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US 6,282,264 B1Granted
Digital flat panel x-ray detector positioning in diagnostic radiology
AssigneeHologic, Inc.
InventorsAndrew P. Smith, Jay A. Stein, Kevin E. Wilson, Richard E. Cabral, Remo Rossi, James D. Miller
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A digital, flat panel, two-dimensional x-ray detector moves reliably, safely and conveniently to a variety of positions for different x-ray protocols for a standing, sitting or recumbent patient. The system makes it practical to use the same detector for a number or protocols that otherwise may require different equipment, and takes advantage of desirable characteristics of flat panel digital detectors while alleviating the effects of less desirable characteristics such as high cost, weight and fragility of such detectors.
Claims50
A system for positioning a digital detector of x-rays for diagnostic protocols comprising:
- a detector that is free of a mechanical connection with an x-ray source and includes a digital flat panel x-ray detector arrangement and an anti-scatter grid;
- a floor-supported base;
- and
- an articulated structure supported on the base and supporting the detector and selectively moving the detector with at least four degrees of freedom relative to the base to position the detector for any one of a variety of standard diagnostic x-ray protocols.
1 more element
A system for positioning a digital detector of x-rays for diagnostic protocols using an x-ray source and selectively using a patient table, comprising:
- a detector that includes a digital flat panel x-ray detector arrangement and an anti-scatter grid;
- and
- a floor-mounted articulated structure supporting and selectively moving the detector in at least two translational and two rotational motions to position the detector for any one of a variety of standard diagnostic x-ray protocols;
- wherein said motions are selectively independent of motions of the x-ray source and patient table.
1 more element
A digital flat panel detector system for diagnostic x-ray procedures using an independently mounted x-ray source and selectively using a patient table, comprising:
- a digital flat panel x-ray detector;
- a support structure coupled with the detector to selectively move the detector independently of the x-ray source and patient table along a length of the table and rotate the detector to thereby position the detector for any one of a variety of standard diagnostic x-ray protocols for standing, sitting and recumbent patients;
- wherein said support structure comprises:
- a main support extending along the patient table length;
- a lower slide mounted on the main support to move thereon along the patient table length;
- a lower arm having a near end mounted on the lower slide for rotation about a lower arm axis;
- and
- an upwardly extending column mounted on a far end of the lower arm for rotation about a column axis;
- wherein moving the lower slide along the main support and rotating one or both of the lower arm and the column selectively moves the detector along and across the patient table length.
6 more elements
A system for positioning a digital detector of x-rays for diagnostic protocols comprising:
- a detector that is free of a mechanical connection with an x-ray source;
- a main support;
- and
- an articulated structure mounted on the main support and supporting and selectively moving the detector along and transversely to a length of the main support, up and down relative to the main support, and rotationally between different orientations to position the detector for any one of a variety of standard diagnostic x-ray protocols;
- wherein said articulated structure comprises:
- a lower slide mounted on the main support for movement along the length thereof;
- a lower arm having a proximal end mounted on the lower slide for rotation about a proximal upwardly extending axis;
- and
- a column mounted on a distal end of the lower arm for rotation about a distal upwardly extending axis;
- wherein moving the lower slide along the length of the main support and rotation about one or both of said upwardly extending axes moves the detector along either or both the length and across the length of the main support.
7 more elements
A system for positioning a digital detector of x-rays for diagnostic protocols comprising:
- a digital flat panel x-ray detector;
- a low, stepped platform for a patient to climb and step on a portion thereof;
- and
- a detector support structure supporting and selectively moving the detector with at least two degrees of freedom to selectively position the detector in a horizontal orientation under a portion of the stepped platform for an x-ray image of a patient standing thereon, and in a vertical orientation alongside a portion of the platform for an x-ray image of a patient standing thereon;
- wherein said detector is free of a mechanical connection with an x-ray source used for imaging the patient.
2 more elements
A method comprising:
- moving a floor-supported digital flat panel detector relative to a ceiling-mounted x-ray source to position the detector at any one of a number of standard x-ray protocols for standing, sitting and recumbent patients;
- wherein said moving comprises moving the detector with at least five degrees of freedom relative to the x-ray source.
A digital, flat panel x-ray detector cassette and a positioning arrangement for said cassette, comprising:
- a digital, flat panel, two-dimensional x-ray detector cassette;
- an upper arm supporting the cassette;
- a first slide to which the upper arm is pivotally secured for rotation about a laterally extending axis;
- an upwardly extending column to which the slide is secured for movement along the height of the column;
- a lower arm to which the column is secured;
- a second slide to which the lower arm is pivotally secured for rotation about an upwardly extending axis;
- a main support having a laterally extending track along which said second slide rides;
- and
- a patient table having a long dimension extending along the length of the track and positioned at a higher level than the track;
- said first slide and second slide moving linearly and said upper arm and lower arm moving pivotally to position the cassette relative to the table at any one of a number of positions relative to the table, including under the table at a horizontal or inclined orientation for an AP image of a patient lying on the table, to the side of the table in a vertical or inclined orientation for a lateral image of a patient lying on the table, adjacent to a head or foot of the table and in a horizontal or inclined orientation for an image of the head or lower extremities of a patient lying on the table and on the cassette, to the side of the table in a horizontal or inclined orientation for an image of an extremity supported on the cassette, spaced from the table and in a vertical or inclined orientation for an image of a standing patient, and spaced from the table and in a horizontal or inclined orientation for an image of a patient on a support other than the table.
7 more elements
A digital, flat panel x-ray detector cassette and a positioning arrangement for said cassette, comprising:
- a digital, flat panel, two-dimensional x-ray detector cassette;
- an upper arm supporting the cassette;
- a first slide to which the upper arm is secured for movement therewith;
- an upwardly extending column to which the slide is secured for movement along the length of the column;
- said cassette pivoting about a horizontal axis through pivoting motion of at least one of the cassette relative to the upper arm or the upper arm relative to the column;
- a lower support to which the column is secured, said lower support selectively moving the column along each of two directions transverse to each other and to the length of the column;
- and
- a main support supporting said lower support.
5 more elements
A method of using a digital, flat panel x-ray detector cassette comprising:
- securing a digital, flat panel x-ray detector cassette to an upper arm;
- securing the upper arm to a first slide moving up and down in the direction of an upwardly extending column;
- said securing comprising pivotally securing at least one of the cassette to the upper arm and the upper arm to the first slide, for pivoting the cassette between a vertical and horizontal orientations;
- supporting the column relative a patient table for selective movement along a length and along a width of the table to thereby move the cassette to a selected vertical alignment relative to the patient table;
- moving the cassette to a selected height, selected vertical alignment with the patient table and selected angular orientation by one or more of said pivoting movement of the first slide along the column, and movement of the column along the length and along the width of the patient table to thereby position the cassette at a selected position;
- and
- locking the cassette at said selected position for an x-ray exposure.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.