# US 10,441,238 B2 · Radiation imaging apparatus, control method thereof, and program > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,441,238 B2 - Document ID: US10441238B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/563,148 - Filed: 2016-06-03 - Published: 2018-03-15 - Granted: 2019-10-15 - Earliest claimed: 2015-07-08 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Kosuke Terui; Atsushi Iwashita; Katsuro Takenaka; Shinichi Takeda - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10441238B2 ## CPC - A61B 6/54: {Control of apparatus or devices for radiation diagnosis} - A61B 6/482: {involving multiple energy imaging} - A61B 6/5258: {involving detection or reduction of artifacts or noise} - G06T 12/10: Image preprocessing, e.g. calibration, positioning of sources or scatter correction - H04N 5/32: Transforming X-rays (cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from X-rays H04N23/30; circuitry of SSIS for transforming X-rays into image signals H04N25/30) - G01T 1/20: with scintillation detectors - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - G01T: MEASUREMENT OF NUCLEAR OR X-RADIATION (radiation analysis of materials, mass spectrometry G01N23/00; tubes for determining the presence, intensity, density or energy of radiation or particles H01J47/00) ## Abstract A radiation imaging apparatus is provided. The apparatus comprises a scintillator configured to convert radiation into light, a sensor panel in which a plurality of pixels each comprising a light detector configured to detect the light is arranged, and a processing unit. The processing unit comprises a conversion unit configured to output a detection signal in accordance with a signal generated in the light detector by the incident light and radiation that has transmitted through the scintillator without being converted into light, and a reset control unit configured to determine that the light detector detects the transmitted radiation based on a magnitude of the detection signal and reset the conversion unit if the light detector is determined to detect the transmitted radiation. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A radiation imaging apparatus comprising: a scintillator configured to convert radiation into light; a sensor panel in which a plurality of pixels each comprising a light detector configured to detect the light is arranged; and a processing unit, wherein the processing unit comprises: a conversion unit configured to output a detection signal in accordance with a signal generated in the light detector by the incident light and radiation that has transmitted through the scintillator without being converted into light; and a reset control unit configured to determine that the light detector detects the transmitted radiation based on a magnitude of the detection signal and reset the conversion unit if the light detector is determined to detect the transmitted radiation. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reset control unit resets the light detector if the light detector is determined to detect the transmitted radiation. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the radiation imaging apparatus generates a captured image based on an output count of the detection signal. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conversion unit comprises a voltage conversion unit configured to convert the signal generated in the light detector into a voltage signal and outputs the voltage signal as the detection signal. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the voltage conversion unit comprises a differential circuit. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the reset control unit determines that the light detector detects the transmitted radiation if a voltage of the voltage signal is higher than a predetermined voltage. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein in order to generate a captured image, the processing unit further comprises: a comparison unit configured to compare the voltage of the voltage signal with a reference voltage and output a comparison result signal if the voltage of the voltage signal is not lower than the reference voltage; and a count unit configured to store an output count of the comparison result signal, and wherein the predetermined voltage is not less than ten times higher than the reference voltage. ### Claim 8 (depends on 4) The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the reset control unit determines that the light detector detects the transmitted radiation if a time from a rise to a fall of the voltage signal is longer than a predetermined time. ### Claim 9 (depends on 4) The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein in order to generate a captured image, the processing unit further comprises: a comparison unit configured to compare the voltage of the voltage signal with a reference voltage and output a comparison result signal if the voltage of the voltage signal is not lower than the reference voltage; and a count unit configured to store an output count of the comparison result signal. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein if the reset control unit determines that the light detector detects the transmitted radiation, the count unit changes the count. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein if the reset control unit determines that the transmitted radiation is detected, the count unit subtracts the count by one. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the reset control unit further comprises a memory unit configured to store a determined count that the light detector detects the transmitted radiation, and the count unit subtracts the count in accordance with the determined count stored in the memory unit. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of the processing unit is arranged in each pixel of the plurality of pixels. ### Claim 14 A control method of a radiation imaging apparatus that comprises a scintillator configured to convert radiation into light and a sensor panel in which a plurality of pixels each comprising a light detector configured to detect the light is arranged, the method comprising: outputting a detection signal in accordance with a signal generated in the light detector by the incident light and radiation that has transmitted through the scintillator without being converted into light; determining that the light detector detects the transmitted radiation based on a comparison result between the detection signal and a predetermined reference; and resetting the detection signal if the light detector is determined to detect the transmitted radiation. ### Claim 15 A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing, in executable form, a program for causing a computer to execute each step of a control method of a radiation imaging apparatus that comprises a scintillator configured to convert radiation into light and a sensor panel in which a plurality of pixels each comprising a light detector configured to detect the light is arranged, the method comprising: outputting a detection signal in accordance with a signal generated in the light detector by the incident light and radiation that has transmitted through the scintillator without being converted into light; determining that the light detector detects the transmitted radiation based on a comparison result between the detection signal and a predetermined reference; and resetting the detection signal if the light detector is determined to detect the transmitted radiation.