JP4043719B2 - Image recording method and apparatus - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an image recording method and apparatus for recording image data based on a medical original image on a recording material such as a photosensitive material.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, image data obtained by photoelectrically reading medical original images recorded on photographic films or printed materials such as negative films, reversal films, etc., using a laser printer, a thermal transfer type printer, etc. For example, printing is performed on a recording medium such as the above.
[0003]
In addition, when the stimulable phosphor is irradiated with radiation, a part of this radiation energy is accumulated, and after that, when excitation light such as visible light or laser light is irradiated, stimulated emission light is emitted according to the accumulated radiation energy. Emits light. By using this stimulable phosphor (stimulable phosphor), for example, by irradiating the stimulable phosphor sheet in which this stimulable phosphor is laminated on a support with radiation transmitted through a subject such as a human body, Radiation that once stores and records radiation image information, irradiates this stimulable phosphor sheet with excitation light such as laser light, generates stimulated emission light, and photoelectrically converts this stimulated emission light to obtain image data An image reading apparatus is widely used as CR (Computed Radiography), and image data read by the radiation image reading apparatus is also printed out on a recording medium in the same manner as described above.
[0004]
When the image data is printed out on the recording medium as described above, if the size of the medical document image to be recorded is larger than the size of the recording body, the image data is reduced, and the reduced image data is recorded on the recording body. Is recorded and printed out. In this case, the reduction processing to be performed includes simple pixel thinning processing, B spline interpolation calculation, cubic spline interpolation calculation, linear interpolation calculation, and other interpolation processing. Compared with the case of simply thinning out pixels, the processing by the interpolation calculation prevents deterioration in the quality of the reproduced image when the reduced image is printed out.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, the reduced image data obtained by performing the reduction process as described above is compared with the original image data not only when the pixel thinning process is performed but also when the process is performed by interpolation. Missing pixels cannot be avoided. Therefore, comparing the reproduced image obtained by printing out the original image data at a predetermined recording density and the reduced reproduced image obtained by printing out the reduced image data at the predetermined recording density, The reduced reproduction image has an image quality deteriorated as compared with the reproduction image. Further, the reduction ratio when performing the reduction processing has been determined on the premise that a margin of a minimum range is provided around the recording sheet until now, but in a medical manuscript image, the region of interest is an image. Therefore, if the reduction ratio is determined in consideration of the surrounding image and the margin, and the reduction process is performed, the reduction process is performed more than necessary. The accompanying image quality degradation is even greater.
[0006]
In view of the above problems, an image recording method and apparatus according to the present invention is an image recording method and apparatus for recording image data based on a medical original image on a recording material such as a photosensitive material. An object of the present invention is to provide an image recording method and apparatus capable of reducing deterioration of the image.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
A first image recording method according to the present invention is a recording virtual area having a size larger by a predetermined area than a size of a recording body in an image recording method for recording image data based on a medical original image on a recording body as a reproduced image. Is set, and it is recognized whether the size of the original image is larger than the recording virtual area.If the original image size is larger than the recording virtual area, a reduction process is performed to make the original image smaller than the recording virtual area. Then, recording is performed, and when the size of the original image is not larger than the recording virtual area, the original image is recorded without being reduced.
[0008]
Here, the “reproduced image” means a reproduced image recorded on a recording medium at a recording density substantially the same as the reading density when the medical document image is read as image data. The reading density is the density at which a document is read when image data is acquired using an image reading device such as a scanner, or the analog image signal obtained from a storage phosphor sheet is A / D converted. Sampling interval. For example, for image data obtained by reading a document at a reading density of 600 dpi using a scanner, a reproduced image having the same dimensions as the document image is obtained by recording the image data on a recording medium at a recording density of 600 dpi. be able to.
[0009]
Further, the “predetermined region” means a region corresponding to an image around the region of interest that does not cause a problem even if it is deleted in the medical document image instead of the region of interest.
[0010]
The “reduction process” may be any process that reduces the image data, and the reduction ratio is any reduction ratio as long as the size of the original image is equal to or less than the size of the recording virtual area. But you can.
[0011]
According to a second image recording method of the present invention, there is provided an image recording method for recording image data based on a medical original image on a recording medium as a reproduced image. The recording has a size larger by a predetermined area than the size of the recording medium. A process of setting a virtual area, recognizing whether or not the size of the original image is larger than the recording virtual area, and reducing the original image to be equal to or smaller than the recording virtual area when the original image size is larger than the recording virtual area After selecting whether or not to perform the recording, recording is performed. When the size of the document image is not larger than the recording virtual area, the document image is recorded without being reduced.
[0012]
In the first and second image recording methods, the image data can be in a predetermined designated range in the document image.
[0013]
Here, the “specified range” is a part or all of the range of the medical original image specified in the medical original image. For example, a range specified as a region of particular interest in the medical original image, etc. Means.
[0014]
A first image recording apparatus according to the present invention is a recording virtual area having a size larger by a predetermined area than a size of a recording body in an image recording apparatus for recording image data based on a medical original image on a recording body as a reproduced image. Is set, and a size recognition means for recognizing whether or not the size of the original image is larger than the recording virtual area, an image reduction processing means for performing a reduction process for reducing the original image to be equal to or smaller than the size of the recording virtual area, and a size recognition means When it is recognized that the size of the document image is larger than the recording virtual area, the image is reduced by the image reduction means and then recorded, and the size recognition means recognizes that the size of the document image is not larger than the recording virtual area. And a recording control means for controlling the original image to be recorded without performing a reduction process.
[0015]
A second image recording apparatus according to the present invention is a recording apparatus that records image data based on a medical document image on a recording medium as a reproduced image, and has a recording size that is larger than a recording area by a predetermined area. Dimension recognition means for recognizing whether a virtual area is set and the size of the original image is larger than the size of the recording virtual area; image reduction means for reducing the original image to be smaller than the size of the recording virtual area; Is larger than the recording virtual area, the size of the original image is larger than the recording virtual area by the selecting means for selecting whether or not to reduce the original image to the size of the recording virtual area and the dimension recognition means. When it is recognized, the recording is performed based on the selection by the selection unit, and when the size recognition unit recognizes that the size of the document image is not larger than the recording virtual area, the document image And characterized in that and a recording control means for controlling so as to perform recording without the reduction process is performed.
[0016]
In the first and second image recording apparatuses, the image data can be in a predetermined designated range in the document image.
[0017]
【The invention's effect】
According to the first and second image recording methods and apparatuses of the present invention, a recording virtual area having a size larger than the recording body by a predetermined area is set, and whether or not the size of the original image is larger than the recording virtual area. If the size of the original image is larger than the virtual recording area, the original image is reduced to a size smaller than that of the recording virtual area and then recorded. If not, the document image is recorded without being reduced, so that the medical document image can be reduced at an appropriate reduction ratio as necessary. Image quality degradation due to processing can be reduced.
[0018]
In the first and second image recording methods and apparatuses described above, when the image data is in a predetermined designated range in the document image, an appropriate reduction ratio as necessary for the image of the region of interest is further obtained. Since the reduction process can be performed by the above, image quality deterioration due to the reduction process can be further reduced.
[0019]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of an image recording apparatus for implementing the image recording method of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the image recording apparatus according to the present embodiment is a laser printer, which includes a laser light source 2 that emits laser light 1, a modulator 3 that modulates laser light 1 according to input image data S0, and a recording. A scanning mirror 4 that reflects and deflects the laser beam 1 on the body P and performs main scanning in the X direction, an endless belt 5 that subscans the recording body P in the arrow Y direction, a motor 6 that drives the endless belt 5, and an input image Based on the data S0, the dimension recognition unit 10 recognizes whether or not the size of the document image is larger than the size of the recording virtual region 60 described later. If the size of the original image is selected to be reduced below the size of the recording virtual area 60 by the selection means 40 described later, the image data S0 is displayed. Accordingly, the original image is recorded when the size of the original image is recognized to be larger than that of the recording virtual region 60 by the image reduction processing means 20 and the size recognition means 10 for reducing the size of the original image to be equal to or smaller than the size of the recording virtual area 60. By means of selection means 40 capable of selecting whether or not to perform reduction processing to be less than or equal to the size of the virtual area 60, input means 50 for inputting the dimensions of the recording body P and the recording density to the recording body P, and the dimension recognition means 10 When it is recognized that the size of the original image is larger than the size of the recording virtual area 60, recording is performed by the process selected by the selection means 40, and the size of the original image is larger than the size of the recording virtual area 60 by the dimension recognition means 10. When it is recognized that it is not large, the image reduction means 20, the laser light source 2, the modulator 3, the scanning mirror 4 and the motor 6 are used so as to perform recording without reducing the original image. And a recording control means 30 for controlling.
[0020]
Here, the recording virtual area 60 is an area having a size larger by a predetermined area than the recording medium P on which the reproduced image is recorded as shown in FIG. 2, and the predetermined area is a region of interest in the medical document image. It is a peripheral region of the region of interest that can be deleted.
[0021]
Further, the size recognition means 10 calculates the size of the original image from the number of pixels recorded in the header of the input image data S0 and the recording density input from the input means 11 (however, in this embodiment, the original image Therefore, the reading density and the recording density when the image is read as image data by the reading apparatus are the same, for example, 1800 obtained by reading an original image having a physical dimension of 180 mm × 200 mm at a reading density of 10 dots / mm. The image data of × 2000 pixels is recorded at a recording density of 10 dots / mm to be a reproduced image of 180 mm × 200 mm.) According to the size of the original image and the size of the recording material P input from the input means 11 The dimension of the recording virtual area 60 set in advance is compared. Then, whether the size of the document image is larger or smaller than the size of the recording virtual area 60 is output to the recording control means 30. In the present embodiment, the dimension recognizing unit 10 calculates the size of the document image based on the number of pixels of the image data S0 and the recording density. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and information indicating the size of the document image is input from the input unit 50. You may make it input directly. As for the size of the recording virtual area 60, a size corresponding to the size of the recording material P may be stored in advance in the LUT in a storage medium or the like, or may be input from the input unit 50.
[0022]
The selection means 40 may be selected by a switch, for example, or may be selected on a display panel.
[0023]
Further, the image reducing means 20 may be anything as long as it reduces the image data S0, may be reduced by pixel density conversion, or may be reduced by thinning out pixels of the image data S0. For example, when the size of the recording material P is 251 mm × 200 mm and the size of the document image is 360 mm × 254 mm (however, the reading density and the recording density are 10 dots / mm), the size of the document image is reduced by 70%. May be reduced to 251 mm × 177.8 mm by thinning out 3600 × 25400 pixel image data of an original image and then recording at a recording density of 10 dots / mm, or pixel density conversion without thinning out image data May be recorded as image data of 2510 × 1778 pixels at a recording density of 10 dots / mm and reduced.
[0024]
The recording material P is a photosensitive material capable of recording an image by laser light irradiation.
[0025]
Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of this embodiment. First, the image data S0 is input to the dimension recognition means 10 (S1). The recording density and the size of the recording material P are input by the input means 50 (S2). The dimension recognizing means 10 calculates the dimensions of the original image based on the number of pixels recorded in the header of the image data S0 and the recording density (which is the same as the reading density) input from the input means 50. Then, the size of the recording virtual area 60 is obtained and set based on the size of the recording material P input from the input means 50 (S3). Then, it is recognized whether the size of the document image is larger or not larger than the size of the record virtual region 60 by comparing the size of the record virtual region 60 and the size of the document image (S4, S5). The dimension recognition unit 10 outputs the recognition signal to the recording control unit 30. When the recognition signal output to the recording control means 30 is a recognition signal that the size of the recording virtual area 60 is not larger than the size of the original image, the recording control means 30 performs a reduction process by the image reduction means 20. First, recording on the recording material P is performed (S8). Recording on the recording material P is performed as follows. First, while moving the recording medium P in the direction of arrow Y by the endless belt 5 driven by the motor 6, the laser beam 1 from the laser light source 2 is deflected by the scanning mirror 4 and the recording medium P is mainly moved in the X direction. Let it scan. At this time, the light quantity of the laser beam 1 is modulated by the modulator 3 in accordance with the image data S0. Thus, a reproduced image within the range of the recording medium P represented by the image data S0 is recorded on the recording medium P by the modulated laser beam 1.
[0026]
When the recognition signal output to the recording control means 30 is a recognition signal that the size of the recording virtual area 60 is larger than the size of the original image, the recording control means 30 sends the selection means 40 to the image reduction means 20. Information for selecting whether or not to perform the reduction process is obtained (S6). When the selection information is not subjected to reduction processing, the recording control means 30 performs recording on the recording medium P without performing reduction processing by the image reduction means 20 (S8). When the selection information output from the selection means 40 is to be subjected to reduction processing, the recording control means 30 outputs a control signal to the image reduction means 20, and based on this control signal, the image reduction means 20 outputs image data. Reduction processing is applied to S0 (S7). Then, the reduced image data S0 is output to the modulator 3, and the reduced reproduction image within the range of the recording medium P is recorded in the same manner as described above (S8).
[0027]
According to the image recording method and apparatus of the present invention, a recording virtual area 60 having a size larger than the recording body P by a predetermined area is set, and it is recognized whether or not the size of the document image is larger than the recording virtual area 60. If the size of the original image is larger than the recording virtual area 60, the process selects whether or not to perform the process of reducing the original image to be equal to or smaller than the size of the recording virtual area 60, and then performs recording. Is not larger than the recording virtual area 60, the original image is recorded without being reduced, so that the medical original image is reduced at an appropriate reduction ratio as necessary. Therefore, image quality deterioration due to the reduction process can be reduced.
[0028]
Further, in the above embodiment, when the size of the document image is larger than the size of the recording virtual area 60, the selection means 40 selects whether or not to perform the reduction processing, and then records by the selected processing. However, when the size of the document image is larger than the size of the recording virtual area 60 without providing the selection means 40, the recording may be performed after the reduction process.
[0029]
In the above embodiment, when the image recorded on the recording medium P is smaller than the recording medium P, the image may be recorded near the center of the recording medium P.
[0030]
Further, the image data S0 in the above embodiment may be in a desired designated range in the document image. For example, a visible image is displayed on a monitor or the like based on image data read by the reading device, a desired range of the visible image is designated with a mouse or the like, and the size and recording virtual area of the designated range of the original image You may make it compare with the dimension of 60. FIG. In this case, when the size of the image in the designated range is equal to or smaller than the size of the recording material P, not only the image in the designated range but also other peripheral images may be recorded.
[0031]
In addition, the specified range is not limited to the one set by the operation of the mouse or the like, but a shooting menu (for example, a shooting region (head, neck, chest, abdomen, etc.), shooting method (simple, It may be set according to contrast, tomography, etc.). Further, the image in the specified range may be recorded in the center of the recording medium P.
[0032]
For example, when a mammo is designated as an imaging region in the imaging menu, since the region of interest is in the vicinity of the shaded portion 70 as shown in FIG. 4, the designated range is set to the shaded portion 70. When the size of the image of the hatched portion 70 is not larger than the size of the recording virtual area 60, recording is performed so that the hatched portion 70 is located at the center of the recording medium P, and when the size is larger than the recording virtual area 60. After performing the reduction process on the image of the hatched portion 70, the image may be recorded so as to be positioned at the center of the recording medium P. In this case, not only the image of the hatched portion 70 but also an image other than the hatched portion 70 within the range of the recording medium P may be recorded.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an embodiment of an image recording apparatus that performs an image recording method according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a recording virtual area. FIG. 3 is an image recording apparatus that performs an image recording method according to the present invention. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the operation when a mammo image is recorded by the image recording apparatus that performs the image recording method according to the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Laser light 2 Laser light source 3 Modulator 4 Scanning mirror 5 Endless belt 6 Motor 10 Size recognition means 20 Image reduction means 30 Recording control means 40 Selection means 50 Input means 60 Recording virtual area 70 Diagonal part 80 Mammo image

Claims (6)

In an image recording method for recording image data based on a medical document image on a recording medium as a reproduced image,
Set a recording virtual area having a size larger by a predetermined area than the dimension of the recording body,
Recognizing whether the size of the original image is larger than the recording virtual area;
When the size of the original image is larger than the recording virtual area, the recording is performed after reducing the original image to be smaller than the size of the recording virtual area,
An image recording method, wherein when the size of the original image is not larger than the recording virtual area, the recording is performed without performing reduction processing on the original image. In an image recording method for recording image data based on a medical document image on a recording medium as a reproduced image,
Set a recording virtual area having a size larger by a predetermined area than the dimension of the recording body,
Recognizing whether the size of the original image is larger than the recording virtual area;
When the size of the original image is larger than the recording virtual area, after selecting whether or not to perform processing for reducing the original image to be smaller than the size of the recording virtual area, the recording is performed,
An image recording method, wherein when the size of the original image is not larger than the recording virtual area, the recording is performed without performing reduction processing on the original image. 3. The image recording method according to claim 1, wherein the image data is in a predetermined designated range in the document image. In an image recording apparatus for recording image data based on a medical document image on a recording medium as a reproduced image,
A size recognizing unit configured to set a recording virtual area having a size larger by a predetermined area than the size of the recording body, and to recognize whether the size of the document image is larger than the recording virtual area;
Image reduction processing means for performing a reduction process for making the original image smaller than the size of the recording virtual area;
When the size recognition unit recognizes that the size of the document image is larger than the recording virtual area, the image reduction unit performs the reduction process, and then performs the recording.
A recording control unit that controls to perform the recording without performing the reduction process on the document image when the size recognition unit recognizes that the size of the document image is not larger than the recording virtual area; An image recording apparatus characterized by the above. In an image recording apparatus for recording image data based on a medical document image on a recording medium as a reproduced image,
A size recognizing means for recognizing whether or not the size of the original image is larger than the size of the recording virtual region, wherein a recording virtual region having a size larger than the size of the recording body by a predetermined region is set;
Image reduction means for reducing the original image to a size equal to or less than the size of the recording virtual area;
A selection means for selecting whether or not to perform a reduction process to make the document image the size of the recording virtual area when the size of the document image is larger than the recording virtual area;
When the size recognition unit recognizes that the size of the document image is larger than the recording virtual area, recording is performed based on the selection by the selection unit,
A recording control unit that controls to perform the recording without performing the reduction process on the document image when the size recognition unit recognizes that the size of the document image is not larger than the recording virtual area; An image recording apparatus characterized by the above. 6. The image recording apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the image data is in a predetermined designated range in the document image.

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