CONNECTION PROCESSING METHOD FOR RADIATION IMAGES

A radiation image of an object is recorded on stimulable phosphor sheets associated with one another such that portions of two adjacent sheets overlap each other. Connection processing is performed on radiation images read out from the sheets in order to reconstruct the radiation image of the object. In the connection processing, as for at least a certain area within overlapping regions of the two radiation images read out from the two adjacent sheets, an area within the overlapping region of a first radiation image read out from a first sheet remote from the object is employed. Image density correction is made such that the image density of the area within the overlapping region of the first radiation image, which area is employed as at least the certain area, approximately coincides with the image density of a non-overlapping region of the first radiation image and/or the image density of a second radiation image read out from a second sheet close to the object.