X-ray imaging apparatus

• US 7,856,085 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2009
• Issued: 12/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Hayashida, Shinsuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Kiknadze; Irakli
• Application Number:
  US12/534,746
• Publication Number:
  US 20100034356A1
• Time in Patent Office: 505 Days
• Field of Search: 378/98, 378/62, 378/116, 378/154, 378/4, 378/98.8, 378/19, 382/132, 382/195
• US Class Current: 378/98
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/56 Details of data transmission or power supply, e.g. use of slip rings
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks

Abstract

First, a connection state is detected. Next, a determination is made as to whether a connection is made via a dedicated line. If it is determined that the connection is not made via a dedicated line, image accumulation time is calculated. Then, after drive timing is changed, an imaging operation is started.

Claims

1. An X-ray imaging apparatus comprising:

an X-ray imaging section including a two-dimensional X-ray imaging unit that receives X-rays having passed through a subject;

an X-ray generation control unit;

a communication connection unit between the X-ray imaging section and the X-ray generation control unit;

a detecting unit configured to detect a connection method of the communication connection unit; and

a drive-method changing unit configured to change the drive method of the X-ray imaging section depending on the connection method detected by the detecting unit,

wherein when the connection method detected by the detecting unit includes a connection via a dedicated line, the drive-method changing unit changes the drive method to a method in which an image is obtained during fixed image accumulation time, and when the connection method detected by the detecting unit includes a connection wirelessly or via a wired connection that is not via a dedicated line, the drive-method changing unit changes the drive method to a method in which image accumulation time is determined in synchronization with the X-ray generation control unit.

2. The X-ray imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a target-region selecting unit configured to select a target region whose image is to be captured,

wherein the drive-method changing unit is arranged to change the drive method on the basis of information about the target region selected by the target-region selecting unit.

3. The X-ray imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the drive-method changing unit is arranged to change image accumulation time of the X-ray imaging section.

4. The X-ray imaging apparatus according to claim 3, arranged to change an image processing method in accordance with a change in image accumulation time of the X-ray imaging section.

5. The X-ray imaging apparatus according to claim 4, arranged to change the image processing method by changing a dark current correcting method.

6. The X-ray imaging apparatus according to claim 4, arranged to change the image processing method such that a dark current in an image is corrected by obtaining a dark current image corresponding to the image accumulation time, selecting an image for dark current correction, and subtracting the selected image from an X-ray image.

7. The X-ray imaging apparatus according to claim 6, arranged to change the image processing method by changing a method of noise reduction.

8. The X-ray imaging apparatus according to claim 7, arranged to change the method of noise reduction by changing emphasis coefficients corresponding to a plurality of specific frequency images in the noise reduction.