Radiographic system, drive control method for radiographic system, recording medium for drive control program and radiological image detection device

• US 9,259,201 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2013
• Issued: 02/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Sato, Masaru
• Primary Examiner(s): Kao, Glen
• Application Number:
  US13/773,673
• Publication Number:
  US 20130223592A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,089 Days
• Field of Search: 378/97
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4233 using matrix detectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/542 involving control of exposure

Abstract

It is possible to reliably avoid a problem that radiation irradiation does not stop even when an accumulated radiation dose reaches a target radiation dose. An AEC unit starts monitoring an integrated value of a radiation dose detection signal from a detection pixel and an output of an irradiation continuation signal at the same time, and continuously transmits the irradiation continuation signal in a predetermined period while the integrated value does not reach a threshold value. When the integrated value reaches the threshold value, the output of the irradiation continuation signal is stopped. The irradiation continuation signal is transmitted to an irradiation signal I/F of a radiation source control device through an irradiation signal I/F by wireless. The radiation source control device stops X-ray irradiation by an X-ray source when the irradiation signal I/F does not receive the irradiation continuation signal.

Claims

1. A radiographic system comprising:

a radiation source which irradiates a subject with X-ray radiation;

a control device which controls a start and stop of X-ray radiation irradiation by the radiation source;

a radiological image detection device having a detection panel in which pixels accumulating charge according to a reached radiation dose are arranged;

a radiation dose detection sensor which detects the reached radiation dose; and

an automatic exposure control unit including a comparison circuit which compares an integrated value of the reached radiation dose detected by the radiation dose detection sensor and a threshold value set beforehand, and determines whether the integrated value of the reached radiation dose reaches a target value based on the comparison result,

wherein the comparison circuit continuously transmits an irradiation continuation signal which makes the radiation source continue radiation irradiation to the control device in a predetermined period until it is determined that the integrated value of the reached radiation dose reaches the target value from the start of the X-ray radiation irradiation by the radiation source, and

the control device stops the X-ray radiation irradiation when the irradiation continuation signal is not received.

2. The radiographic system according to claim 1,

wherein the automatic exposure control unit transmits and receives the irradiation continuation signal from and to the control device wirelessly.

3. The radiographic system according to claim 2,

wherein the automatic exposure control unit and the control device exchange the irradiation continuation signal by ad-hoc communication.

4. The radiographic system according to claim 2,

wherein the automatic exposure control unit and the control device exchange the irradiation continuation signal by a beacon.

5. The radiographic system according to claim 1,

wherein the control device is a radiation source control device which is connected with the radiation source and controls driving of the radiation source.

6. The radiographic system according to claim 1,

wherein the control device is a detection control device which is connected with the radiological image detection device and controls driving of the radiological image detection device, and transmits a signal synchronized with the irradiation continuation signal to a radiation source control device which is connected with the radiation source and controls driving of the radiation source.

7. The radiographic system according to claim 6,

wherein the detection control device transmits and receives the signal synchronized with the irradiation continuation signal to and from the radiation source control device by wire.

8. The radiographic system according to claim 1,

wherein the control device is a detection control device which is connected with the radiological image detection device and controls driving of the radiological image detection device, and transmits an irradiation stop signal which stops X-ray radiation irradiation to a radiation source control device which is connected with the radiation source and controls driving of the radiation source by wire when the irradiation continuation signal is not received.

9. The radiographic system according to claim 1,

wherein the automatic exposure control unit provides an ID of the radiological image detection device in use to the irradiation continuation signal, and

the control device includes a storage unit that stores an ID of the radiological image detection device in use, which is acquired separately from the irradiation continuation signal, and a collation unit that collates the ID stored in the storage unit with the ID provided to the received irradiation continuation signal and determines whether the received irradiation continuation signal is transmitted to the collation unit itself.

10. The radiographic system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an irradiation stop determination unit which determines that the X-ray radiation irradiation from the radiation source is stopped based on the reached radiation dose detected by the radiation dose detection sensor.

11. The radiographic system according to claim 10, further comprising:

a warning display unit which notifies, when the irradiation stop determination unit determines that the X-ray radiation irradiation is stopped before the integrated value of the reached radiation dose reaches a target value, the purport to an operator.

12. The radiographic system according to claim 10,

wherein when the irradiation stop determination unit determines that the X-ray radiation irradiation is stopped before the integrated value of the reached radiation dose reaches a target value, the control device controls driving of the radiation source so that a subject is additionally irradiated with the X-ray radiation that makes up for a shortage of the reached radiation dose.

13. The radiographic system according to claim 1,

wherein the radiation dose detection sensor and the automatic exposure control unit are built in the radiological image detection device.

14. The radiographic system according to claim 13,

wherein the radiation dose detection sensor is a part of the pixels.

15. The radiographic system according to claim 13,

wherein the radiological image detection device performs a communication function of a signal between the automatic exposure control unit and the control device and a communication function of other signals with one communication I/F.

16. The radiographic system according to claim 15,

wherein the communication I/F is capable of changing a communication speed such that the signal communication between the automatic exposure control unit and the control device is performed at a high speed and other signal communication is performed at a low speed in comparison with the case of the signal between the automatic exposure control unit and the control device.

17. The radiographic system according to claim 13,

wherein the radiological image detection device performs a communication function of a signal between the automatic exposure control unit and the control device and a communication function of other signals with separate communication I/Fs.

18. The radiographic system according to claim 17,

wherein when the communication of the signal between the automatic exposure control unit and the control device is performed, the communication I/F function of other signals is stopped.

19. The radiographic system according to claim 1,

wherein the radiological image detection device is an electronic cassette in which the detection panel is contained in a portable case.

20. The radiographic system according to claim 1,

wherein the control device stops the x-ray radiation irradiation when the irradiation continuation signal is not received without receiving an irradiation stop signal which stops the x-ray radiation irradiation.

21. The radiographic system according to claim 1,

wherein the control device stops the x-ray radiation irradiation when the irradiation continuation signal is not received in a predetermined time.

22. A drive control method for a radiographic system including a radiation source which irradiates a subject with X-ray radiation, a control device which controls a start and stop of X-ray radiation irradiation by the radiation source, a radiological image detection device having a detection panel in which pixels accumulating charge according to a reached radiation dose are arranged, a radiation dose detection sensor which detects the reached radiation dose, and an automatic exposure control unit including a comparison circuit which compares an integrated value of the reached radiation dose detected by the radiation dose detection sensor and a threshold value set beforehand, and determines whether the integrated value of the reached radiation dose reaches a target value based on the comparison result, the method comprising:

continuously transmitting, by said comparison circuit, an irradiation continuation signal which makes the radiation source continue X-ray radiation irradiation to the control device from the automatic exposure control unit in a predetermined period until it is determined that the integrated value of the reached radiation dose reaches the target value from the start of the X-ray radiation irradiation by the radiation source; and

making the control device stop the X-ray radiation irradiation when the control device does not receive the irradiation continuation signal.

23. A non-transitory computer readable recording medium recorded with a drive control program of a radiographic system including a radiation source which irradiates a subject with X-ray radiation, a control device which controls a start and stop of X-ray radiation irradiation by the radiation source, a radiological image detection device having a detection panel in which pixels accumulating charge according to a reached radiation dose are arranged, a radiation dose detection sensor which detects the reached radiation dose, and an automatic exposure control unit including a comparator which compares an integrated value of the reached radiation dose detected by the radiation dose detection sensor and a threshold value set beforehand, and determines whether the integrated value of the reached radiation dose reaches a target value based on the comparison result, the program causing a computer to execute functions of:

continuously transmitting, by said comparator, an irradiation continuation signal which makes the radiation source continue X-ray radiation irradiation to the control device from the automatic exposure control unit in a predetermined period until it is determined that the integrated value of the reached radiation dose reaches the target value from the start of the X-ray radiation irradiation by the radiation source; and

making the control device stop the X-ray radiation irradiation when the control device does not receive the irradiation continuation signal.

24. A radiological image detection device having a detection panel in which pixels accumulating charge according to a reached radiation dose are arranged, the device comprising:

an automatic exposure control unit including a comparison circuit which compares an integrated value of the reached radiation dose detected by a radiation dose detection sensor and a threshold value set beforehand, and determines whether the integrated value of the reached radiation dose reaches a target value based on the comparison result,

wherein the automatic exposure control unit continuously transmits, by said comparison circuit, an irradiation continuation signal which makes a radiation source continue X-ray radiation irradiation to a control device that controls a start and stop of X-ray radiation irradiation by the radiation source in a predetermined period until it is determined that the integrated value of the reached radiation dose reaches the target value from the start of the X-ray radiation irradiation by the radiation source.