JP2005287668A - X-ray imaging apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an X-ray imaging apparatus which can adjust the height of the irradiation means and the receiving means according to the body type of the examinee and also adjust the irradiated range easily in a short time. <P>SOLUTION: The X-ray apparatus comprises the irradiating means 5 and the receiving means 8 supported at the main body 1 so as to be simultaneously adjustable upward and downward and located opposing to each other, and the aperture means 7 to control the irradiated range by opening or closing the aperture vane 7b adjusting the irradiating means 5 and the receiving means 8 separately or in synchronization upward or downward against the center O of the irradiation from the irradiating means 5. Even if body types of examinees are significantly different, for example those of adults or children, the X-ray imaging apparatus allows the easy and accurate adjustment of the irradiated range according to the body type and allows users to adjust the height of the receiving means 8 and the irradiating means 5 according to the body type of the examinee in a short time, since the receiving means 8 and irradiating means 5 are not necessary to be separated from the synchronization for adjusting their height. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an X-ray imaging apparatus capable of easily adjusting the height of an X-ray irradiation means and an X-ray image receiving means and adjusting an X-ray irradiation field according to the physique of a subject.

Conventionally, an X-ray imaging apparatus that mainly images a subject's chest is an X-ray receiver such as an X-ray detector that receives X-rays on a support b installed on a floor a as shown in FIGS. The means c is provided so that it can be adjusted up and down, and an X-ray irradiation means d for irradiating X-rays toward the X-ray image receiving means c is installed behind the X-ray image receiving means c.
The X-ray irradiating means d is attached to, for example, a moving table f provided on the ceiling surface e via an extendable arm g. When the X-ray receiving means c is adjusted up and down, the X-ray irradiating means d is interlocked with the X-ray receiving means c. By extending and contracting the telescopic arm g in the vertical direction, the height of the X-ray image receiving means c and the X-ray irradiation means d can be adjusted in a state where the center of the X-ray image receiving means c and the center of the X-ray irradiation means d always coincide. It is configured.
Further, in some conventional X-ray imaging apparatuses, an X-ray image receiving means c and an X-ray irradiation means d are installed on a floor a as shown in FIGS.

In the conventional X-ray imaging apparatus shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, since the X-ray image receiving means c and the X-ray irradiation means d move up and down in conjunction with each other, the X-ray image receiving means c is adapted to the physique of the subject. When the vertical adjustment is performed, the X-ray irradiation means d side automatically moves up and down, so that there is an advantage that the trouble of adjusting the X-ray irradiation means d side up and down can be saved.
In the case where the subject is a child whose physique is smaller than an adult, the irradiation field is further adjusted after adjusting the height of the X-ray image receiving means c in accordance with the physique of the subject. In the X-ray apparatus, when the height of the X-ray image receiving means c is adjusted according to a subject having a small physique such as a child, the center of the X-ray comes around the abdomen of the subject, and only the intended chest Cannot be photographed accurately.

For this reason, conventionally, the interlocking relationship between the X-ray image receiving means c and the X-ray irradiation means d is once cut off, and the height of the X-ray image receiving means c is first adjusted with reference to the subject's jaw, and then the X-ray irradiation means. After adjusting d up and down so that the center of the X-ray is in the vicinity of the subject's chest, the X-ray irradiation field is further adjusted. There was a problem that adjustment took time.
In particular, since the center of the X-ray is often adjusted by an X-ray engineer with an eye amount, in practice, the vertical adjustment of the X-ray irradiation means d and the aperture means g provided in front of the X-ray irradiation means d are adjusted. Since the adjustment is repeated several times to determine the center of the X-ray and the X-ray irradiation field, the X-ray imaging takes time and the work efficiency is poor, and the X-ray image receiving means c and the X-ray irradiation means d There is a problem that the structure becomes complicated because a mechanism for separating and interlocking the interlocking relationship is necessary.

  The present invention was made in order to improve such conventional problems, and the height adjustment of the X-ray irradiation means and the X-ray image receiving means in accordance with the physique of the subject and the adjustment of the X-ray irradiation field can be performed in a short time. An object of the present invention is to provide an X-ray imaging apparatus that can be easily used.

  The X-ray imaging apparatus of the present invention is supported by the apparatus main body so that it can be adjusted up and down at the same time. On the other hand, it is composed of diaphragm means for adjusting the X-ray irradiation field by opening and closing the diaphragm blades independently and / or interlockingly in the vertical direction.

With the above configuration, since the X-ray irradiation field can be adjusted by opening and closing only the lower diaphragm blade with respect to the center of the X-ray, even if the subject has a large difference in physique like an adult and a child The X-ray irradiation field can be adjusted easily and accurately according to the physique, and if the subject is a child, the X-ray irradiation field will not spread more than necessary. Can be reduced.
Even if the subject is a child with a small physique, it is not necessary to separate the height of the X-ray image receiving means and the X-ray irradiation means and adjust the height individually. The height adjustment of the X-ray image receiving means and the X-ray irradiation means can be easily performed in a short time, and a mechanism for separating and individually adjusting the interlocking relationship between the X-ray image receiving means and the X-ray irradiation means becomes unnecessary. Since the height adjustment mechanism of the X-ray image receiving means and the X-ray irradiation means can be simplified, the cost of the X-ray imaging apparatus can be reduced.

  In the X-ray imaging apparatus of the present invention, the diaphragm means includes a plurality of diaphragm blades divided in the vertical direction with respect to the center of the X-ray, and diaphragm drive means for opening and closing the diaphragm blades in the vertical direction independently and / or in conjunction with each other. It is composed of

  With this configuration, the aperture means can be configured with a small number of parts, so that the aperture means can be obtained at a low cost.

  In the X-ray imaging apparatus of the present invention, the X-ray irradiating means and the X-ray image receiving means are provided so as to face both end sides of a support arm supported by the apparatus main body so as to be movable up and down.

  With the above structure, the height of the X-ray irradiation means and the X-ray image receiving means can be adjusted simultaneously by moving the support arm up and down, and the centers of the X-ray irradiation means and the X-ray image receiving means are not shifted. Even if the child is a small physique, etc., the height of the X-ray image receiving means and the X-ray irradiation means can be easily adjusted in a short time according to the physique of the subject, and the support arm can be moved up and down. Since the height of the X-ray image receiving means and the X-ray irradiation means can be adjusted, the height adjustment means for adjusting the heights of the X-ray image receiving means and the X-ray irradiation means can be simplified.

  In the X-ray imaging apparatus of the present invention, the support arm is constituted by a plurality of first and second arms that are extendable in the longitudinal direction, and the first and second arms are extended and contracted, whereby the X-ray irradiation means and the X The distance to the line image receiving means is adjustable.

  With this configuration, the interval between the X-ray irradiating means and the X-ray image receiving means can be easily adjusted during chest imaging, so that imaging suitable for each part can be easily performed.

  In the X-ray imaging apparatus of the present invention, the support arm is rotatable in the vertical direction around the support portion of the apparatus main body.

  With this configuration, even when the subject is imaged from an oblique direction by rotating the support arm, the X-ray image receiving means can be easily and accurately adjusted so as to face the X irradiation means.

  According to the X-ray imaging apparatus of the present invention, the X-ray irradiation field can be easily and accurately adjusted according to the physique even if the subject has a large difference in physique like an adult and a child. Even if the person is a child with a small physique, it is not necessary to separate the height of the X-ray receiving means and the X-ray irradiating means and adjust the height individually. The height adjustment of the means and the X-ray irradiation means can be easily performed in a short time.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
1 is a perspective view of the X-ray imaging apparatus, FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a diaphragm means for adjusting an X-ray irradiation field, and FIG.
The apparatus main body 1 of the X-ray imaging apparatus shown in FIG. 1 has a vertically long rectangular tube-shaped main body case 1a installed on the floor, and a columnar support member (not shown) is provided in the main body case 1a. It is erected.
The front surface of the main body case 1a is provided with a slider 2 that is supported by the support member so as to be vertically slidable. The slider 2 is vertically raised by a vertical driving means (not shown) provided in the main body case 1a. It can be adjusted.
A rotating shaft 3 is supported in the horizontal direction at the center of the slider 2, and the rotating shaft 3 can be rotated approximately 180 degrees by a rotation driving means (not shown) provided in the slider 2. The proximal end side of the support arm 4 formed in a substantially inverted U shape is fixed to the distal end portion of the rotating shaft 3 projecting from the side surface of 2.
The support arm 4 is divided into a first arm 4a and a second arm 4b from substantially the middle part, and the divided end of the second arm 4b is slidably fitted on the divided end side of the first arm 4a. The first arm 4a and the second arm 4b can be expanded and contracted by an arm expansion / contraction means (not shown) provided in the support arm 4, and an X-ray irradiation means is provided at the tip of the second arm 4b. 5 is attached via the slide drive means 6.

The slide driving means 6 slides the X-ray irradiation means 5 in a direction orthogonal to the turning direction of the support arm 4, thereby causing the X-ray irradiation means 5 to move relative to the center of the X-ray image receiving means 8. The center can be offset adjusted.
The X-ray irradiation means 5 contains an X-ray tube 5 a therein, and X-rays generated from the X-ray tube 5 a are transmitted through an aperture means 7 provided in front of the X-ray irradiation means 5. The line image receiving means 8 is irradiated.
As shown in FIG. 2, the diaphragm means 7 has a rectangular box-shaped diaphragm case 7a, and a plate-shaped diaphragm blade 7b divided into two in the vertical direction is provided in the diaphragm case 7a.
Each diaphragm blade 7b is fixed to the rotation shaft 7c at one end side, and is attached to the other end of a rotation arm 7d that rotates in the vertical direction around the rotation shaft 7c. The X-ray irradiation field irradiated toward the image receiving means 8 can be adjusted.

In the vicinity of each rotation shaft 7c fixed to one end side of the rotation arm 7d, there is provided an aperture drive means 9 that can be adjusted by interlocking and independently operating the aperture blade 7b.
The aperture drive means 9 rotates synchronously and can rotate independently, a drive gear 9c fixed to the rotary shaft 9b of the motor 9a, and a drive gear fixed to the rotary shaft 7c. When the motors 9a are synchronously rotated, the diaphragm blades 7b are opened and closed by the same amount around the center O of the X-ray, and the motors 9a are selectively rotated. Thus, only one of the diaphragm blades 7b can be opened and closed, or the opening / closing amount of each diaphragm blade 7b can be arbitrarily adjusted.

The X-ray image receiving means 8 provided on the side of the rotary shaft 3 that supports the support arm 4 is constituted by, for example, an X-ray flat sensor, a CR (Computed Redography) using an imaging plate (IP), etc. As shown in FIG. 1, the surface facing the subject is a flat rectangular box with a flat surface, and one end of another rotating shaft 10 provided coaxially with the rotating shaft 3 on the side surface on the rotating shaft side. Is fixed.
The other end side of the rotation shaft 10 is rotatably supported on the base end side of the support arm 4, and the rotation shaft 10 is rotated by a rotation driving means (not shown) provided at the base end portion of the support arm 4. By doing so, the X-ray image receiving means 8 can be rotated about 90 degrees about the rotation shaft 10.

Next, the operation of the X-ray imaging apparatus configured as described above will be described.
Usually, as shown in FIG. 1, the center of the X-ray image receiving means 8 provided on the base end side of the support arm 4 and the center of the X-ray irradiation means 5 provided on the distal end side of the support arm 4 coincide. However, the X-ray irradiation means 5 is slid in the direction perpendicular to the turning direction of the support arm 4 by the slide drive means 6, thereby adjusting the offset of the center of the X-ray irradiation means 5 with respect to the center of the X-ray image receiving means 8. It is also possible.
When the subject is large like an adult, the height of the X-ray image receiving means 8 is adjusted by moving the slider 2 up and down so that the chest of the subject and the center of the X-ray image receiving means 8 substantially coincide with each other. To do.
At this time, since the X-ray irradiation means 5 provided at the tip of the support arm 4 also moves up and down together with the X-ray image receiving means 8, the centers of the X-ray irradiation means 5 and the X-ray image receiving means 8 do not shift.
After adjusting the height of the X-ray image receiving means 8 according to the physique of the subject, the X-ray irradiation field is adjusted by the diaphragm means 7. Since the motors 9a of the aperture driving means 9 are synchronously rotated to open and close the aperture blades 7b in the vertical direction by the same amount with respect to the center O of the X-ray to adjust the X-ray irradiation field. To do.

When the height adjustment of the X-ray image receiving means 8 and the adjustment of the X-ray irradiation field by the diaphragm means 7 are completed as described above, X-rays are emitted from the X-ray irradiation means 5 toward the X-ray image receiving means 8. X-ray imaging of the subject's chest standing in front of the line image receiving means 8, which is similar to the conventional X-ray imaging apparatus in which the conventional X-ray irradiation means and the X-ray image receiving means operate synchronously X-rays can be taken in preparation time.
On the other hand, when the subject is small like a child, the height of the X-ray image receiving means 8 is adjusted by lowering the slider 2 so that the center of the X-ray image receiving means 8 substantially coincides with the chest of the subject. .
At this time, since the X-ray image receiving means 8 and the X-ray irradiation means 5 supported by the support arm 4 are simultaneously lowered, the center of the X-ray image receiving means 8 and the center of the X-ray irradiation means 5 are not shifted. The height adjustment of the X-ray image receiving means 8 and the X-ray irradiation means 5 can be performed in a shorter time compared to the case where the X-ray image receiving means 8 and the X-ray irradiation means 5 are separated and the individual adjustment is repeated.

When the height adjustment of the X-ray image receiving means 8 and the X-ray irradiation means 5 is completed, the X-ray irradiation field is adjusted by the diaphragm means 7. Since the lower irradiation field is small, only the lower motor 9a of the diaphragm driving means 9 is rotated to rotate the lower diaphragm blade 7b upward, and as shown in FIG. Is adjusted so that the lower irradiation field becomes smaller.
As a result, the height adjustment of the X-ray image receiving means 8 and the X-ray irradiation means 5 and the adjustment of the X-ray irradiation field by the diaphragm means 7 can be easily performed in a short time without requiring troublesome operations. In addition, since the X-ray irradiation field does not spread more than necessary, the X-ray exposure dose of the subject can also be reduced.
When the height adjustment of the X-ray image receiving means 8 and the adjustment of the X-ray irradiation field by the diaphragm means 7 are completed as described above, X-rays are emitted from the X-ray irradiation means 5 toward the X-ray image receiving means 8. X-ray imaging of the chest of the subject standing in front of the line image receiving means 8 is possible, and X-ray imaging can be performed in a short time even when the subject is a small child.

  On the other hand, when X-ray imaging is performed on a subject in a supine position, the rotary shaft 3 is rotated by a rotary drive unit installed in the slider 3 so that the X-ray irradiation unit 5 is on the upper side and the X-ray image is received. The support arm 4 has only to be rotated approximately 90 degrees so that the means 8 is on the lower side, and the chest of the subject in a prone position and other parts can be easily X-rayed. .

  The X-ray imaging apparatus of the present invention can easily and accurately adjust the X-ray irradiation field according to the physique even if the subject has a large difference in physique like an adult and a child. Even in the case of a child with a small physique, the height of the X-ray receiving means and the X-ray irradiation means can be easily adjusted in a short time according to the physique of the subject. Suitable for the device.

1 is a perspective view of an X-ray imaging apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is sectional drawing of the aperture | diaphragm | squeezing means part of the X-ray imaging apparatus which becomes embodiment of this invention. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing of the X-ray imaging apparatus which becomes embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing of the conventional X-ray imaging apparatus. It is explanatory drawing of the conventional X-ray imaging apparatus. It is explanatory drawing of the conventional X-ray imaging apparatus. It is explanatory drawing of the conventional X-ray imaging apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Apparatus main body 4 Support arm 4a 1st arm 4b 2nd arm 5 X-ray irradiation means 7 Diaphragm means 7b Diaphragm blade 8 X-ray image receiving means 9 Diaphragm drive means

Claims (5)

An X-ray irradiating means and an X-ray image receiving means which are supported by the apparatus main body so that they can be adjusted simultaneously in the vertical direction, and are independent in the vertical direction with respect to the center of the X-rays emitted from the X-ray irradiating means. Alternatively, an X-ray imaging apparatus comprising: aperture means for adjusting an X-ray irradiation field by opening and closing aperture blades in conjunction with each other. The X-ray imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the diaphragm unit includes a plurality of diaphragm blades divided in the vertical direction with respect to the center of the X-ray and the diaphragm blades independently and / or interlocked with each other. An X-ray imaging apparatus comprising: aperture driving means that opens and closes in a direction. The X-ray imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the X-ray irradiation unit and the X-ray image receiving unit are provided so as to face both end sides of a support arm supported by the apparatus main body so as to be movable up and down. X-ray imaging apparatus characterized by this. The X-ray imaging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the support arm is configured by a plurality of first and second arms that are extendable in a longitudinal direction, and the first and second arms are extended and retracted, An X-ray imaging apparatus characterized in that the distance between the X-ray irradiation means and the X-ray image receiving means is adjustable. The X-ray imaging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the support arm is rotatable up and down about a support portion of the apparatus main body.

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