RADIOGRAPHIC APPARATUS

• US 20010012330A1
• Filed: 01/16/1998
• Published: 08/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: OGURA, TAKASHI, HIRAI, AKIRA, KAWASAKI, KEIICHI
• Granted Patent: US 6,502,984 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 378/95
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/06 Diaphragms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/08 Auxiliary means for directing the radiation beam to a particular spot, e.g. using light beams
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4216 using storage phosphor screens
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4233 using matrix detectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4291 the detector being combined with a grid or grating
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/502 for diagnosis of breast, i.e. mammography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/542 involving control of exposure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/544 dependent on patient size
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/548 Remote control of the apparatus or devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/588 Setting distance between source unit and detector unit
• CPC Class Codes: H05G 1/38 Exposure time time switches in general H01H43/00 and subgroups

Abstract

This invention relates to a radiographic apparatus which comprises a radiographic image photographing unit for photographing a radiographic image of an object irradiated with radiation by a radiation generating device, a distance measuring system for measuring the distances or distance from the radiation generating device to the radiographic image photographing unit and/or the object, and distance information indicating means for indicating distance information obtained by the distance measuring system.

Claims

1. A radiographic apparatus comprising:

a radiographic image photographing unit for photographing a radiographic image of an object irradiated with radiation by a radiation generating device;

a distance measuring system for measuring distances or distance from the radiation generating device to said radiographic image photographing unit and/or the object; and

distance information indicating means for indicating distance information obtained by said distance measuring system.

2. An apparatus according to

claim 1

, wherein said radiographic image photographing unit uses, as a recording medium, a silver halide film which records a radiographic image as a latent image.

3. An apparatus according to

claim 1

, wherein said radiographic image photographing unit uses, as a recording medium, a photostimulable phosphor which accumulates and records a radiographic image.

4. An apparatus according to

claim 1

, wherein said radiographic image photographing unit uses a photodetector array as a radiation detector.

5. An apparatus according to

claim 1

, wherein the radiation is X-rays.

6. A radiographic apparatus comprising:

a radiographic image photographing unit for photographing a radiographic image of an object irradiated with radiation by a radiation generating device;

photographing condition setting means for setting a photographing condition;

a distance measuring system for measuring distances or distance from the radiation generating device to said radiographic image photographing unit and/or the object;

arithmetic means for calculating a body thickness of the object on the basis of the distances from said radiation generating device measured by said distance measuring system; and

distance information indicating means for indicating the distance information obtained by said distance measuring system and/or the body thickness information obtained by said arithmetic means.

7. An apparatus according to

claim 6

, wherein said radiographic image photographing unit uses, as a recording medium, a silver halide film which records a radiographic image as a latent image.

8. An apparatus according to

claim 6

, wherein said radiographic image photographing unit uses, as a recording medium, a photostimulable phosphor which accumulates and records a radiographic image.

9. An apparatus according to

claim 6

, wherein said radiographic image photographing unit uses a photodetector array as a radiation detector.

10. An apparatus according to

claim 6

, wherein the radiation is X-rays.

11. A radiographic apparatus comprising:

a radiographic image photographing unit for photographing a radiographic image of an object irradiated with radiation by a radiation generating device;

input means for inputting a photographing condition;

a distance measuring system for measuring distances or distance from the radiation generating device to said radiographic image photographing unit and/or the object;

arithmetic means for calculating a body thickness of the object on the basis of the distances from said radiation generating device measured by said distance measuring system; and

look-up table making means for making a look-up table of the photographing condition on the basis of the distance information obtained by said distance measuring system and/or the body thickness information obtained by said arithmetic means.

12. An apparatus according to

claim 11

, wherein said radiographic image photographing unit uses, as a recording medium, a silver halide film which records a radiographic image as a latent image.

13. An apparatus according to

claim 11

, wherein said radiographic image photographing unit uses, as a recording medium, a photostimulable phosphor which accumulates and records a radiographic image.

14. An apparatus according to

claim 11

, wherein said radiographic image photographing unit uses a photodetector array as a radiation detector.

15. An apparatus according to

claim 11

, wherein the look-up table of the photographing condition holds, as information, all or some of a tube voltage, tube current, and irradiation time of an X-ray tube, a photographing distance, a photographing portion, a photographing posture, an object thickness of the object, a type of intensifying paper, a type of film, a type of scattered ray removal filter, and a type of additional filter.

16. An apparatus according to

claim 11

, wherein the radiation is X-rays.

17. A radiographic apparatus comprising:

a radiographic image photographing unit for photographing a radiographic image of an object irradiated with radiation by a radiation generating device;

input means for inputting a photographing condition;

a distance measuring system for measuring distances or distance from the radiation generating device to said radiographic image photographing unit and/or the object;

arithmetic means for calculating a body thickness of the object on the basis of the distances from said radiation generating device measured by said distance measuring system; and

photographing condition determining means for determining the photographing condition on the basis of the distance information obtained by said distance measuring system and/or the body thickness information obtained by said arithmetic means.

18. An apparatus according to

claim 17

, wherein said photographing condition determining means determines the photographing condition by looking up a look-up table of the photographing condition.

19. An apparatus according to

claim 18

, wherein the look-up table of the photographing condition holds, as information, all or some of a tube voltage, tube current, and irradiation time of an X-ray tube, a photographing distance, a photographing portion, a photographing posture, an object thickness of the object, a type of intensifying paper, a type of film, a type of scattered ray removal filter, and a type of additional filter.

20. An apparatus according to

claim 17

, wherein said radiographic image photographing unit uses, as a recording medium, a silver halide film which records a radiographic image as a latent image.

21. An apparatus according to

claim 17

, wherein said radiographic image photographing unit uses, as a recording medium, a photostimulable phosphor which accumulates and records a radiographic image.

22. An apparatus according to

claim 17

, wherein said radiographic image photographing unit uses a photodetector array as a radiation detector.

23. An apparatus according to

claim 17

, wherein the radiation is X-rays.

24. An apparatus according to

claim 17

, wherein the photographing condition is one of a tube voltage, tube current, and irradiation time of an X-ray tube.

25. A radiographic apparatus comprising:

a radiographic image photographing unit for photographing a radiographic image of an object irradiated with radiation by a radiation generating device;

a grid for removing scattered radiation of the object;

a moving grid mechanism for moving said grid;

a measuring system for measuring a body thickness of the object; and

a control unit for controlling said moving grid mechanism on the basis of the body thickness information obtained by said thickness measuring system.

26. An apparatus according to

claim 25

, wherein said control unit determines an irradiation time of the radiation on the basis of the body thickness information, and controls said moving grid mechanism on the basis of the irradiation time.

27. An apparatus according to

claim 26

, wherein said control unit also controls the radiation generating device on the basis of the irradiation time.

28. An apparatus according to

claim 25

, wherein the radiation is X-rays.

29. A radiographic method for photographing a radiographic image of an object irradiated with radiation while moving a grid for removing scattered radiation of the object, comprising the steps of:

measuring a body thickness of the object; and

controlling grid movement on the basis of the obtained body thickness information.

30. A method according to

claim 29

, wherein the step of controlling the grid movement is performed on the basis of an irradiation time of radiation determined based on the obtained body thickness information.

31. A method according to

claim 30

, further comprising the step of controlling a radiation generating device on the basis of the determined irradiation time of radiation.

32. A method according to

claim 29

, wherein the radiation is X-rays.

33. A radiographic apparatus comprising:

a radiographic image photographing unit for photographing a radiographic image of an object irradiated with radiation by a radiation generating device; and

a body thickness measuring system for measuring a body thickness of the object, said body thickness measuring system outputting measured body thickness data.

34. A radiographic apparatus comprising:

a radiographic image photographing unit for photographing a radiographic image of an object irradiated with radiation by a radiation generating device;

a signal process system for performing an image process of radiographic image information obtained by said radiographic image photographing unit; and

a visible image photographing unit for photographing a visible image of the object,

wherein said signal process system determines an image process condition on the basis of the visible image information obtained by said visible image photographing unit.

35. An apparatus according to

claim 34

, wherein the radiation is X-rays.

36. An apparatus according to

claim 35

, wherein said signal process system obtains a corresponding positional relationship between the radiographic image information obtained by said radiographic image photographing unit and the visible image information obtained by said visible image photographing unit.

37. An apparatus according to

claim 35

, wherein said signal process system determines a field of irradiation of radiation of the object, and determines an image process condition on the basis of a determination result.

38. An apparatus according to

claim 35

, wherein said signal process system determines a front or side photographing posture of the object, and determines an image process condition on the basis of a determination result.

39. An apparatus according to

claim 35

, wherein said signal process system determines a portion of the object, and determines an image process condition on the basis of a determination result.

40. An apparatus according to

claim 35

, wherein said radiographic image photographing unit uses, as a recording medium, a photostimulable phosphor which accumulates and records a radiographic image.

41. An apparatus according to

claim 35

, wherein said radiographic image photographing unit uses a photodetector array as a radiation detector.

42. A radiographic apparatus comprising:

a radiographic image photographing unit for photographing a radiographic image of an object irradiated with radiation by a radiation generating device; and

an object information acquiring member for obtaining two-dimensional information of the object, said object information acquiring member being disposed in front of an image receiving surface of said radiographic image photographing unit.

43. An apparatus according to

claim 42

, further comprising photographing condition determining means for determining a photographing condition on the basis of the two-dimensional information of the object obtained by said object information acquiring means.

44. An apparatus according to

claim 42

, further comprising a light source for irradiating light onto the object.

45. An apparatus according to

claim 44

, wherein said object information acquiring member has a plurality of photodetectors.

46. An apparatus according to

claim 44

, wherein said object information acquiring member has a photodetection array.

47. An apparatus according to

claim 44

, wherein said object information acquiring member has a line sensor.

48. An apparatus according to

claim 47

, further comprising drive means for driving said line sensor in a direction perpendicular to a line direction.

49. An apparatus according to

claim 48

, wherein said drive means retracts said line sensor outside an irradiation region upon irradiation of the radiation.

50. An apparatus according to

claim 44

, wherein said object information acquiring member has a light transmission member for transmitting light including the two-dimensional information of the object, and a line sensor is arranged on an end face of said light transmission member.

51. An apparatus according to

claim 50

, wherein said light transmission member consists of material having uniform absorbency.

52. An apparatus according to

claim 50

, wherein said light transmission member consists of acrylic resin.

53. An apparatus according to

claim 44

, further comprising means for correcting influences of light coming from a source other than said light source.

54. A radiographic apparatus comprising:

a radiographic image photographing unit for photographing a radiographic image of an object irradiated with radiation by a radiation generating device;

an object region detecting system for acquiring presence region information of the object; and

photographing condition determining means for determining a photographing condition of radiography on the basis of the presence region information of the object obtained by said object region detecting system.

55. An apparatus according to

claim 54

, wherein said object region detecting system has means for acquiring position information of the object, and means for extracting an object region for radiography from the position information of the object.

56. An apparatus according to

claim 54

, wherein said photographing condition determining means determines a front or side photographing posture of the object on the basis of the presence region information of the object.

57. An apparatus according to

claim 54

, wherein said photographing condition determining means determines a photographing portion of the object on the basis of the presence region information of the object.

58. An apparatus according to

claim 54

, wherein said photographing condition determining means further has a function of comparing a determined photographing condition and a current photographing condition, and generating a warning for improper setting.

59. An apparatus according to

claim 54

, wherein said photographing condition determining means determines a field of irradiation of the radiation.

60. An apparatus according to

claim 54

, further comprising dose detecting means for detecting a dose suitable for photographing, and wherein said photographing condition determining means determines an effective light-receiving region of said dose detecting means.

61. An apparatus according to

claim 54

, further comprising dose detecting means for detecting a dose suitable for photographing, and wherein said photographing condition determining means determines a gain of said dose detecting means.

62. An apparatus according to

claim 54

, wherein said photographing condition determining means determines quality of the radiation.

63. An apparatus according to

claim 54

, wherein said photographing condition determining means automatically determines a radiographic condition on the basis of the determined photographing condition.

64. A radiographic apparatus comprising:

a radiographic image photographing unit for photographing a radiographic image of an object irradiated with radiation by a radiation generating device; and

object information detecting means for obtaining information of the object in addition to said radiographic image photographing unit.

65. An apparatus according to

claim 64

, further comprising means for indicating object information obtained by said object information detecting means.

66. An apparatus according to

claim 64

, further comprising means for determining a photographing condition of the radiographic image on the basis of the object information obtained by said object information detecting means.

67. An apparatus according to

claim 64

, further comprising means for determining a condition of an image process of the radiographic image data obtained by said radiographic image photographing unit on the basis of the object information obtained by said object information detecting means.

68. An apparatus according to

claim 64

, wherein said object information detecting means obtains a distance to the object as the object information.

69. An apparatus according to

claim 64

, wherein said object information detecting means obtains body thickness information of the object as the object information.

70. An apparatus according to

claim 64

, wherein said object information detecting means obtains a visible image of the object as the object information.

71. An apparatus according to

claim 64

, wherein said object information detecting means obtains two-dimensional information of the object as the object information.

72. An apparatus according to

claim 64

, wherein said object information detecting means obtains presence region information of the object as the object information.