CT apparatus for imaging cranial anatomies
AssigneePlanmed Oy
InventorsTapio Laukkanen, Sami Tohka, Lauri Seppala
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention relates to a medical computed tomography imaging apparatus which is especially designed to enable cranial imaging. The structure of the apparatus includes a gantry (2) comprising imaging means (21, 22) and a positioning support (8) which positioning support (8) is arranged to position the patient's cranium for exposure such that, when exposed, the cranium is scanned by a radiation beam substantially parallel with a plane formed by the facial area of the cranium and substantially only in an area on the facial side of the cranium.
Claims20
A method for collecting image information from a cranial area of a human patient, comprising:
- providing a ring shaped structure supporting a source of radiation,
- positioning at least a part of a cranium of the patient for imaging in the ring shaped structure such that the patient's face enters an opening in the ring shaped structure from one side and extends toward an opposed side of the opening during an exposure of radiation,
- implementing the exposure of radiation using a two-dimensional radiation beam which is driven around the ring shaped structure for at least 180 degrees and scans a face side of the cranium such that a volume being imaged by the exposure of radiation is located only within an area on the face side of the cranium, and
- detecting the radiation having penetrated the face side of the cranium by a detector moving on the opposite side of the ring shaped structure.
A method for collecting image information from a cranial area of a human patient, comprising:
- providing a ring shaped structure supporting a source of radiation;
- positioning a cranium of the patient for imaging in the ring shaped structure, such that the patient face enters a hole in the ring from one side and faces out the other side of the hole during radiation;
- implementing exposure by a two-dimensional radiation beam which is driven around the cranium for at least 180 degrees, radiates parallel to a plane formed by 3 points on the circumference of the ring shaped structure and scans only from a face side of the cranium;
- and
- detecting the radiation having penetrated the cranium by a detector moving on the opposite side of the cranium.
A method for collecting image information from a cranium of a human patient, the method comprising providing a ring shaped structure residing in a vertical plane, said ring shaped structure further defining a cranium receiving passage wherein the patient's face enters one side of the passage and extends toward an opposed side of the passage, said passage having a longitudinal axis;
- positioning the cranium for imaging against a forehead support disposed within the cranium receiving passage such that said cranium penetrates only partially into said passage, said forehead support defining a cranium receiving surface perpendicular to said longitudinal axis;
- providing a radiation beam source within said ring shaped structure and a detector moving on the opposite side of the ring shaped structure;
- and,
- imaging only a region of the cranium abutting the forehead support by at least 180 degrees rotation of the radiation beam.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.