# US 8,542,796 B2 · Radiation image capturing device, radiation image capturing system, computer readable medium and radiation image capturing device control method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,542,796 B2 - Document ID: US8542796B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/555,483 - Filed: 2012-07-23 - Published: 2013-02-28 - Granted: 2013-09-24 - Earliest claimed: 2011-08-31 - Assignees: FUJIFILM Corporation - Applicants: Keiichiro Sato - Inventors: Keiichiro Sato - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8542796B2 ## CPC - G01T 1/171: {Compensation of dead-time counting losses} - A61B 6/5205: {involving processing of raw data to produce diagnostic data} - A61B 6/5258: {involving detection or reduction of artifacts or noise} - G01T 1/20184: {Detector read-out circuitry, e.g. for clearing of traps, compensating for traps or compensating for direct hits} - H04N 23/30: for generating image signals from X-rays - H04N 25/76: Addressed sensors, e.g. MOS or CMOS sensors - A61B 6/4283: {characterised by a detector unit being housed in a cassette} - A61B 6/54: {Control of apparatus or devices for radiation diagnosis} - 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) - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract A radiation image capturing device is provided with plural pixels, a detection unit and a control unit. The pixels are each provided with a sensor portion and a switching element that reads out charges generated at the sensor portion and outputs the charges to a signal line. The detection unit detects the start of irradiation if electronic signals according to the charges satisfy a pre-specified condition for irradiation detection. After the start of irradiation of radiation is detected, the control unit acquires electronic signals corresponding to the charges and determines whether the acquired electronic signals include an electronic signal caused by noise. If the electronic signal caused by noise is included, the control unit controls a reporting unit so as to report this. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A radiation image capturing device, comprising: a plurality of pixels that are each provided with a sensor portion that generates a charge in accordance with an amount of radiation irradiated thereon and accumulates the generated charge, and a switching element that reads out the charge generated at the sensor portion and outputs the charge to a signal line; a detection unit that detects a start of irradiation if electronic signals corresponding to the charges generated at the sensor portions satisfy a pre-specified condition for irradiation detection; and a control unit that, after the start of irradiation of radiation is detected by the detection unit, acquires electronic signals corresponding to the charges read out from the pixels, determines whether the acquired electronic signals include an electronic signal caused by noise, and, if an electronic signal caused by noise is included, controls a reporting unit so as to report the same. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The radiation image capturing device according to claim 1, wherein, after the start of irradiation of radiation is detected by the detection unit, the control unit detects a strength and a duration of the noise on the basis of the acquired electronic signals, a pre-specified condition for noise strength detection and a pre-specified condition for noise duration detection, and determines whether or not to output a radiographic image on the basis of the detected strength and duration. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The radiation image capturing device according to claim 2, wherein the control unit detects the strength of the noise by comparing the acquired electronic signals with a threshold for strength detection. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The radiation image capturing device according to claim 2, wherein the control unit detects the duration of the noise on the basis of a number of times the acquired electronic signals reach a threshold for duration detection. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The radiation image capturing device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit determines that a radiographic image is to be output if at least one of a low strength of the noise or a short duration of the noise is detected. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The radiation image capturing device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit determines that a radiographic image is not to be output if it is detected that the strength of the noise is high and the duration of the noise is long. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The radiation image capturing device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit acquires the electronic signals corresponding to the charges from each of pre-specified regions which are pre-specified according to the plurality of pixels, and determines whether the acquired electronic signals include an electronic signal caused by noise, for each of the pre-specified regions. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The radiation image capturing device according to claim 7, wherein the control unit reports at least one of the pre-specified regions for which it has been determined that an electronic signal caused by noise is included. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The radiation image capturing device according to claim 7, wherein the control unit determines whether or not to output a radiographic image on the basis of a location of at least one of the pre-specified regions for which it has been determined that an electronic signal caused by noise is included. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The radiation image capturing device according to claim 9, wherein the control unit determines that the radiographic image is not to be output if the location of the at least one of the pre-specified regions, for which it has been determined that an electronic signal caused by noise is included, is a pre-specified location which is pre-specified as central relative to all the regions. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The radiation image capturing device according to claim 1, wherein, on the basis of changes over time of the acquired electronic signals, the control unit determines that an electronic signal caused by noise is included if at least one of the acquired electronic signals exceeds a threshold for noise detection. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The radiation image capturing device according to claim 11, wherein, on the basis of electronic signals that are differentiated with respect to changes over time of the acquired electronic signals, the control unit determines that an electronic signal caused by noise is included if a differentiated electronic signal exceeds a threshold for noise detection. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The radiation image capturing device according to claim 11, wherein, on the basis of changes over time of the acquired electronic signals, the control unit calculates a time moving average and, on the basis of differences of the electronic signals at a time of determination from the calculated time moving average, the control unit determines that an electronic signal caused by noise is included if a difference exceeds a threshold for noise detection. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The radiation image capturing device according to claim 1, wherein the reporting unit is provided at a radiographic image detector that includes the plurality of pixels. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The radiation image capturing device according to claim 1, wherein the reporting unit is provided externally to a radiographic image detector that includes the plurality of pixels. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The radiation image capturing device according to claim 1, wherein: the plurality of pixels includes radiation image capturing pixels and radiation detection pixels; the detection unit detects the start of irradiation of radiation on the basis of electronic signals corresponding to charges output from the radiation detection pixels; and the control unit acquires electronic signals corresponding to charges read out from the radiation detection pixels. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The radiation image capturing device according to claim 16, wherein: the switching elements of the radiation image capturing pixels output charges to the signal lines in accordance with control signals; and the radiation detection pixels output charges to the signal lines regardless of the control signals. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The radiation image capturing device according to claim 16, wherein each of the radiation detection pixels includes a switching element for radiation image capturing that is driven in accordance with a control signal flowing through a first scan line, and a switching element for radiation detection that is driven in accordance with a control signal flowing through a second scan line, the detection unit detects the start of irradiation of radiation on the basis of electronic signals corresponding to charges that are read out by driving of the switching elements for radiation detection, and the control unit acquires electronic signals corresponding to charges that are read out from the radiation image capturing pixels and electronic signals corresponding to charges that are read out by driving of the switching elements for radiation image capturing of the radiation detection pixels. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The radiation image capturing device according to claim 18, wherein each of the radiation image capturing pixels includes a switching element for radiation image capturing and a switching element for radiation detection, and the switching element for radiation detection is not connected to the signal line. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The radiation image capturing device according to claim 1, further comprising: bias lines that supply a bias voltage applied from a bias power supply to the sensor portions of the plurality of pixels; and a charge detection unit that detects charges flowing in the bias lines, wherein the detection unit detects the start of irradiation of radiation on the basis of a change in charges detected by the charge detection unit. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The radiation image capturing device according to claim 20, wherein, in a detection period during which the detection unit can detect the start of irradiation of radiation, the switching elements are in an off state. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The radiation image capturing device according to claim 21, wherein, at intervals of a predetermined duration in the detection period, detection of the start of irradiation of radiation is suspended, the switching elements are put into an on state, charges generated at the sensor portions are read out and output to the signal lines, then the switching elements are put into an off state, and the detection for the start of irradiation of radiation is resumed. ### Claim 23 (depends on 1) The radiation image capturing device according to claim 1, wherein the pre-specified condition for irradiation detection is a pre-specified condition which is pre-specified based on a threshold for irradiation detection. ### Claim 24 (depends on 1) A radiation image capturing system comprising: a radiation irradiation device; and the radiation image capturing device according to claim 1 that captures a radiographic image according to radiation irradiated from the radiation irradiation device. ### Claim 25 (depends on 1) The radiation image capturing device according to claim 1, wherein, after the detection unit has detected the start of irradiation of radiation, the control unit cause the sensor portion to start accumulation of the charge, and the control unit determines whether or not the electronic signals include an electronic signal caused by a noise after the start of accumulation. ### Claim 26 A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a radiation image capturing device control program for causing a computer to execute a process comprising the steps of: generating, by a sensor portion with which a plurality of pixels are each provided, a charge in accordance with an amount of radiation irradiated thereon and accumulating the generated charge, and reading out the charge, by a switching element, generated at the sensor portion and outputting the charge to a signal line; detecting, by a detection unit, a start of irradiation if electronic signals corresponding to the charges generated at the sensor portions satisfy a pre-specified condition for irradiation detection; and after the start of irradiation of radiation is detected by the detection unit, acquiring, by a control unit, electronic signals corresponding to the charges read out from the pixels, determining, by the control unit, whether the acquired electronic signals include an electronic signal caused by noise, and if an electronic signal caused by noise is included, controlling, by the control unit, a reporting unit so as to report the same. ### Claim 27 A radiation image capturing device control method, comprising: when a radiographic image is being captured by a radiation image capturing device that includes a plurality of pixels that are each provided with a sensor portion that generates a charge in accordance with radiation irradiated thereon and accumulates the generated charge, and a switching element that reads out the charge generated at the sensor portion and outputs the charge to a signal line, detecting a start of irradiation of radiation if electronic signals corresponding to charges generated in the sensor portions satisfy a pre-specified condition for irradiation detection; after the start of irradiation of radiation is detected by the detecting, acquiring electronic signals corresponding to charges read out from the pixels; determining whether the acquired electronic signals include an electronic signal caused by noise; and, if an electronic signal caused by noise is included, controlling a reporting unit so as to report the same.