High-definition still picture real-time display type x-ray diagnostic apparatus
AssigneeKabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
InventorsSeiichiro Nagai, Koichiro Nabuchi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
When “fluoroscopy” is specified, a little amount of X rays are irradiated successively, and an X-ray image is reflected from rotating mirrors to enter a fluoroscopic camera head provided with FTCCD. The FTCCD can obtain a fluoroscopic image as a moving picture because successive imaging is possible in a frame rate. Moreover, when “radiography” is specified, great amounts of X rays are irradiated at one shot, and an X-ray image is reflected from the rotating mirrors to enter a radiographic camera head provided with FFTCCD. The FFTCCD is provided with pixels with large pixel size whose number is increased, and thus a high-definition radiographic image as a still picture can be obtained without using an X-ray film.
Claims15
An X-ray diagnostic apparatus, comprising:
- X-ray generating means for irradiating an examinee with X rays;
- X-ray generation control means for controlling said X-ray generating means to irradiate X rays successively at a time of fluoroscopy and for controlling said X-ray generating means to irradiate greater amounts of X rays at a time of radiography other than at the time of fluoroscopy;
- X-ray/visible-light converting means for converting an X-ray image into visible light;
- first solid state imaging means for receiving the X-ray image of visible light at the time of the fluoroscopy to form a fluoroscopic image;
- second solid state imaging means for receiving the X-ray image of visible light at the time of the radiography to form a radiographic image after sweeping away electric charges previously stored therein due to a dark current, wherein said second solid state imaging means is a solid state image sensor including a two dimensional array having horizontal and vertical pixels, and is configured to directly and vertically transfer electric charges accumulated in an imaging section thereof to a horizontal transfer path, and has a greater number of pixels than the number of pixels of said first solid state imaging means;
- visible light directing means for selectively directing an optical path for the X-ray image of visible light from said X-ray/visible-light converting means to the first solid state imaging means or to the second solid state imaging means;
- and
- X-ray shielding means for controlling the width of an aperture window of said X-ray generating means to be variable in a direction perpendicular to the horizontal transfer path of said second solid state imaging means in order to partially shield the X rays irradiated therefrom such that selected portions of the examinee are shielded from being irradiated with the X-rays.
An X-ray diagnostic apparatus, comprising:
- X-ray generating means for irradiating an examinee with X rays;
- X-ray generation control means for controlling said X-ray generating means to irradiate X-rays successively at a time of fluoroscopy and for controlling said X-ray generating means to irradiate greater amounts of X-rays at a time of radiography other than at the time of fluoroscopy;
- X-ray/visible-light converting means for converting an X-ray image into visible light;
- solid state imaging means including a two dimensional array having horizontal and vertical pixels, wherein electric charges accumulated in an imaging section thereof are vertically transferred to a horizontal transfer path directly, for receiving an X-ray image of visible light from said X-ray/visible-light converting means to form a radiographic image;
- and
- X-ray shielding means for controlling the width of an aperture window of said X-ray generating means to be variable in a direction perpendicular to the horizontal transfer path of said solid state imaging means in order to partially shield X-rays irradiated therefrom such that selected portions of the examinee are not irradiated with the X-rays.
An X-ray diagnostic apparatus, comprising:
- an X-ray tube configured to irradiate an examinee with X rays;
- a controller configured to control said X-ray tube to irradiate X rays successively at a time of fluoroscopy and to control said X-ray tube to irradiate greater amounts of X rays at a time of radiography other than at the time of fluoroscopy;
- an image intensifier configured to convert an X-ray image into visible light;
- a fluoroscopic camera configured to receive the X-ray image of visible light at the time of the fluoroscopy in order to form a fluoroscopic image;
- a radiographic camera configured to receive the X-ray image of visible light at the time of the radiography in order to form a radiographic image after sweeping away electric charges previously stored therein due to a dark current, wherein said radiographic camera includes a solid state image sensor including a two dimensional array having horizontal and vertical pixels, and is configured to directly and vertically transfer electric charges accumulated in an imaging section thereof to a horizontal transfer path, and has a greater number of pixels than the number of pixels of said fluoroscopic camera;
- an optical path changing section configured to direct an optical path for the X-ray image of visible light from said image intensifier to the fluoroscopic camera or to the radiographic camera;
- and
- an X-ray shielding section configured to control the width of an aperture window of the X-ray tube to be variable in a direction perpendicular to the horizontal transfer path of the radiographic camera in order to partially shield the X rays irradiated therefrom such that selected portions of the examinee are shielded from being irradiated with the X-rays.
An X-ray diagnostic apparatus, comprising:
- an X-ray tube configured to irradiate an examinee with X rays;
- a controller configured to control said X-ray tube to irradiate X rays successively at a time of fluoroscopy and to control said X-ray tube to irradiate greater amounts of X rays at a time of radiography other than at the time of fluoroscopy;
- an image intensifier configured to convert an X-ray image into visible light;
- a camera including a two dimensional array having horizontal and vertical pixels, and an imaging section configured to transfer electric charges accumulated therein vertically and directly to a horizontal transfer path, and configured to receive an X-ray image of visible light from said image intensifier in order to form a radiographic image;
- and
- X-ray shielding section configured to control the width of an aperture window of the X-ray tube to be variable in a direction perpendicular to the horizontal transfer path of the imaging section in order to partially shield X-rays irradiated therefrom such that selected portions of the examinee are shielded from being irradiated with the X-rays.
An X-ray diagnostic method for diagnosing an examinee having a rectangular-shaped portion to be examined by an X-ray diagnostic apparatus including a fluoroscopic camera which receives the X-ray image of visible light at the time of fluoroscopy to form a fluoroscopic image and a radiographic camera which receives the X-ray image of visible light at the time of radiography to form a radiographic image wherein said radiographic camera includes a solid stat image sensor including a two dimensional array having horizontal and vertical pixels and is configured to directly and vertically transfer electric charges accumulated in an imaging section thereof to a horizontal transfer path, said rectangular-shaped portion having a length in a lateral direction shorter than a length of a side of an image plane of said radiographic camera, said method comprising the steps of:
- locating said examinee such that the longitudinal direction of the rectangular-shaped portion coincides with a horizontal transfer path of said radiographic camera;
- specifying fluoroscopy by an examiner;
- directing an optical path for an X-ray image of visible light from an image intensifier to said fluoroscopic camera by an optical path changing section;
- activating and controlling an X-ray tube to successively irradiate said examinee with X rays;
- forming the fluoroscopic image by said fluoroscopic camera which receives the X-ray image of visible light through said image intensifier from said X-ray tube;
- controlling the width of an aperture window of said X-ray tube to be variable in adirection perpendicular to the horizontal transfer path of said radiographic camera in order to partially shield the X rays irradiated therefrom such that only the rectangular-shaped portion is irradiated with the X-rays;
- specifying radiography at a desirable timing by the examiner;
- directing the optical path for the X-ray-image of visible light from said image intensifier to said radiographic camera by said optical path changing section;
- controlling said X-ray tube to irradiate greater amounts of X rays than at the time of fluoroscopy;
- and
- forming the radiographic image by said radiographic camera which receives the X-ray image of visible light through said image intensifier from said X-ray tube.
An X-ray diagnostic method for diagnosing an examinee having a rectangular-shaped portion to be examined by an X-ray diagnostic apparatus including a radiographic camera which receives the X-ray image of visible light at the time of radiography to form a radiographic image wherein said radiographic camera includes a solid stat image sensor including a two dimensional array having horizontal and vertical pixels and is configured to directly and vertically transfer electric charges accumulated in an imaging section thereof to a horizontal transfer path, said rectangular-shaped portion having a length in a lateral direction shorter than a length of a side of an image plane of said radiographic camera, said method comprising the steps of:
- locating said examinee such that the longitudinal direction of the rectangular-shaped portion coincides with a horizontal transfer path of said radiographic camera;
- controlling the width of an aperture window of an X-ray tube to be variable in a direction perpendicular to the horizontal transfer path of said radiographic camera in order to partially shield the X rays irradiated therefrom such that only the rectangular-shaped portion is irradiated with the X-rays;
- specifying radiography by an examiner;
- controlling said X-ray tube to irradiate greater amounts of X rays than at the time of fluoroscopy;
- and
- forming the radiographic image by said radiographic camera which receives the X-ray image of visible light through an image intensifier from said X-ray tube.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.