United States Patent (19) 11 Patent Number: 6,093,529 Tsuzuki Et Al
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USOO6093529A United States Patent (19) 11 Patent Number: 6,093,529 Tsuzuki et al. (45) Date of Patent: Jul. 25, 2000 54) IMAGING MATERIALS 56) References Cited 75 Inventors: Hirohiko Tsuzuki; Hisashi Okamura; U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS Itsuo Fujiwara; Yoshiharu Yabuki; Masaki Noro, all of Kanagawa, Japan 2.910,377 10/1959 Owen. 5,656,419 8/1997 Toya et al. .............................. 430/619 73 Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd., Kanagawa, Japan Primary Examiner Thorl Chea 21 Appl. No.: 09/060,881 Attorney, Agent, or Firm Birch, Stewart, & Birch, LLP 22 Filed: Apr. 16, 1998 57 ABSTRACT 30 Foreign Application Priority Data An imaging material is provided in the form of a photother Apr. 16, 1997 JP Japan .................................... 9-114440 mographic or thermographic image forming layer contain Jul. 28, 1997 JP Japan .................................... 9-217165 ing an organic Silver Salt on one Surface of a Support and 51) Int. Cl." ............................ G03C 1490, G03C 1815 further comprising a polyvalent metalion and a phthalic acid 52 U.S. Cl. .......................... 430,619.430/512, 430,530 compound on the image forming layer-bearing surface of the 430/531; 430/604; 430/605; 430/607; 430/613; Support. The imaging material has improved shelf Stability s s s s 430,627 before and after image formation and the ease of handling 58 Field of Search ..................................... 430,617,619, and produces high-quality blue black tone images. 430/512, 604, 607, 605, 613, 524,531, 627, 530 19 Claims, No Drawings 6,093,529 1 2 IMAGING MATERLALS imaging material comprising an image forming layer con taining an organic Silver Salt on one Surface of a Support. The This invention relates to imaging materials including imaging material further comprises a polyvalent metal ion photoSensitive thermographic imaging materials and ther and a phthalic acid compound on the image forming layer mographic imaging materials. bearing Surface of the Support. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Preferably, the polyvalent metal ion is contained in an amount of 10 limol to 1 mol per Square meter of the element. AS computer network Systems are widely furnished in the The polyvalent metal ion is preferably a metal cation other current medical field, image output devices are handled like than alkaline earth metal ions. The imaging material may many other precision machines. One concern about prior art further include an uppermost layer on the image forming laser image Setters and laser imagers is the risk of deterio layer-bearing Surface of the Support, the uppermost layer rating various precision machines because potentially cor containing 100 mg/m to 5 g/m of a polymer bearing a rosive developer and fixer liquids are used. It is also a carboxylic acid residue. problem that waste liquid from Such processing Solution is In one preferred embodiment, the photothermographic ecologically detrimental and that processing is impossible 15 under water-Shortage situations as in disaster. There is a imaging material contains a photosensitive Silver halide, a Strong desire to develop an image forming System dispens non-photoSensitive organic Silver Salt, a reducing agent ing with processing Solution. Needed in this regard is a therefor, an oxidizing agent, and a binder on the Support, and technology relating to photothermographic imaging materi the photothermographic imaging material further contains a als capable of forming clear black images at a high resolu UV absorber at a site other than a layer containing the tion and SharpneSS and finding use in medical diagnosis and oxidizing agent. The oxidizing agent is preferably of the photographic applications and thermographic imaging mate general formula (I): rials capable of forming images using thermal heads. These thermal imaging materials can offer to the customer a simple image forming System which eliminates a need for Solution 25 type chemical agents and is not detrimental to the environ ment. While a similar requirement is Sometimes raised in the general imaging material field, medical images require high wherein Q is an alkyl, aryl or heterocyclic group, each of definition, that is, high image quality characterized by X and X is a halogen atom, Z is a hydrogen atom or excellent sharpness and grainineSS. From the Standpoint of electron attractive group, Y is -C(=O), -SO- or ease of diagnosis, blue black tone images are favorable. At -SO-, and letter n is equal to 0 or 1. Preferably the present, various hard copy Systems using pigments and dyes Oxidizing agent is Solid dispersed. Such as inkjet printers and electrophotographic printers are In another preferred embodiment, the photothermo widely marketed as the image forming System, but none of 35 graphic imaging material comprises at least one photosen them are Satisfactory as the output System for medical Sitive layer containing a photosensitive Silver halide, a images. non-photoSensitive organic Silver Salt, and a reducing agent Thermal image forming Systems utilizing organic Silver therefor, and at least one non-photoSensitive layer. The Salts are disclosed in the literature, for example, U.S. Pat. oxidizing agent is contained in the at least one photosensi No. 2,910,377 and JP-B 4924/1968. Although these thermal 40 tive layer. The UV absorber is contained in the at least one image forming Systems utilizing organic Silver Salts can non-photoSensitive layer. produce images of quality and tone regarded Satisfactory as In a Second aspect of the present invention, there is medical images, the image forming ability of Such material provided an imaging material comprising a thermographic can be altered prior to image formation. Once images are imaging material comprising an image forming layer con formed, the images can be degraded by light, heat, and 45 taining an organic Silver Salt on one Surface of a Support. The Water. imaging material further comprising a polyvalent metal ion It is a Serious problem that photographic properties and a phthalic acid compound on the image forming layer become worse, especially fog increases, during shelf Stor bearing Surface of the Support. age. One common practice is to use mercury compounds for In one preferred embodiment, the thermographic imaging Suppressing fog. The use of mercury compounds, however, 50 material contains a non-photoSensitive organic Silver Salt, a is hazardous. AS a Substitute, various oxidizing agents, reducing agent therefor, an oxidizing agent, and a binder on especially polyhalogenated compounds have been proposed. the Support, and the thermographic imaging material further Materials using Such oxidizing agents still Suffer from the contains a UV absorber at a site other than a layer containing problem that discoloration occurs in images during Storage. the oxidizing agent. The oxidizing agent is preferably of the SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 55 general formula (I) defined above. Preferably the oxidizing agent is Solid dispersed. An object of the invention is to provide an imaging In both the first and Second aspect, the Support is prefer material having improved Storage Stability before and after ably a transparent support. The UV absorber is preferably image formation and improved ease of handling and pro contained in layers disposed on opposite Sides of a layer ducing quality images of blue black tone. 60 containing the non-photoSensitive organic Silver Salt. The Another object of the invention is to provide an imaging non-photoSensitive organic Silver Salt is typically a Silver material which prevents its photographic properties from deteriorating during Storage and produces images having Salt of a carboxylic acid. improved Dmin areas and experiencing minimized discol DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE oration during Storage. 65 INVENTION In a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided The imaging material of the invention is defined as a an imaging material comprising a photothermographic photothermographic (photosensitive heat-developable) 6,093,529 3 4 imaging material or thermographic (heat-sensitive) imaging least one of layerS disposed on opposite Sides of a non material comprising an image forming layer containing an photosensitive organic Silver Salt-containing layer Serving as organic Silver Salt on one Surface of a Support. The imaging the image forming layer, more preferably in at least one material further contains a polyvalent metal ion and a layer on each Side. phthalic acid compound on the one Surface, that is, the image forming layer-bearing Side Surface of the Support. The UV absorber polyvalent metal ion and the phthalic acid compound are The UV absorber used herein is not critical although typically contained in a protective layer or overcoat layer as preferable UV absorbers are compounds of the general will be described later. formulae 1 to 7 which are given below. With the combined use of polyvalent metal ion and phthalic acid compound, the imaging material is given improved photographic performance which does not dete General Formula 1 riorate during Storage, and thus produces images of OH improved tone. If the polyvalent metal ion is not added, the R101 image tone is poor and the photographic performance 15 changes before and after Storage. If the phthalic acid com X1 N R103 pound is not added, formation of acceptable images is impossible. COX-Oys N 1/R104 In one preferred embodiment, the imaging material has a R102 R105 layer containing at least one oxidizing agent on one side of the Support, and a UV absorber is contained at a site other than the oxidizing agent-containing layer. In formula 1), Rio, Rio, Rios, Rio and Ros may be the The inclusion of an oxidizing agent and a UV absorber is Same or different and each represent a hydrogen atom, effective for realizing an imaging material which prevents its photographic properties from deteriorating, especially fog 25 halogen atom, alkyl group, cycloalkyl group, alkoxy group, from increasing, during shelf Storage, and produces images aryl group, aryloxy group, alkenyl group, nitro group, car having improved Dmin areas and experiencing little or no boxyl group or Salt thereof, Sulfonic acid group or Salt discoloration during Storage.