GB2212040A

GB2212040A - Light aiming device for medical or dental X-ray equipment

Info

Publication number: GB2212040A
Application number: GB8725553A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Andrew Joseph Stanley Dawood
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-10-31
Filing date: 1987-10-31
Publication date: 1989-07-12
Also published as: GB8725553D0

Abstract

A medical or dental X-Ray unit is equipped with a light aiming device, as an aid to positioning. A near-parallel laser light beam 3 is projected by means of suitable optical components such as mirrors 4 and lenses, along the path of an X-Ray beam 5, thus demonstrating the path of the X-Ray beam and assisting in the accurate positioning of the X-Ray unit. More than one beam 6, 7 may be provided, distance along the X-Ray beam then being demonstrated by the intersection of the light beams. <IMAGE>

Description

LIGHT AIMING DEVICE FOR MEDICAL OR DENTAL X-RAY EQUIPMENT This invention relates to a light aiming device for use with medical or dental X-Ray equipment.

An X-Ray unit produces a divergent beam of X-Rays which may be aimed at an object such as a tooth, to expose a detector such as an X-Ray film, placed behind the object in the path of the X-Ray beam.

It is often difficult to precisely aim the X-Ray beam at the object under investigation - however this becomes even harder to do when it is necessary to increase the distance between the object and the X-Ray tube, or when the X-Ray beam is narrow, as is usually the case in dental X-Ray units.

A laser may be used as the source of a narrow beam of light, which remains approximately parallel over short distances.

This invention provides for an aiming device for an X-Ray apparatus, in the form of a laser light source, or focused light source, and accompanying electronic circuitry such as the power supply, which, in conjunction with various optical components, produces a visible light beam, or beams, that demonstrate the path of the X-Ray beam as produced by the X-Ray tube, and allows the X-Ray beam to be accurately positioned with respect to the object undergoing radiological investigation by aiming the light beam at or close to the object.

The light beam or beams may be directed anywhere within the path of the X-Ray beam, and can be directed either parallel to the long axis of the X-Ray beam, or at an angle to the long axis of the X-Ray beam.

A focused light source or laser light source are suitable light sources for the light aiming device.

The aiming device may take the form of an accessory for use in conjunction with a conventional X-Ray unit, or may be built into the X-Ray unit itself.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to figure 1: The basic light aiming device comprises of a laser tube 1 and various optical components either permanently or releasably fixed to the x-ray unit 2. The laser tube produces a laser beam 3 which is directed, either directly as shown in this drawing, or indirectly by means of reflecting or refracting optical components, onto an optical component h such as a surface silvered mirror which is positioned in the path of the X-Ray beam 5, in such a way as to project the laser beam along the path of, and parallel to, the X-Ray beam.

The laser beam may be set up as is shown in Figure 1, coaxially with the X-Ray beam - thus marking the position of the central region of the X-Ray beam, but it is also possible to direct the laser beam elsewhere within the X-Ray beam, or even to split the principal laser beam into a number of separate beams, which together mark the periphery of the X-Ray beam or an area within the X-Ray beam.

Figure 2 describes a variation on the basic design in which the laser beam 3 is split into two separate beams, (beams 6 and 7 in this drawing), following passage through a beam splitter 4. One of these beams is treated as 3 in Figure 1, the other being reflected or alternatively refracted so that the two laser beams meet at a pre-designated distance from the X-Ray unit. It would be possible, by creating a difference between the appearances of the two beams, eg a difference in brightness, to distinguish between them and so identify the laser beam which is parallel to the X-Ray beam. Thus in this example, by using the well known principle of converging light beams to mark a pre-designated distance at the point that they coincide the light aiming device, with simple modification, will not only indicate the central region of the X-Ray beam, but also allow the distance between the laser aiming device and particular distances along the path of the central X-Ray beam to be quantified.

Furthermore it is apparent that by splitting the light beam into more than two separate beams it becomes possible to mark several different ranges as the points of coincidence of these beams with the central, coaxial beam.

It is also possible to use more than one light source to perform the above function, as an alternative to splitting the light beam.

Claims

1/ A light aiming device, for an X-Ray unit, comprising a source of bright nearly parallel light, as may be provided by a laser, or a suitably focused light source, which is directed along the path of the X-Ray beam, allowing the path of the X-Ray beam to be demonstrated over its useful range.

2/ A light aiming device, for an X-Ray unit as claimed in claim 1 which may be either permanently or releasably attached to a dental or medical X-Ray unit.

3/ A light aiming device, for an X-Ray unit as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a laser is used as the source of light.

4/ A light aiming device, for an X-Ray unit as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a laser beam is directed coaxially along the X-Ray beam.

/ A light aiming device, for an X-Ray unit as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the light beam is split to produce a number of separate light beams, directed along the path of the X-Ray beam.

6j A light aiming device, for an X-Ray unit as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the light beam is split to produce one or more separate lignt beams that converge with a coaxial beam of light along the path of the X-Ray beam at pre-designated distances along its length.

7/ A light aiming device as claimed in any preceding claim that uses one or more lasers sources or focused light sources to produce. one or more separate light beams that converge with a coaxial beam of light along the path ot the X-Ray beam at pre-designated distances along its path.

8/ A light aiming device as claimed in any preceding claim that can be used in conjunction with a dental X-Ray unit.

9/ A light aiming device as claimed in any preceding claim that can be used in conjunction with a medical X-Ray unit.

10/ A light aiming device as claimed in any preceding claim that may be used in conjunction with any X-Ray unit producing a narrow beam of X-Rays.