Scanner Patents (Class 378/146)
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Patent number: 4541107Abstract: An X-ray system includes an X-ray source directing X-radiation on a first path through a subject to an X-radiation receptor which responds to X-rays to direct light radiation on a secondary path to a light image plane. In either path or both paths is a rotating radiation-opaque mask having one or more spiral radio-transparent windows which sweep through the path as the mask rotates. Each spiral window may be formed by the overlap of coaxial spiral windows in superimposed masks which are relatively adjustable in phase to vary the window width.Type: GrantFiled: June 4, 1984Date of Patent: September 10, 1985Assignee: John K. GradyInventor: Remo J. Rossi
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Patent number: 4534051Abstract: An X-ray system radiates through a subject to an X-ray receptor secondarily emitting a light image includes a moving X-ray mask with X-ray windows between the source and receptor. An electro-optical camera tube views the light image, and the mask includes means for adjusting the width of the windows.Type: GrantFiled: December 27, 1982Date of Patent: August 6, 1985Assignee: John K. GradyInventors: John K. Grady, Richard E. Rice
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Patent number: 4503332Abstract: A detector array for use in an X-ray or gamma-ray imaging system comprises a plurality of elongated tubular detector members which are juxtaposed in generally parallel relation to one another. Each detector includes a thin body of scintillator material which is so oriented relative to an X-ray beam of rectangular cross-section that the beam intercepts the scintillator material at a grazing angle, and the dimensions and orientation of the several scintillators are such that they intercept different portions of the X-ray beam respectively. The output signals from the several detectors are combined and processed to produce a display of an object being examined. The energy collected from the radiant source is greatly increased and is detected with nearly 100% efficiency.Type: GrantFiled: July 21, 1982Date of Patent: March 5, 1985Assignee: American Science and Engineering, Inc.Inventor: Martin Annis
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Patent number: 4493098Abstract: The invention relates to a collimator employed in X-ray equipment, which collimator comprises three or more perforated collimator plates. The purpose of the collimator is to prevent stray radiation, i.e. radiation scattered from the object under examination, from falling on the film. In a collimator according to the invention the collimator plates are arranged to form two groups. At least one collimator plate is located between the X-ray radiation source and the object under examination, and two or more collimator plates are located between the object and the X-ray film cassette. The holes of the collimator plates are superposed when seen from the focal point of the radiation source. The plate located nearest to the X-ray film casette is longer than the rest. It prevents stray radiation from falling on the film in the X-ray film cassette, when the collimator is moved between its extreme positions during the photography operation.Type: GrantFiled: April 26, 1982Date of Patent: January 8, 1985Assignee: Radiographic Screens OyInventors: Esko Riihimaki, Ossi Korhola
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Patent number: 4491956Abstract: A method and apparatus for making X-ray photographs which can be viewed in three dimensions with the use of a lenticular screen. The apparatus includes a linear tomograph having a moving X-ray source on one side of a support on which an object is to be placed so that X-rays can pass through the object to the opposite side of the support. A movable cassette on the opposite side of the support moves in a direction opposite to the direction of travel of the X-ray source as the source moves relative to the support. The cassette has an intensifying screen, a grating mask provided with uniformly spaced slots for passing X-rays, a lenticular member adjacent to the mask, and a photographic emulsion adjacent to the opposite side of the lenticular member. The cassette has a power device for moving the lenticular member and the emulsion relative to the mask a distance equal to the spacing between a pair of adjacent slots in the mask.Type: GrantFiled: September 10, 1982Date of Patent: January 1, 1985Inventor: Douglas F. Winnek
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Patent number: 4490835Abstract: An X-ray examination device has an X-ray tube, a primary X-ray diaphragm attached to the X-ray tube and disposed close to the focus thereof, a patient support bed, and an X-ray exposure device disposed behind the patient's support bed in the radiation direction having an X-ray image carrier and a stray radiation screen. The primary X-ray diaphragm includes a first slit beam collimator for generating a fan-shaped radiation beam and the X-ray exposure device has a second slit beam collimator in the form of two displaceable diaphragm plates and an adjustment device for moving the plates relative to one another to achieve a slit opening therebetween of desired width. The examination device further includes synchronized drive units for moving the X-ray tube and the second beam collimator in fixed alignment for sweeping the radiation beam across a patient on the support bed.Type: GrantFiled: September 22, 1982Date of Patent: December 25, 1984Assignee: Siemens AktiengesellschaftInventor: Heinz Wons
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Patent number: 4472822Abstract: A radiant energy imaging apparatus for obtaining CT scans employs an X-ray unit operative to produce a pencil beam of X-ray radiant energy which is caused to scan in a horizontal plane through an angle, sufficiently great to embrace a cross section of a human body being examined, along a single, elongated, horizontally oriented detector forming a portion of the X-ray unit and located on the side of the body opposite to an X-ray source in the unit. A supporting structure, adapted to be rotated about a vertical axis, supports a human body in a vertical orientation; and when the system is scanning in the CT mode, the supporting structure rotates the human body smoothly and continuously about a vertical axis while the X-ray unit is held at a fixed position adjacent a horizontal section of interest of the human body.Type: GrantFiled: July 7, 1982Date of Patent: September 18, 1984Assignee: American Science and Engineering, Inc.Inventor: Roderick D. Swift
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Patent number: 4466113Abstract: In an X-ray examination device which comprises an X-ray source for irradiating a body and a detector device, a displaceable diaphragm device defines an angle of aperture which is substantially smaller, due to the selection of the dimension of the apertures, than the measuring angle defined by the associated radiation detector and the X-ray source. By displacement of the aperture with respect to the object to be measured during the measurement over a distance which covers the measuring angle, a high-resolution shadow image can be formed. The entire object is then contiguously irradiated.Type: GrantFiled: February 2, 1982Date of Patent: August 14, 1984Assignee: U.S. Philips CorporationInventor: Helmut Strecker
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Patent number: 4464777Abstract: Disclosed is a radiography apparatus comprising an X-ray tube for radiating X-ray beam in a fan shape, a detector for detecting the X-ray beam coming through a living body at a plurality of angular components of the X-ray beam, and a sampling circuit for sampling an output signal of the detector when the living body moves at a given speed in a direction orthogonal to the plane of the X-ray beam, whereby a radiogram is formed by using the output signal of the sampling circuit. In the radiography apparatus, the distance between the living body and the X-ray tube is variable and is detected by a potentiometer interlocked with the movement of the living body. A pulse signal at a frequency corresponding to an output level of the potentiometer is produced by a pulse frequency modulation circuit, and is supplied as a timing signal to the sampling circuit.Type: GrantFiled: October 16, 1981Date of Patent: August 7, 1984Assignee: Tokyo Shibaura Denki Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Kaoru Machida
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Patent number: 4442538Abstract: An X-ray diagnostic installation has an X-ray tube which emits a fan-shaped radiation beam which is directed through a movable diaphragm for sweeping the beam over a subject. The fluorescopic image resulting therefrom is supplied to an image intensifier which is coupled to a picture recording device which is connected to a display unit for displaying the radiation profile impringing on the image intensifier. The image recording device contains a solid state image converter which is oriented with respect to the fluorescent screen of the image intensifier. A control unit 17 controls the transmission of the image from the image intensifier to the solid state image converter such that the linear image on the fluorescent screen of the image intensifier, during movement of the X-ray beam, is always detected by the recording region of the solid state image converter.Type: GrantFiled: September 22, 1982Date of Patent: April 10, 1984Assignee: Siemens AktiengesellschaftInventor: Joerg Haendle
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Patent number: 4433427Abstract: An image-reconstructive technique for examining a body by means of penetrating radiation, such as X-rays, is described in which a pre-body collimator having a two-dimensional array of radiation-transmitting holes each bordered by radiation non-transmitting walls is disposed between the body and the source of radiation, and a plurality of exposures are made onto a radiation-sensitive surface, in which the radiation is projected through the collimator while the radiation source is at a plurality of different locations, such that during the successive exposures, the radiation from the source passes through different ray paths defined by the holes in the pre-body collimator. The radiation level received by each of the radiation-sensitive surface elements is detected, stored, and processed to reconstruct the two-dimensional radiation pattern but with enhanced resolution. Preferably a post-body collimator is also used to suppress scattering. Described are a four-exposure procedure and a nine-exposure procedure.Type: GrantFiled: January 26, 1982Date of Patent: February 21, 1984Assignee: Elscint, Inc.Inventor: Daniel I. Barnea
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Patent number: 4433430Abstract: In order to prevent the stray radiation produced in a subject from reaching the image recording carrier a slit diaphragm mechanism is already known in which the employed diaphragms are moved during the radiographic recording relatively to the subject and image recording carrier. In order to attain, in addition to the extensive secondary ray blanking-out within a single radiographic recording, an optimum exposure for subject parts of strongly varying density in a simple and reliable fashion, it is proposed in accordance with the disclosure that the diaphragm exhibit an additional aperture, whereby the radiation beam passing through this additional aperture irradiates a subject region to be imaged chronologically later and impinges on a detector, whose signal is supplied to a device for the control of the exposure. Through the device the high voltage of the x-ray source can be particularly advantageously controlled.Type: GrantFiled: May 5, 1982Date of Patent: February 21, 1984Assignee: Siemens AktiengesellschaftInventor: Georg Fredzell
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Patent number: 4414682Abstract: Radiation imaging means are disclosed for producing plural images exhibiting different resolution or contrast. As a pencil beam of radiation scans an object to be examined and is detected, its cross sectional size is periodically changed; and imaging means synchronously display signals obtained by detection of the respective beams of different cross section.Type: GrantFiled: November 17, 1980Date of Patent: November 8, 1983Assignee: American Science and Engineering, Inc.Inventors: Martin Annis, Jay A. Stein
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Patent number: 4411012Abstract: In an exemplary embodiment, there is provided a patient support, a radiation measuring arrangement including a radiation source which generates at least one fan-shaped radiation beam, penetrating the radiography subject, and a radiation receiver which has an array of detectors which are connected to a signal processing circuit, and means for generating relative movement between the patient support and the radiation measuring arrangement in a longitudinal direction of the support, for the generation of a shadow image several radiation directions are generated so that a plurality of intersection points of the radiation paths result within an image exposure region. The signal processing circuit determines the radiation transparency in the patient for every intersection point of a plane parallel to the patient support.Type: GrantFiled: February 13, 1981Date of Patent: October 18, 1983Assignee: Siemens AktiengesellschaftInventors: Manfred Pfeiler, Edgar Tschunt
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Patent number: 4403338Abstract: An apparatus and method for reducing detection of radiation scatter from an object through which radiation passes from a source to a radiation detection means having a detecting surface. The apparatus comprises at least one radiation shield having front and rear curvilinear shield surfaces. Each of the curvilinear shield surfaces, with projected continuations thereof, is circularly symmetrical about a central axis. Each shield surface, or its projected continuation, intersects the axis at an apex. The front and rear surfaces share the same central axis. The apparatus further includes a means for mounting the shield, between the object and the detecting surface, to make it movable about the central axis and to align the central axis on a straight line from the source to the apexes of the surfaces so that all radiation passing from the source through the object must pass once through the shield, when the shield is in motion about the axis, before the radiation strikes the detecting surface.Type: GrantFiled: November 14, 1980Date of Patent: September 6, 1983Inventors: Stephen Rudin, Daniel R. Bednarek, Roland Wong
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Patent number: 4398302Abstract: In an exemplary embodiment, a radiation detector for reception of the radiation emerging from the radiography subject delivers electric output signals corresponding to the received radiation profile, a scanner device rotates the radiographic unit about an axis which passes through the focus of the x-ray tube and approximately through the detector center, and a measured value processing and display unit determines and reproduces the x-ray shadow image corresponding to the scanning movement of the radiographic unit (1, 4). The processing and display unit is designed in the manner of a radar display apparatus in which a number of concentric image point circles are recorded, each of which, (for the case of a radiation detector consisting of a series of individual detectors), is locally associated with a specific individual detector and is modulated in its intensity corresponding to the output signals of the associated individual detector.Type: GrantFiled: November 17, 1980Date of Patent: August 9, 1983Assignee: Siemens AktiengesellschaftInventor: Manfred Pfeiler
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Patent number: 4392239Abstract: The exemplary disclosure includes a patient support, an x-ray tube with a diaphragm installation comprising diaphragm plates for the limitation of the x-ray beam irradiating the patient, and a cassette changer for x-ray film cassettes. The cassette changer is a large cassette changer for the entire area to be detected. The diaphragm installation exhibits a fixed diaphragm which limits the maximum size of the x-ray beam, and mechanism for the individual, independent adjustment of movable diaphragm plates determining the dimension of the x-ray beam in the longitudinal direction of the patient support.Type: GrantFiled: June 24, 1982Date of Patent: July 5, 1983Assignee: Siemens AktiengesellschaftInventor: Achim Wilkens
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Patent number: 4366574Abstract: A shadowgraphic scanner for producing electronic two-dimensional shadowgraphic images of an examined region of a patient. A source of radiation produces a generally planar beam of radiation which is scanned along the examined region. A two-dimensional array of radiation detectors fixed relative to the source of radiation, but movable in unison therewith relative to the patient. The two-dimensional array of radiation detectors includes a plurality of columns of detectors arranged transverse to the direction in which the beam of radiation is scanned. A first collimator is placed between the source and the patient and a second collimator is placed between the patient and the array of detectors. Both collimators are fixed relative to the source and the detectors and are configured and dimensioned to permit passage therethrough of a beam of radiation of a cross section which corresponds in size to the array of detectors to irradiate the entire array, as the patient is being scanned.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 1980Date of Patent: December 28, 1982Assignee: Technicare CorporationInventor: Edwin R. Hill
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Patent number: 4366576Abstract: Penetrating radiant energy imaging system employs a scanning pencil beam of radiant energy. In some embodiments of the invention, the cross-section of the beam varies in a controlled manner; in a disclosed embodiment the beam has either one or another cross-section. A detector responds to incident radiant energy passing through a target and provides signals to a processor which produces from the signals a pair of image arrays, each array consisting of signals generated by the scanning pencil beam of one cross-section or the other. Increased contrast and/or resolution is provided by selectively combining the signals in the image arrays. In other embodiments of the invention, specifically related to tomographic imaging, rather than controlling the cross-section of the radiant energy at the source, the cross-section of the radiant energy is controlled at the detector field.Type: GrantFiled: November 17, 1980Date of Patent: December 28, 1982Assignee: American Science and Engineering, Inc.Inventor: Martin Annis
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Patent number: 4355409Abstract: An x-ray apparatus uses an x-ray tube which is pivoted about a pivot axis to provide scanning of an x-ray beam. The pivot axis passes essentially through the center of the focal spot on the target surface of the anode of the tube, is essentially perpendicular to the anode-cathode axis, and is essentially parallel to a film plane defined by the x-ray film. The scanning of the x-ray beam by pivoting the x-ray tube results in improved systems for standard radiography, linear tomography, and large-scale angiography. In standard radiography and large scale angiography systems, moving primary and secondary slots synchronized with the pivoting of the x-ray tube provide efficient removal of secondary radiation. In linear tomography systems, the object and film are moved synchronously with the pivoting of the x-ray tube, and primary and secondary slots which are stationary remove secondary radiation.Type: GrantFiled: April 13, 1981Date of Patent: October 19, 1982Inventor: Kurt Amplatz
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Patent number: 4352021Abstract: A high speed multiple section, computed-tomographic x-ray scanner is provided. The scanner utilizes a multiple-anode, scanning electron beam x-ray source to provide high speed scanning of sections of the body. No mechanical motion is involved.Type: GrantFiled: January 7, 1980Date of Patent: September 28, 1982Assignee: The Regents of the University of CaliforniaInventors: Douglas P. Boyd, William B. Herrmannsfeldt, James R. Quinn, Robert A. Sparks