Patent ID: 6252932
Filing Date: 2001-06-26
Classification: A61B,G21K,H05G

Abstract:
A method of acquiring image information for energy subtraction processing, wherein high energy image information of an object corresponding to radiation having a high energy level, in which high energy components have been emphasized relatively to other energy components, and low energy image information of the object corresponding to radiation having a low energy level, in which low energy components have been emphasized relatively to other energy components, are acquired, the method comprising the steps of:i) irradiating the radiation having a high energy level onto the object, the high energy image information corresponding to the radiation having a high energy level, which radiation carries image information of the object, being thereby stored on a radiation detector, said radiation detector being provided with a flat surface-like scintillator, which converts radiation into visible light, and a solid-state photodetector, which is overlaid upon and in direct contact with said scintillator and is constituted of a plurality of solid-state photo detecting devices located in a matrix-like pattern,ii) simultaneously reading the high energy image information which has been stored on said radiation detector, erasing the high energy image information from said radiation detector and preparing to irradiate the radiation having a low energy level,iii) thereafter irradiating the radiation having a low energy level onto the object, the low energy image information corresponding to the radiation having a low energy level, which radiation carries image information of the object, being thereby stored on said radiation detector, wherein the irradiation of said radiation having a low energy level is carried out within 100 milliseconds after the irradiation of said radiation having a high energy level, andiv) reading the low energy image information, which has been stored on said radiation detector.