Radiography system, radiation imaging apparatus, and method for managing a radiation imaging system

Abstract

To solve the problem of a radiographic system in the case that any combination of a plurality of radiographic apparatuses and a plurality of imaging stands is selected in a single imaging room and power supplies and drive states of the radiographic apparatuses are controlled by control terminals, where management of combination of the control terminals and radiographic apparatuses to be operation targets of the control terminals must be determined and performed by a user.SOLUTION: A radiographic system comprises storage means for storing identification information on control terminals in association with identification information on identifier acquisition units and, in storing identification information on an identifier acquisition unit and identification information on a radiographic apparatus in the storage means, manages respective corresponding information stored in the storage means so that a radiographic apparatus to be an operation target of a control terminal is always determined uniquely.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a radiation imaging system, a radiation imaging apparatus, and a method for managing a radiation imaging system. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Radiography systems using radiography devices that detect radiation and generate images are widely used in industrial, medical and other fields.

[0003] Radiography is performed in an imaging room and an operation room. In the imaging room, multiple stationary imaging tables are installed for different purposes, such as for standing and lying positions, and multiple radiation imaging devices are also installed. When imaging, the user transports the radiation imaging device to the desired imaging table based on the examination order received from the requester and uses it.

[0004] The radiography device may be placed between the patient and the radiography table, or may be loaded into the storage section of the radiography table. In such cases, depending on the placement situation, it may be difficult for the user to check the display unit such as the LED that shows the status of the radiography device, or to directly operate the buttons of the radiography device.

[0005] Patent document 1 discloses a radiation imaging system having a control terminal on an imaging stand that can communicate with the radiation imaging device and has operation functions for the radiation imaging device, such as transitioning the power supply and driving state of the radiation imaging device to a state where imaging is possible. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-33623 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] In the radiation imaging system having a control terminal described in Patent Document 1, the user must manage the combination of the control terminal and the radiation imaging device on a console in an operation room, which leads to an increase in the imaging process. In addition, although it is also described that the combination can be changed automatically, the detailed method is not described.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and has an object to provide a radiation imaging system that can easily manage combinations of control terminals and radiation imaging apparatuses. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The above problem can be solved by a radiation imaging system having a radiation imaging device that captures a radiation image in accordance with irradiated radiation, a control terminal that controls imaging by the radiation imaging device, an identifier acquisition unit for acquiring identification information of the control terminal and the radiation imaging device, and a storage unit that stores first correspondence information that associates the identification information of the control terminal with the identification information of the identifier acquisition unit, and second correspondence information that associates the identification information of the identifier acquisition unit with the identification information of the radiation imaging device, wherein when storing the correspondence between the identification information of a first identifier acquisition unit in the identifier acquisition unit and the identification information of a first radiation imaging device in the radiation imaging device as the second correspondence information in the storage unit, if the second correspondence information includes correspondence between the identification information of the first identifier acquisition unit and the identification information of a second radiation imaging device different from the first radiation imaging device, the correspondence between the identification information of the first identifier acquisition unit and the identification information of the second radiation imaging device is deleted from the second correspondence information. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, the combination of the control terminal and the radiation imaging apparatus can be easily managed. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1]Configuration example of radiation imaging system 10 according to the first embodiment [Diagram 2] An example of an operation flow for registering second correspondence information in the relay device storage unit 510 [Diagram 3] Configuration example of the radiation imaging device 100 [Figure 4] Example of control terminal 101 configuration [Diagram 5] Configuration example of the control device 130 [Figure 6] Configuration example of relay device 140 [Figure 7] Configuration example of radiation imaging system 10 according to the second embodiment DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] (First embodiment) A radiation imaging system 10 according to the first embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0013] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a radiation imaging system 10 according to the first embodiment.

[0014] 1, the radiation imaging system 10 includes a radiation imaging apparatus 100, a control terminal 101, and an identifier acquisition unit 102. The radiation imaging system 10 further includes a radiation generating apparatus 110, a radiation source 111, a relay apparatus 140, a control apparatus 130, and an imaging stand 120.

[0015] In this embodiment, the radiation imaging device 100, the control terminal 101, the identifier acquisition unit 102, the radiation generation device 110, the radiation source 111, the relay device 140 and the imaging stand 120 in the radiation imaging system 10 are arranged in an imaging room. Also, the control device 130 in the radiation imaging system 10 is arranged in an operation room.

[0016] 3 , the radiation imaging apparatus 100 has an imaging apparatus control unit 200, a radiation detection unit 210, a status display unit 220, an imaging apparatus operation unit 230, a power generation unit 240, a secondary battery 241, and an imaging apparatus communication unit 250. The imaging apparatus control unit 200 is a unit for controlling the operation of the radiation imaging apparatus 100. The radiation imaging apparatus 100 generates a radiation image based on radiation irradiated from the radiation generation device 110 using two-dimensionally arranged pixels of the radiation detection unit 210.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 4, the control terminal 101 has a control terminal control unit 300, a drive state operation unit 310, a drive state display unit 311, a power operation unit 320, a power state display unit 321, and a control terminal communication unit 330.

[0018] 5, the control device 130 includes a control device control unit 400, a control device storage unit 410, a control device communication unit 420, a control device operation unit 430, and a control device display unit 440. The control device communication unit 420 communicates with the radiation imaging device 100, the control terminal 101, and the radiation generation device 110 via the relay device 140.

[0019] 6, the relay device 140 includes a relay device control unit 500, a relay device storage unit 510, and a relay device communication unit 520. The relay device storage unit 510 stores correspondence information for communication between the radiation imaging device 100 and the corresponding control terminal 101.

[0020] The correspondence information is composed of two pieces of correspondence information: first correspondence information, which is correspondence information between the identification information of the control terminal 101 and the identification information of the identifier acquisition unit 102, and second correspondence information, which is correspondence information between the identification information of the radiation imaging device 100 and the identification information of the identifier acquisition unit 102.

[0021] When the relay device 140 receives a control command to the radiation imaging apparatus 100 from the control terminal 101, the relay device control unit 500 refers to the first correspondence information and the second correspondence information from the relay device storage unit 510. Furthermore, the relay device 140 links the control terminal 101 and the radiation imaging apparatus 100, and transmits the control command to the corresponding radiation imaging apparatus 100.

[0022] The relay device 140 receives the device status, irradiation implementation information, input information of the radiation irradiation switch, etc. from the radiation generation device 110, and the imaging device control unit 200 judges whether radiation irradiation is possible or not based on that information. The relay device 140 transmits an irradiation permission command including information on the timing of radiation irradiation to the radiation imaging device 100, and mediates synchronous imaging between the radiation generation device 110 and the radiation imaging device 100. The relay device 140 can also supply power to the radiation imaging device 100 connected by wire.

[0023] The imaging table 120 functions as a holder for holding the radiation imaging apparatus 100 at a position where imaging is possible. The imaging table 120 includes, for example, an upright imaging table 120a for imaging the chest and a lying imaging table 120b for imaging the abdomen and lower limbs.

[0024] The control terminal 101 is connected to the radiation imaging apparatus 100 via a relay device 140. The control terminal 101 has a function of controlling the power supply to the radiation imaging apparatus 100 to be on / off, controlling the operating state of the radiation imaging apparatus 100, and displaying the power supply and operating state of the radiation imaging apparatus 100. The control terminal 101 is preferably disposed near the imaging stand 120, and is disposed, for example, on a part of the exterior of the imaging stand 120 in a detachable manner.

[0025] Furthermore, it is preferable that the control terminal 101 is fixed at a position on the exterior of the imaging stand 120 that is highly visible to the user and easy to operate. Therefore, the control terminal 101 can easily control the radiation imaging apparatus 100 even when the radiation imaging apparatus 100 is stored in the imaging stand 120. Therefore, the user can control various states of the radiation imaging apparatus 100 while in the imaging room, without directly operating the radiation imaging apparatus 100. In addition, the user can operate the radiation imaging apparatus 100 while in the imaging room, without having to go to an operation room and operate the control device 130, so that quick control is possible.

[0026] The control device 130 acquires information indicating the state of the radiation imaging device 100 at a predetermined timing, and controls so as to display it on the control device display unit 440. Furthermore, the control device 130 can transmit information indicating the state to the control terminal 101, and the control terminal 101 that receives the information indicating the state can change the display on the drive state display unit 311 and the power state display unit 321 according to the state.

[0027] The control device display unit 440 of the control device 130 includes a GUI for operating the driving state of the radiation imaging device 100, and the GUI can be operated by the control device operation unit 430. The control device display unit 440 may include a GUI for operating the power supply state of the radiation imaging device 100.

[0028] For example, radiation irradiation conditions, device status, irradiation implementation information, and input information of a radiation irradiation switch are communicated between the radiation generating device 110 and the control device 130. The radiation generating device 110 transmits input information of the radiation irradiation switch input from the radiation generating device 110 to the radiation imaging device 100. In response to receiving the input information, the radiation imaging device 100 transmits information for permitting radiation irradiation to the radiation generating device 110. The exchange of such information is performed via a relay device 140.

[0029] The communication between the above-mentioned components may be in accordance with a communication standard such as RS232C, Universal Serial Bus, Ethernet (registered trademark), or Bluetooth (registered trademark). A combination of these may be used within the radiation imaging system 10. These communications may be wired communications or wireless communications.

[0030] In this embodiment, the radiographic imaging apparatus 100 and the relay apparatus 140 are connected via a wired Ethernet. Therefore, the identifier acquisition unit 102 uses a device that configures the Ethernet. In this embodiment, the identifier acquisition unit 102 uses a cable and a connector for wired Ethernet communication.

[0031] Next, a detailed description will be given of the operation of each unit when the radiation imaging system 10 is used to load the radiation imaging device 100 onto the imaging stand 120 and perform imaging. The operation of registering the identifier acquisition unit 102 and the identifier of the radiation imaging device 100 in association with each other in the relay device storage unit 510 of the relay device 140 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0032] The user connects the radiation imaging apparatus 100 to a wired cable, which is the identifier acquisition unit 102, provided on the imaging stand 120 for a standing position, and then stores the radiation imaging apparatus 100 on the imaging stand 120. The imaging apparatus control unit 200 of the radiation imaging apparatus 100 detects the connection of the wired cable, and transitions the radiation imaging apparatus 100 to a power-on state.

[0033] The radiation imaging apparatus 100 becomes ready to capture images when it transitions to a power-on state. The radiation imaging apparatus 100 requires a certain amount of time to transition from a power-off state or a sleep state (hibernation state) to a capture-ready state. Therefore, by detecting a cable connection and turning on the power of the radiation imaging apparatus 100 before adjusting the position, the radiation imaging apparatus 100 will enter a capture-ready state during position adjustment, allowing imaging to be performed quickly.

[0034] Hereinafter, the operation of registering the identification information of the identifier acquisition unit 102 and the identification information of the radiation imaging apparatus 100 in the relay apparatus storage unit 510 of the relay apparatus 140 in association with each other will be described.

[0035] In S200, when the relay device control unit 500 detects that wired Ethernet communication has been established with the radiation imaging device 100 via the relay device communication unit 520, it acquires the MAC address of the radiation imaging device 100 as identification information from the radiation imaging device 100.

[0036] At this time, the relay device control unit 500 can determine the identifier acquisition unit 102 used to acquire the MAC address based on the information of the Ethernet PHY used by the relay device communication unit 520 to connect to the radiation imaging apparatus 100. The MAC address is a unique value for each radiation imaging apparatus by its nature, and at the same time, is information that identifies the transmission target of Ethernet communication, so it is suitable as identification information for the radiation imaging apparatus 100 in this embodiment.

[0037] In S210, the relay device control unit 500 searches the second correspondence information stored in the relay device storage unit 510 to see whether a value identical to the MAC address of the acquired radiation imaging device 100 is stored.

[0038] In S220 and S230, if corresponding information including the same MAC address is registered based on the results of the search in S210, that corresponding information is deleted from the relay device storage unit 510.

[0039] In S240, the relay device control unit 500 searches the second correspondence information stored in the relay device memory unit 510 to see whether the MAC address of another radiation imaging device 100 is stored in association with the identifier acquisition unit 102 used to acquire the identification information in S200.

[0040] In S250 and S260, if it is determined based on the result of the search in S230 that a different MAC address has already been associated with the identifier acquisition unit 102 used to acquire the identification information in S200, the associated information is deleted from the relay device storage unit 510.

[0041] In S270, the relay device control unit 500 associates the identification information of the identifier acquisition unit 102 used to acquire the identification information in S200 with the acquired MAC address of the radiation imaging device 100 and stores them in the second correspondence information of the relay device memory unit 510.

[0042] As described above, in this embodiment, the identification information of the radiation imaging apparatus 100 and the identification information of the identifier acquisition unit 102 are associated with each other and stored in the second association information in the relay device storage unit 510. This prevents the MAC address of one radiation imaging apparatus 100 from being registered in multiple identifier acquisition units 102, and therefore the MAC address of the radiation imaging apparatus 100 associated with each identifier acquisition unit 102 is uniquely determined.

[0043] The following describes the operation of each part when imaging is performed using the radiation imaging system 10. The user adjusts the positions of the subject 700, the imaging stand 120, and the irradiation area of ​​the radiation irradiated from the radiation source 111. In response to input of a radiation irradiation switch, the radiation generating device 110 controls the radiation source 111 so as to irradiate radiation toward the radiation imaging device 100. The radiation irradiated from the radiation source 111 passes through the subject 700 and then enters the radiation imaging device 100.

[0044] The radiation imaging device 100 generates image data according to the incident radiation, and transmits this image data to a control device 130 in an operation room. The control device 130 controls the display of the control device display unit 440 so as to display the received image data.

[0045] The user can check the image displayed on the control device display unit 440 and determine whether or not re-imaging is necessary. If the user determines that the image displayed on the control device display unit 440 is normal, the user prepares to image another subject 700 in the same manner. When imaging of all subjects 700 has been completed, the user operates the control terminal 101 to turn off the power of the radiation imaging device 100 mounted in the imaging stand 120.

[0046] At this time, the control command from the control terminal 101 to transition to the power-off state is transmitted to the relay device 140, and the relay device control unit 500 of the relay device 140 refers to the first and second correspondence information in the relay device storage unit 510. Thereafter, it determines to which radiation imaging device 100 the control command from the control terminal 101 should be transmitted, and transmits the control command to the target radiation imaging device 100 via Ethernet communication. When the imaging device control unit 200 of the radiation imaging device 100 receives the control command to transition to the power-off state from the control terminal 101, it starts a power-off sequence.

[0047] In the power-off sequence, the imaging apparatus control unit 200 sets the controller of the Ethernet PHY used for wired connection of the imaging apparatus communication unit 250 to a low power consumption mode and transitions to a Wake-on-Lan (WOL) standby state. WOL is a function that powers on a device via a network, in which the command side transmits a special Ethernet frame called a magic packet, and the activation side transitions to the power-on state when it receives the magic packet.

[0048] In this embodiment, a control command from the control terminal 101 to transition the radiation imaging apparatus 100 to a power-on state is realized using a WOL function. After setting the imaging apparatus communication unit 250 to WOL standby, the imaging apparatus control unit 200 of the radiation imaging apparatus 100 stops the supply of power from the secondary battery 241 via the power generation unit 240, excluding a part such as the imaging apparatus communication unit 250.

[0049] The magic packet is set to the broadcast address "FF:FF:FF:FF:FF:FF:FF" followed by the MAC address of the target to be activated repeated 16 times. The magic packet is broadcast to the entire network in which the radiation imaging system 10 exists, and if the MAC address included in the magic packet matches the receiving side's own MAC address, the receiving side determines that the magic packet is intended for the receiving side.

[0050] In other words, when the radiation imaging device 100 in the WOL standby state receives a broadcast magic packet and detects that it contains its own MAC address, it sends a signal to the imaging device control unit 200 instructing it to start up, and starts the power-on sequence.

[0051] The magic packet is transmitted from the relay device 140 that has received a control command to transition to a power-on state from the control terminal 101. The relay device 140 refers to the relay device storage unit 510 for the control terminal 101 that sent the control command, and acquires the MAC address of the target radiation imaging apparatus 100 based on the first and second correspondence information. The relay device 140 sets the acquired MAC address as data for the magic packet, and broadcasts the magic packet to the network. The radiation imaging apparatuses 100 present within the network can receive the magic packet and transition to a power-on state.

[0052] Next, a case where the imaging stand 120 is changed from the standing position imaging stand 120a to the lying position imaging stand 120b will be described.

[0053] The user carries the radiation imaging apparatus 100 from the upright position imaging platform 120a to the lying position imaging platform 120b, connects it to a wired cable, which is the identifier acquisition unit 102 provided on the lying position imaging platform 120b, and stores it in the lying position imaging platform 120b. Thereafter, the relay device control unit 500 can acquire the MAC address, which is the identifier of the radiation imaging apparatus 100, from the identifier acquisition unit 102, in the same manner as in the case of the upright position imaging platform 120a. Then, the identification information of the identifier acquisition unit 102 and the MAC address of the radiation imaging apparatus 100 are associated with each other and registered in the relay device storage unit 510 of the relay device 140 according to the flowchart of FIG.

[0054] At this time, the MAC address of the radiation imaging apparatus 100 acquired by the identifier acquisition unit 102 provided on the lying position imaging platform 120b has already been registered in the second correspondence information in association with the identification information of the identifier acquisition unit 102 of the upright position imaging platform 120a. Therefore, in S230, the correspondence information between the identification information of the identifier acquisition unit 102 of the upright position imaging platform 120a and the MAC address of the radiation imaging apparatus 100 is deleted from the relay device storage unit 510.

[0055] Thereafter, in S270, the identification information of the identifier acquisition unit 102 provided on the supine position imaging table 120b and the MAC address of the radiation imaging apparatus 100 are registered in the second correspondence information. In this manner, even when the same radiation imaging apparatus 100 is used between a plurality of imaging tables 120, it becomes possible to control the power supply and driving state of the radiation imaging apparatus 100 from the control terminal 101 provided near each imaging table 120.

[0056] Next, a case will be described in which the radiation imaging apparatus 100a is removed from the supine position imaging platform 120b, and another radiation imaging apparatus 100b is loaded onto the supine position imaging platform 120b for imaging. The user removes the radiation imaging apparatus 100a from the supine position imaging platform 120b, connects the other radiation imaging apparatus 100b to a wired cable that is the identifier acquisition unit 102 provided on the supine position imaging platform 120b, and stores it in the supine position imaging platform 120b.

[0057] 2, the identifier acquisition unit 102 and the MAC address of the radiation imaging apparatus 100b are associated with each other and registered in the relay device storage unit 510. At this time, the MAC address of the radiation imaging apparatus 100a has already been associated with the identification information of the identifier acquisition unit 102 provided on the supine position imaging platform 120b and registered in the second association information. Therefore, in S260, the association information of the identifier acquisition unit 102 provided on the supine position imaging platform 120b and the MAC address of the radiation imaging apparatus 100a is deleted from the relay device storage unit 510.

[0058] Thereafter, in S270, the identification information of the identifier acquisition unit 102 provided on the supine position imaging stand 120b and the MAC address of the radiation imaging apparatus 100b are registered in the second correspondence information. In this manner, even when a plurality of radiation imaging apparatuses 100 are used on the same imaging stand 120, it becomes possible to control the power supply and driving state of the radiation imaging apparatus 100 mounted on the imaging stand 120 from the control terminal 101 provided near the imaging stand 120.

[0059] As described above, according to this embodiment, when the radiation imaging apparatus 100 is used on a desired imaging stand 120, the control terminal 101 arranged near the imaging stand 120 and the radiation imaging apparatus 100 are automatically linked and managed. A user can easily control the power supply and operating state of the radiation imaging apparatus 100 by operating the power supply operation unit 320 and operating state operation unit 310 of the control terminal 101 in the imaging room.

[0060] Second embodiment Fig. 7 is a diagram showing a radiation imaging system 10 according to the second embodiment. The difference from the first embodiment shown in Fig. 1 is that the identifier acquisition unit 102 is a BLE dongle used for communication according to the Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) standard. In addition, communication between the radiation imaging apparatus 100 and the relay apparatus 140 is via wireless Ethernet, and the power supply and driving state of the radiation imaging apparatus 100 can be controlled from either of the two control terminals 101a and 101b. Below, the differences from the first embodiment will be described in detail, and a description of the common parts will be omitted.

[0061] When the identification information of multiple control terminals 101 is associated with the identification information of the same radiation imaging apparatus 100, the identifiers of the control terminals 101a and 101b are registered in the first correspondence information in such a manner that they are associated with the identification information of the same identifier acquisition unit 102.

[0062] When the relay device control unit 500 registers the correspondence in the relay device memory unit 510, if the first correspondence information contains identification information of the same control terminal 101, the correspondence information is deleted from the relay device memory unit 510.

[0063] The procedure by which the relay device 140 receives the identification information of the radiation imaging device 100 and the control terminal 101 through BLE communication will be described below.

[0064] The relay device 140 acts as a central of a generic access profile (GAP) and waits to receive an advertisement packet from the radiation imaging apparatus 100 or the control terminal 101, which are peripherals of the GAP. The radiation imaging apparatus 100 or the control terminal 101 add information to the data portion of the advertisement packet for the relay device 140 to determine that the relay device 140 is a connection target. A user can start transmitting an advertisement packet by operating the imaging apparatus operation unit 230 of the radiation imaging apparatus 100 or the power operation unit 320 of the control terminal 101.

[0065] When the relay device 140 receives an advertising packet, it analyzes the data portion, determines that it is a connection target, and transmits a connection request to the radiation imaging device 100 or the control terminal 101 that transmitted the advertising packet. When transmitting the connection request, the relay device 140 refers to the received signal strength indicator (RSSI) of the received advertising packet. If the RSSI is equal to or greater than a threshold, it is preferable to perform processing to transmit the connection request.

[0066] By setting a threshold value for RSSI, a connection can be established only when the identifier acquisition unit 102 is close to the radiation imaging apparatus 100 or the control terminal 101 at a certain distance or more. That is, even if multiple BLE dongles serving as identifier acquisition units 102 are associated with different radiation imaging apparatuses 100 in the same imaging room, a connection can be appropriately established with the identifier acquisition unit 102 associated with the target radiation imaging apparatus 100.

[0067] After the connection is established, the relay device 140 acts as a Generic Attribute Profile (GATT) server, and the radiation imaging apparatus 100 and the control terminal 101 act as GATT clients. The radiation imaging apparatus 100 and the control terminal 101 inquire of the relay device 140, which is the GATT server, about the services it provides and the characteristics under the services.

[0068] The radiation imaging apparatus 100 and the control terminal 101 transmit a write request to the relay device 140 in which their own identifiers are set for the Characteristics corresponding to the respective identifiers based on the acquired Characteristic information. The identifier of the radiation imaging apparatus 100 is preferably a MAC address as in the first embodiment. It is sufficient that the identifier of the control terminal 101 is guaranteed to be independent of each control terminal 101, and a numerical value, a character string, or the like may be used as appropriate.

[0069] After the write request is normally processed by the relay device 140, the relay device 140 refers to the updated value of Characteristic and registers the first or second correspondence information. Since null packets are sent and received at regular intervals even if no data is being exchanged during the connection, it is preferable to cut off the connection between the relay device 140 and the radiation imaging device 100 or the control terminal 101 at the point when the write request is normally processed in order to reduce power consumption.

[0070] In this embodiment, in the power-off sequence, the imaging apparatus control unit 200 of the radiation imaging apparatus 100 sets the wireless communication module arranged in the imaging apparatus communication unit 250 to a low power consumption mode and transitions it to a WOL standby state.

[0071] Thereafter, as in the first embodiment, a control command to transition to a power-on state is transmitted from either the control terminal 101a or 101b to the relay device 140, and the relay device 140 broadcasts a magic packet including the MAC address of the radiation imaging apparatus 100. The imaging apparatus communication unit 250 of the radiation imaging apparatus 100 receives the broadcasted magic packet via wireless Ethernet communication, notifies the imaging apparatus control unit 200 of a signal instructing startup, and starts the power-on sequence.

[0072] As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to acquire an identifier through BLE communication by using a BLE dongle as the identifier acquisition unit 102. In addition, it is possible to control the power supply and driving state of the radiation imaging apparatus 100 that communicates with the relay device 140 through wireless Ethernet by the control terminals 101a and 101b.

[0073] (Other embodiments) The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that achieves the above-mentioned functions to a system or device via a network or storage medium, and having one or more processors in a computer of the system or device read and execute the program.

[0074] In addition, various recording media can be used, such as a flexible disk, an optical disk (e.g., CD-ROM, DVD-ROM), a magneto-optical disk, a magnetic tape, a non-volatile memory (e.g., USB memory), a ROM, etc. In addition, a program for implementing the above-mentioned functions may be downloaded via a network and executed by a computer.

[0075] In addition, the functions of the above-mentioned embodiments are not limited to being realized only by a computer executing the read program code, but also include cases where an operating system (OS) running on a computer performs part or all of the actual processing based on instructions from the program code, thereby realizing the functions of the above-mentioned embodiments.

[0076] Furthermore, the program code read from the recording medium may be written to a memory provided in a function expansion board inserted into a computer or a function expansion unit connected to a computer. This also includes cases where a CPU or the like provided in the function expansion board or function expansion unit performs part or all of the actual processing based on the instructions of the program code, thereby realizing the above-mentioned functions.

[0077] The above is one example of a typical embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above and shown in the drawings, and can be modified as appropriate within the scope that does not change the gist of the present invention.

[0078] For example, the functions of relay device control unit 500 and relay device storage unit 510 of relay device 140 may be realized by control device control unit 400 and control device storage unit 410 of control device 130. Also, relay device communication unit 520 of relay device 140 may be configured by a switching hub. Therefore, the above-mentioned embodiment shows only one embodiment, and inventions that can be easily imagined from the above-mentioned embodiment are also included in the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0079] 10 Radiography system 100 Radiography equipment 101 Control terminal 102 Identifier Acquisition Unit 110 Radiation Generator 111 Radiation source 120 Photo stand 130 Control device 140 Repeater 700 subjects

Claims

1. a radiation imaging device for capturing a radiation image in accordance with the irradiated radiation; a control terminal for controlling imaging of the radiation imaging apparatus; an identifier acquisition unit for acquiring identification information of the control terminal and the radiation imaging apparatus; a storage unit configured to store first correspondence information in which the identification information of the control terminal corresponds to the identification information of the identifier acquisition unit, and second correspondence information in which the identification information of the identifier acquisition unit corresponds to the identification information of the radiation imaging device; A radiography system comprising: A radiation imaging system characterized in that, when storing in the memory unit as the second correspondence information a correspondence between the identification information of a first identifier acquisition unit among the identifier acquisition units and the identification information of a first radiation imaging device among the radiation imaging devices, if the second correspondence information includes a correspondence between the identification information of the first identifier acquisition unit and the identification information of a second radiation imaging device other than the first radiation imaging device, the correspondence between the identification information of the first identifier acquisition unit and the identification information of the second radiation imaging device is deleted from the second correspondence information.

2. a radiation imaging device for capturing a radiation image in accordance with the irradiated radiation; a control terminal for controlling imaging of the radiation imaging apparatus; an identifier acquisition unit for acquiring identification information of the control terminal and the radiation imaging apparatus; a storage unit configured to store first correspondence information in which the identification information of the control terminal corresponds to the identification information of the identifier acquisition unit, and second correspondence information in which the identification information of the identifier acquisition unit corresponds to the identification information of the radiation imaging device; A radiography system comprising: When storing the identification information of a first control terminal among the control terminals and the identification information of a first identifier acquisition unit among the identifier acquisition units as the first correspondence information in the storage unit, if the first correspondence information includes an association between the identification information of a second control terminal among the control terminals and the identification information of the first identifier acquisition unit, the identification information of the first control terminal is further associated with the identification information of the first identifier acquisition unit and stored in the first correspondence information. A radiation imaging system comprising:

3. 3. The radiation imaging system according to claim 1, wherein the storage unit is provided in a relay device that relays communication between the radiation imaging apparatus and the control terminal.

4. The radiation imaging system according to claim 3 , wherein the relay device broadcasts a signal including identification information of the radiation imaging device within a network to which the radiation imaging device belongs.

5. 5. The radiation imaging system according to claim 4, wherein the radiation imaging device is powered on by receiving a signal including identification information of the radiation imaging device.

6. 3. The radiation imaging system according to claim 1, wherein the first correspondence information can be stored by associating a plurality of the control terminals with the identifier acquisition unit.

7. 3. The radiation imaging system according to claim 1, wherein the second correspondence information can store only one radiation imaging apparatus in association with the identifier acquisition unit.

8. 8. The radiation imaging system according to claim 1, wherein the identification information is acquired through wired LAN communication.

9. 9. The radiation imaging system according to claim 8, wherein the identifier acquisition unit is a device that constitutes the wired LAN communication.

10. 10. The radiation imaging system according to claim 1, wherein a MAC address is used as the identification information of the control terminal and the identification information of the radiation imaging apparatus.

11. A radiation imaging apparatus for capturing a radiation image in accordance with irradiated radiation, a first correspondence information associating identification information of a control terminal that controls imaging of the radiation imaging apparatus with identification information of an identifier acquisition unit that acquires the identification information of the radiation imaging apparatus and the identification information of the control terminal, and a second correspondence information associating the identification information of the identifier acquisition unit with the identification information of the radiation imaging apparatus, the first correspondence information being stored in a storage unit connected to the radiation imaging apparatus; When storing the identification information of a first identifier acquisition unit among the identifier acquisition units and the identification information of a first radiation imaging device among the radiation imaging devices as the second correspondence information in the storage unit, if the second correspondence information includes a correspondence between the identification information of the first identifier acquisition unit and the identification information of a second radiation imaging device among the radiation imaging devices, a correspondence between the identification information of the first identifier acquisition unit and the identification information of the second radiation imaging apparatus is deleted from the second correspondence information.

12. a radiation imaging device for capturing a radiation image in accordance with the irradiated radiation; a control terminal for controlling imaging of the radiation imaging apparatus; an identifier acquisition unit for acquiring identification information of the control terminal and the radiation imaging apparatus; a storage unit that stores first correspondence information in which identification information of the control terminal and identification information of the identifier acquisition unit are associated with each other, and second correspondence information in which identification information of the identifier acquisition unit and identification information of the radiation imaging apparatus are associated with each other, the management method comprising: when storing, in the storage unit, the identification information of a first identifier acquisition unit among the identifier acquisition units and the identification information of a first radiation imaging device among the radiation imaging devices as the second correspondence information, if the second correspondence information includes the association between the identification information of the first identifier acquisition unit and the identification information of a second radiation imaging device among the radiation imaging devices, the association between the identification information of the first identifier acquisition unit and the identification information of the second radiation imaging device is deleted from the second correspondence information. A method for managing a radiography system comprising the steps of:

13. a radiation imaging device for capturing a radiation image in accordance with the irradiated radiation; a control terminal for controlling imaging of the radiation imaging apparatus; an identifier acquisition unit for acquiring identification information of the control terminal and the radiation imaging apparatus; A management method for a radiation imaging system having a storage unit that stores first correspondence information in which identification information of the control terminal and identification information of the identifier acquisition unit are associated with each other, and second correspondence information in which the identification information of the identifier acquisition unit and identification information of the radiation imaging apparatus are associated with each other, comprising: When storing the identification information of a first control terminal among the control terminals and the identification information of a first identifier acquisition unit among the identifier acquisition units as the first correspondence information in the storage unit, if the first correspondence information includes an association between the identification information of a second control terminal among the control terminals and the identification information of the first identifier acquisition unit, the identification information of the first control terminal is further associated with the identification information of the first identifier acquisition unit and stored in the first correspondence information. A method for managing a radiography system comprising the steps of:

14. The method for managing a radiography system according to claim 12 or 13 is executed by a computer. A program to make this possible.

15. A computer-readable recording medium on which the program according to claim 14 is recorded.

16. A radiation imaging system capable of using a plurality of radiation imaging devices for performing radiation imaging, comprising: a control terminal for controlling imaging of the radiation imaging apparatus; a management device capable of managing correspondence information of any one of the plurality of radiation imaging devices, the control terminal, and a relay unit that is connected to the radiation imaging device via a connection unit and relays the radiation imaging device and the control terminal; When a second radiation imaging device among the plurality of radiation imaging devices is newly associated with the connection unit in a state in which a first radiation imaging device among the plurality of radiation imaging devices, the connection unit, and the control terminal are associated with each other, the management device updates the association information so that the first radiation imaging device and the connection unit are no longer associated with each other.

1. A radiation imaging system comprising:

17. A radiation imaging system capable of using a plurality of radiation imaging devices for performing radiation imaging, comprising: A plurality of control terminals for controlling imaging of the radiation imaging apparatus; a management device capable of managing correspondence information between the radiation imaging device, any one of the control terminals, and a relay unit that is connected to the radiation imaging device via a connection unit and relays the control terminals; When a second control terminal among the plurality of control terminals, the relay unit, and the radiation imaging device are newly associated with each other in a state in which a first control terminal among the plurality of control terminals, the relay unit, and the radiation imaging device are associated with each other, the management device updates the association information so that the second control terminal is further associated with the connection unit in a state in which the first control terminal is associated with the connection unit.

1. A radiation imaging system comprising:

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