Device for the accurate anatomical locating of tomodensitometric sections

A device for providing accurate anatomical locating of tomodensitometric sections made on a subject by means of a tomodensitometer for making tomodensitometric images, said device comprising:

• at least one elongated element disposed on said subject in a reproducible way and being formed at least partly from a material visible on said tomodensitometric sections so as to form a trace therein and wherein said at least one element further comprises in cross section at least one characteristic having a magnitude varying substantially continuously along the great dimension of said at least one element,
• wherein said at least one element further comprises a dimension perpendicular to said great dimension and varying continuously along said great dimension from one end of said great dimension to another end of said great dimension, said at least one element further comprising an angular shape determined by first and second line segments having a common origin and forming therebetween an angle and a base line, wherein said at least one element further comprises an element having a density substantially constant along the width of said at least one element and a density varying substantially continuously along the length of said great dimension such that said locating is effected by measuring the radiological density of said trace and the width of said trace in said tomodensitometric image.

A device for providing accurate anatomical locating of tomodensitometric sections made on a subject by means of a tomodensitometer for making tomodensitometric images, said device comprising:

• at least one elongated element disposed on said subject in a reproducible way and being formed at least partly from a material visible on said tomodensitometric sections so as to form a trace therein and wherein said at least one element further comprises in cross section at least one characteristic having a magnitude varying substantially continuously along the great dimension of said at least one element,
• wherein said at least one element further comprises a dimension perpendicular to said great dimension and varying continuously along said great dimension from one end of said great dimension to another end of said great dimension, said at least one element further comprising an angular shape determined by first and second line segments having a common origin and forming therebetween an angle and a base line, wherein said base line further comprises a reference base line disposed perpendicular to the bisectrix of said angle, wherein said at least one element further comprises a plurality of locating marks disposed thereon such that said marks are visible on said trace so as to enable accurate locating of sectional planes of said tomodensitometric sections sloping with respect to said base line, and wherein said locating marks further comprise at least one fine zone having a density different from that of said material forming said at least one element, and situated along said bisectrix.

A device for providing accurate anatomical locating of tomodensitometric sections made on a subject by means of a tomodensitometer for making tomodensitometric images, said device comprising:

• at least one elongated element disposed on said subject in a reproducible way and being formed at least partly from a material visible on said tomodensitometric sections so as to form a trace therein and wherein said at least one element further comprises in cross section at least one characteristic having a magnitude varying substantially continuously along the great dimension of said at least one element,
• wherein said at least one element further comprises a dimension perpendicular to said great dimension and varying continuously along said great dimension from one end of said great dimension to another end of said great dimension, said at least one element further comprising an angular shape determined by first and second line segments having a common origin and forming therebetween an angle and a base line, wherein said base line further comprises a reference base line disposed perpendicular to the bisectrix of said angle, wherein said at least one element further comprises a plurality of locating marks disposed thereon such that said marks are visible on said trace so as to enable accurate locating of sectional planes of said tomodensitometric sections sloping with respect to said base line, and wherein said at least one element further comprises a first and a second fine wire respectively coincident with said first and second line segments.

Means for providing accurate anatomical locating of tomodensitometric sections made on a subject by means of a tomodensitometer for making tomodensitometric images, said means comprising:

• at least one elongated element disposed on said subject in a reproducible way and being formed at least partly from a material visible on said tomodensitometric sections so as to form a trace therein and wherein said at least one element further comprises in cross section at least one characteristic having a magnitude varying substantially continuously along the great dimension of said at least one element,
• wherein said at least one element further comprises a dimension perpendicular to said great dimension and varying continuously along said great dimension from one end of said great dimension to another end of said great dimension, said at least one element further comprising an angular shape determined by first and second line segments having a common origin and forming therebetween an angle and a base line, wherein said base line further comprises a reference base line disposed perpendicular to the bisectrix of said angle, and wherein said at least one element further comprises a plurality of locating marks disposed thereon such that said marks are visible on said trace so as to enable accurate locating of sectional planes of said tomodensitometric sections sloping with respect to said base line, said means further comprising a plotter having a shape identical to said angular shape of said at least one element.

In a tomodensitometer for making tomodensitomeric images of tomodensitometric sections spaced from one another in a first direction, means disposed on a subject for providing accurate anatomical locating of said tomodensitometric sections, said means comprising at least one elongated element having a longitudinal axis, at least a portion of which has a component which is disposed along a second direction perpendicular to the plane of said images, said elongated element being formed at least partly from a material visible on said tomodensitometric sections so as to form a trace therein and wherein said at least one element further comprises in cross section at least one characteristic having a magnitude varying substantially continuously along said longitudinal axis of said at least one element;

• wherein said at least one element further comprises an angular shape determined by first and second line segments having a common origin and forming therebetween an angle and a baseline;
• wherein said at least one element further comprises first and second elements disposed on said subject such that each said baseline of said first and second elements are parallel with respect to each other and are included within and define a reference plane for locating sectional planes of said tomodensitometric sections;
• further comprising a hoop member wherein said first and second elements are fixed on said hoop member and said hoop member is disposed about a part of said subject to be examined.