Mobile radiography system and grid alignment process

A mobile radiographic system, the system comprising:

• a. an x-ray source assembly, said x-ray source assembly comprising an x-ray tube housing having an x-ray source with a focal spot, a tube housing mounting adjustably supporting said x-ray tube housing, said x-ray tube housing adjustably mounted to an adjustable support and an x-ray collimator adjustably coupled to the x-ray tube housing, said x-ray source assembly being adjustable with regard to at least one degree of freedom allowing the x-ray tube housing to be moved to a desired location and orientation with respect to an anti-scatter grid;
• b. said anti-scatter grid not being in a fixed position and orientation relative to the x-ray tube housing;
• c. a measuring system, said measuring system comprising a positional encoder for at least one of said degrees of freedom and a detector for acquiring position and orientation information of the anti-scatter grid relative to a fixed point on the mobile radiographic system;
• d. a manual motion control system to direct the movement of at least one of said degrees of freedom, said motion control system comprising a drive element for at least one of said degrees of freedom and a directing element;
• e. a processor in communication with said detector, said encoder and said directing element, the processor determining the desired value of the at least one degree of freedom so that the x-ray tube housing will be in a state of alignment, the processor not being in communication with the drive element, wherein an operator sequentially moves each degree of freedom associated with an encoder as directed by the directing element to adjust said degree of freedom associated with an encoder and said degree of freedom associated with an encoder is locked in place by the processor or the operator once said desired value is achieved.