JP2002204794A - Radiograph equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a radiograph equipment minimizing the number of newly generated processes for performing the alignment with the tube bulb interlocking interface provided on the side of a radiation generator when tube bulb interlocking control is performed, and having a tube bulb interlocking control mechanism connectable to various radiation generators by eliminating the necessity of alteration on a main body side. SOLUTION: The tube bulb interlocking control mechanism is constituted of a parameter input part handling a tube bulb interlocking parameter as the actual dimension of an irradiation field, a signal output part for performing interlocking control and a control table part using the parameter as an index to regulate the operation of the signal output part. By setting the interlocking parameter to the actual dimension, the software/hardware positioned above the parameter input part can be controlled even if the constitution of the tube bulb interlocking control mechanism is unclear and it is unnecessary to perform correction by a radiation generator to be connected.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a radiation imaging apparatus for irradiating a subject with radiation and acquiring a radiation intensity distribution transmitted through the subject, that is, a so-called radiation image.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Normally, in a medical facility, it is rare that a dedicated radiographic apparatus corresponding to an imaging part is introduced. In particular, in the imaging represented by the fuscreen / film method called general imaging, it is common practice to image various parts with one imaging device. It is important to note that radiography is harmful to the human body. For this reason, by adjusting the irradiation field stop attached to the front of a radiation source such as a radiation tube by a technician's hand according to an imaging region, radiation is irradiated only to a region of interest. In addition, the irradiation field aperture is adjusted according to the physique of the patient as well as the imaging region.

As described above, the irradiation field is generally regulated. However, since adjustment by a technician's hand is required for each imaging, tens to hundreds of people are imaged every day. In such a case, it is a very troublesome operation that hinders the efficiency of the photographing operation. From such circumstances, there is a case where an automatic aperture mechanism in which an irradiation field aperture is linked in accordance with the size of a photographing area represented by a film size is sometimes introduced. This means that the technician selects the film size (imaging area) according to the physique and the imaging region of the patient, and the irradiation field aperture automatically operates in conjunction with the selection. Further, when performing a chest radiographing or the like as seen in a mass examination, it is necessary to change the radiographing size of the region to be radiographed based on the lower jaw or shoulder of the patient. In this case, when the photographing size is changed according to the patient's physique, the center of the photographing region fluctuates up and down in conjunction with the photographing size. The irradiation field center interlocking mechanism also moves the center of the photographing area in accordance with the above-described automatic aperture mechanism.

[0004]

The automatic iris / irradiation field center interlocking mechanism is provided on the radiation generator side.
An interface for controlling these is provided on the imaging device side. This interface differs depending on the manufacturer of the generator or the type of the generator, and it is often necessary to newly design an interface and control software on the photographing apparatus side in accordance with the interface.

In the conventional screen film method, there is a standardized dimension called a film size.
It was sufficient to use these dimensions and perform automatic aperture and irradiation field center linkage. However, in recent years, a technique for acquiring a digital image by using a photoelectric conversion device in which pixels including minute photoelectric conversion elements, switching elements, and the like are arranged in a lattice as an image receiving unit has been developed and put into practical use. There is no conventional concept of film size in these devices. As long as the portion for controlling the image receiving means is allowed, the imaging region can be freely selected. Therefore, the irradiation field size and the irradiation field center position need to be set with a higher degree of freedom than before.

[0006]

According to the present invention, there is provided a radiographic apparatus having the following configuration.

(1) A position parameter for controlling the position of the radiation source and a stop parameter for controlling an irradiation field stop for restricting an irradiation range of the radiation emitted from the radiation source are treated with the actual dimensions at the image receiving unit as inputs. A parameter input section,
A signal output unit for controlling the position of the radiation source and the field stop, and a control table unit that defines the operation of the signal output unit using the parameter as an index; A position of a radiation source and an irradiation field stop are controlled by an operation of a signal output unit referred to in (1).

(2) At least one of the position parameter and the aperture parameter is input to a parameter input unit, and at least one of the tube position and the irradiation field aperture is controlled. ).

(3) The radiation imaging apparatus according to (1), wherein the control table section can be changed.

(4) The radiation imaging apparatus according to (1), wherein the signal output unit is changeable.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 schematically shows a radiation imaging apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 10 denotes a radiation tube capable of emitting radiation in a pulse form, and a radiation control unit 15 controls on / off of a radiation pulse, a tube voltage, and a tube current. The tube moving means 12 refers to a drive unit such as a motor attached to a suspension unit that supports the radiation tube 10, and is for changing the spatial position of the tube.

Reference numeral 11 denotes an irradiation field stop, which is a radiation tube 10
The radiation range is regulated so that the emitted radiation is radiated to a region corresponding to the physique and the imaging region of the subject 17. Further, the aperture driving unit 13 refers to a driving unit such as a motor attached to the irradiation field aperture 11, and is for changing the irradiation range of radiation. In general, the portion surrounded by a dotted line in the figure is often referred to as a radiation generator.

The emitted radiation passes through the subject 17,
The image reaches the imaging unit 18. This transmitted radiation is applied to the subject 17
The transmission amount differs depending on the internal configuration of the image, and the image information is included. For this reason, the intensity of transmitted radiation is reflected as a degree of blackening of the film using a screen / film system in the imaging means 18, or the intensity of transmitted radiation is electrically converted by a radiation imaging device including a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements arranged in a matrix. The radiation image is obtained by converting the signal into a signal and reflecting the signal as digital data by A / D conversion.

The tube interlocking input I / F 16 is an I / F unit for inputting a signal for controlling the tube interlocking from the outside, and outputs a signal for controlling the aperture and a signal for controlling the tube position. This is delivered to the tube interlocking control means 14.
A mount supporting the imaging means 18 is provided with a position detecting means 19 such as a potentiometer, and its output is inputted to the tube interlocking control means 14. When the imaging unit 18 is moved up and down according to the physique (height in this case) of the subject 17, the output of the position detection unit 19 fluctuates. The change in the signal is detected by the tube interlocking control unit 14, and the tube moving unit 12 is controlled to move the radiation tube 10 so that the irradiation center of the radiation is always constant in accordance with the change.
In this case, what is needed is an imaging unit 18 at the center of radiation irradiation.
This is information on the position with respect to. In radiography in a standing position such as the chest, the radiographing size is changed based on the patient's lower jaw or shoulder in the region to be radiographed. When the photographing size is changed according to the physique of the patient, the photographing area changes with the upper end of the image pickup means 18 as a base point, and the center thereof moves up and down in conjunction with the photographing size. That is, information such as which position is always the irradiation center is required, and this information also needs to be input from the tube interlocking input I / F 16.

As described above, the configuration is a mechanism which is also found in a conventional radiation generating apparatus. However, the present embodiment is characterized in a process until a signal is applied to the tube interlocking input I / F 16.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a general tube-linked input / output I / F. The relay RL1 is connected to the tube interlock output I / F23.
The relay drives the light-emitting side of the photocoupler on the tube-linked input I / F 16 and outputs SIG1 to SIG6. The tube interlocking control unit 14 moves the tube moving unit 12 and the aperture driving unit 13 based on the received drive states of SIG1 to SIG6.

Now, it is assumed that there are radiation generators A and B. Tube-linked input I / F 16 provided in these two devices
But, temporarily, 35cm × 43cm, 43cm × 35cm, 3
SIG1 for each size of 5cm x 35cm
It is assumed that the driving states of No. to No. 4 and the position of the irradiation field center assigned to the SIGs 5 and 6 (herein referred to as offset) are defined as shown in FIG. Here, the offset value in the figure is defined as a value that is + upward and − downward with respect to the vertical center of the maximum imaging area in the image receiving unit of the imaging unit 18.

In this case, in order to accurately connect the image pickup means 18 to each of the generators, the signal output from the tube-linked output I / F 23 must be adapted to each of the generators. For this reason, a tube-linked output for each generator is obtained by the following method.

First, parameters relating to tube interlock are input by the interlock condition input means 20. The parameters input here deliver the actual dimensions in the image receiving unit. By setting this portion to the actual size, the interlocking condition input means 20 or hardware and software (not shown) positioned at a higher level than the interlocking condition input means 20 may have an effect regardless of the configuration below. No need to redesign hardware and software for each connected radiation generator. Also, in a conventional system having no restriction on the film size, it can be said that this is an indispensable parameter form so that a free photographing area can be selected.

The interlocking condition setting means 21 refers to the control table 22 with the input actual size as an index. The control table 22 shows the operation defined in FIG. 3, and is stored, for example, as SIG1 to SIG6 drive bit patterns. The control table 22 is, for example, in a form written in a mask ROM and changed by replacing it in an IC socket, or in a form written in a FLASH ROM or NVRAM. A method of changing by rewriting by a method such as, or a form written in a file format on the hard disk,
This can be changed in accordance with the form of the tube interlocking input I / F 16 of the radiation generating apparatus by a method of changing this by editing and rewriting.

Now, it is assumed that the main image pickup means 18 is connected to the generator A. At this time, the content corresponding to the generator type A in FIG. 3 is written in the control table 22. In the operation of preparation for photographing, the interlocking condition corresponding to the photographing mode to be performed in the imaging unit 18 is provided to the interlocking condition setting unit 21 from the interlocking condition input unit 20. For example, if the imaging means is a film changer using a screen / film, the interlocking condition input means 20 includes a selection button of a magazine in which a film to be used is stored, and a DR using a radiation imaging device including a photoelectric conversion element. In the case of a system, a unit for setting the shooting operation (for example, an operation panel to which site parameters are assigned) or a unit for directly inputting aperture / offset information to be used for shooting is shown. It is provided to the setting means 21.

Here, by the above operation, the length and width are 35 cm × 4.
Suppose a parameter of 3 cm is given. The interlocking condition setting means 21 obtains the driving condition of the tube interlocking output I / F 23 corresponding to the received parameter by referring to the control table 22. From the control table 22, the corresponding driving conditions are SIG1 = ON, SIG2 = OFF, SI
G3 = OFF, SIG4 = ON, and given that the irradiation field center position is +35 mm, SIG6 =
Becomes ON. According to this, the tube interlocking output I / F23
, The required signal is output to the tube-linked input I / F 16 of the type A radiation generator.

Next, the image pickup means 18 is connected to the generator B. At this time, the content corresponding to the generator type B in FIG. 3 is written in the control table 22. According to the same operation as in the case of the above-mentioned generator type A, 35 cm × 43 c
Assuming that parameters of m and irradiation field center position + 35 mm are given, driving conditions SIG1 = ON, SIG2 =
ON, SIG3 = OFF, SIG4 = OFF, SIG5
= ON, and this control is performed on the tube-linked output I / F 23 to output the required signal to the tube-linked input I / F 16 of the type B radiation generator.

[0024]

As described above, it is possible to connect and control the generators having the same hardware configuration of the tube interlocking I / F only by changing the control table. Further, even when the hardware configuration of the tube interlocking I / F is different, the interlocking condition setting means 21 and the tube interlocking output I / F
The hardware specifications and protocols of the bus between 23 are defined, and the input specifications are changed to those compatible with the tube-linked input I / F 16 of the radiation generator to which the bus specifications and output specifications are connected. It is possible, and it is possible to easily connect to various types of radiation generators because there is no need to change the interlocking condition setting unit 21 and the interlocking condition input unit 20, and hardware and software (not shown) positioned at a higher level. Irradiation field aperture control becomes possible.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a radiation imaging apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a general tube-linked input / output I / F.

FIG. 3 is a control table used for an interlocking condition setting unit.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Radiation tube 11 Irradiation field stop 12 Tube moving means 13 Aperture drive means 14 Tube interlock control means 15 Radiation control means 16 Tube interlock input I / F 17 Subject 18 Imaging means 19 Position detection means 20 Interlock condition input means 21 Interlock condition setting means 22 Control table 23 Tube interlock output I / F

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A parameter for controlling a position of a radiation source and a diaphragm parameter for controlling an irradiation field diaphragm for regulating an irradiation range of radiation emitted from the radiation source, the parameter being used with an actual dimension at an image receiving unit as an input. An input unit, a signal output unit for controlling the position of the radiation source and the irradiation field stop, and a control table unit that defines the operation of the signal output unit using the parameter as an index. A radiation imaging apparatus for controlling a position of a radiation source and an irradiation field stop by an operation of a signal output unit referred to in a control table unit. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the position parameter and the aperture parameter is input to a parameter input unit, and at least one of the tube position and the irradiation field aperture is controlled. A radiation imaging apparatus according to claim 1. 3. The radiation imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control table is changeable. 4. The radiation imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said signal output unit is changeable.