Correction image creation device, radiographic imaging device, imaging device, computer readable medium and correction image creation method

• US 9,258,497 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2014
• Issued: 02/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Tsuji, Tetsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Porta, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Faye, Mamadou
• Application Number:
  US14/293,697
• Publication Number:
  US 20140267837A1
• Time in Patent Office: 617 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4233 using matrix detectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4283 characterised by a detector unit being housed in a cassette
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/44 Constructional features of apparatus for radiation diagnosis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4464 the source unit or the detector unit being mounted to ceiling
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/5258 involving detection or reduction of artifacts or noise
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/5264 due to motion
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/1647 Processing of scintigraphic data not related to a particular imaging system G01T1/2992
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/17 Circuit arrangements not adapted to a particular type of detector pulse-selection circuits H03K, G01R
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/20 with scintillation detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10116 X-ray image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20012 Locally adaptive
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20182 Noise reduction or smoothing in the temporal domain; Spatio-temporal filtering
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/40 using histogram techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/50 using two or more images, e.g. averaging or subtraction
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/70 Denoising; Smoothing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0014 using an image reference approach
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• 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 25/617 for reducing electromagnetic interference, e.g. clocking noise
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/68 : applied to defects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/70 : SSIS architectures; Circuits associated therewith
• 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

A correction image creation device includes: an acquisition unit that acquires at least one original image, which is a basis when creating a correction image used in offset correction with respect to an image that has been obtained by imaging; a determination unit that determines whether or not noise from the exterior is superimposed on the original image; and a cancellation unit that cancels creation of the correction image in a case in which it has been determined by the determination unit that noise from the exterior is superimposed on the original image.

Claims

1. A correction image creation device comprising:

an acquisition unit that acquires at least one original image, which is a basis when creating a correction image used in offset correction with respect to an image that has been obtained by imaging;

a determination unit that determines whether or not noise, from an exterior, is superimposed on the original image; and

a cancellation unit that cancels creation of the correction image in a case in which it has been determined by the determination unit that noise from the exterior is superimposed on the original image.

2. The correction image creation device according to claim 1, wherein, in a case in which it has been determined that noise from the exterior is superimposed on the original image, the cancellation unit cancels creation of the correction image that uses the original image on which the noise has been superimposed.

3. The correction image creation device according to claim 2, further comprising a creation unit that creates the correction image, using an original image that has been determined by the determination unit as not having noise from the exterior superimposed on it.

4. The correction image creation device according to claim 1, wherein the correction image creation device acquires, as the original image, a radiographic image that has been captured by an imaging device, which irradiates a subject with radiation from a radiation source and uses a detector to detect radiation that has passed through the subject to thereby capture a radiographic image of the subject, without irradiating a subject with radiation from the radiation source.

5. The correction image creation device according to claim 1, wherein the acquisition unit acquires, as the original image, an image that has been captured by a solid-state image sensor without the presence of incident light.

6. The correction image creation device according to claim 1, wherein the noise is at least one of noise caused by scatter radiation, noise caused by an impact or noise caused by electromagnetic waves.

7. The correction image creation device according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines whether or not noise caused by scatter radiation is superimposed, by comparing, against a predetermined threshold value, mean values of pixel values in a plurality of regions in the original image.

8. The correction image creation device according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines whether or not noise caused by an impact is superimposed, on the basis of numbers of pixels with respect to differences away from a reference value of a histogram represented by differences in pixel values of corresponding pixels in an image for offset correction that has already been created and an original image, differences in pixel values of corresponding pixels in original images, differences in pixel values of corresponding pixels in a difference image obtained from a plurality of original images on which noise is not superimposed and an original image, or differences in pixel values of corresponding pixels in a mean image of a plurality of original images on which noise is not superimposed and an original image, and numbers of pixels with respect to the differences.

9. The correction image creation device according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines whether or not noise caused by electromagnetic waves is superimposed, on the basis of the spread of a histogram represented by differences in pixel values of corresponding pixels in an image for offset correction that has already been created and an original image and numbers of pixels with respect to those differences.

10. The correction image creation device according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit uses, as the original image, an image obtained as a result of noise caused by defective pixels having been removed by a median filter from the original image.

14. An imaging device comprising:

the correction image creation device according to claim 5; and

an imaging device that has a solid-state image sensor.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program for causing a computer to function as the correction image creation device according to claim 1.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 15, wherein, in a case in which it has been determined that noise from the exterior is superimposed on the original image, the cancellation unit cancels creation of the correction image that uses the original image on which the noise has been superimposed.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 16, further comprising a creation unit that creates the correction image, using an original image that has been determined by the determination unit as not having noise from the exterior superimposed on it.

11. A radiographic imaging device comprising:

an imaging device that irradiates a subject with radiation from a radiation source and uses a detector to detect radiation that has passed through the subject to thereby capture a radiographic image of the subject, and

a correction image creation device comprising;

an acquisition unit that acquires at least one original image, which is a basis when creating a correction image used in offset correction with respect to an image that has been obtained by imaging;

a determination unit that determines whether or not noise, from an exterior, is superimposed on the original image; and

a cancellation unit that cancels creation of the correction image in a case in which it has been determined by the determination unit that noise from the exterior is superimposed on the original image,

wherein the correction image creation device acquires, as the original image, a radiographic image that has been captured by the imaging device without irradiating a subject with radiation from the radiation source.

12. The radiographic imaging device according to claim 11, wherein, in a case in which it has been determined that noise from the exterior is superimposed on the original image, the cancellation unit cancels creation of the correction image that uses the original image on which the noise has been superimposed.

13. The radiographic imaging device according to claim 12, further comprising a creation unit that creates the correction image, using an original image that has been determined by the determination unit as not having noise from the exterior superimposed on it.

18. A correction image creation method comprising:

acquiring at least one original image, which is a basis when creating a correction image used in offset correction with respect to an image that has been obtained by imaging;

determining whether or not noise, from an exterior, is superimposed on the original image; and

cancelling creation of the correction image in a case in which it has been determined that noise from the exterior is superimposed on the original image.