Patent ID: 7375364

Claim:
A recording sheet usage count evaluation method of evaluating a usage count of each recording sheet in a radiation imaging system including at least one radiation imaging apparatus for imaging an object by irradiating the object with radiation to record a radiographic image on the recording sheet, at least one radiographic image reading apparatus for reading the radiographic image recorded on the recording sheet to obtain image data, and a plurality of medical image processing apparatuses capable of processing the image data received from said at least one radiographic image reading apparatus, said method comprising the steps of: (a) receiving, in one medical image processing apparatus, recording sheet identification information for use in identifying the recording sheet, together with the image data obtained by reading the radiographic image recorded on the recording sheet, from said at least one radiographic image reading apparatus; (b) counting, in said one medical image processing apparatus, a usage count number of each recording sheet on a basis of the recording sheet identification information received at step (a), weighting a count value in accordance with a set condition reflecting a degree of degradation in a characteristic of the recording sheet, and accumulating the weighted count value to store the accumulated count value in correspondence with the recording sheet identification information; and (c) calculating, in said one medical image processing apparatus, a total count value for each recording sheet by referring to count values stored in other medical image processing apparatuses and adding the count values in said other medical image processing apparatuses to the count value stored at step (b), in accordance with an operation by an operator and/or a set condition.