ES2575228B1 - Quality control device for ionizing radiation emitting equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

Quality control device for ionizing radiation emitting equipment # The invention describes a quality control device (1) for an ionizing radiation emitting equipment, comprising: a plate (2) having a face of a fluorescent material or phosphorescent; a pair of vertically movable horizontal delimiter bands (3a) on the fluorescent or phosphorescent side of the plate (2); and a pair of horizontally movable vertical delimiter bands (3b) on the fluorescent or phosphorescent side of the plate (2).

Description

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DESCRIPTION

Quality control device for ionizing radiation emitting equipment OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The present invention belongs to the field of medicine, and more particularly to the field of quality control procedures applicable to ionizing radiation emitting equipment used in radiology.

The object of the present invention is a device designed to verify that in an ionizing radiation emitting equipment the radiation field coincides with the input surface of the imaging system of the equipment.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The objective of quality control in radiology ionizing radiation emitting equipment is to guarantee both the efficient use of the equipment and the obtaining of quality images with the lowest possible risk for both the patient and the operation personnel. In this area, one of the tests that are usually performed is the one to verify the coincidence between the radiation field and the input surface of the imaging system of the equipment.

Any ionizing radiation emitting equipment (conventional radiography, surgical arch, remote control, interventionist, orthopantomograph, ...) has an X-ray emitting source directed towards a specific area of the patient and an imaging system that has an input surface intended to collect the x-rays that have passed through the patient to form the radiographic image. Fig. 1 shows an example of equipment where the X-ray source (100), the X-ray beam (101) emitted by said source (100), and the image-forming system (102) it captures are captured. the beam (101) after the patient has passed through (103).

Taking into account this configuration, the "input surface" of the equipment imaging system refers to the surface of said imaging system that is intended to receive the radiation beam. The radiation that falls outside this input surface is not used by the equipment for the formation of the image

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to be used in radiodiagnosis. The "radiation field" is the surface irradiated by the beam on the plane of the input surface.

The need for a match between the radiation field and the input surface of the imaging system is evident. If the radiation field were larger than the input surface of the imaging system, part of the patient would be exposed to ionizing radiation without need, since no part of the image would be formed from that part. On the other hand, if the radiation field were smaller than the input surface of the imaging system, the imaging system would not be used properly.

To verify this coincidence, a test is carried out which consists in placing another external image formation element on the entrance surface of the imaging system that allows obtaining a representative image of the radiation field. This approach is shown schematically in Fig. 2, where in addition to the parts that appear in Fig. 1, the external imaging element (104) has been represented. This external image forming element (104) has conventionally been an X-ray film chassis or CR chassis that allows to obtain the position and size of the radiation field. These elements, however, fundamentally have two drawbacks: first, they have to be revealed after being exposed, the developer team being very frequently away from the team that is undergoing quality control; secondly, they are image systems called to become extinct, not already meeting with a certain frequency. Another more current alternative is the so-called radiochromic films, which are a type of radiographic film that does not require development. However, radiochromic films can only be used once, which, together with their high cost, constitutes a major drawback for their widespread use.

In short, there is still a need in the art for quality control devices that are economical and not based on fungible elements.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention describes a quality control device that solves the above problems because it allows to visualize in a simple way the radiation field and also frames it so that its position and size are clear for the

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person who is performing the quality control of the equipment. In addition, the device can be used an indefinite number of times.

The device of the invention basically comprises a fluorescent or phosphorescent plate and two pairs of delimiting bands. Below, these elements are described in more detail:

a) Plate

It is a plate that has a face of a fluorescent or phosphorescent material. Although it may have some flexibility, the plate must be rigid enough to allow its placement in the appropriate place of the radiation emitting equipment. For example, the plate can be made of copper or methacrylate with a fluorescent or phosphorescent coating on one of its faces.

In addition, the fluorescent or phosphorescent side of the plate may comprise equispaced measurement marks. For example, it may be a millimeter that will facilitate the user to determine the position and size of the radiation field.

In principle, this plate can have any shape, although according to a preferred embodiment of the invention it has a parallelepiped shape, for example rectangular shape.

b) Pair of horizontal bounding bands and a pair of vertical bounding bands

The device also comprises a pair of vertically movable delimiter bands on the fluorescent or phosphorescent side of the plate and a pair of horizontally movable vertical delimiter bands on the fluorescent or phosphorescent side of the plate. In this context, it is interpreted that the terms "horizontal" and "vertical" refer to two directions that form 90 ° to each other and that, in a natural position of the device of the invention, are respectively horizontal and vertical.

The delimiting bands can be fixed to the plate in different ways. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the pair of bands

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horizontal delimiters are slidably fixed to a vertical rafl of the plate and the pair of vertical delimiter bands is slidably fixed to a horizontal rail of the plate. The vertical and horizontal rails can be fixed to the plate, for example, by screwing or the like. Additionally, the horizontal and vertical rails can comprise a series of equally spaced marks that will allow the user to determine the size of the radiation field.

In addition, to allow the blocking of the delimiter bands in a desired position, each equispaced mark of the rails can comprise a complementary notch with movable lugs of sliding joint pieces of the bands to the rails. In this way, a user can immobilize the bands in a desired position of the rails by simply acting on actuators of the connecting pieces capable of causing a displacement of the lugs from a retracted position to an extended position in which they fit in. A certain notch.

The operation of this new device would therefore be the following. The user places the device between the reception surface and the radiation focus with the fluorescent or phosphorescent face oriented towards the reception surface. Then, the equipment is put into operation, so that the radiation beam strikes the opaque face that is oriented towards the radiation focus. In case the face is fluorescent, the radiation field would be illuminated on the plate only while the radiation beam is active, so that the bounding bands with the active beam would have to be displaced until the radiation field was framed. Since the sliding joint parts, and therefore the actuation elements of the immobilization lugs, are outside the radiation field there is no risk to the operator. On the contrary, if the face is phosphorescent, the radiation field would be illuminated on the plate for a certain time after the radiation was turned off, so that the operator could stop the radiation beam and then move the delimiter bands.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Fig. 1 shows a scheme of ionizing radiation emitting equipment according to the prior art.

Fig. 2 shows the equipment of Fig. 1 with an external imaging element

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according to the prior art.

Figs. 3a and 3b show two moments of use of an example of a calibration device according to the present invention.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

An example of a calibration device (1) according to the present invention is described below with reference to Figs. 3a and 3b attached where you can see the different parts that compose it.

The plate (2) is formed by a flat square piece of 1.5 mm thick methacrylate that gives rigidity to the device, stabilizes the radiation beam and protects the imaging system of the radiation emitting equipment. The size of the plate (2) can be 43 cm x 43 cm, thus covering all possible sizes of the radiation fields of known emitting equipment.

A sheet of fluorescent or phosphorescent material is arranged on one side of this plate (2). Additionally, a transparent plastic film milimetrado covers the fluorescent or phosphorescent sheet to allow the operator to easily and quickly appreciate the approximate size of the radiation field.

The device (1) also comprises a pair of horizontal delimiting bands (3a) in the vertical direction and a pair of vertical delimiting bands (3b) in the horizontal direction. The pair of horizontal delimiting bands (3a) is slidably fixed through connecting pieces (5a) to a vertical rail (4a) fixedly fixed to the plate (2). Similarly, the pair of vertical delimiting bands (3b) is slidably fixed by means of connecting pieces (5b) to a horizontal rail (4b) fixedly fixed to the plate (2). The joining pieces (5a, 5b) are simply sliding elements along the rails (4a, 4b), such that the operator can manually move the delimiting bands (3a, 3b) along the respective rails ( 4a, 4b). In addition, the rails (4a, 4b) have equispaced marks that also provide information to the operator about the size of the radiation field. On the other hand, note that in the example depicted in Figs. 3a and 3b the rails (4a, 4b) are fixed to a pair of additional bars or rails that gives them greater rigidity so that they form a parallelepipedic frame. However, these additional bars or rails may be omitted.

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Additionally, to allow the blocking of the delimiting bands (3a, 3b) in a certain desired position, each of the pieces (5a, 5b) has a mobile teton (not shown) that can pass from a retracted position to an extended position in 5 that are introduced in notches located in each equispaced mark of the rails (4a, 4b). Drive elements (not shown) of the lugs allow the operator to cause the lugs to exit so that they are locked in the notches and thus block the position of the delimiting bands (3a, 3b)

10 To use this device (1), it is first placed between the radiation receiving surface of the ionizing radiation emitting equipment in question. Next, the radiation beam is activated, the radiation field (10) is illuminated on the surface of the plate (2). If we assume in this example that the surface is phosphorescent, then the beam of the emitting equipment could be turned off and the radiation field (10) would continue to illuminate on the surface of the plate (2). The operator would then manually shift the delimiter bands (3a, 3b), which would slide along the respective rails (4a, 4b) until the radiation field (10) is perfectly framed. Finally, the operator could actuate the actuators of the lugs so that they pass into the extended position and interlock in the notches of the rails (4a, 4b), thus blocking the position of the 20 delimiting bands (3a, 3b) .

Claims (8)

5 10 fifteen twenty 25 30 35 ES 2 575 228 A1 1. Calibration device (1) for ionizing radiation emitting equipment, characterized in that it comprises: - a plate (2) having a face of a fluorescent or phosphorescent material; - a pair of horizontally movable horizontal delimiter bands (3a) on the fluorescent or phosphorescent side of the plate (2); Y - a pair of horizontally movable vertical delimiter bands (3b) on the fluorescent or phosphorescent side of the plate (2). 2. Device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the plate (2) is made of copper or methacrylate with a fluorescent or phosphorescent coating. 3. Device (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the plate (2) is in the form of a parallelepiped. 4. Device (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the plate (2) is rectangular in shape. 5. Device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the fluorescent or phosphorescent side of the plate (2) comprises equally spaced measurement marks. 6. Device (1) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the pair of horizontal delimiter bands (3a) is slidably fixed to a vertical rail (4a) of the plate (2) and the pair of bands (3b ) Vertical delimiters are slidably fixed to a horizontal rail (4b) of the plate (2). 7. Device (1) according to claim 6, wherein the horizontal and vertical rails (4a, 4b) comprise a series of equally spaced marks. 8. Device (1) according to claim 7, wherein each equispaced mark comprises a complementary notch with movable studs of sliding parts (5a, 5b) of the bands (3a, 3b) to the rails (4a, 4b), thus allowing the bands (3a, 3b) to be immobilized in a desired position of the rails (4a, 4b).