Radiographic image capturing system

• US 8,358,740 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2010
• Issued: 01/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakatsugawa, Haruyasu, Iwakiri, Naoto, Nishino, Naoyuki, Ohta, Yasunori, Yoshida, Yutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): SONG, HOON K
• Application Number:
  US12/970,975
• Publication Number:
  US 20110170669A1
• Time in Patent Office: 767 Days
• Field of Search: 378/41, 378115-117
• US Class Current: 378/116
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/102 Protection against mechanical damage, e.g. anti-collision devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4283 characterised by a detector unit being housed in a cassette
• 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 6/4441 the rigid structure being a C-arm or U-arm
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/487 involving fluoroscopy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/54 Control of apparatus or devices for radiation diagnosis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/542 involving control of exposure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/545 involving automatic set-up of acquisition parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/548 Remote control of the apparatus or devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/56 Details of data transmission or power supply, e.g. use of slip rings
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/586 Detection of faults or malfunction of the device

Abstract

A radiographic image capturing system includes a radiographic image capture device, a radiation irradiation device, and a control device. The radiographic image capture device is capable of wired and wireless communications, and is capable of fluoroscopic imaging in which radiographic images are successively captured at notified synchronization timings or at a predetermined frame rate. The radiation irradiation device irradiates radiation toward the radiographic image capture device during fluoroscopic imaging, with continuous irradiation or pulse irradiation. The control device includes a wireless communication unit, a wired communication unit, and a controller that, if communication with the radiographic image capture device is performed by the wireless communication unit, prohibits fluoroscopic imaging with pulse irradiation in which the synchronization timings are notified to the radiographic image capture device and radiation is irradiated from the radiation irradiation device in pulses matching the notified synchronization timings.

Claims

1. A radiographic image capturing system comprising:

a radiographic image capture device that is capable of wired communication via a communication cable and of wireless communication, and that is capable of fluoroscopic imaging in which radiographic images are successively captured at notified synchronization timings or at a predetermined frame rate;

a radiation irradiation device that irradiates radiation toward the radiographic image capture device during fluoroscopic imaging, with continuous irradiation or pulse irradiation; and

a control device that includes

a wireless communication unit that performs wireless communication with the radiographic image capture device,

a wired communication unit that performs wired communication with the radiographic image capture device via the communication cable, and

a controller that, in a case in which communication with the radiographic image capture device is performed by the wireless communication unit, prohibits fluoroscopic imaging with pulse irradiation in which the synchronization timings are notified to the radiographic image capture device and radiation is irradiated from the radiation irradiation device in pulses matching the notified synchronization timings.

2. The radiographic image capturing system according to claim 1, wherein

the control device further comprises a storage unit that memorizes unsuitable condition data representing a condition under which fluoroscopic imaging with continuous irradiation is unsuitable, and

the controller warns against or prohibits fluoroscopic imaging with continuous irradiation if the fluoroscopic imaging is to be carried out under the condition represented by the unsuitable condition data.

3. The radiographic image capturing system according to claim 1, wherein a radiation amount per unit time that is irradiated by the radiation irradiation device is smaller in the continuous irradiation than in the pulse irradiation.

4. The radiographic image capturing system according to claim 3, wherein the radiographic image capture device includes:

a radiographic detector in which a plurality of pixels that generate charges when radiation is irradiated thereon and store the charges are arranged in two dimensions, the radiographic detector outputting the charges stored in the pixels as electronic signals;

amplifiers that amplify the electronic signals output by the radiographic detector; and

an image capture device controller that, in case in which the continuous irradiation is performed, performs at least one of;

extending a storage period of the charges at the pixels to be longer than in the pulse irradiation;

increasing a gain amount of the amplifiers to be higher than in the pulse irradiation;

or

image processing that combines a plurality of adjacent pixels as a single pixel.

5. The radiographic image capturing system according to claim 1, further comprising a detector that detects shaking of the radiation irradiation device,

wherein the controller initiates a warning if a shake amount of the radiation irradiation device detected by the detector during fluoroscopic imaging is at least a first shake threshold value, and stops irradiation of the radiation from the radiation irradiation device if the shake amount is at least a second shake threshold value, which is larger than the first shake threshold value.

6. The radiographic image capturing system according to claim 5, wherein the controller initiates the warning and stops the irradiation of the radiation if the detector detects shaking of the radiation detection device during fluoroscopic imaging with continuous irradiation.

7. A radiographic image capturing system comprising:

a radiation irradiation device that is capable of wired communication via a communication cable and of wireless communication, and that irradiates radiation during fluoroscopic imaging in which radiographic images are successively captured with continuous irradiation or with pulse irradiation synchronized with notified synchronization timings; and

a control device that includes

a wireless communication unit that performs wireless communication with the radiation irradiation device,

a wired communication unit that performs wired communication with the radiation irradiation device via the communication cable, and

a controller that, in a case in which communication with the radiation irradiation device is performed by the wireless communication unit, prohibits fluoroscopic imaging with pulse irradiation in which the synchronization timings are notified to the radiation irradiation device and radiation is irradiated from the radiation irradiation device in pulses matching the notified synchronization timings.

8. A radiographic image capturing system comprising:

a radiation irradiation device that is capable of wired communication via a communication cable and of wireless communication, and that irradiates radiation during fluoroscopic imaging in which radiographic images are successively captured, with continuous irradiation or with pulse irradiation synchronized with notified synchronization timings; and

a control device that includes

a wireless communication unit that performs wireless communication with the radiation irradiation device,

a wired communication unit that performs wired communication with the radiation irradiation device via the communication cable,

an image capture unit that performs image capture at the synchronization timings or at a predetermined frame rate, and

a controller that, in case in which communication with the radiation irradiation device is performed by the wireless communication unit, prohibits fluoroscopic imaging with pulse irradiation in which the synchronization timings are notified to the radiation irradiation device and image capture is performed by the image capture unit in pulses matching the synchronization timings.