JP2006305106A - Radiographic x-ray apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the problem in a conventional radiographic X-ray apparatus that radio communication becomes a problem in its real time nature and synchronous exposure is not performed with right timing although it is necessary to perform also exposure synchronization by radio. <P>SOLUTION: In a radiographic X-ray apparatus equipped with a cable-less photographing section equipped with a 2-dimensional X-ray sensing means, which receives an image of X-rays which is transmitted through a subject, and a controller which performs the photographing control of a generator, photographable session information of the photographing section is once synchronized between the photographing controller and the generator, then, both of them have the photographable session information by each built-in timer and thereby X-ray exposure can be always performed at a timing of a photographable session without performing synchronous communication at the time of the actual X-ray exposure. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an X-ray imaging apparatus using a solid-state imaging device.

  In recent years, a system for taking an X-ray image of a subject using a large-area semiconductor image sensor (FPD, Flat Panel Detector) has been developed. This system has the practical advantage of being able to record images over a very wide range of radiation exposure compared to conventional X-ray photography systems using silver halide photography. That is, X-rays with a very wide dynamic range are read as electrical signals using photoelectric conversion means, and the electrical signals are further converted into digital signals. By processing this digital signal and outputting the radiation image as a visible image to a recording material such as a photographic photosensitive material or a display device such as a CRT, a good radiation image can be obtained even if the radiation exposure varies to some extent. It is done.

  An X-ray imaging apparatus using an FPD performs an imaging operation under the control of a control PC, and transmits acquired image data to the control PC. There are various communication methods for these communications. Examples include optical fiber communication using an optical module, wireless communication, and the like. Assuming a cassette-type FPD, wireless communication that improves user convenience is considered effective.

As a prior art for wirelessly transmitting X-ray image data, Patent Document 1 discloses (1) a rotation axis is provided at one end of the detector unit, and the fluoroscopic imaging table is held by the rotation axis and rotated by 90 degrees. By doing so, the front space of the subject can be opened. (2) A sliding electrode is provided on the rotating shaft to input / output signals of the detector unit and supply power. The control unit controls the detection unit having the X-ray conversion layer and the active matrix substrate inside, the gate circuit unit and the reading circuit unit, reads out the pixel signal of the detection unit to the reading circuit unit, and externally through the sliding electrode Send data to. (3) Further, a technique is disclosed in which a communication circuit unit capable of wirelessly transmitting / receiving to / from the outside is provided and data can be wirelessly transmitted to the outside by non-contact input / output means.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-52015

  The X-ray digital imaging apparatus has a limited imaging period depending on whether or not it is in a charge accumulation state. Therefore, in actual imaging, it is necessary to synchronize between the imaging apparatus and the X-ray generator so that X-ray exposure is performed during this imaging possible period.

  In a conventional wireless type X-ray imaging apparatus, it is necessary to perform this X-ray exposure synchronization by radio communication at the time of X-ray imaging, but the real-time property of radio communication becomes a problem, and X-ray synchronization is performed at the correct timing. There was a problem that exposure was not performed.

  Accordingly, an exemplary object of the present invention is to synchronize the photographing period information of the photographing unit once with the photographing control device or the generating device, and then both of them can be photographed with each built-in timer. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an imaging apparatus that can always perform X-ray exposure at the timing of the imaging possible period without performing synchronous communication during actual X-ray exposure.

  Further objects and other features of the present invention will be made clear by the preferred embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, an X-ray digital imaging apparatus according to the present invention mainly has the following configuration.

  This is achieved by an X-ray imaging apparatus including a cableless imaging unit including a two-dimensional X-ray detection unit that receives X-rays transmitted through a subject, and the control device that performs imaging control of a generation device.

  Further, the first invention of the present invention will be described as follows.

  (1) An X-ray imaging apparatus including a cableless imaging unit including a two-dimensional X-ray detection unit that receives X-rays transmitted through a subject, and the control device that performs imaging control of a generation device. An X-ray imaging apparatus characterized in that possible period information is synchronized with the imaging control apparatus or the generating apparatus, and thereafter both have imaging period information at each built-in timer.

  According to the present invention, the photographing period information of the photographing unit is synchronized once with the photographing control device or the generation device, and then both have the photographing period information in each built-in timer, There is an effect that it is possible to provide an imaging apparatus capable of always performing X-ray exposure at the timing of the imaging possible period without performing synchronous communication during actual X-ray exposure.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of this embodiment.

  X-ray imaging is performed by the operation of the operator 131. The operator 131 gives an imaging instruction through the operation panel 129 and performs X-ray imaging through the operation panel control device 126. The X-ray generator control circuit 123 is connected to an X-ray generator (not shown).

  The X-ray sensor 102 included in the X-ray imaging apparatus 101 is a two-dimensional sensor formed of amorphous silicon. In a preferred embodiment, the X-ray sensor 102 includes 160 μ resolution and 2688 × 2688 pixels. X-rays emitted from an X-ray generator (not shown) pass through a subject (not shown) and reach the X-ray sensor 102.

  The reached X-rays are converted into charges proportional to the incident X-rays by the X-ray sensor 102, and the charges are converted into digital data for each pixel by the AD converter 106 and stored in the memory 105. These X-ray imaging operations are performed under the control of the CPU 104 or the imaging drive control circuit 107 in the imaging apparatus in accordance with an imaging command from the imaging control apparatus 120.

  In addition, the X-ray imaging apparatus includes an X-ray monitor 113, which makes it possible to recognize a period during which X-ray exposure is actually performed.

  The photographing apparatus 101 and the photographing control apparatus 120 perform wireless communication using the wireless communication modules 109 and 122 and the wireless communication antennas 112 and 121, respectively, and the captured image stored in the memory 105 is wireless communication. Is transmitted from the photographing apparatus 101 to the photographing control apparatus 120. The radio communication module 109 of the X-ray imaging apparatus includes a transmission module 110 and a reception module 111, and the radio communication control unit 108 controls each operation.

  The imaging control apparatus 120 stores the image data obtained from the X-ray imaging apparatus 101 in the internal RAM 128. The stored image data is subjected to appropriate processing such as offset correction and gain correction, and then displayed on the display 130 or stored in the hard disk 125 or an external storage device according to a request from the operator 131.

  Here, the sequence of the photographing operation of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 2 is a timing chart including an imaging operation of the X-ray imaging apparatus 101. The operation of the X-ray imaging apparatus 101 will be described with reference to FIG.

  Reference numeral 200 denotes a state of an imaging request signal for the operator interface 129, 202 denotes an actual X-ray exposure state, and 203 denotes a driving state of the X-ray imaging apparatus (particularly, a charge reading operation from the photodetector array).

  The X-ray imaging apparatus always performs idling driving according to an instruction from the shadow driving control circuit 107. This is because in the photoelectric conversion mode, a bias is applied to the photodetector array and refresh and idle reading are performed at predetermined intervals in order to avoid the dark current being gradually accumulated in the photodetector and held in a saturated state. It is a repeated operation.

  In the X-ray imaging apparatus, the photoelectric conversion mode period in the idling drive is a charge accumulation period, that is, an X-ray imaging possible period (203).

  In the present invention, first, the X-ray imaging possible period information of the imaging apparatus is synchronized with the control apparatus, and the information is shared. As a method for sharing information, a method using a cassette station 140 can be considered. The cassette station can be equipped with a photographing device, and may have a function such as charging the battery of the photographing unit. The cassette station is connected to the control device 120, and shares the X-ray radiographable period information of the imaging device by the operation of the synchronization controller 141. Once this information is shared, the X-ray imaging period information continues to be shared by the timers incorporated in the imaging apparatus 101 and the control apparatus 120, respectively. That is, after performing the synchronization work for the first time, the X-ray radiographable period information is known to each other without performing the synchronization work again.

  In actual exposure, exposure is performed in response to an actual exposure request instruction (200: 2nd SW pressed) from the operator 131 to the operator interface 129. At this time, the X-ray generator controller asserts an X-ray exposure permission signal to the X-ray generator at the timing of the X-ray exposure enable period 201. The X-ray generator generates X-rays for a predetermined time while the X-ray exposure permission signal is given. When the X-ray exposure for a predetermined time is completed, the end of the X-ray exposure is detected by the operation of the X-ray monitor 113, and in response to this, the imaging controller 107 notifies the image acquisition timing, and based on this timing. Thus, the charge accumulation mode is terminated, and the operation of the signal readout circuit that has been in a standby state is started.

  The X-ray exposure request signal 200 is not always asserted during a radiographable period. If there is a shooting request outside of the exposure period, you may cancel the shooting request once and ask the operator for a shooting request again, or wait for the exposure period. X-ray exposure may be performed. Usually, each imaging possible period T1 is several seconds, and the refresh and idle reading period is several hundred ms. Therefore, even if X-ray exposure is performed after reaching the exposure possible period, it does not cause a big problem. . In general, the X-ray exposure time in X-ray imaging is several tens to several hundreds of ms. The control device 120 may adjust the radiographable period T1 by knowing the X-ray exposure time information in advance.

  In addition, synchronization of the recordable period information between the image capturing apparatus and the control apparatus may be performed when the system is started, or a synchronization correction is requested after a certain period of time for correcting the recordable period information. A display to be displayed may be displayed on the operator interface 129. Since the cableless type imaging unit always needs to be charged after a certain period of time, it is preferable to correct the synchronization timing of the recordable period information when the cassette station equipped with a charger is installed as described above. It is.

  Further, information on the exposure possible period may be displayed on the operator interface 129 so that the operator 131 can clearly know the exposure possible period. Thereby, the operator can perform X-ray exposure arbitrarily according to the exposure possible period.

  Further, the photographing apparatus 101 may be provided with an interface of a portable storage medium so that the acquired image can be taken out by the portable storage medium. By using this method, the imaging apparatus 101 and the control apparatus 120 do not need to communicate except when sharing information during the exposure period, that is, it is possible to perform no communication at all except when the cassette station is mounted. A cableless type X-ray imaging apparatus can be provided.

  The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications and changes can be made within the scope of the gist.

Shooting system block diagram of the present invention Shooting timing chart of the present invention

Explanation of symbols

101 X-ray imaging apparatus 102 X-ray sensor 104 CPU
105 Memory 106 A / D Conversion Circuit 107 Imaging Control Circuit 108 Wireless Communication Control Unit 109 Wireless Communication Module 112 Wireless Communication Antenna 120 X-ray Control Device 121 Wireless Communication Antenna 122 Wireless Communication Module 123 Generator Control Circuit 124 Imaging Control Circuit 125 Hard disk 128 RAM
129 Operation panel 130 Display

Claims (7)

An X-ray imaging apparatus comprising: a cableless imaging unit including a two-dimensional X-ray detection unit that receives X-rays transmitted through a subject; and the control device that performs imaging control of a generator.
An X-ray imaging apparatus characterized in that imaging period information of the imaging unit is synchronized with the imaging control apparatus or the generation apparatus, and thereafter both have imaging period information at each built-in timer.   The X-ray imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the synchronization information of the imaging possible period can be corrected by an external unit.   The X-ray imaging apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the exposure request is canceled when the exposure request is outside the imaging period.   3. The X-ray imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the exposure request is outside the imaging period, the X-ray imaging apparatus performs exposure after waiting for the imaging period.   The X-ray imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the imaging unit and the imaging control unit perform wireless communication.   The X-ray imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the acquired image data of the imaging unit can be stored by a portable storage medium that can be attached to the imaging unit.   The X-ray imaging apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein information on the imaging period is displayed on the imaging control apparatus or the generation apparatus.

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