Abstract: To provide technology that reduces vibrations in a yawing direction. A driving device 70 that drives a table 4 provided with a structure 50 including a cradle 40, comprising: a shaft 96 rotatable about a rotation axis along a longitudinal direction of the cradle 40; a first conversion part 100A provided on a first end side of the shaft 96 and that converts a rotational motion of the shaft 96 into a linear motion for moving the structure 50 in a transverse direction, where the transverse direction is a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the cradle 40 and a height direction of the table 4; and a second conversion part 100B provided on a second end side of the shaft 96 and that converts the rotational motion of the shaft 96 into a linear motion.

Abstract: A cradle position sensing mechanism that includes a scale unit having a scale, which is used to detect the position of the cradle, formed thereon and being extended to cover a sliding range within which the cradle can be slid; and a sensor unit that moves in the directions, in which the scale unit is extended, along with the slide of the cradle so as to detect the scale of the scale unit. The cradle position sensing mechanism serves as a digital linear encoder. Based on the reading on the scale detected by the sensor, the cradle position sensing mechanism calculates the position into which the cradle is slid.

Abstract: An elevating device based on fluid control includes a pump and a cylinder that are connected to each other by a flow path, wherein the cylinder and a reservoir are connected to each other by a flow path via a fixed flow valve that allows fluid to flow at a predetermined flow rate. When a lowering operation of a table section is carried out, a pump-valve control unit brings a flow rate of discharge of the fluid by the pump and a flow rate of the fluid returned to the reservoir through the fixed flow valve into equilibrium and thereafter sets the flow rate of discharge of the fluid by the pump smaller than the predetermined flow rate thereby to reduce the amount of the fluid held in the cylinder.

Abstract: It is intended to implement imaging in an efficient way. In a first period in which a cradle unit is driven under acceleration from a stationary state, the cradle unit is driven with a constant first torque value. In a second period which comes after the lapse of the first period and in which the cradle unit is driven under acceleration, the cradle unit is driven with a constant second torque value which is smaller than the first torque value.

Abstract: The present invention is intended to readily move a transfer board from a stretcher to a radiographic table and to efficiently achieve radiography. The transfer board moved from the stretcher is borne by an intermediate table. The transfer board borne by the intermediate table is moved to the radiographic table by an intermediate table mover, and then borne by the radiographic table.

Abstract: Tomography or X-ray CT fluoroscopy reduced in exposure to radiation in an X-ray CT apparatus or an X-ray CT fluoroscopic apparatus is to be substantialized. A channel-direction X-ray collimator or a beam forming X-ray filter is positionally controlled in the channel direction to carry out X-ray data acquisition while irradiation with X-rays limited to only the region of interest. Either the profile area of the whole subject is obtained or the profile area of the whole subject is predicted from views or scout images of irradiation of the whole subject out of X-ray projection data. Image reconstruction of views not irradiating the whole subject out of the collected X-ray projection data is carried out by predicting lacking parts from the profile area of the whole subject and making corrections accordingly.

Abstract: With the object of, when a table unit is moved downward as viewed in a vertical direction by use of an actuator, smoothly moving the table unit and enhancing operability, when the actuator moves the table unit from a first position in the vertical direction to a downward second position, a pressure controller adjusts the amount of fluid held in the actuator on the basis of the first position of the table unit, detected by a position detector to thereby control pressure based on the fluid.

Abstract: The present invention is intended to readily move a transfer board from a stretcher to a radiographic table and to efficiently achieve radiography. The transfer board moved from the stretcher is borne by an intermediate table. The transfer board borne by the intermediate table is moved to the radiographic table by an intermediate table mover, and then borne by the radiographic table.

Abstract: It is intended to implement imaging in an efficient way. In a first period in which a cradle unit is driven under acceleration from a stationary state, the cradle unit is driven with a constant first torque value. In a second period which comes after the lapse of the first period and in which the cradle unit is driven under acceleration, the cradle unit is driven with a constant second torque value which is smaller than the first torque value.

Abstract: An X-ray distribution adjusting filter apparatus for supplying a desired X-ray intensity distribution or adjusting the X-ray distribution to a desired profile, the bowtie filter as the X-ray distribution adjusting filter apparatus has a fixed section having a base portion and inclined portions, first and second movable sections configured to be tiltable pivoting on a center point, and first and second deformable sections whose cavities defined by the fixed section, the movable sections and an expansible bellows is to be filled with fluid, wherein the inclined faces of the fixed section and the flat faces of the movable sections are caused to approach or move away from each other by the tilting of the movable sections pivoting on the center point to vary the quantity of the fluid in the cavities of the movable sections, and to vary the sectional shape of the X-ray absorbing portion of the bowtie filter.

Abstract: With the object of, when a table unit is moved downward as viewed in a vertical direction by use of an actuator, smoothly moving the table unit and enhancing operability, when the actuator moves the table unit from a first position in the vertical direction to a downward second position, a pressure controller adjusts the amount of fluid held in the actuator on the basis of the first position of the table unit, detected by a position detector to thereby control pressure based on the fluid.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to concurrently perform the horizontal movements of a cradle and a table in a desirable manner and to desirably prevent interference of the table with a gantry. A microprocessor controls and interlocks a horizontal cradle movement mechanism and a horizontal table movement mechanism. The microprocessor concurrently performs the horizontal movements of the cradle and table. If an operator tries to vary a table height or a tilt angle, the microprocessor performs arithmetic operations to check if the table will interfere with the gantry at a current scan-time position, at which the table should be located during scanning, in the varied state. If the interference is predicted, the table is pulled out of the bore of the gantry until it reaches a position at which the table will not interfere with the gantry.

Abstract: For the purpose of providing a parallel-link table that is moved up/down without moving the position of a subject in the longitudinal direction, an upper structure is placed over a base plate connected with a platform via parallel links, and a first bracket on the upper structure and a middle point of one parallel link are connected by a first position correcting link of a length half that of the parallel link using pivotal joint portions; and therefore, when the base plate is moved up/down with respect to the platform, the upper structure moves only in the vertical direction without moving in the horizontal direction, and the top plate over the upper structure, hence, the subject placed on the top plate can be moved up/down in the vertical direction without moving in the longitudinal direction.

Abstract: A cradle position sensing mechanism that includes a scale unit having a scale, which is used to detect the position of the cradle, formed thereon and being extended to cover a sliding range within which the cradle can be slid; and a sensor unit that moves in the directions, in which the scale unit is extended, along with the slide of the cradle so as to detect the scale of the scale unit. The cradle position sensing mechanism serves as a digital linear encoder. Based on the reading on the scale detected by the sensor, the cradle position sensing mechanism calculates the position into which the cradle is slid.

Abstract: An X-ray distribution adjusting filter apparatus for supplying a desired X-ray intensity distribution or adjusting the X-ray distribution to a desired profile, the bowtie filter as the X-ray distribution adjusting filter apparatus has a fixed section having a base portion and inclined portions, first and second movable sections configured to be tiltable pivoting on a center point, and first and second deformable sections whose cavities defined by the fixed section, the movable sections and an expansible bellows is to be filled with fluid, wherein the inclined faces of the fixed section and the flat faces of the movable sections are caused to approach or move away from each other by the tilting of the movable sections pivoting on the center point to vary the quantity of the fluid in the cavities of the movable sections, and to vary the sectional shape of the X-ray absorbing portion of the bowtie filter.

Abstract: For the purpose of always keeping the positional relationship fixed between a support section for supporting a supported object and a base section for receiving the support section, the present apparatus comprises: a support section 500 for horizontally supporting a supported object; a base section 112 having a horizontal plane on its top; and a position adjusting section 300 provided between the support section and the base section, for moving the support section forward/backward between a position above the horizontal plane and a position off the horizontal plane while keeping the support section at a level higher than the horizontal plane, and for moving the support section upward/downward between a position higher than the horizontal plane and a position lower than the horizontal plane at the position off the horizontal plane.

Abstract: For the purpose of providing a parallel-link table that is moved up/down without moving the position of a subject in the longitudinal direction, an upper structure 320 is placed over a base plate 310 connected with a platform 300 via parallel links 340 and 341, and a first bracket 350 on the upper structure 320 and a middle point of one parallel link 341 are connected by a first position correcting link 342 of a length half that of the parallel link 341 using pivotal joint portions 366 and 367; and therefore, when the base plate 310 is moved tip/down with respect to the platform 300, the upper structure 320 moves only in the vertical direction without moving in the horizontal direction, and the top plate 330 over the upper structure 320, hence, the subject placed on the top plate 330 can be moved up/down in the vertical direction without moving in the longitudinal direction.

Abstract: In order to provide an aperture position adjusting mechanism in an X-ray CT system with low cost and high accuracy to enable stable reconstruction of X-ray tomographic images, a first shaft (23) is provided with a bore (23a) at a position offset from a center axis, and is rotatably supported by a base plate (20) orthogonally to a pair of rails (21a, 21b). A second shaft (25) is received and is rotatably supported within the bore (23a) through the first shaft (23). The aperture (6) is moved along the rails (21a, 21b) as the second shaft (25) is eccentrically rotated by a motor (7) and, following the eccentric rotation and in a direction opposite to that of the rotation, the first shaft (23) is eccentrically rotated around the center axis of the bore (23a).

Abstract: For the purpose of providing an RF coil that prevents a troublesome force from arising when a hanging portion is lifted up, a pair of handhold members 308 is provided along a side that corresponds to an inner side of a cylinder 110, each member extending from one end to the other end of one of a pair of flexible substrates 304 so that an operator can lift the hanging portion up using such handhold member.