Abstract: An edge preservation type of recursive filter 12 outputs an unsharpened image (i.e., low-frequency components) which is smoothed while preserving an edge of an input image in at least one direction (e.g., a vertical direction of the image). The low-frequency components are compressed into a suitable amount by a LUT 14 provided as low-frequency component compression amount setting means and then output. An arithmetic unit 18 provided as low-frequency component compression means compresses the low-frequency components of the input image by subtracting from the input image the output value from the LUT 14. The edge-preservation-type recursive filter 12 can extract the low-frequency components of the input image with an input time delay corresponding to one line of the input image. Therefore, DRC processing has only a short delay due to image processing and is capable of real-time processing by a small amount of computation.

Abstract: An x-ray diagnostic imaging system with an x-ray irradiation unit for irradiating an object; an x-ray diaphragm unit for shielding the irradiated x-rays except for the x-rays irradiated on a portion used for obtaining an x-ray image of the object; an x-ray diaphragm setting unit for variably setting the portion to be shielded; an x-ray flat panel detector opposed to the x-ray irradiation unit via the object to be examined; an image processing unit for subjecting the x-ray image to an image processing; and a display unit displaying the x-ray image. The image processing unit includes a calculation unit reading out data of an x-ray detection element and calculating a line noise component from the read out data; and a line noise correction unit correcting a line noise of the x-ray image based on the line noise component calculated by the calculation unit.

Abstract: An X-ray image diagnostic apparatus including an X-ray source, an X-ray flat panel detector, an image processor, and an image display. The image processor includes a storage for storing plural sets of residual image data, acquired in advance from X-ray images in X-ray image acquisition modes from the X-ray flat panel detector before an actual measurement, in correspondence with the X-ray image acquisition modes, and a residual image corrector for correcting residual image data contained in an X-ray image in the actual measurement from the X-ray flat panel detector, using the residual image data stored in the storage.

Abstract: An x-ray diagnostic imaging system with an x-ray irradiation unit for irradiating an object; an x-ray diaphragm unit for shielding the irradiated x-rays except for the x-rays irradiated on a portion used for obtaining an x-ray image of the object; an x-ray diaphragm setting unit for variably setting the portion to be shielded; an x-ray flat panel detector opposed to the x-ray irradiation unit via the object to be examined; an image processing unit for subjecting the x-ray image to an image processing; and a display unit displaying the x-ray image. The image processing unit includes a calculation unit reading out data of an x-ray detection element and calculating a line noise component from the read out data; and a line noise correction unit correcting a line noise of the x-ray image based on the line noise component calculated by the calculation unit.

Abstract: An X-ray image diagnostic apparatus including an X-ray source, an X-ray flat panel detector, an image processor, and an image display. The image processor includes a storage for storing plural sets of residual image data, acquired in advance from X-ray images in X-ray image acquisition modes from the X-ray flat panel detector before an actual measurement, in correspondence with the X-ray image acquisition modes, and a residual image corrector for correcting residual image data contained in an X-ray image in the actual measurement from the X-ray flat panel detector, using the residual image data stored in the storage.

Abstract: An edge preservation type of recursive filter 12 outputs an unsharpened image (i.e., low-frequency components) which is smoothed while preserving an edge of an input image in at least one direction (e.g., a vertical direction of the image). The low-frequency components are compressed into a suitable amount by a LUT 14 provided as low-frequency component compression amount setting means and then output. An arithmetic unit 18 provided as low-frequency component compression means compresses the low-frequency components of the input image by subtracting from the input image the output value from the LUT 14. The edge-preservation-type recursive filter 12 can extract the low-frequency components of the input image with an input time delay corresponding to one line of the input image. Therefore, DRC processing has only a short delay due to image processing and is capable of real-time processing by a small amount of computation.

Abstract: An offset data calculator has a normal offset data calculation function for calculating offset data based on data obtained from an X-ray flat panel detector while no X-ray is incident in each of the modes, i.e., an entire region fluoroscopy mode, a partial region fluoroscopy mode, imaging mode, etc. and storing the data in an offset data storage device, and additionally has a function for updating, upon calculation of new offset data in any of the modes, another mode offset data stored in the offset data storage device based on the new offset data calculated. Thus, from offset data acquired in any of the plurality of modes, it is possible to obtain the latest offset data in all the modes.

Abstract: An X-ray diagnosis apparatus includes an X-ray tube for projecting X-rays onto a subject, a two-dimensional X-ray detector for detecting X-ray signals from the subject, an image processing unit for generating image signals to perform image display of an image represented by the X-ray signals received from the two-dimensional X-ray detector, and an image displaying unit for displaying the image. The X-ray diagnosis apparatus further has a noise eliminating unit for generating noise correction signals from the X-ray signal of two scanning lines that are adjacent to each other out of a plurality of scanning lines of the two-dimensional X-ray detector and for eliminating noise in an X-ray signal of the scan lines by using the noise correction signal.

Abstract: Offset data calculation means has a normal offset data calculation function for calculating offset data based on data obtained from an X-ray flat panel detector while no X-ray is incident in each of the modes, i.e., an entire region fluoroscopy mode, a partial region fluoroscopy mode, imaging mode, etc. and storing the data in offset data storage means, and additionally has a function for updating, upon calculation of new offset data in any of the modes, another mode offset data stored in the offset data storage means based on the new offset data calculated. Thus, from offset data acquired in any of the plurality of modes, it is possible to obtain the latest offset data in all the modes.

Abstract: An X-ray diagnosis apparatus comprises an X-ray tube for projecting X-rays onto a subject, a two-dimensional X-ray detector for detecting X-ray signals from the subject, an image processing means for generating image signals to perform image display of the X-ray signal from the two-dimensional X-ray detector, and an image displaying means for displaying the image signal, and further comprises a noise eliminating means for generating noise correction signals from the X-ray signal of two scanning lines adjacent to each other out of a plurality of scanning lines of the two-dimensional X-ray detector and eliminating noise in an X-ray signal of the scan lines by using the noise correction signal.

Abstract: An apparatus for recording and reproduction of medical information comprises an input/output unit for inputting and outputting personal medical history information of individual patients, a processor for fetching digital personal medical history information supplied from the input/output unit and digital examination image information supplied externally and for applying a predetermined data processing to the two types of digital information, a digital audiotape (DAT) unit loaded with a DAT which is a magnetic cassette tape adapted for recording and reproduction of digitized audio signals, for recording and reproducing the digital information about personal medical history and examination images supplied from the processor on and from a recording medium in the form of the DAT, and a display unit for reproducing and displaying an examination image recorded in the DAT unit.

Abstract: An X-ray image display apparatus for exposing a subject to an X-ray to obtain an X-ray image of the subject, picking up the X-ray image, converting it to a digital video signal, performing necessary signal processing on the digital video signal in an image processor to obtain X-ray image data, and displaying, on a display device, an image of a display area included in the X-ray image and specified by an input device includes a display area detector for detecting display area data representing the specified display area, and a control circuit for outputting a control signal to control a collimator drive circuit and/or a filter drive circuit on the basis of the display area data detected by the display area detector and x-ray image data supplied from the image processor, thereby controlling the position of a collimator and/or a filter so as to display the image of the display area optimally.

Abstract: A medical imaging apparatus comprises magnetic resonance imaging means (30) for obtaining a MR tomogram of an object to be examined, X-ray radiographic means (11,12,13) for obtaining a radiographic image of the object and imaging control means for controlling overall timings of application of magnetic fields and acquisition of the nuclear magnetic resonance signals in the MRI means and timing of X-ray emission in the X-ray radiographic means. In the medical imaging apparatus, MR imaging is carried out in parallel with X-ray radiography by controlling the timing of X-ray emission to be noncoincident with both the timing of application of magnetic fields and the timing of acquisition of NMR signals to obtain X-ray images and MR images both having approximately the same time phase.

Abstract: In a digital data recording and reproducing apparatus which digitizes an input video signal, records or reproduces digital data on or from a magnetic recording medium of a recording and reproducing unit of the apparatus and converts the digital data read out of the recording and reproducing unit into an output video signal, a converting circuit is provided, on the input side of the recording and reproducing unit, which receives an input data signal of a larger sampling image matrix size than that for the recording and reproducing unit and divides the input image data signal into constituent sampling image matrix sizes by a predetermined fraction to deliver a divided image data signal at a data rate commensurate with the sampling image matrix size for the recording and reproducing unit, and an inverse-converting circuit is provided, on the output side of the recording and reproducing unit, which receives the divided image data signal and reconstructs it into an output image data signal of the original large sa

Abstract: A hand-held vibratory massager has a self-contained applicator head which is resiliently connected to a hand grip for limited movement in substantially all directions relative to the hand grip. A drive motor and an eccentric flyweight are mounted together within the applicator head for making it as a self-contained vibrating unit. The eccentric flyweight is connected to a motor output shaft in an eccentric relation thereto for imparting vibration to the applicator head upon rotation of the output shaft. Also mounted within the applicator head is a counterweight which provides dynamic balancing of the applicator head in such a manner as to coincide the center of mass of the entire applicator head with that of the flyweight in the axial direction of the output shaft.

Abstract: A hand-held vibratory massenger has a self-contained applicator head which is resiliently connected to a hand grip for limited movement in substantially all direction relative to the hand grip. A drive motor and an eccentric flyweight are mounted together within the applicator head for making it as a self-contained vibrating unit. The eccentric flyweight is connected to a motor output shaft in an eccentric relation thereto for imparting vibration to the applicator head upon rotation of the output shaft. Also mounted within the applicator head is a counterweight which provides dynamic balancing of the applicator head in such a manner as to align the center of mass of the entire applicator head with that of the flyweight in a plane perpendicular to the center axis of the applicator head.

Abstract: In medical image treating systems, especially when an X-ray image intensifier and TV camera are used, video signals composed of available video signals containing specified image information and unavailable video signals containing no such image information are output from the TV camera. Only the digital video signals of the converted digital video signals corresponding to the available video signals are treated and the digital video signals after treatment are recorded and reproduced with a recording device.

Abstract: A method of converting a digital video signal including first words each being composed of N.sub.1 bits into a digital video signal which consists of second words each being composed of N.sub.2 bits (N.sub.2 <N.sub.1) by separating each of the first words into a first portion which consists of the N.sub.2 bits including a most significant bit and a second portion which consists of the remaining (N.sub.1 -N.sub.2) bits including a least significant bit, and storing the first portions of the first words and the second portions. Third words each of which consists of N.sub.2 bits are then composed by sequentially arranging the second portions. A first group of words which represent converted digital image signal are composed by first portions, and a second group of words are composed by sequentially linking the third words. Each scanning line of a converted digital video signal is then composed by the second group of words sequentially arranged before or after the first group of words.