JPH01276597A - X-ray inspecting device for tooth - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To surely and easily observe a tooth image by providing a tooth X-ray image receiving device constituted of an X-ray generating device and an image observing device and a control device with a control circuit controlling the electronic shutter of a camera. CONSTITUTION:The fluorescent screen 11 section of a tooth X-ray image receiving television camera head 1 is brought into contact with the back face of a tooth T2 at the required position of a patient. X-rays are radiated from an X-ray generating device A toward the tooth T2 and the tooth X-ray image receiving shutter type television camera heat 1 by start signals of an x-ray generation starting switch C1 and an X-ray generation time adjusting timer C2, an X-ray fluorescent image of the tooth is displayed on the fluorescent screen 11. This tooth X-ray image receiving shutter type television camera head 1 stores the fluorescent screen 11, accumulation type solid image pickup element 12, and a semiconductor integrated circuit 13 containing a preamplifier, a clock pulse generator, an accumulation transfer control circuit. It is small-sized and lightweight and can be easily inserted into an oral cavity, an X-ray fluorescent tooth image can be surely and easily observed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to a dental X-ray inspection device, and particularly has a dental X-ray image receiving device using a storage type solid-state image sensor in an intra-oral insertion television camera head. This invention relates to a tooth X-ray inspection device.

(Prior art and problems to be solved by the invention) Conventionally,
In dental diagnosis using X-rays, a piece of X-ray film is held against the back surface of a tooth in the oral cavity with a fingertip, and X-rays are irradiated onto it from an X-ray generating tube placed outside the oral cavity. The most common practice is to obtain a tooth X-ray image film and observe it to diagnose damage, abnormal conditions, etc. of the tooth.

However, such intraoral support of the X-ray film with fingers requires an unnatural posture, and it is difficult to maintain the X-ray film stably during the X-ray irradiation period so as not to shift the position or cause "shaking". Have difficulty. Further, after X-ray irradiation, it is necessary to take time and effort to develop, fix, wash, etc. the film, and it is not easy to store and manage the film.

Furthermore, the amount of X-ray irradiation to the teeth is considerable, and reductions in this amount are expected.

(Means for Solving the Problems) The present invention has been made to solve the above problems,
That is, A: an X-ray generator, B: an X-ray fluorescent screen, and the X-ray generator.
An image observation device having an intra-oral insertion type tooth X-ray image receiving shutter type TV camera head having a storage type solid-state image pickup device provided opposite to a fluorescent screen surface, a connecting cable, a camera control device, a memory, and a monitor. a tooth X-ray image receiving device consisting of a COX-ray generation start switch, a timer for adjusting X-ray generation time, and a control circuit that controls an electronic shutter of a camera control device in the image observation device based on a signal from the timer. This is a tooth X-ray inspection device characterized by comprising a control device consisting of the following.

The tooth X-ray inspection device of the present invention is generally composed of A: an X-ray generator, B: a tooth X-ray image receiver, and C: a control device, as shown in FIG. ing.

A: As the X-ray generator, one used in normal dental X-ray examinations can be used.

B: The tooth X-ray image receiving device includes an X-ray fluorescent screen 11 and a storage type solid-state image sensor 1 provided opposite to the surface of the X-ray fluorescent screen 11.
2, a connecting cable 2, and an image observation device 3 having a camera control device 31, a memory 33, and a monitor 32.

The tooth X-ray image receiving shutter type television camera head 1 is constructed by having an X-ray fluorescent screen 11 provided on the side in contact with the tooth, and a storage type solid-state image pickup device 12 closely attached to the back surface of the screen. The tooth X-ray fluorescence image reflected on the fluorescent screen 11 is converted into a video signal with an extremely large number of pixels by the storage type solid-state image sensor 12, and a good image comparable to that obtained when a high-sensitivity solid-state image sensor is used is obtained. make it possible.

-a In dental X-ray examination, the illuminance of the X-ray tooth image on the fluorescent screen is low, but the subject tooth can remain substantially stationary, so a still image can be obtained, and the exposure time
In other words, it becomes possible to lengthen the accumulation time.

Normally, one TV field is 1/60 second, but in the present invention, a shutter method is used and exposure is performed for an arbitrary long period of time, for example, a fraction of a second, in conjunction with the start and stop times of the X-ray generator. By doing so, during photoelectric conversion in the solid-state image sensor, the storage time of the photosensitive portion can be lengthened, and the amount of received light can be increased.

Therefore, it is possible to obtain a x81 tooth image that is substantially bright even under low illumination and has a good S/N ratio.

Next, the signal charge of the accumulated image is transferred from the camera head 1 by a transfer command from the control circuit C5 at the same time that the X-ray irradiation is finished by the timer C2 for adjusting the X-ray generation time.
It is sent to the camera control device 31.

The first screen with the highest degree of accumulation of this video signal is stored in the memory 33 in a television format, and is taken out from the memory 33 at will and reproduced on the monitor 32 for observation.

The video signal from the solid-state image sensor 12 is supplied to the image observation device 3 via the semiconductor integrated circuit 13 and the cable 2 .

The cable 2 is generally flexible and uses a multi-core cable.

Next, the control device C is connected to the X-ray generating device A and the dental X-ray image receiving device B by connecting cables 21 and 22. When the X-ray generation start switch C1 is pressed, a timer C3 for adjusting the X-ray generation time is activated, and at the same time X-ray irradiation is started, an electronic shutter start signal is sent to the camera control device 31 by the control circuit C3, and the camera is activated. Accumulation is started in the photosensitive portion of the head 1.

When the timer C2 expires, X-ray irradiation is completed, and at the same time, the video signal accumulated in the photosensitive section of the camera head 1 is transferred to the control circuit C.
The information is transferred to the camera control device 31 according to the command from 5.

Note that it is preferable that the connection cable 2 near the tooth xlil image receiving television camera head 1 is provided with a large number of hemispherical protrusions 41 on the cover 4 portion of its surface. The cover 4 is preferably made of strong waterproof resin, and the protrusion 41 is
The subject has upper and lower teeth T.

By engaging the cover 4 portions of the cable 2 at T2, it helps to easily and reliably support and fix the tooth X-ray image receiving television camera head 1 in a predetermined position.

Furthermore, since at least the X-ray fluorescent screen 11 and the cable 2 in the vicinity of the device of the present invention are used by being inserted into the oral cavity, their outer peripheral surfaces are completely waterproofed with a synthetic resin coating or the like. :3 is desirable.

(Example) Next, an example of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a partially sectional side view including a block diagram of a tooth X-ray inspection apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

First, the fluorescent screen 11 of the dental X-ray image receiving television camera head 1 is brought into contact with the back surface of the tooth T2 at a desired location on the patient.

Next, the X-ray generation start switch C and the start signal of the timer C2 for adjusting the X-ray generation time send X-rays from the X-ray generation device A toward the tooth T2 and the tooth X-ray image receiving shutter TV camera head. irradiation, and an X-ray fluorescent image of the tooth is made to appear on the fluorescent plate 11.

A tooth Xll image receiving shutter type television camera head 1 according to the present invention includes a fluorescent screen 11 and a storage type solid-state image sensor 1.
2, and a semiconductor integrated circuit 13 including a preamplifier, a clock pulse generator, a storage and transfer control circuit, etc.
For example, its shape and size are 30 mm in length and 20 mm in width.
, is a rectangular parallelepiped with a height of 20 mm.

In the illustrated example, the tooth X-ray image receiving shutter type television camera head 1 is attached to the cable 2 at an obtuse angle (approximately 120°), and the teeth TI, T2 at various locations in the oral cavity are
It is easy to make proper contact with ....

After that, the fluorescent image of the tooth developed on the fluorescent screen 11 is converted into an electric signal by the photosensitive part of the imaging surface of the storage type solid-state image sensor 12, and is multiplied by M until the end of the X-ray irradiation. In response to a transfer command from C1, the data is sent to the television camera control device 31 via the connection cable 2.

The video signal from the television camera control device 31 is stored in the memory 3.
3, the first screen is stored in memory and can be played back and observed on the monitor 32. Note that, if necessary, a video image search setting device 34 may be provided to select any screen at any time and observe it on the monitor 32.

Incidentally, in the example shown in FIG. 1, the fluorescent screen 11 and the storage type solid-state image sensor 12 are in close contact, but if a reduction lens is inserted between them, it is possible to use a small-sized storage type solid-state image sensor with a small area. It is possible to capture the entire tooth X-ray fluorescence image even when the tooth is exposed.

(Effects of the Invention) As is clear from the above description of the embodiments, etc., the tooth X-ray single-image receiving television camera head according to the apparatus of the present invention has an integrated structure, in particular, a fluorescent screen and a storage type solid-state image sensor. Therefore, it is small and lightweight, and can be easily inserted into the oral cavity.
Line fluorescent tooth images can be observed reliably and easily.

Furthermore, by adopting an electronic shutter method, it is possible to obtain images comparable to those of a high-sensitivity image sensor using inexpensive equipment.

Furthermore, since the X-ray fluorescent tooth image is processed as a video signal, its recording, reproduction, analysis, etc. can be easily performed without limiting time and place.

Since the X-ray fluorescence image is converted into a television electric signal and processed, the X-ray irradiation time can be shortened, and therefore the amount of X-ray exposure can be sufficiently reduced.

Therefore, the tooth X-ray inspection apparatus of the present invention is useful for diagnosing teeth etc. simply, appropriately and safely.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 shows a partially sectional side view including a block diagram of a tooth X-ray inspection apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. A, X-ray generator, B: Tooth X-ray image receiver C/control device 1: Tooth Cover. 11: Xli fluorescent screen, 12: If? type solid-state image sensor. 13: Semiconductor integrated circuit, 31: Camera control device. 32: Monitor, 33: Memory. 34: Video image search setting device, 41: Protrusion C+: X-ray generation start switch, C2: Timer. C1/Control circuit

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) Intra-oral dental X-ray image receiving shutter type TV camera having A: an X-ray generator, B: an X-ray fluorescent screen, and a storage type solid-state imaging device provided opposite to the surface of the X-ray fluorescent screen. Tooth
A control circuit consisting of a ray image receiving device, and C: an X-ray generation start switch, a timer for adjusting the X-ray generation time, and a control circuit that controls an electronic shutter of a camera control device in the image observation device based on a signal from the timer. A tooth X-ray inspection device comprising: