X-ray or gamma ray systems or devices – Accessory – Alignment
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-30
2001-03-20
Porta, David P. (Department: 2876)
X-ray or gamma ray systems or devices
Accessory
Alignment
C378S019000, C378S020000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06203197
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to an x-ray apparatus of the type having a mounting member, an x-ray source arranged at the mounting member and an x-ray detector arranged at the mounting member, wherein the x-ray source must be exactly adjusted relative to the x-ray detector within an overall tolerance for a proper operation of the x-ray apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
X-ray arrangements of the above general type are disclosed, for example, by U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,020,089 and 5,473,657 and 4,187,429 and in Patent Abstracts of Japan, 1991, JP 3-46 797 A. After mounting the individual components, an adjustment of the x-ray source and the x-ray detector relative to one another, by a displacement of these components relative to one another, is required. The adjustment can thereby ensue manually or automatically.
Such an adjustment is time-consuming and expensive and also is complicated. Moreover, the adjustment can only be undertaken by qualified personnel. There is also the possibility of radiation exposure to the personnel.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide x-ray arrangement such that the disadvantages of the prior art are avoided.
This object is inventively achieved in an x-ray arrangement having a mounting member, an x-ray source carrier arranged at the mounting member with an x-ray source arranged therein and an x-ray detector carrier having an x-ray detector arranged therein, wherein the x-ray source must be adjusted exactly with respect to the x-ray detector within an overall tolerance for a proper operation of the x-ray arrangement, and wherein the x-ray source and the x-ray source carrier have interacting source adjustment elements that automatically adjust the x-ray source exactly relative to the x-ray source carrier within a source tolerance during assembly of the x-ray source carrier, and wherein the x-ray detector and the x-ray detector carrier have interacting detector adjustment elements that automatically adjust the x-ray detector exactly relative to the x-ray detector carrier within a detector tolerance during assembly of the x-ray detector carrier, and wherein the x-ray source carrier and the mounting member have interacting source carrier adjustment elements that automatically adjust the x-ray source carrier exactly relative to the mounting member within a source carrier tolerance during assembly of the x-ray source carrier at the mounting member, and wherein the x-ray detector carrier and the mounting member have interacting detector adjustment elements that automatically adjust the x-ray detector carrier exactly relative to the mounting member within a detector carrier tolerance during assembly of the x-ray detector carrier at the mounting member, and wherein the sum of the source tolerance, detector tolerance, source carrier tolerance and detector carrier tolerance is no longer than the overall tolerance.
In the inventive assembly, adherence to the overall tolerance is necessarily assured without requiring an adjustment by displacement of the components relative to one another.
Test measurements are required for checking the adjustment. To this end, test samples must be introduced into the beam path at defined locations. The x-ray arrangement therefore preferably has the mounting member and a test carrier arranged at the mounting member with interacting test carrier adjustment elements that adjust the text carrier exactly relative to the mounting member within a test carrier tolerance when the test carrier is mounted at the mounting member, and the test carrier and a test sample arranged at the test carrier have interacting sample adjustment elements that adjust the test sample exactly relative to the sample carrier within a sample tolerance when the test sample is mounted at the sample carrier.
The respectively interacting adjustment elements can, for example, be fashioned as stop elements, as adjustment bores and adjustment pegs, or as adjustment surfaces. Given fashioning as adjustment bores and adjustment pegs, the adjustment pegs are preferably conically fashioned at least in portion thereof.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4187429 (1980-02-01), Tomita et al.
patent: 4338521 (1982-07-01), Shaw et al.
patent: 4991190 (1991-02-01), Mori
patent: 5020089 (1991-05-01), Cramer et al.
patent: 5469429 (1995-11-01), Yamazaki et al.
patent: 5473657 (1995-12-01), McKenna
Patents Abstracts of Japan, E-1067, May 14, 1991, vol. 15/No.187, for Japanese Application No. 64-182288.
Porta David P.
Schiff & Hardin & Waite
Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
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