CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The entire disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-170007 filed on Sep. 19, 2019 is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

Technological Field

The present disclosure relates to a radiographic imaging system, an imaging control apparatus and a radiographic imaging method.

Description of the Related Art

Preparations for imaging of a radiograph(s) (a still image or (frames of) a dynamic image) (hereinafter “radiographic imaging”) are complicated. Hence, a photographer (radiographer or the like) who photographs a large number of examinees per day may neglect to check whether preparations for imaging have been appropriately performed, or may overlook some of the preparations. Further, even when preparations for imaging are routinized, the imaging method may differ depending on the physical condition or the state of an examinee. For these reasons, the photographer may overlook essential items to check, or neglect to check whether preparations for imaging have been appropriately performed. As a result, the photographer may start imaging in a state in which preparations for imaging have not finished.

Further, during imaging, some kind of improperness (body motion of an examinee, etc.) may occur.

If imaging is performed without noticing that preparations for imaging have not finished or that improperness occurs, it is determined after imaging that imaging has failed (re-imaging is necessary). Re-imaging excessively restrains and uselessly exposes the examinee to radiation by the time length and the radiation dose of one time of radiographic imaging, which leads to increase in strain on the examinee. In addition, necessity of re-imaging delays the subsequent works, which leads to decrease in work efficiency of the photographer and increase in waiting time of another examinee(s).

Various technologies have been proposed to prevent imaging from starting in a state in which preparations for imaging have not finished and to prevent imaging from continuing in a state in which improperness occurs.

For example, there is disclosed in JP 2008-136751 A a mobile X-ray apparatus that, after X-ray imaging, interlocks control of an X-ray emitting unit from when image data is read out from an imaging plate until when captured data is erased from the imaging plate.

Further, there is disclosed in JP 2009-240656 A an X-ray imaging apparatus that monitors presence/absence of body motion of an examinee while long-length imaging is being performed, and emits a warning when the body motion of the examinee is detected.

SUMMARY

Unlike imaging of a still image(s), in imaging of a dynamic image(s) composed of a plurality of frames (hereinafter “dynamic imaging”), emission of radiation and generation of a radiograph (frame) are performed multiple times in a short time. In dynamic imaging, it may be necessary to perform preparations peculiar to dynamic imaging or to deal with improperness peculiar to dynamic imaging.

However, the technologies disclosed in JP 2008-136751 A and JP 2009-240656 A are both for imaging of a still image(s). Hence, the abovementioned technologies may be unable to deal with, in dynamic imaging, a case where proper preparations for imaging have not been performed and a case where improperness occurs.

The present disclosure has been made in view of the abovementioned problems, and objects thereof include, in radiographic imaging, preventing imaging from starting without proper preparations and from continuing despite of occurrence of improperness.

In order to achieve at least one of the abovementioned objects, according to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a radiographic imaging system including:a radiation emitter that emits radiation;an image generator that generates a dynamic image composed of a plurality of frames according to received radiation; anda hardware processor thatdetermines at a predetermined timing whether at least one imaging allowing condition is satisfied, andin response to determining that the at least one imaging allowing condition is satisfied, allows at least one of the radiation emitter and the image generator to operate.

In order to achieve at least one of the abovementioned objects, according to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an imaging control apparatus including a hardware processor thatdetermines at a predetermined timing whether at least one imaging allowing condition is satisfied, andin response to determining that the at least one imaging allowing condition is satisfied, allows at least one of an radiation emitter that emits radiation and an image generator that generates a dynamic image composed of a plurality of frames according to received radiation to operate.

In order to achieve at least one of the abovementioned objects, according to a third aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a radiographic imaging method including:determining at a predetermined timing whether at least one imaging allowing condition is satisfied, andin response to determining that the at least one imaging allowing condition is satisfied, allowing at least one of an radiation emitter that emits radiation and an image generator that generates a dynamic image composed of a plurality of frames according to received radiation to operate.

