Extremity imaging apparatus for cone beam computed tomography

An apparatus for cone beam computed tomography imaging of a subject, the apparatus comprising:

• an x-ray source;
• an x-ray detector;
• a removable antiscatter grid attached proximate to the detector;
• a rotatable gantry attached to the source, the detector, and the grid to rotate the source, the detector and the grid about an imaging axis;
• and
• a C-shaped housing enclosing the source, the detector, the grid, and the gantry, the C-shaped housing comprising an end wall at each one of two terminal ends of the C-shaped housing,
• wherein one of the end walls comprises an opening large enough to manually detach and remove the grid therethrough when the gantry is rotated to a grid removal position.

An apparatus for cone beam computed tomography imaging of a subject, the apparatus comprising:

• a rotatable gantry;
• an x-ray source attached to the gantry;
• an x-ray detector attached to the gantry;
• a removable antiscatter grid attached proximate to the detector;
• a C-shaped housing enclosing the source, the detector, the grid, and the gantry, the C-shaped housing comprising an end wall at each one of two terminal ends of the C-shaped housing,
• wherein the gantry, the source and the detector are configured to rotate about an imaging axis, the source is configured to rotate along a source path, the detector is configured to rotate along a detector path, a length of the source path being longer than α length of the detector path, and
• wherein one of the end walls comprises an opening large enough to detach and remove the grid therethrough when the gantry is rotated to a grid removal position.

A method of operating a cone beam computed tomography apparatus, the method comprising:

• attaching an x-ray source to a rotatable gantry;
• attaching an x-ray detector to the rotatable gantry;
• attaching an antiscatter grid proximate to the detector;
• enclosing the gantry, the source, the detector, and the grid within a C-shaped housing;
• providing an opening at one end of the C-shaped housing;
• actuating the gantry to rotate the grid proximate to the one end of the C-shaped housing;
• and
• manually detaching and removing the grid through the opening.