X-ray or gamma ray systems or devices – Specific application – Computerized tomography
Patent
1989-01-03
1991-07-02
Fields, Carolyn E.
X-ray or gamma ray systems or devices
Specific application
Computerized tomography
378 19, A61B 100
Patent
active
050293362
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to a computer-aided tomography apparatus for obtaining transverse tomographic scans in a very rapid manner.
In known tomographic devices, provision is made for an x-ray source fed by a high-voltage supply which generates a very narrow x-ray beam in the direction of an object or of the body of a patient to be examined. This beam passes through the object or the patient's body before being intercepted and measured by a multichannel detector. The assembly consisting of x-ray source and multichannel detectors is mounted on a turntable or rotor which rotates about the object under examination within a frame or stator. The signals delivered by the multichannel detectors are transmitted to the data-processing device or external computer so as to form an image of each of the object slices thus examined.
In these devices, supply of power to the x-ray source and transmission of the signals delivered by the multichannel detectors are ensured by means of electric cables guided by a winding device constructed for example in the manner described in French Pat. Nos. 2,455,451 and 2,385,632.
However, the presence of these cables has an adverse effect on the speed of performance of these devices since it limits the displacements of the rotor and imposes for each rotation stages of acceleration and braking which increase the tomographic examination times to no useful purpose.
The aim of the invention is to overcome the disadvantages mentioned in the foregoing.
To this end, the invention has for its object a computer-aided tomography apparatus comprising an x-ray source for generating a radiation beam through an object or through the body of a patient to be examined and a multichannel detector for providing information relating to the intensity of radiation retransmitted by the object under examination, both source and detector being mounted on a rotor integral with a stator which surrounds the object being examined, characterized in that it comprises at least one lateral diffusion light guide wound around the rotor or on the internal surface of the stator so as to transmit optically, between optical emitter and receiver means of the rotor and corresponding optical means of the stator, the information delivered by the multichannel detector and the control information of the x-ray source, the assembly being so arranged as to ensure that on the one hand each optical emitter is in a fixed position relatively to one end of a light guide in order to cause the information to be transmitted to penetrate through said end and that, on the other hand, each receiver in relative motion with respect to a light guide receives the information by lateral diffusion of light through the external surface which surrounds the longitudinal axis of the light guide.
The invention has an advantage in that it permits rotations of the rotor without discontinuity in the same direction of rotation about the object or the body of the patient under examination. It thus eliminates the dead periods in examinations which were due to stages of acceleration and braking of tomographic devices of the cable transmission type. By virtue of the fact that it makes use of light guides, the invention also permits optical transmissions at high bit rates exceeding 10 Mbits/s, thus making it possible to obtain image reconstructions by means of the external data-processing units in very short periods of time.
Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become apparent from the description given with respect to the accompanying drawings, in which :
FIG. 1 illustrates a tomographic apparatus in accordance with the invention, comprising means for optical transmission of information between at least one emitter attached to the rotor and light receivers attached to the stator.
FIGS. 2 to 4 illustrate different alternative forms of construction of the transmission means of FIG. 1.
FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate different embodiments of the invention which permit optical transmission of information between an emitter attached to
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patent: 4109998 (1978-08-01), Iverson
patent: 4259584 (1981-03-01), Krumme et al.
patent: 4323781 (1982-04-01), Baumann et al.
patent: 4593400 (1986-06-01), Mohyen
patent: 4845769 (1989-07-01), Burstein et al.
Hommerin Michel
Kretschmer Sylvain
Lehureau Jean C.
Micheron Francois
Zinger Francois
Fields Carolyn E.
Porta David P.
Thomson-CGR
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