Radiological image-capturing device, radiological image-capturing system, radiological image-capturing method, and program

A radiographic image capturing apparatus comprising:nan image capturing panel containing a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix for converting a radiation, which is emitted from a radiation source and transmitted through a subject, into electric signals and storing the electric signals,a first readout control part for executing a first readout mode for reading one-frame image data by reading the electric signals stored in the pixels in a plurality of rows simultaneously, andan irradiation start judgment part for judging start of emission of the radiation from the radiation source to the image capturing panel, the emission of the radiation being judged to be started in a case where a value of the electric signals read by the first readout control part becomes larger than an arbitrarily settable threshold value,wherein the first readout control part executes the first readout mode until the emission of the radiation is judged to be started by the irradiation start judgment part, and in a case where the emission of the radiation is judged to be started by the irradiation start judgment part, the first readout control part acts to stop the reading of the electric signals and to switch the plurality of pixels of the image capturing panel to an exposure state.

A method for capturing a radiographic image, performed using a computer equipped with an image capturing panel, wherein the image capturing panel contains a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix for converting a radiation, which is emitted from a radiation source and transmitted through a subject, into electric signals and storing the electric signals, the method comprising:nexecuting a first readout mode for reading the electric signals stored in the pixels in a plurality of rows simultaneously,judging start of emission of the radiation from the radiation source to the image capturing panel in a case where a value of the electric signals read in the first readout mode becomes larger than a threshold value, andstopping reading of the electric signals to switch the plurality of pixels of the image capturing panel to an exposure state in a case where the emission of the radiation is judged to be started.

A non-transitory, computer readable medium storing a program for using a computer equipped with an image capturing panel, wherein the image capturing panel contains a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix for converting a radiation, which is emitted from a radiation source and transmitted through a subject, into electric signals and storing the electric signals, comprising the steps of:nexecuting a first readout mode using a first readout control part, for reading the electric signals stored in the pixels in a plurality of rows simultaneously, andjudging a start of emission of the radiation from the radiation source to the image capturing panel using an irradiation start judgment part, the emission of the radiation being judged to be started in a case where a value of the electric signals read by the first readout control part becomes larger than a threshold value, andstopping reading of the electric signals to switch the plurality of pixels of the image capturing panel to an exposure state using the first readout control part, in a case where the emission of the radiation is judged to be started by the irradiation start judgment part.

A radiographic image capturing apparatus comprising:nan image capturing panel containing a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix for converting a radiation, which is emitted from a radiation source and transmitted through a subject, into electric signals and storing the electric signals,a first readout control part for executing a first readout mode for reading the electric signals stored in the pixels in a plurality of rows simultaneously through an electric signal amplifier set at a first readout gain,an irradiation start judgment part for judging start of emission of the radiation from the radiation source to the image capturing panel, the emission of the radiation being judged to be started in a case where a value of the electric signals read by the first readout control part becomes larger than an arbitrarily settable threshold value, and the first readout control part acting to stop the reading of the electric signals and to switch the plurality of pixels of the image capturing panel to an exposure state in a case where the emission of the radiation is judged to be started by the irradiation start judgment part,an emission completion judgment part for judging the completion of the emission of the radiation, anda second readout control part for executing a second readout mode for reading the electric signals stored in the pixels sequentially row by row through the electric signal amplifier set at a second readout gain, the second readout mode being executed in a case where the emission of the radiation is judged to be completed by the emission completion judgment part,wherein the first readout gain is lower than the second readout gain.

A radiographic image capturing system comprising:na radiation source for outputting a radiation,a plurality of radiographic image capturing apparatuses for capturing a radiographic image, anda control unit for controlling the radiation source and the radiographic image capturing apparatuses,wherein the radiographic image capturing apparatuses include:na radiation conversion panel containing a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix for converting the radiation, transmitted through a subject, into electric charges and storing the electric charges, anda readout control part for controlling reading of electric charges stored in the pixels and for outputting radiographic image information based on the electric charges,wherein the readout control part is capable of executing a first readout mode and a second readout mode,wherein in the first readout mode, the electric charges stored in the pixels in a plurality of rows are simultaneously read out, and thus the electric charges stored in the pixels are read as first electric signals that are not used for forming the radiographic image,wherein in the second readout mode, the electric charges stored in the pixels are read out row by row, and thus the electric charges stored in the pixels are read as second electric signals that are used for forming the radiographic image,wherein in a process of capturing the radiographic image, the control unit sends an instruction to execute the first readout mode to the readout control part in the radiographic image capturing apparatuses,then, wherein the readout control part, which receives the instruction, acts to execute the first readout mode, andwherein in the case that the radiation conversion panel subsequently detects the radiation, the second readout mode is performed to output the radiographic image information based on the electric charges stored in the pixels.