Radiant energy – Invisible radiant energy responsive electric signalling – Semiconductor system
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-06
2003-03-04
Hannaher, Constantine (Department: 2878)
Radiant energy
Invisible radiant energy responsive electric signalling
Semiconductor system
C250S370090
Reexamination Certificate
active
06528796
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a radiation image pickup device and a radiation image pickup system, and more particularly to a radiation image pickup device and a radiation image pickup system which convert radiations such as x-rays, &agr;-rays, &bgr;-rays or &ggr;-rays into a light of a photosensor-detectable wavelength such as a visible light by means of a wavelength converting member such as a scintillator, and detect the converted light through an optical system by the photosensor.
2. Related Background Art
Up to now, x-ray image pickup devices employed for non-destructive examination such as medical diagnosis or internal examination have been mainly systems in which x-rays are projected through an object to be examined (hereinafter simply referred to as “object”) such as a human body, and the x-rays which have been transmitted through the object are converted into light by a phosphor, and a film is exposed to the converted light (hereinafter referred to “film system”).
FIG. 1
is a schematically structural view showing an example of an x-ray image pickup device of the film system. Referring to
FIG. 1
, reference numeral
501
denotes an x-ray source;
502
, an object such as a human body (patient) through which x-rays emitted from the x-ray source
501
are projected;
503
, a grid designed so that a material that absorbs x-rays and a material that transmits x-rays are alternately disposed for removing scattered x-ray components to improve the resolution;
504
, a scintillator that absorbs the x-rays to emit a light; and
505
, a film that receives the light from the scintillator
504
.
The film system thus structured suffers from problems stated below.
First, because an x-ray image of the object, such as a patient, is captured on the film, it is necessary to develop the film in order to obtain the x-ray image, thus taking labor and time. In the case where the object, such as a patient, is in motion during the radiography or where appropriate exposure is not attained, the radiography must be conducted once more after development of the film. The setting for re-radiography not only lowers the radiography efficiency but also increases the work required for each object, such as a patient, and prevents the efficiency of medical examination in a hospital from being improved.
In addition, it is necessary that the radiographed x-ray image film is kept within an enterprise or a hospital, and in particular, it is necessary that the photographed x-ray image film is kept within the hospital for a given period of time. As a result, the number of films kept in the hospital becomes very large, and there is further required that the films can be taken in and out every time the patient visits hospital. Accordingly, the efficiency of management of the films within the hospital must be also improved.
In addition, there is a case where when the patient changes hospitals, the x-ray films radiographed up to that time must be forwarded to the another hospital through some means in order to prevent re-radiography.
In order to solve the above problems, the digitalization of x-ray image information has been increasingly demanded in recent years. If the x-ray information can be digitalized, not only the x-ray image information can be managed by using a recording medium such as a photo-magnetic disc but also the state of an obtained image can be judged instantly. As a result, a medical doctor or the like can obtain the x-ray image information of the object such as a patient with a preferred angle or amount of exposure at a real time.
Also, if a facsimile machine or other communication systems are employed, it is possible to transfer the x-ray image information to a remote hospital or enterprise in a short period of time. In addition, if the obtained digital x-ray image information is picture-processed by using a computer, diagnosis can be conducted with higher precision, thereby solving the above problems with the film system.
As a device for digitalizing the x-ray information, there been proposed an x-ray image pickup device in which x-rays that have been transmitted by the object are irradiated to and absorbed by a wavelength converting member such as a scintillator, and are then wavelength-converted into a light such as a visible light which is in proportion to the intensity of the irradiated/absorbed x-rays, and in which the light is received by a solid image pickup element such as a CCD which is sensitive to the wavelength of the light, and then converted into a digital information. Also, a medical image generally requires a large number of pixels of, for example, about 2,000×3,000 (6,000,000).
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made to solve the above problems with the conventional devices, and therefore an object of the present invention is to provide a radiation image pickup device and a radiation image pickup system which can preferably be employed in an x-ray image pickup device that demands a large number of pixels.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a large-area, compact radiation image pickup device in which an imaging optical system is disposed between a solid image pickup element and a wavelength converting member, and radiations such as x-rays which have been converted into the sensitive wavelength region of the solid image pickup element by the wavelength converting member are guided by the imaging optical system and converted into an electric signal.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a radiation image pickup device comprising a wavelength converting member for converting the wavelength of incident radiation into light; an imaging optical system for inputting thereto the light, as wavelength-converted by the wavelength converting member; a plurality of photosensors for receiving light from the imaging optical system; and a light transmissive substrate disposed between the photosensors and the wavelength converting member, for reducing x-rays that have passed through the wavelength converting member.
Yet still another object of the present invention is to provide a radiation image pickup device comprising a wavelength converting member for converting radiation into light; an erectly imaging optical system for inputting thereto the light from the wavelength converting member; and a plurality of photosensors for receiving the light from the erectly imaging optical system.
Yet still another object of the present invention is to provide a radiation image pickup system comprising a radiation image pickup device comprising a wavelength converting member for converting the wavelength of incident radiation into light; an imaging optical system for inputting thereto the light as wavelength-converted by the wavelength converting member; a plurality of photosensors for receiving light from the imaging optical system; and a light transmissive substrate disposed between the photosensors and the wavelength converting member, for reducing x-rays that have passed through the wavelength converting member; a signal processing means for processing a signal from the radiation image pickup device; a display means for displaying a signal from the signal processing means; and a radiation source for generating the radiation.
Yet still another object of the present invention is to provide a radiation image pickup system comprising a radiation image pickup device comprising a wavelength converting member for converting radiation into light; a normal rotation imaging optical system for inputting thereto the light from the wavelength converting member; and a plurality of photosensors for receiving the light from the normal rotation imaging optical system; a signal processing means for processing a signal from the radiation image pickup device; a display means for displaying a signal from the signal processing means; and a radiation source for generating the radiation.
In the present invention, the imaging optical system is disposed between the solid imaging element and the wavelengt
Funakoshi Akira
Hamamoto Osamu
Kaifu Noriyuki
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Fitzpatrick ,Cella, Harper & Scinto
Hannaher Constantine
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