JP2006334096A - Fluoroscopic equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve a problem wherein, when fluoroscopically performing an examination and a treatment of a subject, an operator is tired out by repeatedly reciprocating the visual axis between a monitor screen displaying a fluoroscopic image and an examination site of the subject. <P>SOLUTION: A video projector 12 is mounted on a collimator 2 as a substitute for a light source lamp of a light filed, the fluoroscopic image obtained by an image intensifier 3 and a television camera 5 is transmitted to the video projector 12 via an image processing unit 13, and the fluoroscopic image is projected and displayed in a place corresponding to the X-ray filed on the body surface of the subject 9. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an X-ray fluoroscopic apparatus that performs fluoroscopic imaging of a subject for diagnosis using X-rays.

  In general, in a fluoroscopic imaging apparatus, a high voltage is applied from a high voltage generator 10 to an X-ray tube apparatus 1 held by an X-ray holding apparatus 7 facing the image intensifier 3 as shown in FIG. The collimator 2 is attached to the front surface of the X-ray tube apparatus 1 in order to reduce the exposure of the subject 9 by shielding a portion of the X-rays generated and unnecessary for imaging. Normally, the collimator 2 includes a pair of vertical and horizontal collimator leaves 2D that perform opening and closing operations orthogonal to each other in order to form a rectangular irradiation field. Only the leaf 2D is displayed, and the lateral collimator leaf 2D is omitted. An operator (not shown) opens and closes each of the pair of vertical and horizontal collimator leaves 2D by operating the operation panel 14 connected to the control unit 11 via the collimator driving unit 2E.

  However, before the X-ray imaging, the operator adjusts the irradiation field size, irradiates the subject 9 on the imaging table 8 with X-rays, and is configured by the image intensifier 3, the optical system 4, and the TV camera 5. Observing the fluoroscopic image output from the X-ray light receiving unit and displayed on the monitor device 6 leads to an increase in exposure of the subject 9, so that the collimator 2 normally has a built-in lamp 2B serving as a light source, It has the function of irradiating light instead of. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, a mirror 2A made of acrylic or the like with little X-ray absorption is installed on the X-ray path inside the collimator 2, and the X-ray focal point position 1A and the object are reflected on the reflection surface. The slit 2C is disposed at the position of 2 and the lamp 2B is disposed on the opposite side of the mirror 2A in the vicinity of the slit 2C. With such a configuration, light irradiated from the lamp 2B, passing through the slit 2C, reflected by the mirror 2A, and passed between the two pairs of collimator leaves 2D forms the same irradiation field as the X-rays form. Therefore, the operator can determine the size and position of the X-ray irradiation field while looking at the irradiation field with light (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

On the other hand, at the time of fluoroscopy, the operator adjusts the size of the irradiation field and positions the subject 9 while observing the fluoroscopic image displayed on the monitor device 6, and examines the insertion of a catheter for fracture reduction and angiography. And do work for treatment.
JP 2005-006971 A

  When performing operations for examination and treatment under fluoroscopy as described above, the surgeon observes the fluoroscopic image displayed on the monitor device installed in the vicinity of the imaging table, and examines the subject on the imaging table. On the other hand, necessary work such as fracture reduction and catheter insertion is performed. Therefore, the surgeon must repeatedly reciprocate the line of sight between the monitor screen during work and the examination site of the subject, and this work increases the fatigue of the surgeon. In view of such circumstances, the present invention reduces the burden on the operator that the line of sight must be repeatedly reciprocated between the monitor screen and the subject when performing work for examination or treatment under fluoroscopy. With the goal.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an X-ray tube device, an X-ray collimator which is attached to the front surface of the X-ray tube device and limits an X-ray irradiation field, a high voltage generator, an imaging table, and an X-ray light receiving device. X-ray fluoroscopic apparatus comprising a monitor unit and a monitor device, wherein a central axis of projection light projected from a projection lens forms the irradiation field with respect to a reflecting surface of a reflecting mirror installed inside the X-ray collimator An image projecting means for projecting an image onto an object placed on the imaging table, and an image signal given from the X-ray light receiving unit are attached to the X-ray collimator so as to be a target of the central axis of the line. Provided is an X-ray fluoroscopic apparatus provided with image processing means for processing and outputting to the image projection means.

  According to the present invention, the operator determines the size and position of the irradiation field by the light from the lamp built in the collimator, which is usually performed before X-ray imaging, by the light from the image projection means attached to the collimator instead of the lamp. A place that corresponds to the X-ray irradiation field on the body surface of the subject or clothes worn for examination or treatment when performing work for examination or treatment under fluoroscopy, which can be performed as before. The operator can proceed while observing the fluoroscopic image projected on the screen or the image-processed fluoroscopic image, which greatly increases the burden on the surgeon who must reciprocate the line of sight between the monitor screen and the subject's examination site. To be reduced. As a result, the work time is shortened, leading to a reduction in the X-ray exposure of the subject and the operator.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 1 for fracture reduction work performed under fluoroscopy. 1 are the same as those in FIG. 2 and the description thereof is omitted.

  When the surgeon places the subject 9 on the imaging table 8 and then steps on a foot switch (not shown) which is connected to the control unit 11 and placed on the floor near the imaging table 8, the control unit 11 drives the high voltage generator 10 to apply a high voltage to the X-ray tube apparatus 1 and irradiate X-rays. X-rays transmitted through the subject 9 are converted into an optical image by the image intensifier 3 and converted into a video signal by the television camera 5 input via the optical system 4. The video signal input from the TV camera 5 to the image processing unit 13 is digitized, subjected to predetermined image processing such as smoothing or edge enhancement, and then output to the monitor device 6 and a video projector attached to the collimator 2. 12 is also output. The video projector 12 is a device for projecting and displaying an image given by a video signal on a screen or the like, and a circular image representing the entire light receiving portion of the image intensifier 3 is set by the size adjustment function of the video projector 12 at the time of installation or the like. When projected, the diameter of the image is adjusted on the light receiving surface of the image intensifier 3 so as to match the diameter of the light receiving portion. As a result, the fluoroscopic image projected on the body surface of the subject 9 becomes substantially real.

  Here, the video projector 12 is compatible with a color image, and the image processing unit 13 is designated by the setting of the operation panel 14 connected to the control unit 11 instead of the monochrome gradation display image output to the monitor device 6. An image with a gradation display of the color to be output is output.

  The video projector 12 projects from the projection lens instead of the X-ray focal point position 1A and the slit 2C disposed at the target position and the lamp 2B disposed in the vicinity thereof on the reflection surface of the mirror 2A described in FIG. The projection light is attached to the collimator 2 so that the central axis of the projection light is the target of the central axis of the X-ray that forms the irradiation field with respect to the reflection surface of the mirror 2A. As a result, the image projected from the video projector 12 is projected to a location corresponding to the X-ray irradiation field on the body surface of the subject 9. The operator operates the operation panel 14 to select a color that makes the image of the bone projected on the body surface of the subject 9 most visible.

  As a result, the operator can proceed with the fracture reduction work while viewing the fluoroscopic image projected on the body surface of the subject 9, so that the degree of fatigue is greatly reduced compared to the work performed while viewing the conventional monitor device 6. The As a result, the work time is shortened, leading to a reduction in X-ray exposure of the subject 9 and the operator.

  Note that when determining the size and position of the irradiation field by the light emitted from the video projector 12 before X-ray imaging, the image processing unit 13 has a uniform brightness on the entire screen for the video projector 12. Output an image. This is performed automatically at the end of fluoroscopy or by operating the operation panel 14.

  The above embodiment described the fracture reduction work performed under X-ray fluoroscopy, but it is also effective for other work performed under X-ray fluoroscopy such as catheter insertion performed under X-ray fluoroscopy at the time of cardiovascular X-ray examination. It is.

  In the above embodiment, the smoothed or edge-enhanced image is given as an example of the image output by the image processing unit 13, but the image of the cursor or character information superimposed on the fluoroscopic image by the operation of the operation panel 14 or the image processing. In order to make the obtained image easier to see, an image subjected to effective image processing for each technique, such as a pseudo-colored image, is output.

  In the above embodiment, the X-ray light receiving unit is constituted by the image intensifier 3, the optical system 4 and the television camera 5, but may be constituted by a flat panel detector instead.

  In order to reduce the X-ray exposure of the subject 9 and the operator, the fluoroscopy is intermittently performed, and the last one frame image is stored in the image memory when the fluoroscopy is interrupted, and the stored image is stored in the monitor device 6 during the fluoroscopy cutoff. In the past, the image for the last one frame is also stored in the image memory in the image processing unit 13 at the time of the fluoroscopy interruption, and during the fluoroscopy interruption. The stored image may be output and displayed on the monitor device 6 and the video projector 12.

  The present invention relates to an X-ray fluoroscopic apparatus that performs fluoroscopic imaging of a subject for diagnosis using X-rays.

It is a figure for demonstrating the Example of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the inspection method under the conventional fluoroscopy.

Explanation of symbols

1: X-ray tube apparatus 1A: X-ray focal position 2: Collimator 2A: Mirror 2B: Lamp 2C: Slit 2D: Collimator leaf 2E: Collimator drive unit 3: Image intensifier 4: Optical system 5: TV camera 6: Monitor Device 7: X-ray holding device 8: Imaging table 9: Subject 10: High voltage generator 11: Control unit 12: Video projector 13: Image processing unit 14: Operation panel

Claims (1)

X-ray fluoroscopic imaging comprising an X-ray tube device, an X-ray collimator which is attached to the front surface of the X-ray tube device and limits an X-ray irradiation field, a high voltage generator, an imaging table, an X-ray receiving unit, and a monitor device In the apparatus, the X axis so that the central axis of the projection light projected from the projection lens is the target of the X axis central axis of the X-ray that forms the irradiation field with respect to the reflecting surface of the reflecting mirror installed inside the X-ray collimator. An image projection unit that is attached to the line collimator and projects an image onto a subject placed on the imaging table; and an image process that processes an image signal given from the X-ray light receiving unit and outputs the processed image signal to the image projection unit An X-ray fluoroscopic apparatus characterized by comprising means.

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