Radiation image capturing system and method of setting minimum transmission radio-field intensity in such radiation image capturing system

• US 7,593,507 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2008
• Issued: 09/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kito, Eiichi, Yoshimi, Takuya, Tanabe, Tsuyoshi, Ohta, Yasunori
• Primary Examiner(s): Kiknadze; Irakli
• Application Number:
  US12/222,849
• Publication Number:
  US 20090046834A1
• Time in Patent Office: 400 Days
• Field of Search: 378/98.8, 378/98, 378/91, 378/207, 378/116, 378/189, 378/190, 378/162, 378/165, 250/370.01, 250/370.08, 250/370.09
• US Class Current: 378/98.8
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/032 Transmission computed tomography [CT]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4291 the detector being combined with a grid or grating
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4405 the apparatus being movable or portable, e.g. handheld or mounted on a trolley
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4423 related to hygiene or sterilisation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4488 Means for cooling A61B6/045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4494 Means for identifying the diagnostic device
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/542 involving control of exposure
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 42/04 Holders for X-ray films
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/32 Transforming X-rays cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from X-rays H04N23/30; circuitry of SSIS for transforming X-rays into image signals H04N25/30

Abstract

When a cassette transceiver starts to transmit radiation image information to a console transceiver, the cassette transceiver transmits a test radio wave, and the console transceiver calculates a minimum transmission radio-field intensity of said cassette transceiver which is required to receive the radiation image information from a received intensity of said test radio wave, and transmits a command radio wave representing the calculated minimum transmission radio-field intensity as a command to said cassette transceiver. The cassette transceiver is thus capable of transmitting the radiation image information at the commanded minimum transmission radio-field intensity. The consumption of electric power for transmitting the radiation image information from the cassette transceiver to the console transceiver is thus minimized.

Claims

1. A radiation image capturing system comprising:

a cassette having a radiation detector for detecting a radiation that has passed through a subject and converting the detected radiation into radiation image information, an image memory for storing the converted radiation image information, a first transceiver for transmitting the radiation image information stored in said image memory to an external controller by way of wireless communications at a transmission radio-field intensity based on a command radio wave from the external controller, and a battery for supplying electric power to said radiation detector and the first transceiver; and

the external controller having a second transceiver for transmitting said command radio wave and receiving the radiation image information transmitted from said cassette;

wherein when said first transceiver of the cassette starts to transmit the radiation image information to said second transceiver of the external controller, said first transceiver transmits a test radio wave, and said second transceiver calculates a minimum transmission radio-field intensity of said first transceiver which is required to receive the radiation image information, from a received intensity of said test radio wave, and transmits the command radio wave representing a command indicative of the calculated minimum transmission radio-field intensity to said first transceiver.

2. A radiation image capturing system according to claim 1, wherein said second transceiver transmits said command radio wave representing the command indicative of a radio-field intensity representative of the sum of the calculated minimum transmission radio-field intensity and a given radio-field intensity, to said first transceiver.

3. A radiation image capturing system according to claim 1, wherein said cassette includes a power supply switch, and said first transceiver transmits the test radio wave when said power supply switch is turned on.

4. A radiation image capturing system according to claim 3, wherein if said power supply switch has been turned on, said cassette turns off said power supply switch when said first transceiver finishes transmitting the radiation image information to said second transceiver.

5. A radiation image capturing system according to claim 3, wherein said cassette further includes an RFID signal receiver, and said power supply switch is turned on when an authenticated RFID card is placed over said RFID signal receiver.

6. A radiation image capturing system according to claim 3, wherein said power supply switch of said cassette is turned on in response to a turn-on command transmitted from the external controller via said second transceiver.

7. A radiation image capturing system according to claim 6, wherein when the transmission of the radiation image information is completed, said cassette turns off said power supply switch while said first transceiver is supplied with standby electric power.

8. A radiation image capturing system according to claim 1, further comprising an image capturing apparatus for applying said radiation at a dose according to image capturing conditions to said subject, wherein said external controller comprises a console for supplying said image capturing conditions to said image capturing apparatus.

9. A radiation image capturing system according to claim 8, wherein said console supplies said image capturing conditions to said image capturing apparatus via said second transceiver by way of wireless communications.

10. A method of setting a minimum transmission radio-field intensity in a radiation image capturing system when a cassette transceiver of a cassette having a radiation detector for detecting a radiation that has passed through a subject and converting the detected radiation into radiation image information starts to transmit the radiation image information to a console transceiver of a console, said method comprising the steps of:

transmitting a test radio wave from the cassette transceiver;

calculating, in the console transceiver, a minimum transmission radio-field intensity of said cassette transceiver which is required to receive the radiation image information, from a received intensity of said test radio wave, and transmitting a command radio wave representing the calculated minimum transmission radio-field intensity as a command from said console transceiver to said cassette transceiver; and

setting a transmission radio-field intensity of said cassette transceiver to said minimum transmission radio-field intensity when said cassette transceiver receives said command radio wave, for transmitting the radiation image information at said minimum transmission radio-field intensity from said cassette transceiver to said console transceiver.