Abstract: A dual axial scanner in a transverse tomography system collects nonredundant data throughout one or more substantially 360.degree. orbital scan paths with uniform motion about a patient. A set of N X-ray beams scans the patient in a manner to allow collection of two sets of non-redundant data corresponding to a pair of 180.degree. scans in each 360.degree. scan. Overall time to conduct the study is decreased, and the number of required accelerations and decelerations of the assemblies is minimized.Adjacent beams of radiation are separated by an angle .alpha., which is one degree in the preferred embodiment to provide a radiation field of ##EQU1## degrees on either side of a center of the radiation field. The source and detector assemblies are positioned prior to the first orbit such that the field center is offset a distance D from a center of orbit lying in the orbital plane. The source and detector assemblies are mounted for rotation through a rotation angle .phi..sub.

Abstract: An automated tire inspection system employs penetrative emanation such as X-radiation to inspect the integrity of portions of tires fed sequentially along a feed path through a centering station and into a shielded enclosure which where an inspection station is defined. Features of the system include: (1) the use of a pressure regulator to control the force applied by spindles to the beads of a tire to support the tire for inspection; (2) the structures of several components including carriages, sub-carriages, and sub-sub-carriages for movably supporting an X-ray source and an X-ray imaging system, a pair of spindle support carriages which movably carry two sets of spindles, and a centering table and a main conveyor for feeding tires to the inspection station.

Abstract: A scintillation scanner having a visual image producing means coupled through a lost motion connection to the boom which supports the scintillation detector. The lost motion connection is adjustable to compensate for such delays as may occur between sensing and recording scintillations.

Abstract: An X-ray apparatus includes a spot filmer for feeding sheet of unexposed film one at a time into a vacuum evacuable assembly for exposure, and for returning exposed film sheets to an exposed film magazine. The spot filmer has a housing defining a light tight enclosure. The film magazines are insertable through a door into the housing and into a film feed mechanism. The film feed mechanism unlatches, opens and positions the magazines; feeds a sheet of unexposed film into the vacuum evacuable assembly; releases the film sheet so the assembly can position the film sheet for exposure; and closes the film magazines. An orthogonal drive system positions the vacuum evacuable assembly to expose selected film sheet portions, and returns the assembly to a retracted position. The film feed mechanism opens the magazines; feeds the exposed film sheet into the exposed film magazine; and closes the magazines.

Abstract: An automated tire inspection system employs penetrative emanation such as X-radiation to inspect the integrity of portions of tires fed sequentially along a feed path through a centering station and into a shielded enclosure which where an inspection station is defined. Features of the system include: (1) the use of a pressure regulator to control the force applied by spindles to the beads of a tire to support the tire for inspection; (2) the structures of several components including carriages, sub-carriages, and sub-sub-carriages for movably supporting an X-ray source and an X-ray imaging system, a pair of spindle support carriages which movably carry two sets of spindles, and a centering table and a main conveyor for feeding tires to the inspection station.

Abstract: An X-ray apparatus includes a telescopic column support with concentrically positioned tubular sections nested one within another. Each of the sections except its innermost section has three guide bars triangularly spaced on the inner surface. Each section except the outermost section has rollers on its outer surface cooperating with the adjacent guide bars of the surrounding section. The guide bars cooperate with the rollers in a generally circumferential direction rather than radially of the tubular members. Mounting plugs held in apertures of the telescopic sections by an interference fit mount the guide bars and rollers. The plugs are initially insertable into the apertures with a clearance fit, when an appropriate temperature differential is established between the plugs and sections.

Abstract: A system and method for governing the exposure of an image generated by a radiation camera to an image sensing camera is disclosed. The exposure is terminated in response to the accumulation of a predetermined quantity of radiation, defining a radiation density, occurring in a predetermined area. An index is produced which represents the value of that quantity of radiation whose accumulation causes the exposure termination. The value of the predetermined radiation quantity represented by the index is sensed so that the radiation camera image intensity can be calibrated to compensate for changes in exposure amounts due to desired variations in radiation density of the exposure, to maintain the detectability of the image by the image sensing camera notwithstanding such variations.

Abstract: An improved method and apparatus for transaxial tomographic scanning a patient. A scanning system is provided having a rotatably mounted X-ray radiation source/detector assembly which orbits and scans the patient in a plane of orbit. The source provides a plurality of beams of radiation having axes in the orbital plane. The beams pass through the patient to an array of detectors each of which is and respectively aligned with a different one of the beams. Radiation intensity data is collected at predetermined orientation of each beam - detector pair as the assembly orbits about the patient. In one embodiment the source and detector are rotated as a unit through a rotation angle .phi. about center of rotation while the assembly orbits the patient through an orbit angle .gamma.. Measurements are taken as the beams from the X-ray source sweep, due to the source detector rotation relative to a patient, through substantially uniformly spaced, coplanar points [t, (k), .theta.

Abstract: An improved method and apparatus for transaxial tomographic scanning of a patient. A scanning system is provided having a rotatably mounted X-ray radiation source/detector pair which orbits and radially scans the patient in the plane of orbit. The source provides a plurality of beams of radiation having axes in the orbital plane. The beams pass through the patient to an array of detectors each of which is aligned with one of the beams. Radiation intensity data is collected at predetermined orientations of each beam/detector pair as the assembly orbits about the patient. In a preferred embodiment the rotatably mounted source-detector pair is rotated as a unit through a preselected rotation angle .phi. about an axis effectively passing through the source. The axis and the source-detector pair connected to it are then orbited around the patient through an orbit angle .gamma. while maintaining the preselected rotation angle .phi.. The axis is orbited about an origin lying in the orbital plane.

Abstract: An automated tire inspection system employs penetrative emanation such as X-radiation to inspect the integrity of portions of tires fed sequentially along a feed path through a centering station and into a shielded enclosure which where an inspection station is defined. Features of the system include: (1) the positioning of tires for inspection with their central planes in a predetermined plane and with their central axes along a predetermined line; (2) the use of sensors to monitor the positions of the several movable components of the apparatus; and, (3) the use of a centering and tire size sensing apparatus upstream from an inspection station to facilitate tire handling through prepositioning a number of apparatus components prior to the arrival of a tire in the inspection station.

Abstract: An automated tire inspection system employs penetrative emanation such as X-radiation to inspect the integrity of portions of tires fed sequentially along a feed path through a centering station and into a shielded enclosure which where an inspection station is defined. Features of the system include: (1) the use of separate drive motors to independently drive each of the movable components of the apparatus along their respective paths of travel; (2) sensors for sensing the positions of the components; and a control system connected between the sensors and the motors to operate the motors to effect tire positioning and inspection in accordance with a predetermined operational sequence.

Abstract: In a gamma ray imaging camera having a scintillation crystal and a plurality of phototubes, two channels are provided for receiving and processing radiation of two different energy levels arising from injection into a patient of two different radioisotopes. Signals in the two energy ranges may both be recorded for future analysis or may be displayed side-by-side on an oscilloscope.Regardless of whether one or two isotopes are used, information describing the locations of scintillation in the crystal may be digitized, recorded, and played back for visual display at a later time. Alternatively, the location information may be displayed immediately.Calibration means are also provided for presenting the output of each phototube individually on an oscilloscope so that the apparatus may be adjusted to correct for variations inherent in phototubes.

Abstract: An automated tire inspection system employs penetrative emanation such as X-radiation to inspect the integrity of portions of tires fed sequentially along a feed path through a centering station and into a shielded enclosure which where an inspection station is defined. Features of the system include a continuously operating X-ray source movable between inspection and retracted positions, and an X-ray shield for covering the source when it is retracted to permit the doors of the shielded enclosure to be opened without danger from escaping radiation.