Image analysis – Applications – Biomedical applications
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-30
2003-03-04
Patel, Jayanti K. (Department: 2625)
Image analysis
Applications
Biomedical applications
C382S141000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06529618
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a radiation image processing method and a radiation image processing apparatus.
Heretofore, an apparatus for reading a radiation image capable of obtaining a radiation image for diagnosis of disease has been known. In this radiation image reading apparatus, it is used, for example, a stimulable phosphor sheet wherein stimulable phosphor material, which stores a part of radiation energy and later, when an exiting light such as a visible light is applied, exhibits stimulated emission of light in accordance with the stored energy, is processed to make a sheet. In an apparatus using this stimulable phosphor sheet, radiation image information of an object to be radiographed is recorded by applying a radiation transmitted through the object to the stimulable phosphor sheet, and by condensing and converting it into an electrical signal by a photoelectric element the stimulated emission of light obtained by application of a laser light or the like to the stimulable phosphor sheet in which the information has been recorded, image data of a radiation image based on this electrical signal are generated. Further, it is also used an apparatus wherein image data are generated on the basis of an electrical signal which is generated in accordance with the dose of the applied radiation by two-dimensionally arranged plural detective elements which is called a Flat Panel Detector (an FPD).
However, in the FPD, wherein a plurality of detective elements are arranged two-dimensionally, the signal level (signal value) for the dose of applied radiation is not uniform for all the detective elements, and in some cases it is included a detective element such as a damaged element or an inferior element which makes the signal level different from the level of other elements, that is, an abnormal level, (hereinafter referred to as ‘a defective pixel’). In cases where such a defective pixel is included, because an image defect is produced in the image data based on the signal read from the image sensing panel, sometimes proper diagnosis is disturbed in reading the photographed image for diagnosing a disease.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, the first object of this invention is to provide a radiation image processing method and a radiation image processing apparatus wherein a satisfactory radiation image can be obtained even if an image defect is produced in the image data.
Further, if correction has been done when an image defect was produced, the position for which the correction has been made can not be discriminated from the image data after correction; hence, it is impossible to confirm the position for which correction has been done.
Therefore, it is another object of this invention to provide a radiation image processing apparatus capable of obtaining a radiation image which is satisfactory and easy to observe even in the case where an image defect has been produced, and also capable of easily discriminating the position of the image defect.
Further, image defects sometimes increase; hence, correction can not be precisely done if the increase of image defects and the positions of the image defects are not grasped precisely.
Accordingly, it is a further object of this invention to provide a radiation image processing apparatus capable of correctly detecting that an image defect has been produced newly and easily discriminating the image defect.
The above objects can be attained by the following structure and the following method.
A radiation image processing apparatus, comprises:
a defect detecting device to receive first image data from a sensor which comprises plural elements arranged two-dimensionally, converts irradiated radiation into electoric image signals by the plural elements and outputs image data in which each element outputs an image datum of a single pixel, the defect detecting device to detect an image defect in the first image data and to produce defect information indicating a position of the image defect;
a memory to store the defect information; and
a correcting device for receiving second image data outputted from the sensor on a condition that the sensor is irradiated with radiation passing through an object, for correcting the second image data on the basis of the defect information read out from the memory, and for producing third image data.
A radiation image processing apparatus, comprises:
a sensor in which plural elements are arranged two-dimensionally, to convert irradiated radiation into electoric image signals by the plural elements and to output image data in which each element outputs an image datum of a single pixel;
a defect detecting device to receive first image data from the sensor, to detect an image defect in the first image data, and to produce defect information indicating a position of the image defect;
a memory to store the defect information;
a defect comparing device to compare predetermined first defect information with second defect information based on new defect information newly produced by the defect detecting device; and
a warning device to make warning.
A radiation image processing apparatus, comprises:
a sensor in which plural elements are arranged two-dimensionally, to convert irradiated radiation into electoric image signals by the plural elements and to output image data in which each element outputs an image datum of a single pixel;
a defect detecting device to receive first image data from the sensor, to detect an image defect in the first image data, and to produce defect information indicating a position of the image defect;
a memory to store the defect information;
a defect comparing device to compare predetermined first defect information with second defect information based on new defect information newly produced by the defect detecting device; and
the memory renewing the stored defect information based on the comparison result by the defect comparing device.
A radiation image processing method, comprises steps of:
producing first image data by a sensor which comprises plural elements arranged two-dimensionally, converts irradiated radiation into electoric image signals by the plural elements and outputs image data in which each element outputs an image datum of a single pixel;
producing defect information indicating a position of the image defect by detecting an image defect in the first image data;
producing second image data by the sensor on a condition that the sensor is irradiated with radiation passing through an object, and
producing third image data by correcting the second image data on the basis of the defect information.
Further, the above objects can be attained by the following preferable structure and the following preferable method.
The radiation image processing method of this invention is a method wherein an output signal is obtained from two-dimensionally arranged plural radiation detecting elements with each of the radiation detecting elements made as one pixel, and an image defect is detected from first image data produced on the basis of the output signal, while a defect information showing the position of the detected image defect is generated, and the image data of the image defect shown by the defect information in second image data generated by applying the radiation transmitted through an object to be radiographed to the plural radiation detecting elements are corrected.
Further, the radiation image processing apparatus is an apparatus comprising defect detecting means which detects an image defect from first image data produced on the basis of an output signal obtained from two-dimensionally arranged plural radiation detecting elements with each of the radiation detecting elements made one pixel and generates the defect information showing the position of the detected image defect, defect information memorizing means which memorizes the defect information generated by the defect detecting means, and defect correcting means which corrects the image defect in second image data produced by applying the radiation transmitted through an object to be radiograp
Amitani Kouji
Ohara Hiromu
Azarian Seyed
Frishauf Holtz Goodman & Chick P.C.
Konica Corporation
Patel Jayanti K.
LandOfFree
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