Radiation imaging device, radiation generating device, radiation imaging system, operating method for radiation imaging device, operating method for radiation generating device, and program

Abstract

To provide a radiation imaging device with improved functionality for both posture detection and impact detection.SOLUTION: A radiation imaging device includes: a first measurement unit that measures motion information of the radiation imaging device; and a second measurement unit that has a dynamic range smaller than the dynamic range of the first measurement unit and measures motion information of the radiation imaging device. Impact applied to the radiation imaging device is determined by using the first measurement unit, and information indicating the posture of the radiation imaging device is calculated by using the second measurement unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a radiation imaging apparatus, a radiation generating apparatus, a radiation imaging system, an operating method of a radiation imaging apparatus, an operating method of a radiation generating apparatus, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] Currently, as a radiation detector used for medical image diagnosis and non-destructive inspection by radiation such as X-rays, a flat panel detector (FPD) formed of a semiconductor material has become widespread. Further, a radiation imaging system in which such a radiation detector is combined with a radiation generating apparatus that generates radiation is being used.

[0003] Products equipped with a gravity sensor have been put into practical use in such a radiation imaging system. As a function of a radiation imaging system equipped with a gravity sensor, a function of deriving the postures of a radiation generating apparatus and a radiation detector and displaying them on a display unit or the like has been put into practical use. By this function, the radiation imaging system can assist in aligning the irradiation field surface of the radiation irradiated from the radiation generating apparatus with the incident surface of the radiation detector, or can detect that an impact has been applied to the radiation detector.

[0004] As an example of alignment between a radiation generating apparatus and a radiation detector, there is a radiation imaging system in which a gravity sensor is provided inside the radiation detector, and the posture state of the radiation detector is calculated from the output value of the gravity sensor.

[0005] For example, in the technique described in Patent Document 1, alignment between a radiation image imaging apparatus and a radiation generating apparatus is performed using a first inclination angle detection unit that detects the inclination angle of the radiation image imaging apparatus and a second inclination angle detection unit that detects the inclination angle of the radiation source of the radiation generating apparatus. Further, as an example of impact detection, Patent Document 2 discloses a method of detecting an impact by arranging an acceleration sensor at the center of a radiation image imaging apparatus.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2021-45647 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 7207482 [Summary of the Invention] [Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

[0007] In the technology described in Patent Document 1, the tilt angle of a radiation imaging apparatus can be detected using a gravity sensor, and in the technology described in Patent Document 2, an impact on the radiation imaging apparatus can be detected using an acceleration sensor (gravity sensor). However, even though they are the same gravity sensor, the gravity sensor for attitude detection used in Patent Document 1 generally uses a sensor with a small dynamic range, and the sensor saturates for a large signal such as an impact and cannot detect the peak. On the other hand, the gravity sensor for impact detection used in Patent Document 2 generally has a large dynamic range but low sensitivity and a large amount of noise, and is not suitable for use in attitude detection. Therefore, it has been difficult to achieve both attitude detection and impact detection of a radiation imaging apparatus with the technologies described in Patent Documents 1 and 2.

[0008] One object of an embodiment of the present disclosure is to provide a radiation imaging apparatus that improves both functions of attitude detection and impact detection of a radiation imaging apparatus. [Means for Solving the Problems]

[0009] A radiation imaging apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a first measurement unit that measures movement information of the radiation imaging apparatus, and a second measurement unit that has a dynamic range smaller than the dynamic range of the first measurement unit and measures movement information of the radiation imaging apparatus. An application of an impact to the radiation imaging apparatus is determined using the first measurement unit, and information indicating the attitude of the radiation imaging apparatus is calculated using the second measurement unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, it is possible to improve both the functions of posture detection and impact detection of a radiation imaging apparatus.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of a radiation imaging apparatus and a radiation imaging system according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. Although a plurality of features are described in the embodiments, not all of these plurality of features are essential for the invention, and the plurality of features may be arbitrarily combined. Further, in the drawings, the same or similar configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0013] Hereinafter, a radiation imaging system using X-rays as an example of radiation will be described. However, the radiation may be X-rays or other radiation. In the following embodiments, the term "radiation" can include, for example, electromagnetic radiation such as X-rays and γ-rays, and particle radiation such as α-rays, β-rays, particle beams, proton beams, heavy ion beams, and neutron beams.

[0014] (First Embodiment) Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5, a radiation imaging system, a radiation imaging device, and an operating method of the radiation imaging device according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. In this embodiment, as an example of a radiation imaging device equipped with two acceleration sensors having different dynamic ranges as a measurement unit, a method that enables both attitude detection and impact detection will be described.

[0015] FIG. 1 shows an example of the schematic configuration of the radiation imaging system according to this embodiment. The radiation imaging system 100 is provided with a radiation generator 101, a control PC 102, and a radiation imaging device 103.

[0016] The radiation generator 101 includes, for example, a radiation generator such as a radiation tube, a collimator, a collimator lamp, and the like. The radiation generator 101 irradiates radiation according to the control of the control PC 102.

[0017] The radiation imaging device 103 is configured using an arbitrary radiation detector that detects incident radiation and outputs a corresponding signal, and can be configured using, for example, an FPD (Flat Panel Detector) or the like. Further, the radiation imaging device 103 may be an indirect conversion type detector that once converts radiation into visible light using a scintillator or the like and then converts the visible light into an electrical signal by a light sensor or the like, or a direct conversion type detector that directly converts incident radiation into an electrical signal. The radiation imaging device 103 can detect incident radiation and transmit a signal corresponding to the detected radiation to the control PC 102.

[0018] The control PC 102 is connected to the radiation generator 101 and the radiation imaging device 103 and can control them. Further, the control PC 102 can also perform image processing on the radiation image sent from the radiation imaging device 103. Furthermore, the control PC 102 is connected to the display unit 108 and the operation unit 109. The control PC 102 can function as an example of a display control unit that controls the display of the display unit 108.

[0019] The operation unit 109 includes input devices such as a mouse and a keyboard, and can input instructions to the control PC 102 by being operated by an operator. The display unit 108 includes, for example, an arbitrary monitor and can display information, images output from the control PC 102, information input by the operation unit 109, and the like.

[0020] FIG. 1 illustrates a case where the radiation generator 101 and the radiation imaging device 103 are connected via the control PC 102. Here, the connection between them may take a plurality of forms such as being directly connected by a cable, being connected via a switching hub, or being wirelessly connected. Further, the radiation generator 101 may be installed in a room or may be movable like a mobile cart. Furthermore, regarding the imaging method, in addition to synchronous imaging in which the radiation generator 101 and the radiation imaging device 103 are connected and synchronized for imaging, asynchronous imaging in which radiation irradiation is detected and imaging is performed without using a synchronization signal is also possible.

[0021] In this embodiment, the control PC 102, the operation unit 109, the display unit 108, etc. are configured by separate devices, but they may be integrally configured. For example, the operation unit 109 and the display unit 108 may be configured by a touch panel display.

[0022] Note that the control PC 102 can be configured using a general computer including a processor, memory, etc., or may be configured as a dedicated computer for the radiation imaging system 100. Further, the control PC 102 may be, for example, a personal computer, and a desktop PC, a notebook PC, or a tablet PC (portable information terminal) may be used. Note that the processor may be a CPU (Central Processing Unit). Further, the processor may be, for example, an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphical Processing Unit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or the like.

[0023] Note that each function of the control PC 102 may be realized by a processor such as a CPU or an MPU executing a software module stored in a storage unit such as a memory. Note that the processor may be, for example, a GPU, an FPGA, or the like. Further, each function may be configured by a circuit or the like that performs a specific function such as an ASIC.

[0024] Next, the operations of each part when performing imaging using the radiation imaging system 100 will be described. The operator (user) of the radiation imaging system 100 turns on the power of each device to make it in an imaging-ready state, and then performs position adjustment such as the arrangement of the radiation generator 101, the radiation irradiation area, and the arrangement of the radiation imaging device 103. For position adjustment, the attitude information of the radiation imaging device 103 and the relative position and angle information with the radiation generator 101 can be used assistively, and these information can be displayed on the display unit 108.

[0025] The radiation generator 101 controls the radiation source to irradiate radiation in response to, for example, the pressing of a radiation irradiation switch (not shown) or the input of a radiation irradiation instruction from the control PC 102 according to an instruction from the user via the operation unit 109. The radiation irradiated from the radiation source passes through the subject (not shown) and enters the radiation imaging device 103. The radiation imaging device 103 generates an image corresponding to the incident radiation and transmits it to the control PC 102. The control PC 102 displays the received image on the display, and the user checks the displayed image and determines whether re-imaging is necessary or not. When the user determines that the displayed image is normal, the user performs the imaging preparation for another subject in the same procedure.

[0026] The radiation imaging device 103 can be configured using a radiation detector such as an FPD. The radiation imaging device 103 is provided with a radiation detection unit 104, a control unit 105, a first measurement unit 106, and a second measurement unit 107.

[0027] The radiation detection unit 104 is provided with pixels arranged in a two-dimensional matrix, switch elements for each pixel, a drive circuit for controlling the switch elements, and a readout circuit for reading charges from the pixels (none of which are shown). The drive circuit and the readout circuit are connected to the control unit 105 and are controlled by the control unit 105. The drive circuit is connected to the switch element of each pixel via a drive line and controls the control of each pixel switch according to the control of the control unit 105. The readout circuit is connected to each pixel via a readout line and reads a signal from each pixel according to the control of the control unit 105. The read image signal is sent to the control unit 105, and the control unit 105 generates a radiation image based on the image signal. The generated radiation image is transmitted to the control PC 102.

[0028] Further, the control unit 105 calculates the attitude information of the radiation imaging device 103 based on the output of the second measurement unit 107. Furthermore, the control unit 105 performs impact determination based on the output of the first measurement unit 106. Note that the control unit 105 can be configured using an arbitrary processor. Also, each function of the control unit 105 may be realized by a processor such as a CPU or MPU executing a software module stored in a storage unit such as a memory. Note that the processor may be, for example, a GPU or FPGA. Also, each function may be configured by a circuit or the like that performs a specific function such as an ASIC.

[0029] The first measurement unit 106 and the second measurement unit 107 are used for outputting the attitude information of the radiation imaging device 103 and detecting impacts when adjusting the position of the radiation imaging device 103. In the present embodiment, an example in which a three-axis acceleration sensor is used as the first measurement unit 106 and the second measurement unit 107 will be described. Note that the acceleration sensor is just an example, and a three-axis gyro sensor that acquires angular velocity information, a six-axis inertial measurement unit (6-axis IMU) including an acceleration sensor and a gyro sensor, or a nine-axis IMU obtained by adding a geomagnetic sensor to the 6-axis IMU may also be used.

[0030] First, a method for obtaining the attitude information (angle) of the radiation imaging device 103 based on the gravitational acceleration using a three-axis acceleration sensor will be described. As shown in FIG. 2(a), the three-axis acceleration sensor outputs the acceleration in each axis direction in a rectangular coordinate system three-axis (X-axis, Y-axis, Z-axis). The X-axis and Y-axis of the acceleration sensor are perpendicular to each other in a plane horizontal to the ground, the Z-axis forms an angle perpendicular to the ground, and the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are perpendicular to each other. At this time, the gravitational acceleration is not applied in the X and Y directions of the acceleration sensor, but is only applied in the Z direction. Therefore, the output of the acceleration sensor is ax = ay = 0G, az = +1G. Here, as shown in FIG. 2(b), let the angle between the X-axis of the acceleration sensor and the ground be ψ, the angle between the Y-axis of the acceleration sensor and the ground be θ, and the angle between the gravitational direction and the Z-axis of the acceleration sensor be φ. In this case, the following equations 1 to 3 are established using the outputs ax, ay, az of the acceleration sensor, and it is possible to represent the attitude of the radiation imaging device 103 based on the output of the acceleration sensor. [Number] [Number] [Number]

[0031] Furthermore, after giving appropriate initial values, by integrating the output a of the acceleration sensor with respect to time for each of the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis, the moving speed v can be calculated as shown in Equation 4 below, and the position d can be calculated as shown in Equation 5 below by integrating the moving speed v with respect to time. [Number] [Number]

[0032] The appropriate initial value mentioned here means the reference position coordinates for integration calculation. Examples of the method for setting the reference position coordinates include setting the relative position coordinates of the radiation imaging device 103 and the radiation generator 101 before movement, the relative position coordinates from an arbitrary object, or the coordinates of a specific location in the examination room as the reference point.

[0033] Here, FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b) show an example of the display on the display unit 108 during alignment. On the display screens shown in FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b), an image display area 301, an attitude information display area 302, and a model display area 303 are provided. An image taken can be displayed in the image display area 301. Angle information of the radiation generator 101 and the radiation imaging device 103 can be displayed numerically in the attitude information display area 302. Note that position information of the radiation generator 101 and the radiation imaging device 103 can also be displayed numerically in the attitude information display area 302. Further, in the model display area 303, the relative positional relationship between the radiation imaging device 103 and the radiation generator 101 can be modeled and displayed so as to be visually easy to understand.

[0034] In addition, when the positional relationship between the radiation imaging device 103 and the radiation generator 101 reaches the preset angle or position depending on the imaging technique, the control PC 102 can also cause the display unit 108 to display a notification indicating that the alignment has been completed on the display unit 108. On the other hand, when the positional relationship between the radiation imaging device 103 and the radiation generator 101 is not at the preset angle or position, for example, as shown in Fig. 3(a), the control PC 102 can also cause the display unit 108 to display a notification such as an angle mismatch. Furthermore, the control PC 102 can also cause the display unit 108 to display a notification indicating that an impact has been detected, as shown in Fig. 3(b) for example. Note that the control PC 102 can also notify the user of the notification by sound or vibration.

[0035] In this way, based on the angle information and position information of the radiation imaging device 103, the user can know the current attitude information of the radiation imaging device 103. Therefore, by presenting the angle information and position information of the radiation imaging device 103, it helps with the alignment between the radiation imaging device 103 and the radiation generator 101.

[0036] On the other hand, it may happen that the radiation imaging device 103 accidentally collides with or drops onto surrounding devices during position adjustment. When finely adjusting the angle or position of the radiation imaging device 103, the radiation imaging device 103 is not moved significantly, and the output of the acceleration sensor is such that the square root of the sum of the squares of the three-axis outputs is approximately 1G, which is about the same as the gravitational acceleration. On the other hand, when the radiation imaging device 103 collides with or drops onto another device, the output of the acceleration sensor may greatly exceed 1G of gravitational acceleration and be on the order of dozens to hundreds of G.

[0037] If an impact is applied to the radiation imaging device 103 at the timing of waiting for radiation irradiation during asynchronous imaging, there is a possibility that an image may be acquired by misidentifying the impact as radiation irradiation even though radiation is not actually being irradiated. In the case of synchronous imaging as well, there is a possibility of misidentifying the impact as a radiation exposure permission signal or of image artifacts occurring due to the impact. Furthermore, if a stronger impact is applied, the radiation imaging device 103 may malfunction. If it were possible to know the impact applied to the radiation imaging device 103 in such cases, it would be helpful, for example, in differentiating between radiation irradiation and impact, preventing malfunction, elucidating the cause of image artifact occurrence, and determining whether self-diagnosis for checking if the radiation imaging device 103 is malfunctioning is necessary.

[0038] For example, regarding whether to perform self-diagnosis upon receiving an impact, an operation can be considered where self-diagnosis is automatically performed in the case of an impact equal to or greater than a preset threshold value, and the user is allowed to select whether to perform it in the case of an impact that does not reach the threshold value. Additionally, an impact can be detected during imaging preparation (alignment), and a warning can be issued and the user can be notified if the radiation imaging device 103 shifts to the imaging operation before being set to a preset angle and position. For example, as shown in the model display area 303 of FIG. 3(b), the user can be notified by displaying on the display unit 108 that an impact has been detected, or by any method such as sound or vibration. Also, by stopping the imaging operation of the radiation imaging device 103 in response to the detection of an impact, malfunction can be prevented.

[0039] Therefore, in the present embodiment, an acceleration sensor with a dynamic range of the signal of approximately ±200G is used as the first measurement unit 106 for detecting an impact. Thereby, the radiation imaging device 103 can capture the peak impact at the moment a large impact such as a collision or a drop is applied.

[0040] Here, consider the case of aligning the radiation imaging apparatus 103 based on the output of the first measurement unit 106. Generally, an acceleration sensor having a very large dynamic range compared to gravitational acceleration such as ±200G has a larger amount of noise compared to an acceleration sensor having a small dynamic range. The amount of noise of an acceleration sensor is about 10 times the resolution. Also, even for acceleration sensors with the same resolution, the amount of noise of an acceleration sensor with a dynamic range of ±200G is about 10 times the amount of noise of an acceleration sensor with a dynamic range of ±16G. For an acceleration sensor with a resolution of 12 bits and a dynamic range of ±200G, the amount of noise is approximately 1G when estimated.

[0041] As described above, when aligning the radiation imaging apparatus 103, since the radiation imaging apparatus 103 is not moved significantly, the square root of the sum of the squares of the three-axis outputs of the acceleration sensor becomes about 1G. Therefore, the first measurement unit 106 having a dynamic range of ±200G is not suitable for finely adjusting the angle and position of the radiation imaging apparatus 103.

[0042] Therefore, in the present embodiment, as the second measurement unit 107 that outputs attitude information, an acceleration sensor having a dynamic range of about ±16G is used. For example, when the resolution is 12 bits as in the first measurement unit 106, the sensitivity of the second measurement unit 107 is 7.8 mG per 1 LSB (Least Significant Bit). Assuming that the outputs of the respective gravitational accelerations when the angle of the acceleration sensor is 0° and 90° are 0G and +1G, respectively, 7.8 mG corresponds to about 0.7°, and changes in position and angle of less than 1° can be detected.

[0043] For example, in knee skyline imaging where it is necessary to arrange the radiation imaging apparatus 103 at a predetermined angle for imaging, this function that can finely adjust the angle of the radiation imaging apparatus 103 based on the output of the acceleration sensor is effective. In addition, obtaining the angle information of the radiation imaging apparatus 103 also helps to align the radiation imaging apparatus 103 with the radiation generator 101.

[0044] Here, a series of operations according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a series of processes of this embodiment. First, when the operation is started and the alignment of the radiation generator 101 and the radiation imaging device 103 is started, in step S400, the control unit 105 acquires the output of the second measurement unit 107, and calculates and displays the attitude information from the output of the second measurement unit 107. The control unit 105 calculates the attitude information from the output of the second measurement unit 107 by the method described above, and transmits the calculated attitude information to the control PC 102. The control PC 102 causes the display unit 108 to display the received attitude information. Also, the control unit 105 acquires the output of the first measurement unit 106 in order to determine the application of an impact.

[0045] Based on the output of the second measurement unit 107 for attitude detection, when the alignment of the radiation imaging device 103 is being performed, as described above, the radiation imaging device 103 is not moved significantly. Therefore, the square root of the sum of the squares of the three-axis outputs of the acceleration sensor becomes approximately 1G, and an output substantially equivalent to that of the second measurement unit 107 can also be obtained from the first measurement unit 106 for impact detection.

[0046] At this time, if an impact is applied to the radiation imaging device 103, the outputs of the first measurement unit 106 and the second measurement unit 107 instantaneously change to large values. If the applied impact is on the order of 100G, since it exceeds the dynamic range of the second measurement unit 107, the output obtained from the second measurement unit 107 becomes a numerically unreliable value. Therefore, the attitude information of the radiation imaging device 103 calculated based on this numerical value is not suitable for use in alignment.

[0047] Therefore, the control unit 105 performs impact detection using the output of the first measurement unit 106 with a large dynamic range. In step S401, the control unit 105 determines whether the output of the first measurement unit 106 is less than a preset first threshold value (threshold value for impact application). If it is determined that the output of the first measurement unit 106 is less than the first threshold value, the process proceeds to step S402. Note that the first threshold value may be set for the change amount (differential value) of the output value of the first measurement unit 106 instead of the output value of the first measurement unit 106.

[0048] In step S402, the control unit 105, in the same manner as in step S400, acquires the output of the second measurement unit 107, calculates the attitude information using the output of the second measurement unit 107, and transmits the calculated attitude information to the control PC 102. The control PC 102 causes the received attitude information to be displayed on the display unit 108.

[0049] Thereafter, in step S403, the control unit 105 determines whether the alignment is completed. Here, the completion of the alignment may be determined based on whether the calculated attitude information satisfies the attitude condition corresponding to the imaging condition, or may be determined according to an instruction from the operator input via the operation unit 109. Note that the instruction from the operator may be transmitted to the radiation imaging apparatus 103 via the control PC 102.

[0050] If it is determined in step S403 that the alignment is not completed, the process proceeds to step S404. In step S404, the control unit 105 determines to continue the operation, and the process returns to step S400 to continue the alignment. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S403 that the alignment is completed, the series of operations ends. Note that the processes of step S403 and step S404 may be performed by the control PC 102.

[0051] Also, in step S401, if it is determined that the output of the first measurement unit 106 is equal to or greater than the first threshold value, the process proceeds to step S405. In step S405, the control unit 105 transmits a stop signal to the control PC 102 to stop the display of the attitude information of the radiation imaging apparatus 103 calculated using the output of the second measurement unit 107. The control PC 102 stops the display of the attitude information of the radiation imaging apparatus 103 by the display unit 108 in accordance with the stop signal.

[0052] In step S406, the control PC 102 controls the display unit 108 to display a notification to the user prompting re-alignment because an impact has been applied. When the process in step S406 ends, the operation ends. When ending the operation due to an applied impact, the control unit 105 can control the radiation detection unit 104 to prevent malfunction such as image acquisition caused by the applied impact. Note that the control may be performed in parallel with the process in step S405.

[0053] Stopping the display of the attitude information when an impact is applied during alignment applies not only when the angle of the radiation imaging apparatus 103 is being displayed, but also when calculating the position by time-integrating the obtained acceleration data. Regarding the case of calculating the position, since the acceleration output is calculated with a saturated value exceeding the dynamic range, the obtained position information becomes unreliable. If alignment is continued and imaging is performed in such a state, there is a possibility that a desired image cannot be obtained and re-imaging is required. Therefore, by monitoring a sudden output change such as an impact with the first measurement unit 106 and controlling the operation of the second measurement unit 107, reliable attitude information can be notified.

[0054] As described above, the radiation imaging system 100 according to the present embodiment includes a radiation generating device 101 that irradiates radiation, and a radiation imaging device 103 that performs imaging using the irradiated radiation. The radiation imaging device 103 includes a first measurement unit 106 that measures the movement information of the radiation imaging device 103, and a second measurement unit 107 that has a dynamic range smaller than the dynamic range of the first measurement unit 106 and measures the movement information of the radiation imaging device 103. In the radiation imaging device 103, it is determined whether an impact is applied to the radiation imaging device 103 using the first measurement unit 106. Also, in the radiation imaging device 103, information (posture information) indicating the posture of the radiation imaging device 103 is calculated using the second measurement unit 107.

[0055] Thus, the radiation imaging device 103 according to the present embodiment includes two measurement units with different dynamic ranges. Thereby, the radiation imaging device 103 can achieve both posture detection and impact detection.

[0056] In addition, the radiation imaging device 103 according to the present embodiment includes a control unit 105. The control unit 105 can function as an example of a determination unit that determines that an impact has been applied to the radiation imaging device 103 when the output or the change amount of the output of the first measurement unit 106 is equal to or greater than a threshold value. Also, the control unit 105 can calculate information indicating the posture of the radiation imaging device 103 using the second measurement unit 107. Note that the first measurement unit 106 and the second measurement unit 107 can include at least any one of an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, and an inertial sensor.

[0057] So far, as the first measurement unit 106 that detects the impact of the radiation imaging device 103 and the second measurement unit 107 that measures the posture information of the radiation imaging device 103, acceleration sensors with different dynamic ranges have been described as an example. On the other hand, as characteristics of the first measurement unit 106 and the second measurement unit 107, several other characteristics can be considered in addition to the dynamic range.

[0058] Resolution is given as an example. In the above description, the same resolution was used for easy understanding of the differences in characteristics required for impact detection and posture detection, but the resolutions of the first measurement unit 106 and the second measurement unit 107 do not have to be the same. For example, if the resolution of the second measurement unit 107 for measuring posture information is increased, more detailed data can be obtained as the angle information of the radiation imaging device 103. For example, in the case of the above 12-bit resolution, the sensitivity of the acceleration sensor is 7.8 mG per 1 LSB, whereas in the case of 13-bit resolution, the sensitivity is 3.9 mG per 1 LSB. Also, in the case of 14-bit resolution, the sensitivity is 1.95 mG per 1 LSB. Therefore, by using an acceleration sensor having such a resolution, finer angle changes can be detected.

[0059] Therefore, for example, the radiation imaging device 103 may be configured such that the resolution of the second measurement unit 107 is higher than the resolution of the first measurement unit 106. In this case, the posture information at the time of alignment can be acquired with finer accuracy, and the alignment accuracy can be improved.

[0060] In addition, the sampling rates of the first measurement unit 106 and the second measurement unit 107 may be different. Since the data acquisition interval becomes shorter as the sampling rate is increased, in the case of impact detection, the plot from when an impact is applied to the radiation imaging device 103 until the peak value is taken can be acquired in more detail. Also, in the case of posture detection, since data can be acquired at shorter intervals, the posture information can be calculated following the fine alignment by the user. Also, when calculating the position by time-integrating the output of the acceleration sensor as shown in Equations 4 and 5, Δt corresponding to the sampling rate becomes finer, and the accuracy of position calculation also improves.

[0061] Increasing the sampling rate leads to improved impact detection and posture detection functions. On the other hand, when the sampling rate increases, it also leads to an increase in power consumption. Generally, the radiation imaging device 103 is equipped with a battery and can perform imaging without receiving external power supply. However, since the battery capacity is limited, when the power supply amount to the measurement unit increases, the number of radiation images that can be taken, which is the original function of the radiation imaging device 103, will decrease. When the remaining battery level decreases, charging or battery replacement can be performed without affecting the operation. However, if frequent battery replacement is required, it will affect the operability of the user.

[0062] Therefore, based on the use cases of impact detection and posture detection, an operation example for preventing unnecessary increase in power consumption will be described. First, regarding impact detection, since it is unknown when an impact will be applied to the radiation imaging device 103, it is necessary to constantly monitor the output of the acceleration sensor. On the other hand, posture detection is not a function that is used constantly, but only during the limited period of imaging preparation. Therefore, the first measurement unit 106 that is constantly operated for impact detection can be set to a low sampling rate, and the second measurement unit 107 that is used only during the limited period for posture detection can be set to a high sampling rate. For this reason, for example, the radiation imaging device 103 can be configured such that the sampling rate of the first measurement unit 106 is lower than the sampling rate of the second measurement unit 107. In this case, it is possible to achieve both impact detection and posture detection with limited battery power consumption.

[0063] In addition, in the present embodiment, an example in which a notification at the time of collision detection is performed using the display unit 108 has been described. On the other hand, an arbitrary lamp, display unit, speaker, etc. may be provided in the radiation imaging apparatus 103, and in step S406, the control unit 105 may control these to notify the user so as to prompt re-alignment because an impact has been applied. Such a notification may be lighting of a lamp, display on a display unit, sound, or vibration. Further, the control unit 105 may control these lamps or the like to notify the user of the completion of alignment. In this case, the radiation imaging apparatus 103 uses the output of at least one of the first measurement unit 106 and the second measurement unit 107, and notifies the user of the end of alignment, impact detection, etc. using, for example, a lamp or speaker (not shown), and can support imaging.

[0064] (Second Embodiment) As a second embodiment of the present disclosure, a method of changing the control of one measurement unit using the output of the other measurement unit in a radiation imaging apparatus equipped with two measurement units having different dynamic ranges described in the first embodiment will be described. Note that since the configuration of the radiation imaging system according to the present embodiment is the same as the configuration of the radiation imaging system 100 according to the first embodiment, the description will be omitted using the same reference numerals. Hereinafter, the radiation imaging system according to the present embodiment will be described centering on the differences from the radiation imaging system 100 according to the first embodiment.

[0065] Also in the present embodiment, similar to the first embodiment, an acceleration sensor having a dynamic range of ±200G is used as the first measurement unit 106 and an acceleration sensor having a dynamic range of ±16G is used as the second measurement unit 107 in the radiation imaging apparatus 103.

[0066] Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 5, a series of operations according to the present embodiment including a process of switching the operation of the second measurement unit 107 based on the output of the first measurement unit 106 will be described. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a series of operations according to the present embodiment. In FIG. 5, for the processes similar to those of the series of operations according to the first embodiment, the same reference numerals are used and the description thereof is omitted. In the series of operations according to the present embodiment, in step S402, when the attitude information is calculated and displayed, the process proceeds to step S500.

[0067] Here, a method of improving the measurement accuracy of the second measurement unit 107 based on the output of the first measurement unit 106 will be described. The output of the acceleration sensor during alignment is such that the square root of the sum of the squares of the three-axis outputs is about 1 G as described above. This is common regardless of the dynamic range of the acceleration sensor. In the present embodiment, an acceleration sensor with a dynamic range of ±16 G is used as the second measurement unit 107, but generally, the dynamic range of the acceleration sensor can be changed by setting in many cases. For example, in the case of an acceleration sensor in which the second measurement unit 107 can set the dynamic range in the range of ±1 G to ±16 G, as described above, if the output exceeds the dynamic range, the accuracy of the attitude information will be lost.

[0068] On the other hand, when the output can be assumed, such as in the fine adjustment of the angle, the dynamic range can be reduced to improve the resolution per 1 LSB. In the present embodiment, in step S500, the control unit 105 determines whether or not the output of the first measurement unit 106, which is different from the second measurement unit 107 for attitude detection, is less than a preset second threshold value. Here, the second threshold value is the threshold value of the output value during alignment in the first measurement unit 106. When it is determined that the output of the first measurement unit 106 is equal to or greater than the second threshold value, the process proceeds to step S404 and the operation continues. On the other hand, when it is determined that the output of the first measurement unit 106 is less than the second threshold value, the process proceeds to step S501. Note that the second threshold value may be set for the change amount (differential value) of the output value of the first measurement unit 106 instead of the output value of the first measurement unit 106.

[0069] In step S501, the control unit 105 can reduce the dynamic range of the second measurement unit 107 for attitude detection, thereby improving the resolution per 1 LSB. Additionally, the control unit 105 can increase the sampling rate of the second measurement unit 107 to improve the time resolution, or change the resolution (number of bits) itself. In such cases, the second measurement unit 107 can detect in detail the minute angular changes in alignment and the changes in position information due to time integration of the acceleration output. Such a change in the operation of the second measurement unit 107 is an example, and the items to be changed may be preset in advance, or the user may be allowed to select them each time.

[0070] After changing the operation in step S501, the control unit 105 acquires the output of the second measurement unit 107 in step S502 and performs attitude calculation and display of attitude information. The attitude calculation and display in step S502 may be performed in the same manner as the calculation and display of attitude information in steps S400 and S402. Thereafter, in step S403, the control unit 105 determines whether the alignment is completed. Since the subsequent processing is the same as the processing in the first embodiment, the description is omitted.

[0071] In this embodiment, a method for realizing accurate attitude detection by changing the operation of the second measurement unit 107 based on the output of the first measurement unit 106 has been described. On the other hand, it is also possible to realize accurate impact detection by changing the operation of the first measurement unit 106 based on the output of the second measurement unit 107.

[0072] As described in the first embodiment, generally, the radiation imaging apparatus 103 is equipped with a battery. If the sampling rate is increased more than necessary, the power consumption increases, which affects the operability of the user. The first measurement unit 106 for impact detection needs to always operate in preparation for impacts whose application time is unknown. However, in order to suppress the influence on the battery capacity described above, it is appropriate to set the sampling rate of the first measurement unit 106 lower than that of the second measurement unit 107 with limited operation.

[0073] On the other hand, if the sampling rate of the first measurement unit 106 is made too low, the sampling interval may be too coarse to capture the peak of the impact. Therefore, when the output of the second measurement unit 107 becomes equal to or higher than a preset third threshold value (threshold value for movement detection in the second measurement unit 107), the control unit 105 can change the sampling rate of the first measurement unit 106 to a high value. As a result, by receiving the change in the output of the second measurement unit 107 due to the movement of the radiation imaging apparatus 103 and changing the operation of the first measurement unit 106, it becomes easier to detect the peak of the impact.

[0074] In other words, using the second measurement unit 107, for example, it is possible to detect a situation where an impact is likely to be applied to the radiation imaging apparatus 103, such as when the radiation imaging apparatus 103 is moved for alignment or the like, and change the operation of the first measurement unit 106. In such a case, by changing the sampling rate of the first measurement unit 106 to a high value according to the situation where an impact is likely to be applied to the radiation imaging apparatus 103, it becomes easier to detect the peak of the impact. Note that the third threshold value may be set for the amount of change (differential value) of the output value of the second measurement unit 107 instead of the output value of the second measurement unit 107.

[0075] Note that such processing may be always performed when the power of the radiation imaging apparatus 103 is turned on. Also, while the operations involving the movement of the radiation imaging apparatus 103, such as the series of operations shown in FIG. 5, are continuously performed, the control unit 105 may temporarily stop such processing to reduce the processing and maintain the operation of the measurement unit after the change.

[0076] As described above, in the radiation imaging apparatus 103 according to the present embodiment, the operation of one of the first measurement unit 106 and the second measurement unit 107 is changed based on the output of the other. For example, when the output or the change amount of the output of the first measurement unit 106 is less than the threshold value, the control unit 105 can perform at least one of reducing the dynamic range of the second measurement unit 107, increasing the resolution, and increasing the sampling rate. Further, for example, when the output or the change amount of the output of the second measurement unit 107 is equal to or greater than the threshold value, the control unit 105 can increase the sampling rate of the first measurement unit 106.

[0077] With such a configuration, the radiation imaging apparatus 103 according to the present embodiment can change the operation of the other based on the output of either the first measurement unit 106 for impact detection having a different dynamic range or the second measurement unit 107 for attitude detection. Therefore, the radiation imaging apparatus 103 can improve both the functions of attitude detection and impact detection.

[0078] In the present embodiment, the case where the control unit 105 changes the operation of the other measurement unit using the output of one measurement unit has been described. On the other hand, the control unit 105 may change the operation of the one measurement unit using the output of the one measurement unit. For example, when the output or the change amount of the output of the second measurement unit 107 is less than a predetermined threshold value, the control unit 105 can also reduce the dynamic range of the second measurement unit 107, increase the resolution, or increase the sampling rate. Further, when the output or the change amount of the output of the first measurement unit 106 is less than a predetermined threshold value, the control unit 105 can also lower the sampling rate of the first measurement unit 106. Also in these cases, the accuracy of attitude detection and impact detection can be improved. When determining the change of the operation using the output of the second measurement unit 107 having a small dynamic range, the processing of changing the operation can be performed according to the change of the finer output value, and the accuracy of changing the operation can be improved.

[0079] (Third Embodiment) Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7, a radiation imaging system, a radiation generator, and an operating method of the radiation generator according to the third embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. In the present embodiment, a radiation imaging system having a radiation generator equipped with two measurement units with different dynamic ranges as a measurement unit, in addition to a radiation imaging device equipped with two measurement units with different dynamic ranges as a measurement unit will be described as an example. Also in the present embodiment, it is possible to achieve both attitude detection and impact detection by the radiation imaging system. FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram of a radiation imaging system 600 in the present embodiment.

[0080] Regarding the configuration of the radiation imaging system 600 according to the present embodiment, for the configuration similar to that of the radiation imaging system 100 according to the first embodiment, the description will be omitted using the same reference numerals. For example, regarding the radiation imaging device 103 equipped with two measurement units with different dynamic ranges as a measurement unit, since it has been described in the first and second embodiments, the description will be omitted. Hereinafter, the radiation imaging system 600 according to the present embodiment will be described centering on the differences from the radiation imaging system 100 according to the first embodiment. The radiation generator 601 according to the present embodiment is provided with a control unit 602, a third measurement unit 603, and a fourth measurement unit 604.

[0081] The control unit 602 can control the operation of a radiation generator such as a radiation tube that generates radiation based on a signal from the control PC 102 or the like. Also, the control unit 602 calculates the attitude information of the radiation generator 601 based on the output of the fourth measurement unit 604. Further, the control unit 602 can perform an impact determination based on the output of the third measurement unit 603. Note that the control unit 602 can be configured using an arbitrary processor. Also, each function of the control unit 602 may be realized by a processor such as a CPU or MPU executing a software module stored in a storage unit such as a memory. Note that the processor may be, for example, a GPU or FPGA. Also, each function may be configured by a circuit or the like that performs a specific function such as an ASIC.

[0082] Similar to the aforementioned radiation imaging apparatus 103, the third measurement unit 603 and the fourth measurement unit 604 are each configured using two acceleration sensors with different dynamic ranges. In the present embodiment, an acceleration sensor with a dynamic range of ±200G is used as the third measurement unit 603. Also, an acceleration sensor with a dynamic range of ±16G is used as the fourth measurement unit 604. The third measurement unit 603 and the fourth measurement unit 604 are connected to the control PC 102 via the control unit 602 of the radiation generator 601. The third measurement unit 603 is used to detect an impact applied to the radiation generator 601, and the fourth measurement unit 604 is used for the angle and alignment of the radiation generator 601. Note that since the methods for impact detection and alignment are the same as those in the first embodiment, the description thereof is omitted. In the present embodiment, by mounting two measurement units with different dynamic ranges on the radiation generator 601, it is possible to achieve both attitude detection and impact detection of the radiation generator 601, similar to the attitude detection and impact detection of the radiation imaging apparatus 103 according to the first embodiment.

[0083] The radiation generating device 601 is attached to a movable rail fixed to the floor, wall surface, or ceiling of the examination room, and can be moved in three-dimensional directions of the XYZ axes and rotated with respect to the radiation irradiation direction by the operation of the user. The user moves the radiation generating device 601 and the radiation imaging device 103, and performs imaging after confirming that they are arranged according to the imaging procedure. At this time, similar to the case where an unexpected impact due to dropping or collision may be applied to the radiation imaging device 103 in the first embodiment, an impact may also be applied to the radiation generating device 601. Generally, since the radiation generating device 601 is larger and heavier than the radiation imaging device 103, it is often only movable in a state where the switch is pressed to release the interlock. Here, if the switch is released during movement, a lock is applied and the movement of the radiation generating device 601 stops. When suddenly stopping from a moving state, the acceleration output from the third measuring unit 603 mounted on the radiation generating device 601 changes. In addition, an impact may be applied to the radiation generating device 601 when it collides with surrounding devices during the movement of the radiation generating device 601. In these cases, the control unit 602 can detect that an impact has been applied to the radiation generating device 601 based on the output from the third measuring unit 603.

[0084] For example, when calculating the movement amount of the radiation generating device 601 by time-integrating the output of the fourth measuring unit 604 for alignment or the like, if an impact is applied and exceeds the dynamic range of the fourth measuring unit 604, the accurate movement amount cannot be calculated. Therefore, when it is recognized that an impact has been applied to the radiation generating device 601 because the output of the third measuring unit 603 exceeds a preset fourth threshold value, the display of the posture information of the radiation generating device 601 such as the angle and movement amount calculated based on the output of the fourth measuring unit 604 is stopped. At this time, the user may be notified by, for example, displaying on the display unit 108 that an impact has been applied to the radiation generating device 601 in conjunction with the stop of the display of the posture information.

[0085] Here, referring to FIG. 7, a series of operations according to this embodiment will be described. A series of operations according to this embodiment is the same as a series of operations according to the first embodiment, except that the operation of the radiation generator 601 is performed in the same manner in each process.

[0086] First, when the operation starts and the alignment between the radiation generator 601 and the radiation imaging device 103 starts, the process proceeds to step S700. In step S700, the control unit 105 acquires the output of the second measurement unit 107, calculates the attitude information of the radiation imaging device 103 from the output of the second measurement unit 107, and transmits the calculated attitude information to the control PC 102. The control PC 102 causes the display unit 108 to display the received attitude information of the radiation imaging device 103. Also, the control unit 105 acquires the output of the first measurement unit 106 to determine whether an impact is applied to the radiation imaging device 103. On the other hand, the control unit 602 acquires the output of the fourth measurement unit 604, calculates the attitude information of the radiation generator 601 from the output of the fourth measurement unit 604, and transmits the calculated attitude information to the control PC 102. The control PC 102 causes the display unit 108 to display the received attitude information of the radiation generator 601. Also, the control unit 602 acquires the output of the third measurement unit 603 to determine whether an impact is applied to the radiation generator 601. Note that the method for calculating the attitude information may be the same as the calculation method described in the first embodiment.

[0087] In step S701, the control unit 105 determines whether the output of the first measurement unit 106 is less than a preset first threshold value (threshold value for impact application). Also, the control unit 602 determines whether the output of the third measurement unit 603 is less than a preset fourth threshold value (threshold value for impact application). When it is determined that the output of the first measurement unit 106 is less than the first threshold value and it is determined that the output of the third measurement unit 603 is less than the fourth threshold value, the process proceeds to step S702. Note that the fourth threshold value may be set for the change amount (differential value) of the output value of the third measurement unit 603 instead of the output value of the third measurement unit 603.

[0088] In step S702, similar to step S700, the control unit 105 acquires the output of the second measurement unit 107, calculates the attitude information of the radiation imaging device 103 using the output of the second measurement unit 107, and transmits the calculated attitude information to the control PC 102. The control PC 102 causes the received attitude information to be displayed on the display unit 108. Also, the control unit 602 acquires the output of the fourth measurement unit 604, calculates the attitude information of the radiation generator 601 from the output of the fourth measurement unit 604, and transmits the calculated attitude information to the control PC 102. The control PC 102 causes the received attitude information of the radiation generator 601 to be displayed on the display unit 108.

[0089] Thereafter, in step S703, the control unit 105 and the control unit 602 determine whether the alignment is completed. Here, the completion of the alignment may be determined based on whether the calculated attitude information satisfies the attitude condition corresponding to the imaging condition, or may be determined according to an instruction from the operator input via the operation unit 109. Note that the instruction from the operator may be transmitted to the radiation imaging device 103 and the radiation generator 601 via the control PC 102.

[0090] If it is determined in step S703 that the alignment is not completed, the process proceeds to step S704. In step S704, the control unit 105 and the control unit 602 determine to continue the operation, and the process returns to step S700 to continue the alignment. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S703 that the alignment is completed, the series of operations ends. Note that the processes of step S703 and step S704 may be performed by the control PC 102.

[0091] Also, in step S701, if it is determined that the output of the first measurement unit 106 is equal to or greater than the first threshold value, or if it is determined that the output of the third measurement unit 603 is equal to or greater than the fourth threshold value, the process proceeds to step S705. In step S705, when the output of the first measurement unit 106 is equal to or greater than the first threshold value, the control unit 105 transmits a stop signal to the control PC 102 to stop the display of the attitude information of the radiation imaging device 103 calculated using the output of the second measurement unit 107. The control PC 102 stops the display of the attitude information of the radiation imaging device 103 by the display unit 108 according to the stop signal. On the other hand, when the output of the third measurement unit 603 is equal to or greater than the fourth threshold value, the control unit 602 transmits a stop signal to the control PC 102 to stop the display of the attitude information of the radiation generator 601 calculated using the output of the fourth measurement unit 604. The control PC 102 stops the display of the attitude information of the radiation generator 601 by the display unit 108 according to the stop signal.

[0092] In step S706, the control PC 102 controls the display unit 108 to display a notification to the user to prompt re-alignment because an impact has been applied. When the process in step S706 ends, the operations of the radiation imaging device 103 and the radiation generator 601 end according to the impact application. When ending the operation due to impact application, the control unit 105 can control the radiation detection unit 104 to prevent malfunction such as image acquisition caused by impact application. Also, the control unit 602 can control the radiation generator 601 to prevent malfunction such as radiation irradiation caused by impact application. Note that the control may be performed in parallel with the process in step S705.

[0093] As described above, the radiation imaging system 600 according to the present embodiment includes a radiation generator 601 that irradiates radiation, and a radiation imaging device 103 that performs imaging using the irradiated radiation. The radiation generator 601 includes a third measurement unit 603 that measures movement information of the radiation generator 601, and a fourth measurement unit 604 that has a dynamic range smaller than the dynamic range of the third measurement unit 603 and measures movement information of the radiation generator 601. Further, in the radiation generator 601, it is determined whether an impact is applied to the radiation generator 601 using the third measurement unit 603. Furthermore, in the radiation generator 601, information (posture information) indicating the posture of the radiation generator 601 is calculated using the fourth measurement unit 604.

[0094] As described above, the radiation generator 601 according to the present embodiment includes two measurement units with different dynamic ranges. Thereby, the radiation generator 601 can achieve both posture detection and impact detection. Furthermore, the posture information of both the radiation generator 601 and the radiation imaging device 103 obtained from the second measurement unit 107 mounted on the radiation imaging device 103 and the fourth measurement unit 604 mounted on the radiation generator 601 can be combined and used for alignment. Thereby, the radiation imaging system 600 can assist in aligning the radiation generator 601 and the radiation imaging device 103.

[0095] Note that the radiation imaging system 600 according to this embodiment further includes a control PC 102. The control PC 102 can function as an example of a control device that controls the radiation imaging device 103 and the radiation generation device 601. Further, the control PC 102 can function as an example of a display control unit that causes the display unit 108 to display at least one of the determination result of the application of an impact to the radiation imaging device 103, the information indicating the posture of the radiation imaging device 103, the determination result of the application of an impact to the radiation generation device 601, and the information indicating the posture of the radiation generation device 601. In this case, the radiation imaging system 600 can cause the display unit 108 to display a screen as shown in FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b), for example, and can further assist the user in aligning the radiation imaging device 103 and the radiation generation device 601. Note that the control PC 102 may control the display of the display unit 108 according to a signal from at least one of the control unit 105 and the control unit 602. In this case, at least one of the control unit 105 and the control unit 602 may function as an example of a display control unit.

[0096] Further, the radiation generation device 601 according to this embodiment includes a control unit 602. The control unit 602 can function as an example of a determination unit that determines that an impact has been applied to the radiation generation device 601 when the output or the change amount of the output of the third measurement unit 603 is equal to or greater than a threshold value. Further, the control unit 602 can calculate information indicating the posture of the radiation generation device 601 using the fourth measurement unit 604. Note that the third measurement unit 603 and the fourth measurement unit 604 can include at least one of an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, and an inertial sensor.

[0097] Also, regarding the radiation generator 601, similar to the first embodiment, the resolution and sampling rate may be made different between the third measurement unit 603 and the fourth measurement unit 604. For example, the radiation generator 601 may be configured such that the resolution of the fourth measurement unit 604 is higher than the resolution of the third measurement unit 603. In this case, the attitude information at the time of alignment can be acquired with finer accuracy, and the alignment accuracy can be improved. Also, for example, the radiation generator 601 may be configured such that the sampling rate of the third measurement unit 603 is lower than the sampling rate of the fourth measurement unit 604. In this case, it is possible to achieve both impact detection and attitude detection with limited battery power consumption.

[0098] In this embodiment, the control unit 105 functions as a determination unit that determines the collision of the radiation imaging device 103, and the control unit 602 functions as a determination unit that determines the collision of the radiation generator 601. On the other hand, the outputs of the first measurement unit 106 and the third measurement unit 603 may be transmitted to the control PC 102, and the control PC 102 may determine the collision of the radiation imaging device 103 and the collision of the radiation generator 601. In this case, the control PC 102 can function as a determination unit that determines the collision of the radiation imaging device 103 and the collision of the radiation generator 601.

[0099] Further, the output of the first measurement unit 106 may be transmitted to the radiation generator 601, and the control unit 602 may determine the collision of the radiation imaging device 103 and the collision of the radiation generator 601. In this case, the control unit 602 can function as a determination unit that determines the collision of the radiation imaging device 103 and the collision of the radiation generator 601. Similarly, the output of the third measurement unit 603 may be transmitted to the radiation imaging device 103, and the control unit 105 may determine the collision of the radiation imaging device 103 and the collision of the radiation generator 601. In this case, the control unit 105 can function as a determination unit that determines the collision of the radiation imaging device 103 and the collision of the radiation generator 601. Note that the communication between the radiation imaging device 103 and the radiation generator 601 may be performed via the control PC 102 or directly.

[0100] Also, regarding the radiation generator 601 according to the present embodiment, the process of changing the operation of the other measurement unit using the output of one measurement unit described in the second embodiment may be applied. More specifically, in the radiation generator 601, the operation of the other may be changed based on the output of one of the third measurement unit 603 and the fourth measurement unit 604. For example, when the output or the change amount of the output of the third measurement unit 603 is less than a preset fifth threshold value, the control unit 602 may determine that the radiation generator 601 is being aligned and may change the dynamic range of the fourth measurement unit 604 to be smaller. Also, in a similar situation, the control unit 602 can increase the sampling rate or the resolution of the fourth measurement unit 604. Therefore, when the output or the change amount of the output of the third measurement unit 603 is less than the threshold value, the control unit 602 can perform at least one of reducing the dynamic range, increasing the resolution, and increasing the sampling rate of the fourth measurement unit 604. In such a case, detailed posture information of the radiation generator 601 can be calculated, and the user can be assisted in arranging the radiation generator 601 at a predetermined position.

[0101] Furthermore, when the output of the fourth measurement unit 604 or the amount of change in the output is equal to or greater than a threshold value, the control unit 602 can increase the sampling rate of the third measurement unit 603. As a result, by receiving the change in the output of the fourth measurement unit 604 due to the movement of the radiation generator 601 and changing the operation of the third measurement unit 603, it is possible to easily detect the peak of the impact. As described above, by applying the process according to the second embodiment to the radiation generator 601 according to the present embodiment, the radiation generator 601 can improve both the functions of attitude detection and impact detection.

[0102] In addition, the control unit 602 may change the operation of one measurement unit using the output of the one measurement unit. For example, when the output of the fourth measurement unit 604 or the amount of change in the output is less than a predetermined threshold value, the control unit 602 can also reduce the dynamic range of the fourth measurement unit 604. Further, when the output of the third measurement unit 603 or the amount of conversion of the output is less than a predetermined threshold value, the control unit 602 can also reduce the sampling rate of the third measurement unit 603. As in these cases, the accuracy of attitude detection and impact detection can be improved. When determining the change in operation using the output of the fourth measurement unit 604 with a small dynamic range, the process of changing the operation can be performed according to a finer change in the output, and the accuracy of changing the operation can be improved.

[0103] In addition, in the present embodiment, an example in which notification at the time of collision detection is performed using the display unit 108 has been described. On the other hand, an arbitrary lamp, display unit, speaker, etc. may be provided in the radiation imaging apparatus 103, and in step S706, the control unit 105 may control these to notify the user to prompt re-alignment because an impact has been applied. Similarly, an arbitrary lamp, display unit, speaker, etc. may be provided in the radiation generator 601, and in step S706, the control unit 602 may control these to notify the user to prompt re-alignment because an impact has been applied. Such notification may be the lighting of a lamp, the display on a display unit, sound, or vibration. Further, the control unit 105 and the control unit 602 may control these lamps or the like to notify the user of the completion of alignment.

[0104] In this case, the radiation imaging apparatus 103 can notify the user of the end of alignment, impact detection, etc. and assist in imaging by using the output of at least one of the first measurement unit 106 and the second measurement unit 107, for example, by using a lamp or speaker (not shown). Similarly, the radiation generator 601 can also notify the user of the end of alignment, impact detection, etc. and assist in imaging by using the output of at least one of the third measurement unit 603 and the fourth measurement unit 604, for example, by using a lamp or speaker (not shown).

[0105] (Other Embodiments) The present disclosure can also be realized by supplying software (program) that realizes one or more functions of the various embodiments described above to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and having a computer of the system or device read and execute the program. The computer may have one or more processors or circuits and may include a network of multiple separate computers or multiple separate processors or circuits for reading and executing computer-executable instructions.

[0106] At this time, the processor or circuit may include a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessing unit (MPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or a field-programmable gate array (FPGA). Further, the processor or circuit may include a digital signal processor (DSP), a data flow processor (DFP), or a neural processing unit (NPU).

[0107] The above disclosure includes the following configurations, methods, and programs. (Configuration 1) A radiation imaging device, a first measurement unit that measures movement information of the radiation imaging device, a second measurement unit that has a dynamic range smaller than that of the first measurement unit and measures movement information of the radiation imaging device, comprising: it is determined whether an impact is applied to the radiation imaging device using the first measurement unit, a radiation imaging device that calculates information indicating the posture of the radiation imaging device using the second measurement unit. (Configuration 2) The radiation imaging device according to Configuration 1, further comprising a determination unit that determines that an impact has been applied to the radiation imaging device when an output of the first measurement unit or a change amount of the output is equal to or greater than a threshold value. (Configuration 3) The radiation imaging device according to Configuration 1 or 2, which supports imaging using an output of at least one of the first measurement unit and the second measurement unit. (Configuration 4) The radiation imaging device according to any one of Configurations 1 to 3, wherein an operation of the other is changed based on an output of one of the first measurement unit and the second measurement unit. (Configuration 5) When the output of the first measurement unit or the change amount of the output is less than a threshold value, a control unit that performs at least one of reducing the dynamic range of the second measurement unit, increasing the resolution, and increasing the sampling rate is further provided. The radiation imaging apparatus according to Configuration 4. (Configuration 6) When the output of the second measurement unit or the change amount of the output is equal to or greater than a threshold value, a control unit that increases the sampling rate of the first measurement unit is further provided. The radiation imaging apparatus according to Configuration 4. (Configuration 7) The resolution of the second measurement unit is higher than the resolution of the first measurement unit. The radiation imaging apparatus according to any one of Configurations 1 to 6. (Configuration 8) The sampling rate of the first measurement unit is lower than the sampling rate of the second measurement unit. The radiation imaging apparatus according to any one of Configurations 1 to 7. (Configuration 9) The first measurement unit and the second measurement unit include at least one of an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, and an inertial sensor. The radiation imaging apparatus according to any one of Configurations 1 to 8. (Configuration 10) A radiation generating device, A third measurement unit that measures the movement information of the radiation generating device, A fourth measurement unit that has a dynamic range smaller than the dynamic range of the third measurement unit and measures the movement information of the radiation generating device, Comprising, Using the third measurement unit, it is determined that an impact is applied to the radiation generating device, Using the fourth measurement unit, information indicating the posture of the radiation generating device is calculated. A radiation generating device. (Configuration 11) When the output of the third measurement unit or the change amount of the output is equal to or greater than a threshold value, a determination unit that determines that an impact has been applied to the radiation generating device is further provided. The radiation generating device according to Configuration 10. (Configuration 12) The radiation generating apparatus according to Configuration 10 or 11, which supports imaging using the output of at least one of the third measurement unit and the fourth measurement unit. (Configuration 13) The radiation generating apparatus according to any one of Configurations 10 to 12, wherein the operation of the other is changed based on the output of one of the third measurement unit and the fourth measurement unit. (Configuration 14) The radiation generating apparatus according to Configuration 13, further comprising a control unit that performs at least one of reducing the dynamic range of the fourth measurement unit, increasing the resolution, and increasing the sampling rate when the output of the third measurement unit or the change amount of the output is less than a threshold value. (Configuration 15) The radiation generating apparatus according to Configuration 13, further comprising a control unit that increases the sampling rate of the third measurement unit when the output of the fourth measurement unit or the change amount of the output is equal to or greater than a threshold value. (Configuration 16) The radiation generating apparatus according to any one of Configurations 10 to 15, wherein the resolution of the fourth measurement unit is higher than the resolution of the third measurement unit. (Configuration 17) The radiation generating apparatus according to any one of Configurations 10 to 16, wherein the sampling rate of the third measurement unit is lower than the sampling rate of the fourth measurement unit. (Configuration 18) The radiation generating apparatus according to any one of Configurations 10 to 17, wherein the third measurement unit and the fourth measurement unit include at least one of an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, and an inertial sensor. (Configuration 19) A radiation imaging system including a radiation generating apparatus that irradiates radiation and a radiation imaging apparatus that performs imaging using the irradiated radiation. A radiation imaging system including at least one of the radiation imaging apparatus according to any one of Configurations 1 to 9 and the radiation generating apparatus according to any one of Configurations 10 to 18. (Configuration 20) A radiation imaging system according to Configuration 19, further comprising a display control unit that causes a display unit to display at least one of a determination result of application of an impact to the radiation imaging device, information indicating the attitude of the radiation imaging device, a determination result of application of an impact to the radiation generation device, and information indicating the attitude of the radiation generation device. (Configuration 21) The radiation imaging device according to Configuration 1, The radiation generation device according to Configuration 10, A control device that controls the radiation imaging device and the radiation generation device, A determination unit that determines that an impact has been applied to the radiation imaging device when an output of the first measurement unit or a change amount of the output is equal to or greater than a threshold value, and determines that an impact has been applied to the radiation generation device when an output of the third measurement unit or a change amount of the output is equal to or greater than a threshold value, Comprising The determination unit is provided in any one of the radiation imaging device, the radiation generation device, and the control device, a radiation imaging system. (Method 1) An operating method of a radiation imaging device including a first measurement unit that measures movement information of the radiation imaging device and a second measurement unit that has a dynamic range smaller than the dynamic range of the first measurement unit and measures movement information of the radiation imaging device, Determining application of an impact to the radiation imaging device using the first measurement unit, Calculating information indicating the attitude of the radiation imaging device using the second measurement unit, Including, an operating method of a radiation imaging device. (Method 2) An operating method of a radiation generation device including a third measurement unit that measures movement information of the radiation generation device and a fourth measurement unit that has a dynamic range smaller than the dynamic range of the third measurement unit and measures movement information of the radiation generation device, Determining application of an impact to the radiation generation device using the third measurement unit, Calculating information indicating the attitude of the radiation generation device using the fourth measurement unit, A method for operating a radiation generating device, including (Program 1) A program that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to execute each step of the method for operating a radiation imaging device described in Method 1 or the method for operating a radiation generating device described in Method 2.

[0108] The present disclosure has been described above with reference to the embodiments, but the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments. Inventions modified within the scope not contrary to the gist of the present disclosure, and inventions equivalent to the present disclosure are also included in the present disclosure. Also, the above-described embodiments can be appropriately combined within the scope not contrary to the gist of the present disclosure.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0109] 103: Radiation imaging device 106: First measurement unit 107: Second measurement unit

Claims

1. A radiation imaging apparatus, comprising: a first measurement unit that measures movement information of the radiation imaging apparatus; a second measurement unit that has a dynamic range smaller than that of the first measurement unit and measures movement information of the radiation imaging apparatus; wherein application of an impact to the radiation imaging apparatus is determined using the first measurement unit; information indicating the attitude of the radiation imaging apparatus is calculated using the second measurement unit.

2. The radiation imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a determination unit that determines that an impact has been applied to the radiation imaging apparatus when an output of the first measurement unit or a change amount of the output is equal to or greater than a threshold value.

3. The radiation imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein imaging is assisted using an output of at least one of the first measurement unit and the second measurement unit.

4. The radiation imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an operation of the other is changed based on an output of one of the first measurement unit and the second measurement unit.

5. The radiation imaging apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a control unit that, when an output of the first measurement unit or a change amount of the output is less than a threshold value, performs at least one of reducing the dynamic range of the second measurement unit, increasing the resolution, and increasing the sampling rate of the second measurement unit.

6. The radiation imaging apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a control unit that increases the sampling rate of the first measurement unit when an output of the second measurement unit or a change amount of the output is equal to or greater than a threshold value.

7. The radiation imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the resolution of the second measurement unit is higher than that of the first measurement unit.

8. The radiation imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sampling rate of the first measurement unit is lower than that of the second measurement unit.

9. The radiation imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first measurement unit and the second measurement unit include at least one of an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, and an inertial sensor.

10. A radiation generating apparatus, comprising: a third measurement unit that measures movement information of the radiation generating apparatus; a fourth measurement unit that has a dynamic range smaller than that of the third measurement unit and measures movement information of the radiation generating apparatus; wherein application of an impact to the radiation generating apparatus is determined using the third measurement unit. A radiation generating device in which information indicating the attitude of the radiation generating device is calculated using the fourth measuring unit.

11. The radiation generating device according to claim 10, further comprising a determination unit that determines that an impact has been applied to the radiation generating device when an output of the third measuring unit or a change amount of the output is equal to or greater than a threshold value.

12. The radiation generating device according to claim 10, which supports imaging using an output of at least one of the third measuring unit and the fourth measuring unit.

13. The radiation generating device according to claim 10, wherein an operation of the other is changed based on an output of one of the third measuring unit and the fourth measuring unit.

14. The radiation generating device according to claim 13, further comprising a control unit that performs at least one of reducing a dynamic range of the fourth measuring unit, increasing a resolution, and increasing a sampling rate when an output of the third measuring unit or a change amount of the output is less than a threshold value.

15. The radiation generating device according to claim 13, further comprising a control unit that increases a sampling rate of the third measuring unit when an output of the fourth measuring unit or a change amount of the output is equal to or greater than a threshold value.

16. The radiation generating device according to claim 10, wherein a resolution of the fourth measuring unit is higher than a resolution of the third measuring unit.

17. The radiation generating device according to claim 10, wherein a sampling rate of the third measuring unit is lower than a sampling rate of the fourth measuring unit.

18. The radiation generating device according to claim 10, wherein the third measuring unit and the fourth measuring unit include at least one of an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, and an inertial sensor.

19. A radiation imaging system including a radiation generating device that irradiates radiation and a radiation imaging device that performs imaging using the irradiated radiation, A radiation imaging system including at least one of the radiation imaging device according to any one of claims 1 to 9 and the radiation generating device according to any one of claims 10 to 18.

20. The radiation imaging system according to claim 19, further comprising a display control unit that causes a display unit to display at least one of a determination result of application of an impact to the radiation imaging device, information indicating an attitude of the radiation imaging device, a determination result of application of an impact to the radiation generating device, and information indicating an attitude of the radiation generating device.

21. The radiation imaging apparatus according to claim 1, The radiation generating apparatus according to claim 10, A control device for controlling the radiation imaging apparatus and the radiation generating apparatus, A determination unit that determines that an impact has been applied to the radiation imaging apparatus when the output of the first measurement unit or the change amount of the output is equal to or greater than a threshold value, and determines that an impact has been applied to the radiation generating apparatus when the output of the third measurement unit or the change amount of the output is equal to or greater than a threshold value, Comprising The determination unit is provided in any one of the radiation imaging apparatus, the radiation generating apparatus, and the control device, and is a radiation imaging system.

22. A method of operating a radiation imaging apparatus including a first measurement unit that measures movement information of the radiation imaging apparatus and a second measurement unit that has a dynamic range smaller than the dynamic range of the first measurement unit and measures movement information of the radiation imaging apparatus, Determining the application of an impact to the radiation imaging apparatus using the first measurement unit, Calculating information indicating the posture of the radiation imaging apparatus using the second measurement unit, Including, a method of operating a radiation imaging apparatus.

23. A method of operating a radiation generating apparatus including a third measurement unit that measures movement information of the radiation generating apparatus and a fourth measurement unit that has a dynamic range smaller than the dynamic range of the third measurement unit and measures movement information of the radiation generating apparatus, Determining the application of an impact to the radiation generating apparatus using the third measurement unit, Calculating information indicating the posture of the radiation generating apparatus using the fourth measurement unit, Including, a method of operating a radiation generating apparatus.

24. A program that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to execute each step of the method of operating a radiation imaging apparatus according to claim 22 or the method of operating a radiation generating apparatus according to claim 23.

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