Radiographic imaging device, image processing device

• US 8,130,909 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2009
• Issued: 03/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Nishino, Naoyuki, Kitano, Kouichi, Tsubota, Keiji, Ohta, Yasunori, Yoshida, Yutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho, Allen C.
• Application Number:
  US12/546,716
• Publication Number:
  US 20100054624A1
• Time in Patent Office: 924 Days
• Field of Search: 378/42, 378/62, 378/91, 378/98.8, 250/370.09
• US Class Current: 378/91
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4283 characterised by a detector unit being housed in a cassette
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/548 Remote control of the apparatus or devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/563 involving image data transmission via a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/63 applied to dark current
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/325 Image enhancement, e.g. by subtraction techniques using polyenergetic X-rays

Abstract

There is provided a radiographic imaging device including: a radiation detector having plural sensor portions; a receiving unit that receives request data requesting radiation irradiation permission from a control device that controls a radiation source; a control unit that controls the radiation detector such that an accumulation extraction operation is repeatedly performed that extracts charge that has accumulated in each sensor portions of the radiation detector, the accumulation extraction operation being performed after a specific accumulation period has elapsed that is greater than the irradiation period of radiation; a determination unit that determines whether or not radiation irradiation of the irradiation period from the radiation source is possible within the accumulation period of the accumulation extraction operation; and a permission unit that permits radiation irradiation if the determination unit has determined that irradiation is possible, and otherwise that permits radiographic image after starting the accumulation period of the next accumulation extraction operation.

Claims

1. A radiographic imaging device comprising:

a radiation detector that has a plurality of sensor portions that accumulate charge generated due to radiation being irradiated thereon when capturing a radiographic image;

a receiving unit that receives request data requesting radiation irradiation permission from a control device that controls a radiation source for radiation irradiation when capturing a radiographic image;

a control unit that controls the radiation detector such that an accumulation extraction operation is repeatedly performed that extracts charge that has accumulated in each of the plurality of sensor portions of the radiation detector, the accumulation extraction operation being performed after a specific accumulation period has elapsed, the specific accumulation period being greater than an irradiation period of radiation irradiation from the radiation source when capturing a radiographic image;

a determination unit that, when the request data is received by the receiving unit, determines whether or not radiation irradiation of the irradiation period from the radiation source is possible within an accumulation period of an accumulation extraction operation currently being carried out under control of the control unit; and

a permission unit that permits radiation irradiation if the determination unit has determined that irradiation is possible, and that permits radiographic imaging after starting an accumulation period of a next accumulation extraction operation if the determination unit has determined that irradiation is not possible.

2. The radiographic imaging device of claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines irradiation to be possible when an interval until completion of the accumulation period of the accumulation extraction operation currently being carried out is the same as or greater than a summed duration of the irradiation period and a specific irradiation delay period, and wherein the determination unit determines irradiation not to be possible when the interval until completion is shorter than the summed duration.

3. The radiographic imaging device of claim 2, wherein the irradiation delay period is equivalent to an interval from when radiation irradiation permission is given to when radiation is actually irradiated.

4. The radiographic imaging device of claim 2, further comprising an image processing unit that performs image processing that corrects image data representing a radiographic image, based on a charge amount extracted from each of the plurality of sensor portions of the radiation detector in an accumulation extraction operation performed when radiation has been irradiated onto the radiation detector, with data representing noise based on a charge amount extracted from each of the plurality of sensor portions of the radiation detector in an accumulation extraction operation performed when radiation has not yet been irradiated onto the radiation detector.

5. The radiographic imaging device of claim 4, wherein the image processing unit performs image processing that corrects image data representing a radiographic image with data representing noise based on charge amounts extracted in an accumulation extraction operation performed just after capturing the radiographic image.

6. The radiographic imaging device of claim 4, wherein the image processing unit performs image processing that corrects image data representing a radiographic image with data representing noise based on charge amounts extracted in an accumulation extraction operation performed before capturing the radiographic image.

7. The radiographic imaging device of claim 1, wherein

the receiving unit is configured to communicate with the control device by wired communication or wireless communication;

the control unit controls the radiation detector such that the accumulation extraction operation is repeatedly performed when the receiving unit is performing wireless communication and controls the radiation detector so that an extraction operation is repeatedly performed that extracts the charge that has accumulated in each of the plurality of sensor portions of the radiation detector when the receiving unit is performing wired communication; and

when the receiving unit is performing wired communication, the permission unit gives permission for radiation irradiation after the extraction operation currently being carried out is completed.

8. The radiographic imaging device of claim 1, wherein

the receiving unit is able to communicate with the control device by wired communication or wireless communication;

and

the control unit sets the accumulation period relatively longer when the receiving unit is performing wireless communication than when performing wired communication.

9. The radiographic imaging device of claim 1, further comprising a display unit that displays a radiographic image represented by image data prior to performing image processing by an image processing unit.