With Nonphotographic Detector Patents (Class 378/22)
  • Patent number: 4853947
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of generating a layer image from a plurality of single images, the image processing errors which locally occur in the single images being substantially eliminated in the layer image. To this end, the image values for the individual layer image points are formed by that image value of the image points geometrically situated with the layer image point which corresponds to the next to the lowest absorption value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 1987
    Date of Patent: August 1, 1989
    Assignee: U.S. Phillips Corporation
    Inventors: Paul R. Haaker, Erhard P. A. Klotz, Reiner H. Koppe, Rolf E. Linde
  • Patent number: 4853540
    Abstract: A radiation image recording apparatus comprises a radiation source for emitting a radiation to an object, a device for moving the radiation source to change the irradiation angle, a sheet changer for feeding a stimulable phosphor sheet to an image recording position exposed to the radiation passing through the object to have a radiation image of the object stored on the stimulable phosphor sheet and then receiving a drive signal to remove the stimulable phosphor sheet from the image recording position and feed a next stimulable phosphor sheet thereto, and a device for moving the sheet changer so that the stimulable phosphor sheet at the image recording position and the radiation source satisfy the linear rule and the geometric rule with respect to a point within the object or in the vicinity thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 1986
    Date of Patent: August 1, 1989
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Nobuyoshi Nakajima
  • Patent number: 4823369
    Abstract: A dental x-ray diagnostics installation has a rotary unit carrying an x-ray source and a radiation detector disposed behind a secondary diaphragm, the rotary unit rotating around the jaw of a patient to produce panorama tomograph exposures of the patient's jaw. The radiation detector generates electrical signals proportional to the incident radiation intensity. To simplify signal processing, the detector is formed of one or more semiconductor detectors having a scintillation layer which corresponds to the size of the opening in the secondary diaphragm. The voltages acquired by the detector are converted to digital form, and stored in an image memory. A computer calculates a total image from the signals supplied by the detector, and stored in the memory, during a complete exposure. The signals from the image memory are combined to generate a tomogram of a desired slice of the patient's jaw.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 1987
    Date of Patent: April 18, 1989
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Werner Guenther, Manfred Muether, Erich Heubeck, Michael Doebert, Leonhard Werner
  • Patent number: 4686692
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for a computed tomography patient localization scan. A source of radiation that orbits a patient during a normal computed tomography scan is fixed relative an array of radiation detectors. The patient is then moved in a direction generally perpendicular to the plane of the radiating source and array to obtain a first shadowgraph data set. The source is orbited a small amount and the patient is again moved relative the source and detector array to obtain a second shadowgraph set of data. The two sets of data are then interleaved to obtain a shadowgraph image having higher resolution than either the first or second shadowgraph.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 1985
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1987
    Assignee: Picker International Inc.
    Inventors: Gordon D. DeMeester, Rodney A. Mattson
  • Patent number: 4672651
    Abstract: An object is irradiated with respective cone-beam like X-rays from first and second directions. For each of the first and second directions are produced mask and live images as respective projection images of the object before and after a contrast medium reaches an interested part of the object. Then, subtraction of the mask image from the live image is made in conjunction with each of the first and second directions. The resulting subtraction image assumes a projection image of the distribution of the contrast medium in the interested part taken in the corresponding direction. The respective projection widths of such projection images of the contrast medium distribution are determined to generate an ellipse defined by the projection widths. The shape of this ellipse is corrected in accordance with individual data values in the projection images of the contrast medium, thereby providing a corrected shape accurately resembling the actual shape of the interested part of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 1986
    Date of Patent: June 9, 1987
    Assignee: Hitachi Medical Corporation
    Inventors: Isao Horiba, Akira Iwata, Nobuo Suzumura, Hiroshi Matsuo
  • Patent number: 4598369
    Abstract: Tomographic images are obtained at a plane of interest by taking a series of x-ray exposures, producing a series of multiple images therefrom, arranging these multiple images so that points residing within a desired plane of interest are coincident to form a first order clarified image, repeating the step for a predetermined number of other planes which are parallel to the first plane of interest, to produce a first order clarified image for each of these planes, and then producing a smeared image for each of such planes, except one, by replicating the first order image for said plane a predetermined number of times and shifting each of the replicated images in the plane as a function of the distance between that particular plane and the x-ray source, the distance between that particular plane and the x-ray image device, the same distances but taken relative to a plane of interest, and the distance moved between exposures by the x-ray source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 1983
    Date of Patent: July 1, 1986
    Assignee: Picker International, Inc.
    Inventors: Shih-Ping Wang, Russell H. Morgan, Donald F. Specht
  • Patent number: 4485480
    Abstract: A radiation-image photographing apparatus comprises a radiation source, a radiation detector disposed in opposition to the radiation source for detecting radiation through an object to be examined and to generate an electrical signal proportional to the amount of incident radiation, a scanning device for changing the relative, positional relationship between the radiation source and the radiation detector, an analog-to-digital converter for converting the output signal from the radiation detector to a digital quantity, a memory for storing the digital signal, an arithmetic unit, and a display unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 1982
    Date of Patent: November 27, 1984
    Assignee: Hitachi Medical Corporation
    Inventors: Hideki Kohno, Hidemi Shiono, Kensuke Sekihara, Shigenobu Yanaka, Takaji Suzuki
  • Patent number: 4481651
    Abstract: An exemplary embodiment includes a number of x-ray soures which are capable of being individually switched on in succession by means of a control generator, a patient support, an x-ray image intensifier which is surrounded by deflection coils which are connected with a deflection device, connected to the control generator, for the synchronous movement of the electron image in the x-ray image intensifier, a video camera which is aligned with the outlet fluorescent screen of the x-ray image intensifier, an image storage and a monitor, wherein the image storage is so designed that at least two groups of different individual images, superimposed, respectively, are capable of being stored. The control inputs of the image storage for the purpose of group-wise storage, are connected with the control generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 1982
    Date of Patent: November 6, 1984
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Joerg Haendle
  • Patent number: 4458359
    Abstract: An exemplary embodiment comprises at least one X-ray source for the generation of an X-ray beam, a control generator for effecting movement of the X-ray beam, a patient support, an X-ray image intensifier which is surrounded by deflection coils which are connected with a deflection circuit (connected to the control generator) for effecting the synchronous movement of the electron image in the X-ray image intensifier, and a television chain coupled to the output of the X-ray image intensifier, in which the deflection coils consist of n coil pairs offset relative to one another in one plane, whereby n amounts to at least three. The deflection device is so designed that the deflection current flows only in respectively two of the n coil pairs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 1983
    Date of Patent: July 3, 1984
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Hartmut Sklebitz, Wolfgang Maass
  • Patent number: 4442534
    Abstract: An exemplary embodiment includes at least one x-ray tube for the generation of an x-ray beam, a patient support, an image detector, and a control generator--connected with the x-ray tube and the image detector--for the purpose of moving the x-ray beam, and in opposition thereto, the image field of the image detector. There is connected to the control generator a layer height computer which calculates the enlargement from the geometric data for the tomogram. The image detector has a circuit--connected with the layer height computer--for the purpose of fading-in a marking for the dimensions in the layer plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 1982
    Date of Patent: April 10, 1984
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Joerg Haendle, Hartmut Sklebitz
  • Patent number: 4383327
    Abstract: A scanning radiographic system employing a multi-linear array. The system includes a source of electronic radiation, which is focused upon the multi-linear array. The multi-linear array includes radiation sensors each of which is adapted to generate an intensity signal as a function of the amount of radiation sensed thereby. Each sensor has associated therewith a means for holding or storing its respective intensity signals. The intensity signals thus held may be continually up-dated to reflect subsequent intensity signals resulting from additional radiation sensed by the respective sensors. An opaque object to be scanned by the radiographic system passes through the beam of radiation in a controlled fashion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 1980
    Date of Patent: May 10, 1983
    Assignee: University of Utah
    Inventor: Robert A. Kruger
  • Patent number: 4349740
    Abstract: In illustrated laminographic embodiments, longitudinal body layers are scanned by arranging individual x-ray tubes along a path or surface parallel to the body layer. The intensity of each conical beam focused on the body layer may be individually selected according to the absorption of the associated beam path through the body, for the sake of a fluoroscopic image of uniform brightness. For scanning either longitudinal or transverse body layers, a stationary detector may be utilized, sequentially activated conical or thin fan-shaped beams impinging on respective sets of time-shared detector locations to provide sets of measured values identified with the respective beams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 1980
    Date of Patent: September 14, 1982
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Peter Grassmann, Kurt Dietz, Friedrich Meinel
  • Patent number: RE32164
    Abstract: A scanning radiographic system employing a multi-linear array. The system includes a source of electronic radiation, which is focused upon the multi-linear array. The multi-linear array includes radiation sensors each of which is adapted to generate an intensity signal as a function of the amount of radiation sensed thereby. Each sensor has associated therewith a means for holding or storing its respective intensity signals. The intensity signals thus held may be continually up-dated to reflect subsequent intensity signals resulting from additional radiation sensed by the respective sensors. An opaque object to be scanned by the radiographic system passes through the beam of radiation in a controlled fashion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 1985
    Date of Patent: May 27, 1986
    Assignee: The University of Utah
    Inventor: Robert A. Kruger
  • Patent number: RE32779
    Abstract: A scanning radiographic system employing a multi-linear array. The system includes a source of electronic radiation, which is focused upon the multi-linear array. The multi-linear array includes radiation sensors each of which is adapted to generate an intensity signal as a function of the amount of radiation sensed thereby. Each sensor has associated therewith a means for holding or storing its respective intensity signals. The intensity signals thus held may be continually up-dated to reflect subsequent intensity signals resulting from additional radiation sensed by the respective sensors. An opaque object to be scanned by the radiographic system passes through the beam of radiation in a controlled fashion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 1986
    Date of Patent: November 8, 1988
    Assignee: University of Utah
    Inventor: Robert A. Kruger