Fuji Photo Film Company, Limited

Shigeru Saotome

Masamitsu Ishida

Nobuyoshi Nakajima

Kazuo Shimura

Hideo Watanabe

Nobufumi Mori

Junji Miyahara

Terumi Matsuda

Toshitaka Aagano

Wataru Ito

Satoshi Arakawa

Toshitaka Agano

Tsutomu Kimura

Yuichi Hosoi

Katsuhiro Kohda

Ichizo Toya

Tatsuya Aoyama

Eiji Ogawa

Takeshi Ohkubo

Ryoichi Yoshimura

Masahide Sasai

A primary prospective abnormal shadow is detected in each of at least two radiation images of an object taken in different directions. Only primary prospective abnormal shadows which are detected in the respective radiation images and are in substantially the same position on the object is taken as a final prospective abnormal shadow.

Method of and system for detecting prospective abnormal shadow and method of reproducing radiation image

A judgment is made as to whether an interpolation point in an original image is or is not located at an image edge portion. The judgment is made by using a threshold value having been set such that, as a desired level of sharpness of an interpolation image obtained from interpolation processing becomes low, the threshold value may become large. When an interpolation point is judged as being located at an image edge portion, an interpolated image signal component corresponding to the interpolation point is calculated with interpolation processing capable of keeping the image edge portion sharp. When an interpolation point is judged as not being located at an image edge portion, an interpolated image signal component corresponding to the interpolation point is calculated with the interpolation processing, which is carried out by combining interpolation processing for obtaining an interpolation image, which has a comparatively high sharpness, and interpolation processing for obtaining an interpolation image, which has a low sharpness.

Interpolation processing method and apparatus for image signals having

A digital image signal, which represents values of picture elements arrayed along X and Y directions of an image, is subjected to operation processing carried out with the formula

Image processing method and apparatus

A fundamental gradation curve is enlarged or reduced such that the minimum density and the maximum density represented by the fundamental gradation curve may be changed respectively to a desired minimum density and a desired maximum density. The enlarged or reduced fundamental gradation curve is translated such that a point corresponding to a predetermined density may be shifted to a point representing a desired density. The translated fundamental gradation curve is rotated around the point corresponding to the desired density such that this point may represent a desired contrast. The enlarged or reduced fundamental gradation curve and the rotated fundamental gradation curve are weighted and added such that the minimum density and the maximum density represented by the rotated fundamental gradation curve may be changed respectively to the desired minimum density and the desired maximum density, and such that the point corresponding to the desired density may represent the desired density and the desired contrast. A desired gradation curve is thereby obtained.

Gradation correcting method and apparatus

An original image signal, which represents an original image and is made up of a series of original image signal components representing picture element values of picture elements arrayed at predetermined intervals and in a lattice-like form, is obtained. One of different interpolating operation processes is carried out on the original image signal and in accordance with an image size enlargement scale factor with respect to the original image, which is represented by the original image signal. An interpolation image signal is obtained from the interpolating operation process, which signal is made up of a series of image signal components, which occur at intervals different from those of the original image signal components. The response of an interpolation image, which is reproduced from the interpolation image signal and displayed on an image reproducing apparatus, is kept to be approximately equal to a predetermined level regardless of the image size enlargement scale factor.

Interpolating operation method and apparatus for image signals

A radiation film comprises a substrate and emulsion layers overlaid on opposite surfaces of the substrate. The radiation film is sandwiched between two radiation intensifying screens having different radiation energy absorption characteristics. Each of the emulsion layers has a sensitivity corresponding to the emission spectrum of its adjacent radiation intensifying screen. The emulsion layers form different colors in the radiation film after the radiation film has been developed. A removable light blocking layer is located between the substrate and each of the emulsion layers. The radiation film enables two kinds of images to be recorded with different radiation energy characteristics on a single radiation film, such that the image quality may not become bad due to cross-over light.

Radiation film and energy subtraction processing method using the same

A radiation image read-out apparatus comprises a single light guide member constituted of a light guiding material. The light guide member comprises two input end faces for collecting light, which is emitted along a scanning line of stimulating rays and from two surfaces of a stimulable phosphor sheet having a radiation image stored thereon, and output end faces for radiating out the light, which has entered into the light guide member from the two input end faces. A single photodetector is located in close contact with the output end faces and photoelectrically detects the light radiated out of the light guide member. The input end faces of the light guide member comprise a first input end face for collecting the light, which is emitted from the front surface of the stimulable phosphor sheet, and a second input end face for collecting the light, which is emitted from the back surface of the stimulable phosphor sheet. The first and second input end faces of the light guide member stand facing the same scanning line.

Radiation image read-out apparatus

A photosensitive material drying device comprising a plurality of far infrared radiation heaters for heating a film are disposed so as to meet at right angles to a direction in which a film is conveyed. The reflectivity of each reflector disposed along the film conveying direction is set so that the reflectivity of each of longitudinally-extending ends of the film is greater than a longitudinally-extending central portion thereof. Therefore, the amount of reflected heat received by the film is associated with the reflectivity. That is, the amount of heat generated from the far infrared radiation heater at longitudinally-extending ends thereof is lower than that at a longitudinally-extending central portion thereof, whereas the amount of heat radiated over the film via the reflector is set such that the amount of heat at the central portion of the far infrared radiation heater is greater than that at the longitudinally-extending ends thereof. Therefore, the amount of heat received by the film becomes uniform along the transverse direction of the film, thereby making it possible to uniformly dry the film and prevent uneven dryness and gloss from occurring.

Photosensitive material drying device

A photosensitive material drying device having a plurality of far infrared radiation heaters disposed in facing relationship so as to meet at right angles to the direction in which an exposed film is conveyed. The density of the film is measured before the film is heated by the far infrared radiation heaters. Upon heating of the film by the far infrared radiation heaters, the surface temperature of each of the far infrared radiation heaters is changed by a variable resistor in accordance with the measured density to thereby vary the amount of heat applied to the film. It is therefore possible to satisfactorily dry the film in accordance with a variation in the density of the film.

In an image recording apparatus, light having been modulated in accordance with an image signal is irradiated to a photographic material from one surface side of the photographic material, and an image is thereby recorded on the photographic material. The photographic material is composed of a plurality of layers including an approximately transparent substrate and an emulsion layer overlaid on at least one surface of the substrate. Degrees of gloss of the front surface and the back surface of the photographic material are different from each other. A selection device selects a surface of the photographic material, from the side of which surface the image recorded on the photographic material is to be seen. An inversion device inverts the image signal in accordance with an output of the selection device such that an erect image may be seen from the side of the surface of the photographic material, which surface has been selected by the selection device.

Image recording apparatus

A radiation image read-out apparatus comprises a device for irradiating stimulating rays to a stimulable phosphor sheet, on which a radiation image has been stored. The stimulating rays cause the stimulable phosphor sheet to emit light in proportion to the amount of energy stored thereon during its exposure to radiation. A first photoelectric conversion device photoelectrically detects the emitted light and generates an image signal representing the radiation image. A second photoelectric conversion device photoelectrically detects the stimulating rays, which have been reflected from the stimulable phosphor sheet, and thereby generates a monitor signal. From the monitor signal, a detection device detects location of a pattern caused to occur in the radiation image, which is represented by the image signal, by dust clinging to the stimulable phosphor sheet.

Method and apparatus for detecting the location of a pattern in a

A radiation image recording and read-out apparatus comprises a recording and read-out unit for recording a radiation image on a stimulable phosphor sheet and reading the radiation image therefrom, a shutter moveable between a masking position that prevents impingement of radiation upon a part of the stimulable phosphor sheet and a retracted position that allows impingement of radiation upon a single image recording region of the stimulable phosphor sheet, and a shutter operating device for moving the shutter between the masking position and the retracted position. The recording and read-out unit is moved by a unit movement device to move the stimulable phosphor sheet in the same plane at an image recording position in the recording and read-out unit. A system is provided for operating the shutter operating device to move the shutter to the masking position, and operating the unit movement device to move the recording and read-out unit so that the uncovered portion of the stimulable phosphor sheet at the image recording position that is not covered by the shutter changes sequentially.

Radiation image recording and read-out apparatus

A radiation image recording and read-out apparatus comprises stimulable phosphor layers provided respectively on one surface and the other surface of a flexible belt, which belt changes the distribution of the radiation energy, whereby radiation images containing different embedded images on a specific structure of an object are recorded on the two stimulable phosphor layers with a single, simultaneous exposure to radiation. The two stimulable phosphor layers may be provided as two separate sheets. Two independent image read-out sections for reading out the radiation images stored on the stimulable phosphor layers, and two independent erasing sections for erasing radiation energy remaining on the stimulable phosphor layers are provided for the two stimulable phosphor layers, so that the two radiation images are read out simultaneously. Alternatively, each image read-out section and erasing section pair may be provided as separate readout and erasing unit.

A method of minimizing image signal noise comprises the steps of feeding an image representing an image to a high-frequency component decreasing device for arbitarily decreasing a high-frequency component, detecting the level of the image signal, and decreasing the high-frequency component of the image signal by the high-frequency component decreasing device in accordance with a decrease in the level of the image signal. A radiation image read-out method for exposing a stimulable phosphor sheet carrying a radiation image stored thereon to stimulating rays which cause the stimulable phosphor sheet to emit light in proportion to the stored radiation energy, and photoelectrically detecting the emitted light to obtain an image signal representing the radiation image comprises the steps of detecting the level of radiation energy stored on the stimulable phosphor sheet, and decreasing the high-frequency component of the image signal by the high-frequency component decreasing device in accordance with a decrease in the level of the stored radiation energy.

Method and apparatus for minimizing image signal noise, and radiation

A radiation image read-out apparatus comprises a main scanning system which scans a stimulable phosphor sheet, on which a radiation image has been stored, with stimulating rays in a main scanning direction. The stimulating rays cause the stimulable phosphor sheet to emit light in proportion to the amount of energy stored thereon during its exposure to radiation. A sub-scanning system moves the stimulable phosphor sheet with respect to the stimulating rays in a direction approximately normal to the main scanning direction. A light guide member, which has a light input face extending along the main scanning line on the stimulable phosphor sheet, guides the emitted light entering the light guide member at its light input face to a light output face. A photodetector is connected to the light output face. Plate-shaped members are secured to the light input face at predetermined intervals, the intervals being taken in the main scanning direction, so that the plate-shaped members are erect in a direction approximately normal to the light input face and surfaces of adjacent plate-shaped members face each other.

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Kanagawa, Japan

Shigeru Saotome