Hitachi Medical Corporation

Hitachi, Ltd.

Agency of Industrial Science and Technology

Ministry of International Trade & Industry

Ken Ueda

Rika Baba

Keiji Umetani

Hisatake Yokouchi

Hironori Ueki

Yoichi Onodera

Katsumi Takami

Akira Kuba

Hiroyuki Kawai

Fumio Kawaguchi

Kenichi Okajima

Teruichi Tomura

Ken Ishikawa

Koichi Koike

Kenji Ishimatsu

Tetsuhiko Takahashi

Yoshio Suzuki

Kazutaka Tsuji

Takashi Ishiguro

Kensuke Sekihara

Ryuichi Suzuki

Fumitaka Takahashi

Masayuki Tsuneoka

Masakazu Okabe

Nobuhisa Kasagima

Tomoharu Kajiyama

Shigekazu Hara

Tetsurou Minemura

Keiji Umetake

An X-ray measuring instrument in which an object under examination is irradiated with X-rays, measurement data on the object is detected, a filter for adjusting the amount of transmitted X-rays is disposed between an X-ray source and the object, the relative position of the X-ray source to the object is varied, and the acquired measurement data is computed. The measurement data is subjected to logarithm transform to acquire projection data, and the amount of absorbed X-rays of the filter corresponding to the acquired projection data is determined. The thickness of the filter is computed by using a predetermined transform formula for the acquired amount of absorbed X-rays. A correction coefficient corresponding to the projection data acquired from the computed thickness of the filter is determined, and the projection data is multiplied by the determined correction coefficient. The projection data multiplied by the correction coefficient is restructure-computed to obtain a three-dimensional image.

X-ray measuring instrument

An x-ray measuring apparatus comprises an x-ray source, an x-ray detector, a rotating device, and a processor. The x-ray source generates x-rays to be emitted to a subject. The x-ray detector detects measurement data regarding the subject. The rotating device changes a relative position of the x-ray source and the x-ray detector with respect to the subject. The x-ray detector is shifted by a distance shorter than half the length of the x-ray detector along a line parallel to the plane of rotation, in a tangential direction of the plane of rotation generated by the x-ray source. The processor obtains projection data by executing a logarithmic converting process for the measurement data, multiplies a value of the projection data by a weight, and obtains reconstructed data therefrom.

X-ray measuring apparatus

The present invention provides an x-ray measuring apparatus for diagnosis having high spatial resolution and high sensitivity, which includes: an x-ray source for emitting x-rays from an x-ray focal spot; an x-ray detector in which a plurality of sensing elements each having a sensitive part and a blind part surrounding the sensitive part are arranged two-dimensionally; data processing means for collecting output signals of the sensing elements and performing data processing; and an anti-scatter grid disposed between the x-ray focal spot and the x-ray detector with predetermined distance from the position of the x-ray focal spot and in which an x-ray transmitting member and an x-ray shielding member are alternately arranged in a first direction. A pitch in the first direction of linear images projected on a sensing surface of the x-ray detector of the x-ray shielding member by the x-ray is set to be substantially an integral multiple of two or larger of the pitch of arrangement of the sensing elements in the first direction. In such a manner, a moir&#xe9;-free image of a wide field of view is obtained.

An X-ray based measuring device of the invention includes: X-ray imaging means ( ) which have their detection areas divided into a plurality of detector units ( to &prime;), detect X-rays transmitted through an inspection object ( ), and pick up X-ray images in interested areas ( &prime;) of the inspection object; conversion means ( ) for converting analog image signals read from the detector units into digital image data under specified conversion conditions for each of the detector units; and re-conversion means ( ) for converting the digital image data obtained for each of the detector units under re-conversion conditions corresponding to the specified conversion conditions, wherein analog image signals are A/D converted into digital image data under optimum conversion conditions for each detector unit, and X-ray images in interested areas of the inspection object are sequentially picked up.

X-ray based measuring device

In an X-ray imaging apparatus in which X-ray beams are irradiated on a subject ( ) and a tomogram of the subject is reconstructed from helically scanned X-ray images and displayed, reconstructing means ( ) includes selecting means ( ) for selecting, from X-ray images measured from the 360&deg; periphery of the subject at a cross-sectional position specified by an inspector, X-ray images measured within a range of &minus;360&deg; to &plus;360&deg; distant from a rotation angle of an imaging system at the cross-sectional position, filter operation means ( ) for applying a filtering process to the selected X-ray images, interpolation operation means ( ) for interpolating projection values of X-ray images in respect of individual pixels at the cross-sectional position from distances in the moving direction of moving means ( ) between positions of images selected by an operation unit and the cross-sectional position specified by the inspector and the X-ray images, and inverse projection operation means ( ) for reconstructing a tomogram at the cross-sectional position from an interpolated image, and the obtained tomogram is displayed on display means ( ).

X-ray image pickup device

Between an X-ray generating system and an X-ray image detecting system arranged opposite to the X-ray generating system, an examination object supporting system is arranged and contains a straight movement table provided on a rotary table supported by a rotary table supporting member, and an examination object supporting member for supporting the examination object under either a standing position or a sitting position on the straight movement table. While the examination object is rotated by the rotary table, the examination object is continuously moved (reciprocating movement) by the straight movement table along a direction parallel to the rotation plane, and X-ray images of the examination object are acquired along a plurality of directions during both the rotating operation and the moving operation. As a result, both an X-ray tomographic image and a three-dimensional image (stereoscopic image) of a wider area than a viewing field of an X-ray I.I. can be acquired. Since the viewing fields of the X-ray tomographic image and of the 3-dimensional image can be employed, both diagnostic performance and also a diagnostic efficiency with respect to a large organ such as a lung can be improved.

X-ray examination apparatus and imaging method of X-ray image

An X-ray apparatus in which a mean value of a weighted histogram obtained by multiplying a histogram of numbers of data corresponding to image intensities in a reference image which is an X-ray image picked up in an X-ray fluoroscopy mode and a weighting function whose variable depends on the image intensities is arithmetically determined for controlling an output power of an X-ray tube so that the mean value of the integrated histogram approaches a predetermined value.

X-ray control method and x-ray apparatus

The method for generating an X-ray image of the present invention by correcting a measured fluorographic image or radiographic image and removing the veiling glare component and scattered X-ray component has (1) a step of generating a veiling glare component image and a scattered X-ray component image corresponding to the fluorographic image or radiographic image from the measured fluorographic image or radiographic image independently and (2) a step of obtaining the difference between the measured fluorographic image or radiographic image and the veiling glare component image and scattered X-ray component image and executes a correction of removing the veiling glare component and scattered X-ray component from the measured fluorographic image or radiographic image.

Method for generating X-ray image and apparatus therefor

An X-ray apparatus acquires an X-ray image of an object by radiating X-rays to the object and includes an X-ray radiator for radiating X-rays to an object. An imager acquires an X-ray image of the object and radiation dose controller controls the radiation dose so as to acquire an X-ray image having a predetermined X-ray relative noise level on the basis of an image level of a predetermined area in the X-ray image.

X-ray apparatus

A 2-dimensional radiation image detector wherein a plurality of conversion elements for converting a radiation into visible light and a plurality of photo-sensitive elements for detecting the visible light and accumulating signals are formed an elements board includes two elements boards arranged in an overlapping relationship with each other and each having the plurality of photo-sensitive elements arranged two-dimensionally thereon such that the distance between centers of the photo-sensitive elements in one direction of the arrangement is substantially equal to a width of the photo-sensitive elements while the distance between the centers of the photo-sensitive elements in a direction perpendicular to the one direction is substantially equal to twice the width of the photo-sensitive elements and such that that portion of a radiation directed upon the two overlapping elements boards which has passed through a first one of the elements boards other than locations of the photo-sensitive elements is detected by the photo-sensitive elements of the second elements board.

Two-dimensional radiation image detector

A radiographic apparatus which can improve at high speed the picture quality of an X-ray fluoroscopic image or an X-ray radiographic image is disclosed. In a radiographic apparatus acquiring an X-ray fluoroscopic image or an X-ray radiographic image and having a scattered X-ray corrector for eliminating a scattered X-ray component from the acquired X-ray fluoroscopic image or X-ray radiographic image, the scattered X-ray corrector comprises: scattered X-ray intensity distribution function generator for generating a scattered X-ray intensity distribution function on the basis of the acquired X-ray fluoroscopic image or X-ray radiographic image; a moving average calculator for executing moving average calculation a plurality of times in each of the vertical and lateral directions of the acquired X-ray fluoroscopic image or X-ray radiographic image; a window width calculator for calculating a window width of the moving average calculation on the basis of the scattered X-ray intensity distribution function; and a difference calculator means for calculating the difference between the acquired X-ray fluoroscopic image or X-ray radiographic image and an image to which the moving average calculation is performed.

In order to image an object larger than a field of view for observation, imaging is effected by dividing it into several times and pictures thus imaged are synthesized to constitute a whole image. In order to image several times, only a detecting unit is moved and an X-ray source is substantially fixed with respect to the object. Images thus obtained include a common part of the object and are joined so that the common part are overlapped on each other. In case where an image pick-up tube is included in the detecting unit, the image pick-up tube is made operable, after a period of time necessary for attenuation of microphonic noise has lapsed, measured from a point of time where the detecting unit has been stopped.

X-ray imaging system and method therefor

An X-ray apparatus for collecting X-ray transmission data of a subject from a plurality of directions to generate an X-ray transmission image or X-ray CT image of the subject, which includes an X-ray generator for generating an X-ray, an X-ray detector for detecting a transmission X-ray after the X-ray generated by the X-ray generator is transmitted through the subject, a rotation unit for rotating an imaging unit including the X-ray generator and the X-ray detector around the subject, a data collector for converting an output signal of the X-ray detector to a digital signal and collecting the digital signal, a signal processor for subjecting data collected by the data collector to a signal processing operation, a display for displaying thereon as an image the data collected by the data collector and the data subjected by the signal processor to the signal processing operation, and a position change unit for moving a relative position of a rotation center of the imaging unit and the subject in a direction parallel to a rotation plane of the rotation, and wherein the imaging unit is rotated by the rotator around the subject and at the same time the relative position is changed by the position change unit in a direction parallel to the rotation plane to perform X-ray fluoroscopic or radiographic operation or CT scan.

Method for X-ray fluoroscopy or radiography, and X-ray apparatus

A radiologic three-dimensional imaging apparatus comprises a device for generating an X-ray, a two-dimensional X-ray image detector including an avalanche multiplication image pickup tube for detecting an image of an object with the X-ray transmitted therethrough, a device for producing an average intensity distribution from a plurality of intensity distributions of the X-ray transmitted image, and a device for setting the target voltage applied to the photoconductive layer of the avalanche multiplication image pickup tube for each electron beam scanning position in such a manner the target voltage is high at the central portion of the visual field of the object and low at the peripheral portion thereof.

Method and apparatus for producing radiologic three-dimensional image

An X-ray radiography method and apparatus in which a phantom such as a chart having elements arranged in predetermined positions is irradiated with X-rays and an X-rays detection unit detects signals thereof. An image of the chart is obtained and a center position of each of the elements in the image of the chart is obtained as well as for those elements which are not within the imaging field of view. Pixel positions for a distortion free image is obtained and a transform table is prepared making each of the pixel positions in the image of the chart correspond to each of the pixel positions in the distortion free image. A plurality of digital images of a subject to be examined are obtained and the digital images are corrected in accordance with the transform table. The corrected digital images are then joined together and a digital image is displayed, wherein common portions in the corrected images are in accordance with each other.

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Ome, Japan

Ken Ueda