X-ray radiographic apparatus and method
AssigneeFUJIFILM Corporation
InventorYoshitaka Yamaguchi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An entire area of an FPD on which an alignment marker provided in a screen is projected is set in advance as a fixed overlapping area (Ctop to Cbottom) according to the long length imaging area and/or the X-ray source position. When determining a plurality of field-of-view area areas for dividing an imaging area for long length imaging into a plurality of areas and taking images, the field-of-view areas (FOVNT to FOVNB) and the FPD positions PN corresponding to the respective field-of-view areas are determined so that adjacent field-of-view areas overlap each other at the set fixed overlapping area. The X-ray source height, the X-ray irradiation direction, the collimator aperture angle and the FPD position are controlled so as to apply an X-ray only to each of the determined field-of-view areas.
Claims11
An X-ray radiographic apparatus comprising:
- an X-ray generation unit including an X-ray source, the X-ray source including an X-ray tube and an X-ray movable diaphragm that adjusts a field of view of an X-ray provided from the X-ray tube, and a lifting and lowering device that moves the X-ray source at least in a vertical direction;
- an X-ray imaging unit including an X-ray flat panel detector that converts an incoming X-ray into electrical signals, and an upright stand that moves the X-ray flat panel detector in the vertical direction;
- a screen provided at a predetermined position ahead of the X-ray imaging unit, the screen supporting a subject to prevent the subject from moving, the screen being provided with a marker for alignment between a plurality of X-ray images taken during long length imaging;
- a fixed overlapping area setting device that sets an area of the X-ray flat panel detector on which the marker may be projected as a fixed overlapping area, according to a moveable range of the X-ray source during long length imaging;
- an imaging area setting device that sets an imaging area for the long length imaging;
- a field-of-view area determination device that determines a plurality of field-of-view areas when dividing the set imaging area into a plurality of areas and taking images, the field-of-view area determination device determining each of the field-of-view areas so that adjacent field-of-view areas overlap each other at the determined fixed overlapping area;
- a position determination device that determines a position to which the X-ray flat panel detector is moved for each of the field-of-view areas determined by the field-of-view area determination device so that an X-ray is applied to the field-of-view area;
- an upright stand control device that controls the upright stand so that the X-ray flat panel detector is sequentially moved to one of the positions determined by the position determination device for each exposure during the long length imaging;
- and
- an X-ray control device that controls the X-ray generation unit according to one of the field-of-view areas determined by the field-of-view area determination device for each exposure during the long length imaging so that an X-ray is applied only to the field-of-view area.
An X-ray radiographic method for providing a long length of image by adjusting a field of view of an X-ray provided from an X-ray source, taking a plurality of X-ray images of a subject while controlling a position in a vertical direction of an X-ray flat panel detector, and connecting the plurality of images obtained from the X-ray flat panel detector, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a screen at a predetermined position ahead of the X-ray flat panel detector, the screen supporting the subject to prevent the subject from moving, the screen being provided with a marker for alignment between a plurality of X-ray images taken during long length imaging;
- setting in advance an area of the X-ray flat panel detector on which the marker may be projected as a fixed overlapping area, according to a movement range of the X-ray source during long length imaging;
- setting an imaging area for the long length imaging;
- determining first to n-th field-of-view areas (FOV1 to FOVn) for dividing the set imaging area into n (n:
- an integer of no less than 2) areas and taking images, the determining including determining each of the field-of-view areas so that adjacent field-of-view areas overlap each other at the set fixed overlapping area;
- moving the X-ray flat panel detector to a first position so that an X-ray is applied to the determined first field-of-view area (FOV1);
- applying an X-ray from the X-ray source only to the first field-of-view area (FOV1) after moving the X-ray flat panel detector to the first position, to make a first exposure;
- moving the X-ray flat panel detector to a second position after the first exposure so that an X-ray is applied to the determined second field-of-view area (FOV2);
- and
- applying an X-ray from the X-ray source only to the second field-of-view area (FOV2) after the X-ray flat panel detector moving to the second position, to make a second exposure, wherein
- the X-ray flat panel detector is sequentially moved from the first position to a n-th position, and the first to n-th exposures are sequentially made.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.