Patent ID: 6061465
Filing Date: 2000-05-09
Classification: G06T

Abstract:
A radiation image processing method, in which desired image processing is carried out on a radiation image signal obtained by reading out a radiation image having been recorded by use of an irradiation field stop and having an irradiation field thereon, an image signal obtained from the desired image processing being used for reproducing a visible radiation image on a predetermined image reproducing medium, the method comprising: detecting the shape and location of the irradiation field on the radiation image in accordance with the radiation image signal, and carrying out a blackening process on the radiation image signal corresponding to a region outside of the irradiation field,wherein the improvement comprises the steps of:i) thinning out image signal components of the radiation image signal at a predetermined rate, a thinned-out image signal being thereby obtained,ii) automatically determining the shape and location of the irradiation field in accordance with said thinned-out image signal,iii) setting a range of the blackening process in accordance with the results of said determination,iv) carrying out a blackening process on said thinned-out image signal with respect to said set blackening process range,v) reproducing a visible image from the thinned-out image signal, which has been obtained from the blackening process,vi) correcting manually said blackening process range in accordance with the visible image reproduced from said thinned-out image signal, which has been obtained from the blackening process, andvii) carrying out the blackening process on the radiation image signal and in accordance with said set blackening process range or said corrected blackening process range.