Method of adjusting read-out condition and/or image processing condition for radiation image

Claim 1

In a radiation image read-out and reproducing system for scanning a stimulable phosphor sheet, on which a radiation image of an object has been stored, with a light beam which causes the stimulable phosphor sheet to emit light in proportion to an amount of energy stored during exposure to radiation, photoelectrically detecting the emitted light by using a read-out condition, thereby to obtain an image signal, carrying out image processing of the image signal by using an image processing condition, and reproducing a visible image from the processed image signal, a method of adjusting a read-out condition and/or an image processing condition for a radiation image, which comprises the steps of: i) carrying out preliminary read out for approximately ascertaining the radiation image, which is stored on the stimulable phosphor sheet, by scanning the stimulable phosphor sheet with a light beam having a lower level of energy than the level of energy of the light beam used in final read out prior to carrying out the final read out for obtaining said image signal by detecting said emitted light, ii) creating a histogram of a preliminary read-out image signal obtained by the preliminary read out, iii) determining an image information range, which is necessary for reproducing said visible image, from said histogram, and iv) adjusting the read-out condition and/or the image processing condition in accordance with a latitude of said image information range so that a latitude of said reproduced visible image is changed so as to widen nonlinearly when the latitude of said image information range widens.