Radiation that has a radiation sensitive material that faces the "front side" and a radiation opaque material that faces the "back side", and the radiation opaque material has a pattern that renders the image exposed through it unusable. It is an exploded view of a photographic plate.</figref><figref num="38">A transpose map showing the relationships between various transpositions of an image.</figref><figref num="39">FIG. 5 is a plan view of a plate showing the relative positions of the "front" marker (real) and the "back" marker (imaginary).</figref>

<figref num="40">It is a transformation map of the plate of FIG.</figref><figref num="41">FIG. 5 is a plan view of a plate showing the relative positions of the double "front" marker (real) and the double "back" marker (imaginary).</figref><figref num="42">It is a transformation map of the plate of FIG.</figref><figref num="43">FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a perspective of one embodiment of the invention in which both "front" and "back" markers are formed using rivets or headless nails.</figref><figref num="44">Figures 44A and 44B show the relative positions of the "front" marker (solid arrow, dashed arrow) and the "back" marker (dashed diamond) when viewed from one side, as well as exposure and observation from the same side. , It is a plan view of a double phosphor plate.</figref><figref num="45">By a double phosphor plate that shows the relative position of the "front" and "back" markers (dashed diamonds) when viewed from the other side after being exposed from one side and flipped horizontally. It is a top view of the generated image.</figref><figref num="46">It is an exploded perspective view of the plate from the viewpoint of one embodiment of the present invention including at least one frame attached to the plate.</figref><figref num="47">It is an exploded perspective view of a plate which has a transparent substrate and a protective layer, thereby being readable from both sides.</figref>

<figref num="48">FIG. 5 is a plan view of the image produced by the plate of FIG. 47, exposed and read from the same side.</figref><figref num="49">FIG. 5 is a plan view of the image produced by the plate of FIG. 47, exposed from one side and read from the other side.</figref><figref num="50">FIG. 5 is a plan view of a plate adapted to accept a corner marker structure.</figref><figref num="51">FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the corner marker structure accepted by the plate of FIG.</figref><figref num="52">FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the plate of FIG. 50, including the corner marker structure of FIG.</figref><figref num="53">According to some aspects of embodiments of the present invention, having a simplified marker system, flat plate is a plane view.</figref>