Radiation imaging apparatus and radiation imaging system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9360562-B2
Application number	US-201313974118-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 23, 2013
Priority date	Aug 31, 2012
Publication date	Jun 7, 2016
Grant date	Jun 7, 2016

Abstract

To provide a radiation imaging apparatus and a radiation imaging system that can detect radiation with high accuracy, the radiation imaging apparatus includes: a detection unit in which conversion elements that convert radiation into an electric signal are arranged in a matrix shape; a radiation detection unit configured to detect an irradiation state of radiation; a drive circuit configured to drive the detection unit in accordance with the irradiation state detected by the radiation detection unit; and a radiographing kind setting unit configured to set a radiographing kind, wherein the radiation detection unit changes a radiation detection capability in accordance with the radiographing kind set by the radiographing kind setting unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A radiation imaging apparatus comprising:
a detection unit in which conversion elements that convert radiation into an electric signal are arranged in a matrix shape;
a radiation detection unit configured to detect an irradiation state of radiation in accordance with a signal from a radiation detection sensor that generates the signal in response to irradiated radiation;
a drive circuit configured to drive the detection unit in accordance with the irradiation state detected by the radiation detection unit; and
a radiographing kind setting unit configured to set a radiographing kind,
wherein the radiation detection unit changes a radiation detection capability in accordance with the radiographing kind set by the radiographing kind setting unit such that the radiation detection capability is increased in a case of a radiographing kind for which a radiation input amount to the radiation detection unit is small, and the radiation detection capability is decreased in a case of a radiographing kind for which a radiation input amount to the radiation detection unit is large.

2. The radiation imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
when a start of irradiation of radiation is detected by the radiation detection unit, the drive circuit makes an operating state of the detection unit transition from a standby state to an accumulation state; and
when an end of irradiation of radiation is detected by the radiation detection unit, the drive circuit makes the operating state of the detection unit transition from the accumulation state to a read state.

3. The radiation imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the radiation detection unit comprises:
the radiation detection sensor, wherein the radiation detection sensor is configured to convert irradiated radiation to a current so as to generate the signal;
a current detecting unit configured to convert the current of the radiation detection sensor to a voltage; and
a comparison unit configured to compare the voltage of the current detecting unit and a threshold voltage, output a radiation detection signal indicating a start of irradiation of radiation when the voltage of the current detecting unit exceeds the threshold voltage, and output a radiation detection signal indicating an end of irradiation of radiation when the voltage of the current detecting unit is less than the threshold voltage.

4. The radiation imaging apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the radiation detection unit further comprises a gain setting unit configured to set a gain of the current detecting unit in accordance with a radiographing kind set by the radiographing kind setting unit.

5. The radiation imaging apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the radiation detection unit further comprises a threshold setting unit configured to set a threshold voltage of the comparison unit in accordance with the radiographing kind set by the radiographing kind setting unit.

6. The radiation imaging apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the radiation detection unit comprises:
a gain setting unit configured to set a gain of the current detecting unit in accordance with the radiographing kind set by the radiographing kind setting unit; and
a threshold setting unit configured to set a threshold voltage of the comparison unit in accordance with the radiographing kind set by the radiographing kind setting unit.

7. The radiation imaging apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein:
a plurality of sets of the radiation detection sensor, the current detecting unit, and the comparison unit are provided;
the plurality of radiation detection sensors are arranged within a region of the detection unit; and
the radiation detection unit further comprises a radiation determination unit configured to determine a start of irradiation of radiation based on a radiation detection signal of the plurality of comparison units.

8. The radiation imaging apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein, in a case where the radiation detection signal indicating a start of irradiation of radiation or an end of irradiation of radiation is input from any one of the plurality of comparison units, the radiation determination unit determines a start or an end of irradiation of radiation.

9. The radiation imaging apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein, in a case where the radiation detection signal indicating a start of irradiation of radiation or an end of irradiation of radiation is input from two or more of the plurality of comparison units, the radiation determination unit determines a start or an end of irradiation of radiation.

10. The radiation imaging apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the radiation determination unit comprises a gain setting unit configured to, in accordance with the radiographing kind set by the radiographing kind setting unit, set a gain of the current detecting unit that corresponds to a radiation detection sensor among the plurality of radiation detection sensors that is arranged in a subject region in which a subject is present to a large amount, and set a gain of the current detecting unit that corresponds to a radiation detection sensor among the plurality of radiation detection sensors that is arranged in a direct transmission region in which a subject is not present to a small amount.

11. The radiation imaging apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the gain setting unit lowers the gain of the current detecting unit in a case where the voltage of the current detecting unit exceeds a threshold voltage.

12. A radiation imaging system comprising:
a radiation imaging apparatus; and
a radiation generating apparatus configured to irradiate radiation,

wherein the radiation imaging apparatus comprises:
a detection unit in which conversion elements that convert radiation into an electric signal are arranged in a matrix shape; a radiation detection unit configured to detect an irradiation state of radiation in accordance with a signal from a radiation detection sensor that generates the signal in response to irradiated radiation; a drive circuit configured to drive the detection unit in accordance with the irradiation state detected by the radiation detection unit and a radiographing kind setting unit configured to set a radiographing kind, wherein the radiation detection unit changes a radiation detection capability in accordance with the radiographing kind set by the radiographing kind setting unit such that the radiation detection capability is increased in a case of a radiographing kind for which a radiation input amount to the radiation detection unit is small, and the radiation detection capability is decreased in a case of a radiographing kind for which a radiation input amount to the radiation detection unit is large.

13. A radiation imaging apparatus comprising:
a detection unit configured to output an image signal that corresponds to radiation for radiographing;
a setting unit configured to set a radiographing kind; and
a radiation detection unit configured to detect a start of irradiation of radiation in accordance with a signal from a radiation detection sensor that generates the signal in response to irradiated radiation,
wherein the radiation detection unit changes a radiation detection capability in accordance with the radiographing kind set by the setting unit such that the radiation detection capability is increased in a case of a radiographing kind for which a radiation input amount to the radiation detection unit is small, and the radiation detection capability is decreased in a case of a radiographing kind for which a radiation input amount to the radiation detection unit i

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Sato Sho
• Kameshima Toshio
• Yagi Tomoyuki
• Takenaka Katsuro
• Okada Hideyuki
• Iwashita Atsushi
• Sugawara Eriko

Classifications

• H04N25/30

  for transforming X-rays into image signals · CPC title

• H04N23/30

  for generating image signals from X-rays · CPC title

• A61B6/4233 Primary

  using matrix detectors · CPC title

• A61B6/544

  dependent on patient size · CPC title

• G01T1/17 Primary

  Circuit arrangements not adapted to a particular type of detector {(pulse-selection circuits H03K, G01R)} · CPC title