Method of adjusting radiation image read-out conditions and image processing conditions

Claim 1

A method of adjusting radiation image readout conditions in which preliminary read-out conducted by exposing a stimulable phosphor sheet carrying a radiation image of an object stored therein by limitation of an irradiation field to stimulating rays of a level lower than the level of stimulating rays used in final read-out and detecting the radiation image stored in the stimulable phosphor sheet is carried out prior to the final readout wherein the stimulable phosphor sheet is exposed to stimulating rays which cause the stimulable phosphor sheet to emit light in proportion to the stored radiation energy and the emitted light is photoelectrically detected to obtain electric image signals used for reproducing a visible image, and read-out conditions in the final read-out are adjusted on the basis of the image information obtained by the preliminary read-out, wherein the improvement comprises the steps of: subjecting said image information obtained by said preliminary read-out to a threshold value processing to detect a background portion inside of the irradiation field, selecting image information inside of the irradiation field constituted by said background portion and an object image portion surrounded by said background portion from said image information obtained by said preliminary read-out, and adjusting said read-out conditions in said final read-out on the basis of said selected image information, said threshold value processing is a processing for converting said image information obtained by said preliminary read-out into a two-valued system by use of a predetermined threshold value so that the background portion has a first value and the object image portion has a second value which is different from the first value.

Claim 2

A method of adjusting radiation image readout conditions in which preliminary read-out conducted by exposing a stimulable phosphor sheet carrying a radiation image of an object stored therein by limitation of an irradiation field to stimulating rays of a level lower than the level of stimulating rays used in final read-out and detecting the radiation image stored in the stimulable phosphor sheet is carried out prior to the final readout wherein the stimulable phosphor sheet is exposed to stimulating rays which cause the stimulable phosphor sheet to emit light in proportion to the stored radiation energy and the emitted light is photoelectrically detected to obtain electric image signals used for reproducing a visible image, and read-out conditions in the final read-out are adjusted on the basis of the image information obtained by the preliminary read-out, wherein the improvement comprises the steps of: subjecting said image information obtained by said preliminary read-out to a threshold value processing to detect a background portion inside of the irradiation field, selecting image information inside of the irradiation field constituted by said background portion and an object image portion surrounded by said background portion from said image information obtained by said preliminary read-out, and adjusting said read-out conditions in said final read-out on the basis of said selected image information, said threshold value processing is a processing for converting said image information obtained by said preliminary read-out into a two-valued system by use of a predetermined threshold value so that the background portion has a first value and the object image portion has a second value which is different from the first value.

Claim 6

A method of adjusting radiation image read-out conditions in which preliminary read-out conducted by exposing a stimulable phosphor sheet carrying a radiation image of an object stored therein by limitation of an irradiation field to stimulating rays of a level lower than the level of stimulating rays used in final read-out and detecting the radiation image stored in the stimulable phosphor sheet is carried out prior to the final read-out wherein the stimulable phosphor sheet is exposed to stimulating rays which cause the stimulable phosphor sheet to emit light in proportion to the stored radiation energy and the emitted light is photoelectrically detected to obtain electric image signals used for reproducing a visible image, and read-out conditions in the final read-out are adjusted on the basis of the image information obtained by the preliminary readout. wherein the improvement comprises the steps of: subjecting said image information obtained by said preliminary read-out to a threshold value processing to detect a background portion inside of the irradiation field, selecting image information inside of the irradiation field constituted by said background portion and an object image portion surrounded by said background portion from said image information obtained by said preliminary read-out, and adjusting said read-out conditions in said final read-out on the basis of said selected image information wherein said image information inside of the irradiation field is selected by correcting the threshold value-processed image information so that the information at said background portion and the information at said object image portion have a value different from the value at the other portion, and ANDing said corrected, threshold value-processed image information with the original image information obtained by said preliminary read-out.

Claim 7

A method of adjusting radiation image read-out conditions in which preliminary read-out conducted by exposing a stimulable phosphor sheet carrying a radiation image of an object stored therein by limitation of an irradiation field to stimulating rays of a level lower than the level of stimulating rays used in final read-out and detecting the radiation image stored in the stimulable phosphor sheet is carried out prior to the final read-out wherein the stimulable phosphor sheet is exposed to stimulating rays which cause the stimulable phosphor sheet to emit light in proportion to the stored radiation energy and the emitted light is photoelectrically detected to obtain electric image signals used for reproducing a visible image, and read-out conditions in the final read-out are adjusted on the basis of the image information obtained by the preliminary readout. wherein the improvement comprises the steps of: subjecting said image information obtained by said preliminary read-out to a threshold value processing to detect a background portion inside of the irradiation field, selecting image information inside of the irradiation field constituted by said background portion and an object image portion surrounded by said background portion from said image information obtained by said preliminary read-out, and adjusting said read-out conditions in said final read-out on the basis of said selected image information wherein said image information inside of the irradiation field is selected by correcting the threshold value-processed image information so that the information at said background portion and the information at said object image portion have a value different from the value at the other portion, and ANDing said corrected, threshold value-processed image information with the original image information obtained by said preliminary read-out.

Claim 8

A method of adjusting radiation image processing conditions in which a stimulable phosphor sheet carrying radiation image information of an object stored thereon by limitation of an irradiation field is exposed to stimulating rays which cause the stimulable phosphor sheet to release the radiation image information as light emission in proportion to the stored radiation energy, the light emitted by the stimulable phosphor sheet is photoelectrically detected to obtain electric image signals for use in reproduction of a visible image, and image processing conditions for use in an image processing carried out for the electric image signals are adjusted, wherein the improvement comprises the steps of: (i) subjecting the obtained image information to a threshold value processing to detect a background portion inside of the irradiation field, (ii) selecting image information inside of the irradiation field constituted by said background portion and an object image portion surrounded by said background portion from said obtained image information, and (iii) adjusting said image processing conditions on the basis of said selected image information, said threshold value processing is a processing for converting said obtained image information into a two-valued system by use of a predetermined threshold value so that said background portion has a first value and the object image portion has a second value which is different form the first value.

Claim 9

A method of adjusting radiation image processing conditions in which a stimulable phosphor sheet carrying radiation image information of an object stored thereon by limitation of an irradiation field is exposed to stimulating rays which cause the stimulable phosphor sheet to release the radiation image information as light emission in proportion to the stored radiation energy, the light emitted by the stimulable phosphor sheet is photoelectrically detected to obtain electric image signals for use in reproduction of a visible image, and image processing conditions for use in an image processing carried out for the electric image signals are adjusted, wherein the improvement comprises the steps of: (i) subjecting the obtained image information to a threshold value processing to detect a background portion inside of the irradiation field, (ii) selecting image information inside of the irradiation field constituted by said background portion and an object image portion surrounded by said background portion from said obtained image information, and (iii) adjusting said image processing conditions on the basis of said selected image information, said threshold value processing is a processing for converting said obtained image information into a two-valued system by use of a predetermined threshold value so that said background portion has a first value and the object image portion has a second value which is different form the first value.

Claim 13

A method of adjusting radiation image processing conditions in which a stimulable phosphor sheet carrying radiation image information of an object stored thereon by limitation of an irradiation field is exposed to stimulating rays which cause the stimulable phosphor sheet to release the radiation image information as light emission in proportion to the stored radiation energy, the light emitted by the stimulable phosphor sheet is photoelectrically detected to obtain electric image signals for use in reproduction of a visible image, and image processing conditions for use in an image processing carried out for the electric image signals are adjusted, wherein the improvement comprises the steps of: (i) subjecting the obtained image information to a threshold value processing to detect a background portion inside of the irradiation field, (ii) selecting image information inside of the irradiation field constituted by said background portion and an object image portion surrounded by said background portion from said obtained image information, and (iii) adjusting said image processing conditions on the basis of said selected image information, wherein said image information inside of the irradiation field is selected by correcting the threshold value-processed image information so that the information at said background portion and the information at said object image portion have a value different from the value at the other portion, and ANDing said corrected, threshold value-processed image information with the original obtained image information.

Claim 14

A method of adjusting radiation image processing conditions in which a stimulable phosphor sheet carrying radiation image information of an object stored thereon by limitation of an irradiation field is exposed to stimulating rays which cause the stimulable phosphor sheet to release the radiation image information as light emission in proportion to the stored radiation energy, the light emitted by the stimulable phosphor sheet is photoelectrically detected to obtain electric image signals for use in reproduction of a visible image, and image processing conditions for use in an image processing carried out for the electric image signals are adjusted, wherein the improvement comprises the steps of: (i) subjecting the obtained image information to a threshold value processing to detect a background portion inside of the irradiation field, (ii) selecting image information inside of the irradiation field constituted by said background portion and an object image portion surrounded by said background portion from said obtained image information, and (iii) adjusting said image processing conditions on the basis of said selected image information, wherein said image information inside of the irradiation field is selected by correcting the threshold value-processed image information so that the information at said background portion and the information at said object image portion have a value different from the value at the other portion, and ANDing said corrected, threshold value-processed image information with the original obtained image information.