Radiation imaging apparatus and method

A method for producing diagnostic information about a subject from a pattern of penetrative radiation passing through the subject utilizing a system including a film camera for producing photographs of the subject and a television apparatus for producing a substantially continuous image of the subject in response to receipt of energy during a plurality of predetermined time intervals, said method comprising the steps of:

• a. directing penetrative radiation through the subject;
• b. subsequently producing and directing an energy representation of the patterns of such penetrative radiation to said film camera, and to said television apparatus in discrete quantities occurring substantially synchronously with the occurrence of each of said plurality of predetermined time intervals, for limiting the duration of energy transmission to said television apparatus to enable production and maintenance of said continuous image, while optimizing the time during which such energy can be directed to the film camera for producing photographs.

A method for producing a visual image of a subject from patterns of penetrative radiation transmitted along a path from the subject, utilizing a system including means for causing the emanation of penetrative radiation from the subject and a television apparatus comprising a television camera responsive to said radiation for generating video signals representative of said penetrative radiation at a predetermined rate of field repetition, said method comprising the steps of:

• a. passing penetrative radiation through a subject to produce radiation patterns along the path;
• and,
• b. diverting energy representing said radiation patterns from the subject to said television camera substantially synchronously with the occurrence of each of said field repetitions, during a portion of the time required for generation of each field repetition, and at an energy intensity controlled to limit the amount and time duration of energy incident on the camera for enabling the television apparatus to produce and maintain substantially flicker free and continuous images representative of the radiation patterns from the subject.

A system for deriving visual images of a subject from patterns of radiation passing through the subject, said system comprising:

• a. a television apparatus including a television camera responsive to said patterns of radiation for generating video signals representing said radiation patterns at a predetermined rate of field scanning repetition;
• and,
• b. apparatus for causing said television apparatus to respond to said radiation patterns during only predetermined time intervals, said time intervals occurring substantially in synchronism with the occurrence of each said field repetition, for minimizing the amount of radiation required to enable the television camera to produce and maintain a substantially constant image representative of the patterns of radiation from the subject.

A diverter for use in a system for producing visual images of a subject in response to patterns of radiation from the subject, the system including means for propagating representations of said radiation along a path, a first image producing apparatus, and a second image producing apparatus including a television camera having a predetermined rate of field scan repetition, said diverter comprising:

• structure for directing said radiation representations to said television camera in discrete quantities, said direction of such quantities being synchronous with the field scan repetition rate of said camera, and said structure causing said representations to be incident on said first recording apparatus at other times.