Radiographic image processing device, method, and recording medium

1. A radiographic image processing device comprising:

at least one hardware processor configured to implement:

a frequency decomposition unit for performing frequency decomposition for a first radiographic image which is captured by irradiating a subject with radiation and acquiring a plurality of band images indicating a plurality of frequency components of the first radiographic image;

a scattered radiation removal unit for calculating a scattered radiation component that is caused by the subject and is included in a second radiographic image of the subject which has a linear relationship with an amount of radiation, using the second radiographic image, and removing the scattered radiation component from the second radiographic image to acquire a scattered-radiation-removed radiographic image;

a conversion function determination unit for determining a conversion function for converting at least one of the band images according to the scattered radiation component included in the second radiographic image;

a conversion unit for converting the at least one band image, using the conversion function, and generating a converted band image; and

a reconstruction unit for reconstructing the scattered-radiation-removed radiographic image and the converted band image to acquire a processed radiographic image,

wherein the first radiographic image has a pixel value that has a linear relationship with a logarithmic amount of radiation, and

wherein the second radiographic image is obtained by performing inverse logarithmic conversion for the first radiographic image.

2. The radiographic image processing device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the conversion function determination unit determines the conversion function on the basis of a ratio of the scattered radiation component to a sum of a primary radiation component included in the radiation and the scattered radiation component.

3. The radiographic image processing device according to claim 2 ,

wherein the scattered radiation removal unit calculates the scattered radiation component and the primary radiation component, using a body thickness distribution of the subject, and

the conversion function determination unit calculates the ratio from the calculated scattered radiation component and the calculated primary radiation component.

4. The radiographic image processing device according to claim 3 , wherein the at least one hardware processor is further configured to implement:

a body thickness estimation unit for estimating the body thickness distribution on the basis of the second radiographic image.

5. The radiographic image processing device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the reconstruction unit performs logarithmic conversion for the scattered-radiation-removed radiographic image and reconstructs the logarithmically-converted scattered-radiation-removed radiographic image and the converted band image to acquire the processed radiographic image.

6. The radiographic image processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one hardware processor is further configured to implement:

a characteristic acquisition unit for acquiring virtual grid characteristics which are characteristics of a virtual grid that is assumed to be used in order to remove scattered radiation when an image of the subject is captured,

wherein the scattered radiation removal unit calculates the scattered radiation component on the basis of the virtual grid characteristics, and

the conversion function determination unit determines the conversion function on the basis of the calculated scattered radiation component.

7. The radiographic image processing device according to claim 1 ,

wherein, when a pixel value of the band image is greater than a predetermined threshold value, the conversion function determination unit determines the conversion function to be a non-linear function that suppresses the pixel value.

8. A radiographic image processing method comprising:

performing frequency decomposition for a first radiographic image which is captured by irradiating a subject with radiation and acquiring a plurality of band images indicating a plurality of frequency components of the first radiographic image;

calculating a scattered radiation component that is caused by the subject and is included in a second radiographic image of the subject which has a linear relationship with an amount of radiation, using the second radiographic image;

removing the scattered radiation component from the second radiographic image to acquire a scattered-radiation-removed radiographic image;

determining a conversion function for converting at least one of the band images according to the scattered radiation component included in the second radiographic image;

converting the at least one band image, using the conversion function, and generating a converted band image; and

reconstructing the scattered-radiation-removed radiographic image and the converted band image to acquire a processed radiographic image,

wherein the first radiographic image has a pixel value that has a linear relationship with a logarithmic amount of radiation, and

wherein the second radiographic image is obtained by performing inverse logarithmic conversion for the first radiographic image.

9. A non-transitory recording medium having stored therein a radiographic image processing program that causes a computer to perform:

a step of performing frequency decomposition for a first radiographic image which is captured by irradiating a subject with radiation and acquiring a plurality of band images indicating a plurality of frequency components of the first radiographic image;

a step of calculating a scattered radiation component that is caused by the subject and is included in a second radiographic image of the subject which has a linear relationship with an amount of radiation, using the second radiographic image;

a step of removing the scattered radiation component from the second radiographic image to acquire a scattered-radiation-removed radiographic image;

a step of determining a conversion function for converting at least one of the band images according to the scattered radiation component included in the second radiographic image;

a step of converting the at least one band image, using the conversion function, and generating a converted band image; and

a step of reconstructing the scattered-radiation-removed radiographic image and the converted band image to acquire a processed radiographic image,

wherein the first radiographic image has a pixel value that has a linear relationship with a logarithmic amount of radiation, and

wherein the second radiographic image is obtained by performing inverse logarithmic conversion for the first radiographic image.

10. The radiographic image processing device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the conversion function determination unit determines the conversion function based on the second radiographic image before the scattered radiation component is subtracted and the second radiographic image after the scattered radiation component is subtracted.