Abstract: In a specimen analysis system: incident light is injected into a specimen at an injection position on the specimen; an information acquisition unit acquires first information carried by light exiting from each of positions in a first region of the specimen in response to injection of the incident light into the specimen for a first duration of measurement, and second information carried by light exiting from each of positions in a second region of the specimen in response to injection of the incident light into the specimen for a second duration of measurement longer than the first duration of measurement; and an information processing unit calculates a characteristic of the specimen on the basis of the first and second information. The first region is located within a predetermined distance from the injection position, and the second region is located farther from the injection position than the first region.

Abstract: In a medical imaging apparatus for imaging mammary gland and breast while compressing the breast with a compression plate, the influence of reflection and attenuation of ultrasonic waves in the compression plate can be reduced to improve the image quality of ultrasonic images. The medical imaging apparatus includes: an imaging stage; a compression plate for compressing an object between the imaging stage and itself; an ultrasonic probe provided to maintain acoustic connection with the compression plate, for transmitting ultrasonic waves according to drive signals and receiving ultrasonic echoes to output reception signals; an ultrasonic imaging unit for supplying the drive signals to the ultrasonic probe and generating image data based on the reception signals; and a control unit for controlling the ultrasonic imaging unit according to information based on a material and/or a thickness of the compression plate to adjust levels of the drive signals.

Abstract: An imaging section includes a radiation source that emits radiation, a detecting panel for detecting the radiation, and a rotating section for integrally rotating the radiation source and the detecting panel about a rotating axis. The radiation source and the detecting panel face each other with the rotating axis that passes though a predetermined position interposed therebetween. The imaging section sequentially images a subject placed at the predetermined position while rotating the radiation source and the detecting panel about the rotating axis, and image signals are read out for each imaging operation. A control section refers to a necessary readout region set by a setting section and controls a readout switching means such that image signals recorded in detection pixels within the necessary readout region are read out by a normal readout section, and image signals recorded in other detection pixels are read out by a high speed readout section.

Abstract: A region of interest information obtaining section obtains the size and position of a region of interest within a radiation image of a subject. A position calculating section calculates positions for a radiation source and a detecting panel that enable appropriate radiation imaging of the region of interest, employing the region of interest information. A moving section moves the radiation source and the detecting panel to the positions calculated by the position calculating section. Radiation images of the subject are obtained while rotating the radiation source and the detecting panel about a rotating axis that passes through a predetermined position at which the subject is placed.

Abstract: A radiation image photographing apparatus is formed with a photographing unit that includes a radiation emission means for emitting radiation, a radiation image detection means for recording a radiation image, a region of interest indication means for indicating a mark on a site of a subject corresponding to the region of interest specified in the radiation image, and the like; a computer having an input means, such as a mouse; and a monitor, in which a radiation image obtained by photographing is displayed on the monitor to have the user to specify a region of interest through the input means, and when coordinate information of the region of interest in the image is received from the computer, photographing unit, based on this, controls the region of interest indication means to automatically indicate a mark on a site of the subject corresponding to the region of interest.

Abstract: A fluorescence image display apparatus is provided; wherein, when a pseudo color image representing the tissue state of a target subject is obtained, based on a fluorescence image emitted from the target subject upon the irradiation thereof by an excitation light, the tissue state can be recognized regardless of the intensity of the fluorescent light. Based upon the statistical quantity of a wide band fluorescence image computed by a statistical quantity computing means, a gain that the wide band and narrow band fluorescence image data are to be multiplied by is computed by a gain computing means. A gain multiplying means multiplies the wide band and narrow band fluorescence image data by the gain, whereby a green gradation is assigned to the wide band fluorescence image and a red gradation is assigned to the narrow band fluorescence image, and a composite image data is obtained by an image composing means.

Abstract: In a medical imaging system including plural imaging section, detection accuracy and examination efficiency for breast cancer are improved by setting appropriate imaging condition. The system includes: a first imaging section for imaging an object to be inspected by using one of radiation, ultrasonic waves, nuclear magnetic resonance, positron, infrared light and fluorescence to generate a medical image; a second imaging section for imaging the object by using another one of radiation, ultrasonic waves, nuclear magnetic resonance, positron, infrared light and fluorescence to generate a medical image; and an imaging condition setting section for setting imaging condition in the second imaging section based on the medical image generated by the first imaging section.

Abstract: A radiation emission control method, apparatus and the program capable of detecting respiratory phases of a test subject with constant accuracy and emitting radiation rays to the test subject in synchronization with an intended respiratory phase, while minimizing the radiation exposure to the subject. A test subject having a contour that varies with the respiration is optically imaged continuously by the optical image obtaining section to sequentially obtain optical images of the subject, and respiratory phases of the subject are detected simultaneously with the optical imaging by the respiratory phase detecting section based on the contour of the subject on the optical images. During the optical imaging, a radiation source is controlled by the control section such that radiation rays are emitted to the test subject when the detected respiratory phase corresponds to an intended respiratory phase of the subject.

Abstract: In a specimen analysis system: a light injection unit selectively injects unscattered light and scattered light into a specimen at an incident position on the specimen, and an information processing unit performs calculation of a characteristic of the specimen by diffusion approximation, where the calculation of the characteristic in a near-incident-point region located within a predetermined distance from the incident position is based on information carried by light which exits from the near-incident-point region of the specimen in response to injection of the scattered light into the specimen, and the calculation of the characteristic in a remote region located farther from the incident position than the near-incident-point region is based on information carried by light which exits from the remote region in response to injection of the unscattered light into the specimen.

Abstract: When radiographic images are obtained by radiography using a tomographic image obtainment apparatus, the degree of overlap of anatomical structures of a subject is obtained. Further, a condition of exposure, such as angles ? of radiography, is changed based on the degree of overlap. The angles ? of radiography are angles at which a radiation irradiation unit performs radiography at a plurality of positions to obtain a plurality of radiographic images. The tomographic image obtainment apparatus produces a tomographic image by reconstructing the tomographic image from a plurality of radiographic images obtained by irradiating the subject with radiation from various directions.

Abstract: A mammography apparatus capable of obtaining a clear breast image with reduced burden on the subject. The apparatus includes a radiation irradiation section and an object table connected to an arm such that they face each other, and the breast pressed on the object table using a compression paddle is imaged by rotating the arm according to the imaging direction. In the apparatus, the size of the breast is detected, and the relative position between the radiation irradiation section and object table is changed along the side of the object table facing the chest wall of the subject according to the detected size of the breast and the direction of rotation of the arm.

Abstract: A radiation application time upper limit calculator calculates a radiation application time upper limit based on a subject thickness, as measured by a subject thickness measuring unit. While an X-ray tube is controlled according to exposure conditions that have been set in order to apply a radiation X to a breast to capture a radiation image thereof, an X-ray tube controller compares the applied radiation time with the radiation application time upper limit. If the applied radiation time exceeds the radiation application time upper limit, then application of radiation to the subject is interrupted, so as to prevent an inappropriate radiation dosage from being applied to an X-ray detector.

Abstract: A radiation image detecting system includes an image detecting information storing section storing thereon an image detecting condition under which a radiation image judged by a reader of the radiation image to be inappropriate is detected in association with a site whose radiation image is detected under the image detecting condition judged inappropriate, an image detecting information designating section designating, before a radiation image of an examined subject is detected, an image detecting condition under which the radiation image of the examined subject is detected and a site of the examined subject which is image-detected, and a warning section issuing an warning to a user when the image detecting condition designated by the image detecting information designating section falls within a predetermined range including an image detecting condition stored on the image detecting information storing section in association with the site designated by the image detecting information designating section.

Abstract: Before a radiation image is captured, a rate of change of an output signal from an integrator, during a given period of time after the integrator has been reset and until a radiation start signal is supplied, is calculated. An offset voltage signal at a desired time is calculated using the rate of change, and is supplied to a voltage correcting circuit. An output signal from the integrator after a radiation X has started being applied to a subject is corrected based on the calculated offset voltage signal. The corrected output signal from the integrator is supplied to an X-ray tube controller for controlling application of the radiation X to the subject.

Abstract: A tomographic image generation apparatus for generating tomographic images appropriate for diagnosis from radiation images obtained by tomosynthesis imaging. Tomographic images of a subject are generated with a first slice interval by reconstructing a plurality of radiation images obtained by the tomosynthesis imaging. A region of interest is detected from the tomographic images generated with the first slice interval. Tomographic images are generated with a second slice interval, which is smaller than the first slice interval, adjacent to the slice position of a tomographic image from which a region of interest is detected.

Abstract: When radiographic images are obtained by radiography using a tomographic image obtainment apparatus, the degree of overlap of anatomical structures of a subject is obtained. Further, a condition of exposure, such as angles ? of radiography, is changed based on the degree of overlap. The angles ? of radiography are angles at which a radiation irradiation unit performs radiography at a plurality of positions to obtain a plurality of radiographic images. The tomographic image obtainment apparatus produces a tomographic image by reconstructing the tomographic image from a plurality of radiographic images obtained by irradiating the subject with radiation from various directions.

Abstract: An image containing data relating to the tissue-state and the tissue-form of a target area is displayed. A fluorescent-light image having two different wavelength bands of fluorescent-light is obtained, based on the strength of the fluorescent light emitted from a target area irradiated by stimulating-light. A reflected-light image is obtained based on the strength of the light reflected from a target area irradiated by white-light as reference-light. A hue is assigned to a computed-image based on a division value of each pixel value of aforementioned fluorescent-light image to form a tissue-state image reflecting mainly the tissue-state, and a brightness is assigned to the reflected-light image to form a tissue-form image reflecting mainly the tissue-form. The tissue-state image and the tissue-form image are combined to form a composite-image, and the composite-image is displayed.

Abstract: A radiation application time upper limit calculator calculates a radiation application time upper limit based on a subject thickness, as measured by a subject thickness measuring unit. While an X-ray tube is controlled according to exposure conditions that have been set in order to apply a radiation X to a breast to capture a radiation image thereof, an X-ray tube controller compares the applied radiation time with the radiation application time upper limit. If the applied radiation time exceeds the radiation application time upper limit, then application of radiation to the subject is interrupted, so as to prevent an inappropriate radiation dosage from being applied to an X-ray detector.

Abstract: A mammographic system for capturing a radiation image of the breast of an examinee includes an image capturing base, having a radiation image information acquisition unit for acquiring information of the radiation image, and a breast compression plate for compressing the breast against the image capturing base. The breast compression plate has a fixed base for compressing and securing the breast, the fixed base includes a surface to be held against a chest wall of the examinee, and a movable flap connected to the fixed base, which is displaceable in order to release the breast.

Abstract: Before a radiation image is captured, a rate of change of an output signal from an integrator, during a given period of time after the integrator has been reset and until a radiation start signal is supplied, is calculated. An offset voltage signal at a desired time is calculated using the rate of change, and is supplied to a voltage correcting circuit. An output signal from the integrator after a radiation X has started being applied to a subject is corrected based on the calculated offset voltage signal. The corrected output signal from the integrator is supplied to an X-ray tube controller for controlling application of the radiation X to the subject.