US2234339A - Identification device - Google Patents

Description

March 11, 1941. H. FRANKE IDENTIFICATION DEVICE Filed July 15,, 1959 fflvenfor:

HE\NRICH FRPINKE ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 11, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE IDENTIFICATION DEVICE Application July 15, 1939, Serial No. 284,799 In Germany July 16, 1938 1 Claim.

This invention relates to an identification device, and refers more particularly to a device for identifying photographs of images appearing on luminescent screens and resulting particularly 5 from X-ray radiation.

It is customary to photograph the image of a patient or object appearing upon a luminescent screen and produced by the X-rays, by means of a photographic apparatus upon a light-sensitive or photographic layer. In the course of this work, it was found advisable to provide each photographic image with an inscription or insignia which would identify the photograph and refer it to a specific patient, or to a specific work or operation. The use of lead marks upon each photograph or of a separate photographic process and system for photographing the insignia was found to be cumbersome and inconvenient.

An object of the present invention is the provision of a device through the use of which the X-ray image appearing upon a screen, and illuminated insignia functioning as a light-emitting or light-transmitting image, are both photographed by the same photographic apparatus.

Other objects of the present invention will appear in the course of the following specification.

Some of the objects of the present invention may be realized through the provision of a device including a casing which receives an inscribed identification card and which is provided with an opening directed toward the photographic apparatus used to photograph the X- ray image upon a screen. This device may be combined with a source of light illuminating the identification card within the casing and a mirror may be provided within the casing for refleeting the light rays falling upon the identification card toward the photographic apparatus.

The photographic apparatus may be provided with other means making the photographic process more easy and more secure and dependable, as will be described hereinafter.

The invention will appear more clearly from the following detailed description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, showing by way of example in Figure 1 a diagram illustrating in side elevation a preferred embodiment of the inventive idea.

The device comprises a single photographic apparatus a containing a light-sensitive film g which is moved within the photographic apparatus by a transporting device.

The photographic apparatus a is directed toward a luminescent screen 1) upon which the X- ray images appear and which is illuminated by any suitable source of X-rays. I

The photographic apparatus ais used not only for photographing the images appearing upon the screen b, but also to photograph an 5 identification card it or other insignia used for identifying the image appearing upon the screen b. Thus a single photographic apparatus is used to perform both photographic operations.

The insignia identifying each; photographic 10 apparatus can be of any suitable form or shape and may be represented by any suitable object. In the described example, the card d is used for this purpose, which may be filed away with other similar cards whenever it is not in use. This card is provided with suitable inscriptions identifying the patient being examined or the type of work or specific operation in the course of which the photographs are taken.

The card 11 is inserted into a body or casing e 20 for photographing purposes. The casing e has the form of a tunnel protecting the image of the card if from being blurred. The casing may consist of two parts or sections one of which may have the form of a tunnel-like guiding slot 25 into which the card (i is inserted so that it can be easily removed from the casing e and exchanged for another one as soon as the operator is prepared to take the picture of another object or patient. 30

A source of light 0 which may be an ordinary electric lamp is used to illuminate the card at while the latter is situated within the casing e. The source 0 is preferably extinguished when the cards are being removed and replaced. 35

The second portion of the casing e preferably has the form of a flange-like or tube-like body which prevents rays of light from any other source which could blur the image of the card 12, from interfering with the photographic process.

The casing e preferably contains a mirror f, which is so located that the rays of light emitted by the source 0 and falling upon the card d are reflected by that card toward the mirror I 45 while the mirror 1 reflects these rays toward the photographic apparatus a.

The photographic apparatus a is used for pho tographing the image appearing upon the screen b in the usual manner, namely, the shutter of 50 the photographic apparatus is opened and a section of the light-sensitive film g is exposed for a period of time necessary to obtain a good picture upon the light-sensitive film.

The lamp 0 may be. switched on by hand at I be provided which cooperate with the X-ray tube to cause the card d to be photographed by the photographic apparatus for a photographically correct time interval bearing a predetermined relationship in time to the period of luminescence of the screen 11.- In other words,

the illumination of the card (1 can occur'before;

during, or after the appearance of the image upon the screen b and can take place automatis cally for the required correct time period.- a

It is advantageous to combine the switch oper-ating the source of light with the switch of the. X-ray apparatus, so that the lamp 0 .is switched on at the same time when the X-ray apparatus is switched on. The construction should be such that the lamp 0 remains switched on for a period of time necessary to obtain a good image of the card d upon the light-sensitive film y. The period of time during which the lamp 0 is switched on should be independent of the duration of the photographing of the X-ray image upon the screen. Therefore, a device may be provided which connects the X-ray apparatus with the lamp 0 and which causes the lamp cto illuminate the card 41 independently of the operation of the X-ray apparatus for a time period required for the correct photographing-of the card I by the photographic apparatransportation of the film y. In other words,

the shutter device may be coupled with the X- ray apparatus to expose a part of the film 9 directly before the beginning of the luminescence of the screen I) and to interruptthis exposure at the latest before the exposed part of the film is moved away by the transporting device. By means of this construction, the after-flow of the image appearing upon the screen I) is utilized for obtaining a better picture upon the light-sensitive film 9. At the same time, the after-flow of the preceding image is prevented from interfering with the photographing of the following image.

It is also advisable to provide means coupling the transporting device for the film g with the photographing means in such manner that the opening of the shutter of the photographic apparatus takes place only after the film-transporting device has been actuated to remove the used part of the film from its former position in iront of the shutter. Then the possibility that two photographs may be taken upon the same part of the light sensitive film is avoided. This device, which is used per se in ordinary photography, locks the shutter device in the closed position of the latter unless a previously exposed part of the film has been removedfrom its operative position in front of the shutter device by the film-transporting device.

In order to prevent the film-transporting device from being actuated before the section of the film situated in front of the shutter device has been exposed, the film-transport n device may be provided with locking means which are also known per se in ordinary photography for. the purpose of preventing a further transportation of the film, until that portion of the film which is situated inthe operative position in front of the shutter device has been exposed.

It is apparent that the specific illustration shown above has been given by way of illustrae tion and not by way of limitation, and that the structure above described is subject to wide variation and modification without departing from the scope or intent of the invention; all of which variations and modifications are to be included within the scope of the present invention.

What is claimed is:

A device for identifying photographs of luminous screens, said device comprising a casing having two portions, one of said portions receiving an identification card; and a mirror carried by said portion to reflect light from said identification card; the other one of said portions comprising a fiange enclosing an opening formed in said casing for transmitting light reflected by said mirror to a light-sensitive layer. 4

HEINRICH FRANKE.

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