JPH04288146A - X-ray diagnosing apparatus and x-ray variable stop apparatus used therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reproduce a position involved of a holder automatically when an image is taken in an optional direction of X-ray irradiation while the position involved of an X-ray variable stop is reproduced automatically corresponding to the position. CONSTITUTION:A common identification code is attached to information on the position of a holder 11 when an image is taken in an optional direction of X-ray and information on the position of an X-ray variable stop 12 the obtained with an operator 16. Information of positions of shafts of the holder 11 and information on the position of an adjusting member of the X-ray variable stop 12 are stored into a holder controller 14 and a variable stop controller 15 respectively corresponding to the identification code. Thus, with the identification code as key, the position involved of the holder 11 and the position involved of the X-ray variable stop 12 corresponding to the position are reproduced automatically.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

[Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an X-ray diagnostic apparatus that can arbitrarily set the direction of X-ray irradiation to a subject and perform fluoroscopic imaging of the subject from multiple directions. An X-ray diagnostic device capable of automatically reproducing the relevant position of a holding device when taking an X-ray image, and also automatically reproducing the relevant position of an X-ray movable aperture corresponding to that position, and the X-ray used therein. This invention relates to a linear movable aperture device.

0002

[Prior Art] When performing X-ray fluoroscopic imaging of a subject, X-ray A movable X-ray diaphragm installed at the front of the tube for X-ray radiation was used to narrow down the X-ray irradiation range using X-ray diaphragm blades, and filter blades were inserted to prevent halation. Such X-ray narrowing down and filtering operations need to be adjusted to an appropriate state each time the direction of X-ray irradiation to the subject is changed.

An example of the operation of an X-ray diagnostic apparatus combined with a conventional X-ray movable diaphragm will be described with reference to FIG. Figure 3
1 shows an example of performing fluoroscopic imaging of a cardiovascular system, in which an X-ray tube 2 and an imaging system 3 are arranged facing each other with a subject 1 positioned between them, and X-rays are emitted from the X-ray tube 2. The transmitted X-ray image transmitted through the subject 1 enters the imaging system 3 and is converted into an optical image. In the subject 1, the heart 4 and the lung field 5 are organs that are close to each other, and their respective X-ray absorption coefficients are greatly different. Their strengths were greatly different. Therefore, the portion of the fluoroscopic image taken by the X-rays that has passed only through the lung field 5 is in a state of halation,
This resulted in images with low diagnostic value.

[0004] In order to prevent such a phenomenon, the X-ray tube 2
Using an X-ray movable diaphragm 6 provided on the front side of the X-ray radiation, the halation area is shielded with X-ray diaphragm blades (not shown), and a filter blade 7 is inserted into the lung field to prevent halation. Ta. In this case, the X-ray diaphragm blades and filter blades 7 are driven by manually turning on and off a control switch of a known operating device (not shown) to control a drive motor, and by forward and reverse rotation of the drive motor. , inserted or withdrawn. In the case of a heart test, for example, Figure 3
As shown in , the direction of X-ray irradiation to the subject 1 may be changed frequently, such as from the first oblique direction to the second oblique direction, and each time the direction is changed, the X-ray movable diaphragm 6 is appropriately adjusted. This prevented halation.

[0005]

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in such a conventional X-ray diagnostic apparatus, the
In order to adjust the line diaphragm blades and filter blades 7, operators such as doctors and X-ray technicians manually turned on and off the control switch of the operating device each time to insert and retract the blades.
The operation was troublesome and the operability deteriorated. In particular, when the direction of X-ray irradiation is frequently changed and X-rays are emitted in substantially the same direction to the same subject, as in the case of cardiac examinations, the operator must repeat the same adjustment operation over and over again. As a result, inspection efficiency is reduced, and the effectiveness of halation prevention varies each time, making it impossible to obtain a good inspection image.

[0006]The present invention addresses these problems by automatically reproducing the relevant position of the holding device when an X-ray image is taken in advance in an arbitrary X-ray irradiation direction, and by adjusting the position accordingly. An object of the present invention is to provide an X-ray diagnostic apparatus that can automatically reproduce the corresponding position of a movable X-ray aperture, and an X-ray movable aperture device used therein.

[0007]

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above object, an X-ray diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention supports an X-ray tube and an imaging system in opposition to each other, and targets a subject located between the two. a holding device that can arbitrarily set the direction of X-ray irradiation;
an X-ray movable aperture that adjusts the X-ray irradiation field and X-ray transmittance;
In the X-ray diagnostic apparatus having an image display system that displays a transmitted X-ray image of the subject as an X-ray image, position information of the holding device and its position information when an X-ray image is taken in an arbitrary X-ray irradiation direction. means for assigning a common identification code to the positional information of the X-ray movable diaphragm; means for commanding the writing and reading of the positional information and identification code; Means for storing positional information of the shaft, means for storing positional information of the adjusting member of the X-ray movable aperture, means for reproducing the corresponding position of the holding device using the above-mentioned identification code as a key, and the X-ray movable aperture corresponding to the position. and means for reproducing the corresponding position.

Furthermore, the X-ray movable diaphragm device used in the X-ray diagnostic apparatus has blades for adjusting the X-ray irradiation field and the X-ray transmittance, as well as drive means for driving these blades. an X-ray movable diaphragm having means for detecting the position of each blade, and a means for capturing and storing position information of each blade, and reading out the stored position information and using it as a target value to determine the position of each blade. and a movable diaphragm controller having processing means for setting.

[0009]

[Function] The X-ray diagnostic apparatus configured as described above provides position information of the holding device when an X-ray image is taken in an arbitrary X-ray irradiation direction using the identification code assigning means, and the X-ray movable aperture at that time. assigning a common identification code to the position information, instructing the command means to write and read the position information and the identification code;
Each storage means stores the positional information of each axis of the holding device and the positional information of the adjusting member of the X-ray movable diaphragm in correspondence with the assigned identification code, and each reproduction means uses the identification code as a key. It operates to reproduce the corresponding position of the holding device and the corresponding position of the X-ray movable diaphragm corresponding to the position. Thereby, it is possible to automatically reproduce the corresponding position of the holding device and the corresponding position of the X-ray movable diaphragm when an X-ray image is taken in advance in an arbitrary X-ray irradiation direction.

In addition, the X-ray movable diaphragm device configured as described above drives each blade by the X-ray movable diaphragm to adjust the X-ray irradiation field and the X-ray transmittance, and also adjusts the X-ray irradiation field and X-ray transmittance of each blade by this driving. The position is detected, and the movable diaphragm controller captures and stores the position information of each blade, reads this position information, and automatically sets the position of each blade using this as a target value.

[0011]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of an X-ray diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention. This X-ray diagnostic apparatus is capable of fluoroscopically photographing the subject from multiple directions by arbitrarily setting the direction of X-ray irradiation to the subject, and as shown in the figure, includes a table 10, a holding device 11, It comprises an X-ray movable diaphragm 12, an image display system 13, a holding device controller 14, a movable diaphragm controller 15, and an operating device 16.

The table 10, on which the subject 1 is placed, is provided on the upper surface side of a drive mechanism 17 and is movable back and forth and up and down by the drive mechanism 17.

The holding device 11 supports an X-ray tube 2 and an imaging system 3, which will be described later, in a facing arrangement, and can arbitrarily set the direction of X-ray irradiation to the subject 1 located between the two. , a support column 18 serving as a base, a rotating shaft 20 rotatably supported by a bearing 19 provided at the upper end of this support column 18 as shown by arrows A and B, and an arrow C, at the tip of this rotating shaft 20. It has a C-shaped arm 21 supported movably in an arc direction as shown in D. The rotation of the rotating shaft 20 in the directions of arrows A and B is driven by a first motor 22 provided at the rear end, and the rotation angle is detected by a first encoder 23. Further, the movement of the C-shaped arm 21 in the directions of arrows C and D is driven by a second motor 24 provided at the tip of the rotating shaft 20, and the movement angle in the arc direction is detected by a second encoder 25. It is supposed to be done.

An X-ray tube 2 is supported at one end of the C-shaped arm 21. This X-ray tube 2 emits X-rays to a subject 1 placed on a table 10. Furthermore, the video system device 3 is supported at the other end of the C-shaped arm 21 . This imaging system device 3 converts the X-ray image transmitted through the subject 1 into an image and converts it into an electrical signal, and is an image intensifier that inputs the transmitted X-ray image of the subject 1 and converts it into an optical image. 26, a light distributor 27 that guides the optical image of the image intensifier 26 in a predetermined direction, and a television camera 28 that photographs the optical image from the light distributor 27 and converts it into an electrical signal. Note that the C-shaped arm 2 of the image intensifier 26
A third motor 29 is provided at the mounting base to the third motor 29, and the image intensifier 26 is moved in the vertical direction as shown by arrows E and F by the drive of this third motor 29. The encoder 30 is used for detection.

The X-ray movable aperture 12 is for adjusting the irradiation range (hereinafter referred to as "X-ray irradiation field") and X-ray transmittance of the X-rays emitted from the X-ray tube 2 to the subject 1. , is provided close to the X-ray emission front side of the X-ray tube 2, and has an X-ray aperture blade and a filter blade inside.

The image display system 13 transmits the transmitted image of the object 1
It displays the radiograph as an X-ray image of the diagnostic site, and includes an image processing device 31 that inputs the video signal from the television camera 28 and processes it for image display, and an image processing device 31 that directly receives the video signal from the television camera 28. It consists of a first television monitor 32 that receives input and displays it as an image, and a second television monitor 33 that receives the video signal processed by the image processing device 31 and displays it as an image. Note that the image processing device 31 includes an A/D converter that digitizes the video signal from the television camera 28, a frame memory that writes and reads image data from this A/D converter, and a frame memory that writes and reads image data from this A/D converter. It consists of arithmetic units that perform subtraction and controllers that control their operations.

The holding device controller 14 controls the holding device 11.
The holding device 11 is configured to digitally control the holding device 11, and is made up of angle information output from the first encoder 23, the second encoder 25, and the third encoder 30.
, a central processing unit (CPU) 35 that controls operations, and an interface 36 that inputs and outputs signals to and from other devices.

The movable diaphragm controller 15 is for digitally controlling the X-ray movable diaphragm 12, and receives operation commands from an operating device 16, which will be described later. In combination, they constitute an X-ray movable aperture device. Details of this X-ray movable aperture device will be described later.

Furthermore, the operating device 16 is connected to the holding device 11.
The position information of the holding device 11 and the X at that time when each axis of the
It assigns a common identification code to the positional information of the linearly movable diaphragm 12, and instructs writing and reading of the positional information and identification code. It includes blade operation switches 38a and 38b, an identification code setting switch 39, and an identification code writing switch 40. The operating device 16 is connected to the holding device controller 14, the movable diaphragm controller 15, and the image processing device 31.

Note that the reference numeral 41 indicates an operator such as a doctor. Further, the holding device controller 14, the first motor 22, the second motor 24, and the third motor 29 use the identification code from the identification code setting switch 39 as a key to determine the corresponding position of the holding device 11. It becomes a means to reproduce.

FIG. 2 shows an X-ray diagram used in such an X-ray diagnostic device.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a linear movable diaphragm device. This X-ray movable diaphragm device can automatically reproduce the position of each blade of the X-ray movable diaphragm 12 corresponding to the position of the holding device 11 shown in FIG. Movable aperture 12
and a movable aperture controller 15.

The X-ray movable diaphragm 12 has the function described above, and includes X-ray diaphragm blades (not shown) that adjust the X-ray irradiation field, filter blades 42a that adjust the X-ray transmittance, etc. 42b and these filter blades 42a
, 42b, drive screws 44a, 44b that expand and contract by rotating forward and backward by these drive motors 43a, 43b, and the filter blades 42 due to the expansion and contraction of these drive screws 44a, 44b.
a potentiometer 45a, which detects the position of 42b;
45b. And the filter blade 42a
, 42b are made of a material with a relatively small X-ray absorption coefficient, such as an aluminum plate, and each drive screw 44a, 44
b, and the drive screw 44
By forward and reverse rotation of a and 44b, they move as indicated by arrows G, H; J, K. Note that, in FIG. 2, only the filter blades 42a and 42b are shown in an attached state, and the attached state of the X-ray diaphragm blades is omitted.

The movable diaphragm controller 15 has the above-mentioned function, and the potentiometers 45a,
An A/D converter 46 that inputs the position signal output from 45b and converts it into a digital signal, and this A/D converter 4
6, a central processing unit (CPU) 48 that controls operation, and an interface 49 that inputs and outputs signals to and from other devices. Consists of. The movable diaphragm controller 15 and the drive motors 43a and 43b are arranged to correspond to the position of the holding device 11.
This serves as a means for reproducing the corresponding position of the linear movable diaphragm 12.

Next, the operation of the X-ray diagnostic apparatus and the X-ray movable diaphragm device constructed as described above will be explained. first,
In FIG. 1, the table 10 is moved appropriately to set the subject 1 at an appropriate position within the X-ray irradiation range from the X-ray tube 2. Next, by the action of an X-ray generator (not shown), the X-ray tube 2
X-rays are emitted from the object 1, and an X-ray image transmitted through the subject 1 enters the image intensifier 26. Then,
This incident transmitted X-ray image is converted into an optical image by the image intensifier 26, and this optical image enters the television camera 28 via the light distributor 27 and is imaged, and is directly displayed on the first television monitor. 32 and displayed as a perspective image.

In this state, the holding device 11 is operated using a holding device operation switch (not shown) of the operating device 16, and the holding device 11 is set in a transparent direction and position where the diagnostic region of the subject 1 can be easily seen. At this time, a command from the holding device operation switch is sent to the holding device controller 14, and a drive command is generated from the CPU 35 inside the holding device controller 14. , 29. By driving these motors 22, 24, and 29, the holding device 11 is set at an appropriate position.

Next, in this state, the X-ray movable diaphragm 12 is operated using the aperture blade operation switch 37 and the filter blade operation switches 38a and 38b of the operating device 16,
The X-ray diaphragm blades and filter blades 42a, 42b are moved appropriately and set at positions where an easy-to-see image that prevents halation can be obtained. At this time, the aperture blade operation switch 37 and the filter blade operation switches 38a, 38b
The command is sent to the movable diaphragm controller 15, and a drive command is generated from the internal CPU 48 shown in FIG. The respective blades described above are set at appropriate positions by the operation of these drive motors 43a and 43b.

After the positions of the holding device 11 and the X-ray movable diaphragm 12 are determined in this way, the operator 41 presses, for example, the key "" of the identification code setting switch 39 of the operating device 16.
A" and the identification code writing switch 40 are pressed at the same time. Then, these signals are sent to the holding device controller 14. As a result, the identification code "A" is given to the position of the holding device 11 set above. The angle information from the encoders 23, 25, and 30 provided on each operating axis of the holding device 11 is used as the position information of the holding device 11 at that time, and the identification code of the position information memory 34 in the holding device controller 14 is A”
is stored in the area corresponding to. At the same time, the signal "A" from the identification code setting switch 39 and the write signal from the identification code writing switch 40 are sent to the movable diaphragm controller 15. As a result, an identification code "A" is given to the position of each blade of the X-ray movable diaphragm 12 set above, and the position signal from the potentiometers 45a and 45b provided in the drive section of each blade is The positional information of the movable aperture 12 is stored in the area corresponding to the identification code "A" of the positional information memory 47 in the movable aperture controller 15.

Note that from the holding device 11, the X-ray tube 2
Information regarding the distance between the focal point of the S.I.D. and the image intensifier 26 (hereinafter abbreviated as "S.I.D.") is also transmitted by a known method, for example, about three times per second. I. X-ray movable aperture 1 in response to changes in D
The CPU 48 calculates and corrects the position of each blade. This correction changes the position of the X-ray diaphragm blades to the above S. I. The larger D becomes, the narrower the S. I. If D becomes smaller, it is corrected to make it wider. By performing such correction, unnecessary X-ray exposure can be prevented.

The above operations are repeated while changing the position of the holding device 11 as appropriate, and each time an identification code is sequentially assigned as "B", "C", . . . corresponding to each position. Memorize each location information.

Next, the holding device 1 stored as described above is
A case where the positions of X-ray movable aperture 1 and X-ray movable aperture 12 are reproduced will be described. Now, the holding device 11 and the X-ray movable aperture 1
Suppose that the position of 2 is reproduced, for example, in the state of identification code "A". First, the operator 41 presses only the key "A" of the identification code setting switch 39 of the operating device 16. In this way, when only the identification code setting switch 39 is pressed, the holding device controller 14 and the movable aperture controller 15 are controlled from the operating device 16.
A readout signal of data corresponding to the identification code "A" is sent to the identification code "A". Thereby, the holding device controller 14 reads the position information of the holding device 11 corresponding to the identification code "A" from the position information memory 34, and automatically moves the holding device 11 to that position. At this time, the position information memory 34 sends position information (angle information) corresponding to each operating axis to the first motor 22, second motor 24, and third motor 29 via the interface 36. and drives each operating axis by an angle corresponding to the position information.

On the other hand, the movable diaphragm controller 15 reads the position information of the X-ray movable diaphragm 12 corresponding to the identification code "A" from the position information memory 47 shown in FIG. Blades and filter blades 42a, 42
Move b automatically. At this time, the position information memory 47 sends the position information of each blade to the drive motors 43a, 43b via the interface 49, and each drive screw 44a, 44b is rotated forward or backward by an amount corresponding to the position information. let

As a result, the holding device 11 has the identification code "
The position set with "A" is automatically reproduced, and the position of each blade of the X-ray movable diaphragm 12 is automatically reproduced in conjunction with this position.Hereinafter, the above-mentioned The operation may be repeated for the identification codes "B", "C", etc. In the above explanation, the positions of the holding device 11 and the X-ray movable diaphragm 12 are stored and reproduced in conjunction with each other. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the holding device controller 14 and the movable diaphragm controller 15 may store their respective positions independently, and may also read and reproduce the positions.

In FIG. 1, the identification code data from the identification code setting switch 39 is also transmitted from the operating device 16 to the image processing device 31, and the above identification codes "A", "" are added to the image data captured at the time of photographing. By adding and recording the data B'', . . . , the position of the holding device 11, the position of each blade of the X-ray movable diaphragm 12, and the photographed image can be stored in conjunction with each other, and read out and reproduced. Furthermore, the X-ray movable diaphragm 12 shown in FIG. The position of each blade of the X-ray movable diaphragm 12 can also be automatically set to suit the imaging region of the subject.

[0034]

[Effect of the invention] X-ray diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention (see Fig. 1)
is configured as described above, a common identification code is given to the positional information of the holding device 11 and the positional information of the X-ray movable aperture 12 at that time when an X-ray image is taken in an arbitrary X-ray irradiation direction. Then, the position information of each axis of the holding device 11 and the position information of the adjusting member of the X-ray movable diaphragm 12 are stored in correspondence with this identification code, and the corresponding position of the holding device 11 and its position are stored using the above identification code as a key. X-ray movable aperture 1 corresponding to
2 corresponding positions can be reproduced. Thereby, it is possible to automatically reproduce the corresponding position of the holding device 11 and the corresponding position of the X-ray movable diaphragm 12 when an X-ray image is taken in advance in an arbitrary X-ray irradiation direction. Therefore, the operation becomes simple and the operability of the device can be improved. In addition, since there is no need to repeat the adjustment operation to prevent halation many times as in the past, inspection efficiency is improved, and the effect of preventing halation each time is uniform, making it possible to obtain good inspection images. Can be done.

Furthermore, since the X-ray movable diaphragm device (see FIG. 2) according to the present invention is constructed as described above, each blade is driven by the X-ray movable diaphragm 12 to adjust the X-ray irradiation field and X-ray transmittance. While adjusting, the position of each blade due to this drive is detected, and the movable diaphragm controller 15 captures and stores the position information of each blade, reads out this position information, and automatically sets the position of each blade using this as a target value. can do.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of an X-ray diagnostic apparatus according to the present invention,

[Fig. 2] A block diagram showing an embodiment of the X-ray movable aperture device used in the above-mentioned X-ray diagnostic device,

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of operation by an X-ray diagnostic device combining a conventional X-ray movable diaphragm.

[Explanation of symbols]

1... Subject, 2... X-ray tube, 3... Imaging system device,
10...Table, 11...Holding device, 12...X
Linear movable aperture, 13... Image display system, 14... Holding device controller, 15... Movable aperture controller, 16... Operating device, 34, 47... Position information memory, 35, 48... C
PU, 36, 49...interface, 39...
Identification code setting switch, 40...Identification code writing switch, 42a, 42b...Filter blade, 43
a, 43b... Drive motor, 44a, 44b... Drive screw, 45a, 45b... Potentiometer.

Claims (2)

[Claims] Claim 1: A holding device that supports an X-ray tube and an imaging system in a facing arrangement and can arbitrarily set the direction of X-ray irradiation to a subject located between the two, and an X-ray irradiation field and an
In an X-ray diagnostic apparatus having a movable X-ray aperture that adjusts the radiation transmittance and an image display system that displays the transmitted X-ray image of the subject as an X-ray image, the X-ray image can be displayed in any X-ray irradiation direction. means for assigning a common identification code to the positional information of the holding device at the time of imaging and the positional information of the X-ray movable aperture at that time; means for instructing the writing and reading of the positional information and the identification code; means for storing positional information of each axis of the holding device corresponding to the identified identification code, means for storing positional information of the adjusting member of the X-ray movable aperture, and reproducing the corresponding position of the holding device using the above-mentioned identification code as a key. An X-ray diagnostic apparatus comprising means for reproducing a position of a movable X-ray aperture corresponding to the position of the X-ray diaphragm. 2. An X-ray generator having blades for adjusting an X-ray irradiation field and X-ray transmittance, a driving means for driving these blades, and a means for detecting the position of each of the blades by driving the blades. It consists of a movable diaphragm, and a movable diaphragm controller having means for capturing and storing the position information of each blade, and processing means for reading out the stored position information and setting the position of each blade using this as a target value. An X-ray movable diaphragm device used in an X-ray diagnostic device, characterized in that: