There is provided a method for assigning an attribute to x-ray attenuation including scanning in an x-ray scanning device first and second reference materials each having known atomic composition, dimensions and orientation in the scanning device. The device emits x-rays which pass through the first reference material with first reference material path lengths and the second reference material with second reference material path lengths. The x-rays are detected by detectors to provide a plurality of dual-energy attenuation images having dual-energy x-ray attenuation information. The dual-energy x-ray attenuation information in the dual-energy attenuation images is associated with the first and second reference material path lengths. Then, each of the first and second reference material path lengths are expressed collectively as a function of the associated attenuation information to define attenuation surfaces upon which may be imposed dual-energy attenuation values to determine corresponding first and second reference material equivalent path lengths.

An image processing method includes setting a detection panel with an active region, acquiring raw image data by using the detection panel, partitioning the active region into a first region and a second region, discharging at least a part of the electrical charges in the first region by using a particular scanning process, acquiring calibration data through the detection panel, and calibrating the raw image data to generate calibrated image data according to the calibration data.

An imaging control apparatus obtains a plurality of images at different radiation energies, the images having been obtained as a result of irradiating a subject with radiation whose energy changes during one shot, and detecting, a plurality of times, the radiation that has passed through the subject during the one shot; generates an energy subtraction image by performing energy subtraction processing using a plurality of images; and generates a difference image using a plurality of generated energy subtraction images.

An imaging control apparatus obtains a plurality of images at different radiation energies by irradiating, with radiation having different radiation energies, a subject in which at least one of a contrast agent, a guide wire, and a stent is inserted, generates an energy subtraction image by performing energy subtraction processing using the plurality of images, and generates a difference image between a mask image that is based on a plurality of energy subtraction images generated in a past and a live image that is based on a current energy subtraction image.

A method for assigning attributes to an unknown object includes the steps of scanning the unknown object at least partially overlapping with a background object within an x-ray scanning device to provide dual-energy attenuation images having dual-energy attenuation information representing an overlap region wherein the background object and the unknown object overlap, decomposing the attenuation images into reference material equivalent path length images, removing the background object to provide reference material equivalent path lengths representing the unknown object, converting the reference material equivalent path lengths representing the unknown object into unknown object path lengths multiplied by a predetermined scaling factor, reducing the scaling factor to provide a contour of the unknown object and unknown object path lengths, and, determining a density and effective atomic number of the unknown object.

There is provided a method for assigning an attribute to an unknown object overlapping with a predetermined background object. The unknown object is scanned overlapping with the background object within an x-ray scanning device to obtain a plurality of dual-energy attenuation images having attenuation information representing the background object and an overlap region wherein the background object and the unknown object overlap. The dual-energy attenuation images are decomposed into reference material equivalent path length images. The reference material equivalent path lengths representing the background object in the overlap region are determined and eliminated from the overlap region to provide reference material equivalent path length images having first and second reference material equivalent path lengths through only the unknown object.

There is provided a method for assigning an attribute to x-ray attenuation including the steps of acquiring first and second reference material equivalent path length information associated with a first range of dual-energy x-ray attenuation information, acquiring second and third reference material equivalent path length information associated with a second range of dual-energy x-ray attenuation information, and, joining the first the first dual-energy x-ray attenuation information range with the second dual-energy x-ray attenuation information range using coefficients representing dual-energy x-ray attenuation information of the second reference material to define a third dual-energy x-ray attenuation information range upon which may be imposed dual-energy x-ray attenuation values within the third dual-energy x-ray attenuation information range to determine corresponding first reference material equivalent path lengths and third reference material equivalent path lengths.

A method for assigning one of a safe and threat condition to an object includes determining density and effective atomic number values for a plurality of predetermined safe and threat objects, plotting the values in a probability map to correlate corresponding density and effective atomic number values with each of the safe and threat objects, scanning an object to provide dual-energy attenuation images representing the object, decomposing the attenuation images into dual-reference material equivalent path length images to provide reference material equivalent path lengths representing the object, converting the reference path lengths into object path lengths, determining the effective atomic number for each pixel representing the object, and, imposing the effective atomic number and the mass density of the unknown object onto the probability map to determine a probability that the object is correlated with one of the predetermined safe and threat objects.

A radiation image capturing system includes a radiation image capturing apparatus, an irradiation apparatus and an image processing apparatus. The image processing apparatus generates a first radiation image of a subject based on a signal value generated by the radiation image capturing apparatus with no grid attached irradiated by the irradiation apparatus; performs a low-pass filter process on a pixel value of the first radiation image using a scattering kernel, thereby generating a low frequency image; estimates a body thickness of the subject based on the signal value; estimates a scattered ray content rate based on the body thickness; calculates a scattered ray component in the first radiation image based on the low frequency image and the scattered ray content rate; and subtracts the scattered ray component from the first radiation image, thereby generating a second radiation image.

Improvement of the dynamic range of a radiation detector is described. In one embodiment, one or more non-destructive readout operations are performed during a radiation exposure event to acquire data used to improve the dynamic range of the detector. In one implementation, one or more non-destructive readouts of pixels are performed prior to saturation of the pixels during an X-ray exposure so as to obtain non-saturated measurements at the pixels. In an additional implementation, non-destructive readouts of pixels are performed between exposure events so as to obtain an estimate of electronic noise during a multi-exposure examination.