Radiant energy – Source with recording detector – Using a stimulable phosphor
Reexamination Certificate
2001-11-20
2004-10-19
Gagliardi, Albert (Department: 2878)
Radiant energy
Source with recording detector
Using a stimulable phosphor
C250S583000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06806487
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention mainly relates to a radiation-image radiographing system comprising a radiation-image reading apparatus to output the digitized image data, and controllers.
Recently, there is a strong tendency to increase the efficiency and speed of the diagnosis by digitizing radiation image information of a patient generated in a hospital and by storing and electrically transmitting it. Therefore, in the field of the direct radiographing, instead of the conventional screen/film system, a radiation-image radiographing system to output the digital data utilizing the stimulable phosphor substance is frequently used.
This radiation-image radiographing system utilizing this stimulable phosphor substance is called a common name computed radiography (CR). In this apparatus, a part of the radiographic energy transmitted through a subject is stored once in the stimulable phosphor substance. The energy stored in the stimulable phosphor substance can be taken out as the stimulative light by exciting it by the predetermined wavelength laser light. This stimulaitve light can be taken out as an electric signal by using a photoelectric conversion element such as a photo-multiplier.
The radiation-image radiographing system can be largely classified into an exclusive type radiation-image radiographing system which can not so simply be carried, in which the stimulable phosphor substance is housed, and a cassette type radiation-image radiographing system using a cassette in which the stimulable phosphor substance is housed, and which can be carried.
Referring to
FIG. 1
showing the cassette type radiation-image radiographing system using the stimulable phosphor substance, the cassette type radiation-image radiographing system using the stimulable phosphor substance will be described below. A cassette
6
is portable one in which a stimulable phosphor substance sheet
8
storing a portion of the radiographic energy is housed. In a radiographing room, a subject M is positioned between a radiographic tube
9
and the cassette
6
, and the radioactive ray from the radiographic tube
9
is irradiated toward the cassette
6
. The stimulable phosphor substance sheet
8
in the cassette
6
stores a part of the irradiated radiographic energy.
Then, when the cassette
6
is set to a radiation-image reading apparatus
1
, the radiation-image reading apparatus
1
reads out the radiation image information stored in the stimulable phosphor substance sheet
8
. Further, a controller
2
has a monitor for which the patient information and the information such as a radiographing portion relating to the image stored on the cassette
6
, is inputted and by which the read-out image by the radiation-image reading apparatus
1
is confirmed.
Then, the radiation-image reading apparatus
1
, in order to read-out the radiation image information stored in the stimulable phosphor substance sheet
8
in the cassette
6
, irradiates the excitation light onto the stimulable phosphor substance sheet and photoelectric converts the stimulative light emitted corresponding to the radiation image information stored by the irradiated excitation light, and after A/D conversion, outputs as the digital image data, however, the high accuracy is required for these systems, and the cost is considerably high.
Further, in order to enable to simultaneously set a plurality of cassettes of sheets of film, which are photographed in the inspection of one time, the radiation-image reading apparatus
1
is large sized.
Then, conventionally, in such the cassette type radiation-image radiographing system, the radiation-image reading apparatus
1
and its exclusive controller
2
are integrated, or separately connected in
1
to
1
. Accordingly, in many cases, one set of radiation-image reading apparatus
1
and its exclusive controller
2
are installed per a plurality of radiographing rooms. However, the radiographing operation in the radiographing room in which this set is not installed, is inconvenient, and because the time interval between the radiographing and the input of the patient information and radiographing information is long, the input mistake of the radiographic engineer tends to occur.
Further, because the time until the engineer goes to the radiation-image reading apparatus
1
from the radiographing room, and sets the cassette and returns to the radiographing room after the image confirmation, becomes long, there is a problem that the instruction of the next radiographing can not be given to the patient between the time, or as the result of the image confirmation after the photographed patient goes out of the radiographing room, when the re-radiographing is necessary, the calling out becomes necessary. Accordingly, although it is considered that at least one set of the radiation-image reading apparatus
1
and its exclusive controller
2
is installed in each radiographing room in the hospital, because it is installed irrespective of the frequency of the radiographing in the radiographing room, it is uneconomical, and further, the mounting space becomes large, and the cost is high.
Further, in any case, there is a problem, when any one of the radiation-image reading apparatus
1
or its controller
2
is faulty, both of them cannot be used.
Further, as another system from said radiographic photographic system, a system shown in
FIG. 2
is proposed. In this system, simultaneously when the patient information of the patient to be photographed by the cassette
6
, and the information of a photographic position is inputted at the information input terminal
5
, the ID number to discriminate the stimulable phosphor substance sheet
8
accommodated in the cassette
6
is read out, and as a series of information corresponding to the patient information or radiographing position information, it is stored in the server
4
through the network
3
. When the patient radiographing using the cassette
6
is completed, the cassette
6
is set to the radiation-image reading apparatus
1
, and in the same manner as the radiation-image reading apparatus
1
, the radiation image information stored in the stimulable phosphor substance sheet
8
in the set cassette
6
is read out. At the time, by the radiation-image reading apparatus
1
, the ID number of the stimulable phosphor substance sheet
8
is also read out. The radiation-image reading apparatus
1
refers the registration information corresponding to the read out ID number to the server
4
. The radiation-image reading apparatus
1
makes correspondence of the registration information answered from the server
4
with the read out radiation image information, and transfers it to an image confirmation apparatus
7
. Because the registration information and the radiation image information from a plurality of radiation-image reading apparatus
1
are collected in the image confirmation apparatus
7
, the final confirmation of the image is conducted therein.
In this system, a plurality of information input terminals
5
and radiation-image reading apparatus
1
are connected to the network
3
. In each radiographing room of the hospital, only the information input terminal
5
is installed, and when, in a common space between the radiographing rooms, a plurality of radiation-image reading apparatus
1
are installed, the installation space can be more reduced.
However, in each radiographing room, because the image confirmation apparatus
7
is not installed, there is a problem that the radiologist who is charge of radiographing cannot confirm the image. Accordingly, a full-time person who uses the image confirmation apparatus
7
and conducts the image confirmation, is necessary, and there is a defect, which results in an increase of the human cost.
Further, when the image confirmation apparatus
7
is malfunctioned, there is a defect that the image read out by whole radiation-image reading apparatus
1
cannot be confirmed.
Accordingly, it is considered that the image confirmation apparatus
7
is installed in each radiographing room. According to this
Nakagawa Masayuki
Okamoto Yuhei
Tamakoshi Yasuaki
Yonekawa Hisashi
Frishauf Holtz Goodman & Chick P.C.
Gagliardi Albert
Konica Corporation
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