Method and apparatus for adjusting read-out conditions and/or image

• US 5,515,450 A
• Filed: 12/09/1993
• Issued: 05/07/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Ito, Wataru, Shimura, Kazuo, Takeo, Hideya
• Primary Examiner(s): Boudreau, Leo
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bella, Matthew C.
• Application Number:
  US08/164,825
• Time in Patent Office: 880 Days
• Field of Search: 382/6, 382/14, 382/15, 382/8, 382/128, 382/132, 382/159, 382/156, 395/21, 395/22, 364/413.13, 250/327.26, 250/484.1, 250/494.4
• US Class Current: 382/132
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/2014 Reading out of stimulable sheets, e.g. latent image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10116 X-ray image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20084 Artificial neural networks [ANN]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/60 using machine learning, e.g. neural networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/92 based on global image properties

Abstract

A first image signal representing a radiation image of an object is obtained by exposing a stimulable phosphor sheet, on which the radiation image has been stored, to stimulating rays, which cause the stimulable phosphor sheet to emit light in proportion to the amount of energy stored thereon during its exposure to radiation, the emitted light being detected. A second image signal representing the radiation image is thereafter obtained by again exposing the stimulable phosphor sheet to stimulating rays, the light emitted by the stimulable phosphor sheet being detected. Read-out conditions, under which the second image signal is to be obtained, and/or image processing conditions, under which the second image signal having been obtained is to be image processed, are adjusted on the basis of the first image signal. A storage device stores information representing a standard pattern of radiation images. A signal transforming device transforms the first image signal representing the radiation image into a transformed image signal representing the radiation image, which has been transformed into the standard pattern. A condition adjuster is provided with a neural network, which receives the transformed image signal and feeds out information representing the read-out conditions and/or the image processing conditions.

Claims

1. An apparatus for adjusting read-out conditions and/or image processing conditions for a radiation image, wherein a first image signal representing a radiation image of an object is obtained by exposing a stimulable phosphor sheet, on which the radiation image has been stored, to stimulating rays, which cause the stimulable phosphor sheet to emit light in proportion to the amount of energy stored thereon during its exposure to radiation, the emitted light being detected,

a second image signal representing the radiation image is thereafter obtained by again exposing the stimulable phosphor sheet to stimulating rays, the light emitted by the stimulable phosphor sheet being detected, and

read-out conditions, under which the second image signal is to be obtained, and/or image processing conditions, under which the second image signal having been obtained is to be image processed, are adjusted on the basis of the first image signal,

the apparatus for adjusting read-out conditions and/or image processing conditions for a radiation image comprising:

i) a storage means for storing information representing a standard pattern of radiation images,

ii) a signal transforming means for transforming said first image signal representing said radiation image into a transformed image signal representing the radiation image, which has been transformed into said standard pattern, and

iii) a condition adjusting means provided with a neural network, which receives said transformed image signal and feeds out information representing the read-out conditions and/or the image processing conditions.

2. An apparatus for adjusting read-out conditions and/or image processing conditions for a radiation image as defined in claim 1 wherein said transformation of said first image signal representing said radiation image into a transformed image signal representing the radiation image, which has been transformed into said standard pattern, is one of reversal, rotation, position adjustment, enlargement, and reduction of said radiation image represented by said first image signal, or a combination of two or more of these processes.

3. An apparatus for adjusting image processing conditions for a radiation image, wherein image processing conditions, under which an image signal is to be image processed, are adjusted on the basis of the image signal representing a radiation image of an object,

the apparatus for adjusting image processing conditions for a radiation image comprising:

i) a storage means for storing information representing a standard pattern of radiation images,

ii) a signal transforming means for transforming said image signal representing said radiation image into a transformed image signal representing the radiation image, which has been transformed into said standard pattern, and

iii) a condition adjusting means provided with a neural network, which receives said transformed image signal and feeds out information representing the image processing conditions.

4. An apparatus for adjusting read-out conditions and/or image processing conditions for a radiation image as defined in claim 3 wherein said transformation of said image signal representing said radiation image into a transformed image signal representing the radiation image, which has been transformed into said standard pattern, is one of reversal, rotation, position adjustment, enlargement, and reduction of said radiation image represented by said image signal, or a combination of two or more of these processes.

5. A method for adjusting read-out conditions and/or image processing conditions for a radiation image, wherein a first image signal representing a radiation image of an object is obtained by exposing a stimulable phosphor sheet, on which the radiation image has been stored, to stimulating rays, which cause the stimulable phosphor sheet to emit light in proportion to the amount of energy stored thereon during its exposure to radiation, the emitted light being detected,

a second image signal representing the radiation image is thereafter obtained by again exposing the stimulable phosphor sheet to stimulating rays, the light emitted by the stimulable phosphor sheet being detected, and

read-out conditions, under which the second image signal is to be obtained, and/or image processing conditions, under which the second image signal having been obtained is to be image processed, are adjusted on the basis of the first image signal,

the method for adjusting read-out conditions and/or image processing conditions for a radiation image comprising the steps of:

i) carrying out a condition adjustment by using a neural network, which receives said first image signal and feeds out information representing the read-out conditions and/or the image processing conditions, and

ii) when learning of said neural network is carried out such that information representing appropriate read-out conditions and/or appropriate image processing conditions may be fed out, utilizing an image signal representing a radiation image, in which a pattern of a predetermined specific region of interest of the radiation image is embedded, and read-out conditions and/or image processing conditions, which have been determined as being optimum for the pattern of said predetermined specific region of interest.

6. A method for adjusting image processing conditions for a radiation image, wherein image processing conditions, under which an image signal is to be image processed, are adjusted on the basis of the image signal representing a radiation image of an object,

the method for adjusting image processing conditions for a radiation image comprising the steps of:

i) carrying out a condition adjustment by using a neural network, which receives said image signal and feeds out information representing the image processing conditions, and

ii) when learning of said neural network is carried out such that information representing appropriate image processing conditions may be fed out, utilizing an image signal representing a radiation image, in which a pattern of a predetermined specific region of interest of the radiation image is embedded, and image processing conditions, which have been predetermined as being optimum for the pattern of said predetermined specific region of interest.