Abstract: A radiation imaging apparatus includes a pixel array having pixels, a bias line applying a bias potential to converters of the pixels, a detection circuit which detects a current flowing to the bias line, and a control unit which detects a start of radiation irradiation to the pixel array based on an output from the detection circuit and controls a charge accumulation operation of the pixels in accordance with the detection. The detection circuit includes a differential amplifier circuit and a feedback path, and applies a potential corresponding to a reference bias potential to the bias line. The differential amplifier circuit includes a first input terminal receiving the reference bias potential, a second input terminal connected to the bias line, and an output terminal, and the feedback path connects the output terminal and the second input terminal.

Abstract: A radiation imaging apparatus, comprising a pixel array on which a plurality of pixels are arrayed, a readout unit configured to read out a signal from the pixel array, a first unit configured to specify a portion of the signal read out by the readout unit, at which a saturated signal whose value has reached a saturation level of an output by the readout unit and a non-saturated signal whose value has not reached the saturation level are mixed, and a second unit configured to correct, based on the non-saturated signal, the saturated signal at the portion specified by the first unit.

Abstract: A radiation imaging apparatus includes a pixel array having pixels including conversion elements and switching elements, a bias line for supplying a bias potential to the conversion elements; driving lines for supplying a signal to control the switching elements, a driving unit for performing an initialization operation of supplying a driving signal to each driving line group, switching each driving signal from an OFF voltage to an ON voltage, and then returning the driving signal to the OFF voltage; an acquisition unit configured to acquire a plurality of times in each driving cycle a signal value representing a current flowing through the bias line; a calculation unit configured to calculate radiation information based on the signal values; and a determination unit configured to determine whether irradiation of the pixel array with radiation is present based on the radiation information.

Abstract: A radiation imaging apparatus includes a pixel array in which a plurality of pixels which detects radiation are arrayed to form a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns, a detection circuit which detects information having correlation to a radiation dose to the pixel array and output a detection signal corresponding to the information, and a control unit which detects radiation irradiation to the pixel array based on a plurality of integrated values obtained by integrating one of the detection signal and a result of processing applied to the detection signal in a plurality of integral intervals and control the pixel array in accordance with the detection.

Abstract: In an image pickup apparatus, a calculation unit calculates an amount of noise and an amount of afterimage that can be included in an electric signal or image data in an image pickup operation, based on output characteristic information indicating a manner in which the amount of noise and the amount of after image change as a function of an elapsed time since a voltage is applied to a detection unit, a temperature of the detection unit detected by a temperature detection unit, the voltage supplied to the conversion elements from a power supply unit, and an image pickup operation start time indicating a time elapsed since the supplying of the voltage to the detection unit is started until the image pickup operation is started to output the electric signal corresponding to an electric charge generated by the conversion element in the detection unit.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus has an AEC function that can prevent irregularities in photographed images, without being increased in size. The imaging apparatus comprises a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix shape, each of the plurality of pixels including a conversion element for converting radiation or light into an electric charge, a plurality of lines that are connected to the plurality of pixel units and that extend in different directions to each other, a current monitor circuit that monitors currents flowing in the plurality of lines, and an arithmetic unit that calculates a two-dimensional distribution by performing back-projection processing with respect to the currents flowing in the plurality of lines monitored by the current monitor circuit.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus comprises: a detecting unit 101 having a plurality of pixels 201 arranged in a matrix, each including a conversion element and a switch element for outputting a photoelectric conversion signal; a drive circuit unit 102 controlling the switching element such that the switching elements at least in one row are in the conducting state, and the switching elements in non-continuous rows are simultaneously in the conducting state; a signal processing unit 106 generating a detection signal 115 by adding or averaging the electrical signals output by the switch elements in non-continuous rows; a comparing unit 501 comparing the detection signal 115 with a threshold to determine whether the irradiation of radiation or light is started or ended; and a control circuit unit 108 controlling the drive circuit unit 102 or the signal processing unit 106 based on the determination of the comparing unit 501.

Abstract: A radiation imaging apparatus comprises: a detector that includes a detection unit in which pixels having a conversion element that converts radiation to an electric charge are arranged in a matrix shape, a drive circuit that drives the detection unit, and a read circuit that outputs an electric signal corresponding to the electric charge as image data; a radiation detection unit that detects a radiation irradiation state at a plurality of positions in the detection unit; and a control unit that controls operations of the drive circuit and the read circuit in accordance with a detection result obtained by the radiation detection unit, wherein the radiation detection unit detects a radiation irradiation state at least at a center region and a peripheral region in the detection unit, and a detection capability at the center region is set to a higher capability than a detection capability at the peripheral region.

Abstract: A radiation imaging apparatus including: a detector that includes a detection section in which pixels having a conversion element that converts radiation to an electric charge are arranged in a matrix shape, a drive circuit configured to drive the detection section, and a read circuit configured to output an electric signal that corresponds to the electric charge as image data; a radiation detection unit configured to detect a radiation irradiation state using two detection units that are adjacently arranged in the detection section; and a control unit configured to control operations of the drive circuit and the read circuit in accordance with a detection result obtained by the radiation detection unit, wherein a detection capability by one of the detection units is set to a lower capability than a detection capability at by the other of the detection units.

Abstract: To provide a radiation imaging apparatus and a radiation imaging system that can detect radiation with high accuracy, the radiation imaging apparatus includes: a detection unit in which conversion elements that convert radiation into an electric signal are arranged in a matrix shape; a radiation detection unit configured to detect an irradiation state of radiation; a drive circuit configured to drive the detection unit in accordance with the irradiation state detected by the radiation detection unit; and a radiographing kind setting unit configured to set a radiographing kind, wherein the radiation detection unit changes a radiation detection capability in accordance with the radiographing kind set by the radiographing kind setting unit.

Abstract: A radiation imaging apparatus, comprising a sensor array in which a plurality of sensors configured to output signals corresponding to irradiated radiation, a detection unit configured to detect radiation, a driving unit configured to drive the sensor array, so as to initialize the plurality of sensors for each row repeatedly at least until the detection unit detects irradiation of radiation and to read out signals from the plurality of sensors for each row sequentially, and a processing unit configured to process signals from the sensor array, so as to correct a signal from the sensor on a row, of the plurality of sensors, which has been initialized during the irradiation of radiation, based on a timing of the initialization.

Abstract: A radiation imaging apparatus, comprising a sensor array configured to output a signal in accordance with irradiated radiation, a driving unit configured to output a signal from the sensor array by driving the sensor array, a detecting unit configured to detect irradiated radiation, a control unit configured to control the driving unit to perform first readout to read out a signal corresponding to charge accumulated in the sensor array from the sensor array and perform second readout to further read out a signal from the sensor array at least in a case where the first readout has started during irradiation of radiation, and a processing unit configured to correct the signal obtained by the first readout based on the signal obtained by the second readout.

Abstract: A radiographic apparatus includes a scintillator configured to convert radiation into first light, a photoelectric conversion unit including a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements each configured to convert the first light into an electrical signal, and a light detection unit configured to detect the first light. In such a radiographic apparatus, the photoelectric conversion unit and the light detection unit are arranged to sandwich the scintillator therebetween, and the light detection unit includes a light guide plate, a photodetector arranged on a side face of the light guide plate, and a light reflection section arranged to reflect the first light toward the photodetector.

Abstract: An image-pickup apparatus including a detector comprising a detecting unit and a reading circuit, the detecting unit including pixels, each of which including a conversion element, the reading circuit which includes a connecting unit that is electrically connected to a signal wire transferring an electric signal and that electrically connects the signal wire to a node, and which performs a reading operation to output the electric signal from the pixel. A control unit controls an operation of the reading circuit, and a sensing unit senses the end of radiation irradiation based on an output of the reading circuit, which is acquired during the period of an accumulation operation of the detector. The control unit starts establishing the electrical connection between the signal wire and the node through the connecting unit based on the sensed irradiation end, and retains the electrical connection until the start of the reading operation.

Abstract: An image-pickup apparatus including a detector comprising a detecting unit and a reading circuit, the detecting unit including pixels, each of which including a conversion element, the reading circuit which includes a connecting unit that is electrically connected to a signal wire transferring an electric signal and that electrically connects the signal wire to a node, and which performs a reading operation to output the electric signal from the pixel. A control unit controls an operation of the reading circuit, and a sensing unit senses the end of radiation irradiation based on an output of the reading circuit, which is acquired during the period of an accumulation operation of the detector. The control unit starts establishing the electrical connection between the signal wire and the node through the connecting unit based on the sensed irradiation end, and retains the electrical connection until the start of the reading operation.

Abstract: A radiation image pickup apparatus includes a pixel array having pixels each including a conversion element and a switch element, a drive circuit for controlling the switch element between a conducting state and a non-conducting state, a detection unit for outputting a detection signal varying with the intensity of irradiation of the pixel array, and an arithmetic unit for calculating a start threshold value used to detect start of irradiation based on the signal output from the detection unit during a period when radiation is not emitted onto the pixel array in which the switch elements are sequentially set in a conducting state on a row-by-row basis by the drive circuit and the signal output from the detection unit during a period when radiation is emitted onto the pixel array in which the switch elements are sequentially set in a conducting state on a row-by-row basis by the drive circuit.

Abstract: A radiation image pickup apparatus capable of setting an optimum threshold value used for instantaneously and highly accurately detecting the presence/absence of irradiation includes a pixel array having a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix, where each of the pixels includes a conversion element and a switch element, a drive circuit for supplying a drive signal for controlling the switch element between a conducting state and a non-conducting state, a detection unit for outputting a detection signal varying with the intensity of irradiation of the pixel array, and an arithmetic unit for calculating an end threshold value used to detect end of irradiation on the basis of the signal output from the detection unit during a period of time during which irradiation is applied to the pixel array in which the switch elements of the pixels are set in a non-conducting state by the drive circuit.

Abstract: An imaging system includes a plurality of imaging apparatuses, each of the imaging apparatuses includes a detector for performing an imaging operation for outputting image data corresponding to applied radiation or light and a controller for controlling the operation of the detector. The imaging apparatuses can independently perform an imaging operation and are movable in accordance with a relative positional relationship thereof. Sensing means obtain information indicative of the relative positional relationship between the imaging apparatuses. A control computer sends a control signal for determining operations of the imaging apparatuses to the controller. The control computer determines the operations of the imaging apparatuses by using the information obtained from the sensing means; and sets an appropriate scanning direction of each of the imaging apparatuses in accordance with the positional relationship thereof.

Abstract: A radiation imaging apparatus includes a pixel array including a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix in which each pixel includes a conversion element configured to convert radiation into a charge and a switch element configured to transfer an electric signal based on the charge, a plurality of wirings arranged in the pixel array, and a detecting unit configured to detect radiation irradiation to the pixel array, in which the detecting unit includes a detecting circuit configured to detect the radiation irradiation to the pixel array on the basis of a plurality of currents flowing through the plurality of wirings detected for each of the plurality of wirings.

Abstract: A radiation imaging apparatus includes a pixel array including a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix in which each pixel includes a conversion element configured to convert radiation into a charge and a switch element configured to transfer an electric signal based on the charge, a bias wiring through which the conversion element is supplied with a voltage for the conversion element to convert the radiation into the charge, a power supply unit configured to supply the voltage to the bias wiring; and a detecting unit configured to detect start of radiation irradiation to the pixel array, in which the detecting unit includes a detecting circuit configured to detect the start of the radiation irradiation to the pixel array on the basis of a comparison result through computation on at least two currents flowing through at least two bias wirings among the plurality of bias wirings.