Radiation image detection apparatus and radiation image photographing system

• US 9,001,972 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2012
• Issued: 04/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Takahashi, Yasufumi, Sugizaki, Makoto, Iwakiri, Naoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Souw, Bernard E
• Application Number:
  US13/676,654
• Publication Number:
  US 20130121471A1
• Time in Patent Office: 874 Days
• Field of Search: 378/62, 378/87, 378/88, 378/91, 378 96- 98, 378/108, 378/210, 382/132, 382/274, 382/325
• US Class Current: 378/98
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/548 Remote control of the apparatus or devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/30 for transforming X-rays into image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/60 Noise processing, e.g. detecting, correcting, reducing or removing noise
• 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: H05G 1/30 Controlling

Abstract

A radiation image detection apparatus, includes: a control unit configured to drive an imaging unit so that a radiation image data is acquired, an image receiving unit is reset after acquiring the radiation image data, and a dark image data is acquired; in which: the control unit changes at least one of a reset time of the image receiving unit and a reduction ratio of an reduced image data on the basis of the communication speed by such that the transmission of the reduced image data is completed at least prior to reading-out an electrical charge signal from the image receiving unit when acquiring the dark image.

Claims

1. A radiation image detection apparatus, comprising:

an imaging unit including an image receiving unit having a pixel array configured to receive radiation and to accumulate an electrical charge, and an image data generation unit configured to generate an image data based on the electrical charge output from the image receiving unit;

a communication unit configured to transmit the image data acquired by the imaging unit to an external equipment;

a communication speed detection unit configured to monitor the communication speed of the communication unit; and

a control unit configured to drive the imaging unit so that a radiation image data is acquired during an exposure to radiation, the image receiving unit is reset after acquiring the radiation image data, and a dark image data is acquired during a non-exposure to the radiation;

wherein the image data generation unit generates a reduced image data from the radiation image data, and

the control unit changes at least one of a reset time of the image receiving unit and a reduction ratio of the reduced image data on the basis of the communication speed detected by the communication speed detection unit such that the transmission of the reduced image data by the communication unit is completed at least prior to reading-out the electrical charge signal from the image receiving unit when acquiring the dark image.

2. The radiation image detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the control unit changes at least one of the reset time of the image receiving unit and the reduction ratio of the reduced image data on the basis of the communication speed detected by the communication speed detection unit such that the transmission of the reduced image data by the communication unit is completed at least prior to accumulating the electrical charge signal from the image receiving unit when acquiring the dark image.

3. The radiation image detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the control unit is configured to stop or continue supplying of power to the imaging unit on the basis of a control signal from the external equipment after acquisition of the dark image data.

4. The radiation image detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the communication unit is configured to transmit the image data to the external equipment through a wireless communication.

5. A radiation image photographing system comprising:

the radiation image detection apparatus according to according to claim 1; and

the external equipment configured to receive the image data transmitted from the radiation image detection apparatus,

wherein the external equipment includes;

an image processing unit configured to generate a preview image data based on the reduced image data; and

a display configured to display an image based on the preview image data generated by the image processing unit.

6. The radiation image photographing system according to claim 5, wherein:

the external equipment includes a storage storing the dark image data, and

the image processing unit generates the preview image data by performing a correction processing to the reduced image data using a previous dark image data stored in the storage.

7. The radiation image photographing system according to claim 5, wherein:

the external equipment includes a determination unit configured to determine, on the basis of the preview image data, whether a photographing conducted at the time of acquiring the reduced image data being source of the preview image data is appropriate or not, and

when it is determined that the photographing is appropriate, the control unit stops supplying power to the imaging unit after acquisition of the dark image data, and when it is determined that the photographing is not appropriate, the control unit continues supplying power to the imaging unit after acquisition of the dark image data.

8. A method of controlling a radiation image detection apparatus, the radiation image detection apparatus including:

an imaging unit that includes an image receiving unit having a pixel array configured to receive radiation and to accumulate an electrical charge, and an image data generation unit configured to generate an image data based on the electrical charge output from the image receiving unit;

a communication unit configured to transmit the image data acquired by the imaging unit to an external equipment;

a communication speed detection unit configured to monitor the communication speed of the communication unit; and

a control unit configured to drive the imaging unit so that a radiation image data is acquired during an exposure to radiation, the image receiving unit is reset after acquiring the radiation image data, and a dark image data is acquired during a non-exposure to the radiation,

wherein the method comprises;

changing at least one of a reset time of the image receiving unit and a reduction ratio of the reduced image data on the basis of the communication speed detected by the communication speed detection unit such that the transmission of the reduced image data by the communication unit is completed at least prior to reading-out of the electrical charge signal from the image receiving unit when acquiring the dark image.

9. The method of controlling a radiation image detection apparatus according to claim 8, wherein:

at least one of a reset time of the image receiving unit and a reduction ratio of the reduced image data is changed by the control unit on the basis of the communication speed detected by the communication speed detection unit such that the transmission of the reduced image data by the communication unit is completed at least prior to accumulating the electrical charge signal from the image receiving unit when acquiring the dark image.