Method and apparatus for forming energy subtraction images.

摘要

Radiation images of an object are recorded by irradiating several kinds of radiation with different energy levels to an object constituted of tissues exhibiting different levels of radiation absorptivity with respect to the several kinds of radiation with different energy levels. Image signals representing the radiation images are then detected. An image signal is selected from the image signals, or an image signal representing the mean-level image of the radiation images is generated from the image signals. Values of parameters for a subtraction process are changed in accordance with the values of the image signal, which has been selected from the image signals, or the image signal, which represents the mean-level image of the radiation images. The image signal components of the image signals are subtracted from each other, which image signal components represent corresponding picture elements in the radiation images, with the value of each parameter being thus changed for different picture elements in each of the radiation images. A subtraction image signal is thereby obtained which represents a subtraction image, in which only the pattern of a specific tissue of the object is formed or emphasized. <IMAGE>