X-ray or gamma ray systems or devices – Source support – Including movable source
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-25
2001-11-20
Kim, Robert H. (Department: 2882)
X-ray or gamma ray systems or devices
Source support
Including movable source
C378S193000, C378S004000, C250S522100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06318892
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a radiography apparatus suitable for a medical treatment called as an IVR (Interventional Radiology, an operation with a catheter under radioscopy observation) using such as an angiographic inspection apparatus and an X ray diagnosis apparatus, and in particular to a radiography apparatus suitable for an X ray inspection and/or diagnosis apparatus for circulatory organs.
2. Conventional Art
In an IVR, an operation is performed by inserting a catheter, at the top of which a variety of treatment tools are attached, into such as blood vessels and internal organs of a patient under radioscopy observation so that even for a medical treatment which conventionally required a laparotomy operation a medical treatment with no laparotomy operation can be performed through an IVR, therefore, such medical treatment is rapidly spreading these days.
During an IVR, a physician under examination and/or operation confirms such as a relative position and a shape of a portion for the treatment object with a three dimensional like X ray image prior to performing a medical operation, and thereafter performs the VIR while confirming the position of a treatment tool attached at the top of the catheter by making use with the two dimensional radioscopic images thereof.
Conventionally, such IVR was performed by making use of a radiography apparatus called as a rotary stereoscope radiography apparatus which uses an X ray source irradiating X rays in a cone shaped beam and an image receptor including an X ray image intensifier (hereinafter called as X ray I.I.) and a television camera, and can produce both two dimensional X ray images and three dimensional like X ray images, and for example, is disclosed in JP-A-6-327663 (1994). In such rotary stereoscope radiography apparatus it is necessary to position a patient in a hollow portion defined in a gantry of a large volume, therefore, a physician is restricted to access the patient in many directions and a work space for the physician is limited which is required for performing a smooth medical treatment for the patient. Further, during an IVR, it is necessary to observe states of the patient such as an outlook in order to quickly respond to a sudden condition change of the patient, however, during an IVR such as for the head of a patient, in particular under a condition that the patient is positioned in the hollow portion defined in the large volume gantry, a visual field of the physician is obstructed by the large volume gantry, therefore, it was difficult to observe the states of the patient such as an outlook thereof, and the physician can not necessarily respond quickly to such as a sudden condition change of the patient.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a radiography apparatus having a large work space for a physician which allows to produce a three dimensional like X ray image during an IVR depending on necessity thereof.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a radiography apparatus having a large work space for a physician which allows to produce a three dimensional like X ray image during an IVR while temporarily resting or interrupting the IVR depending on necessity thereof.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a radiography apparatus which less obstructs an observation by a physician of a state of a patient such as an outlook thereof, and thus allows the physician to quickly respond to a sudden condition change of the patient.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a radiography apparatus which includes measures to prevent hitting to an obstacle and improves safety of a physician when producing X ray images of the patient from the entire circumferential directions thereof.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a radiography apparatus which can be installed even in a narrow installation area.
The above and other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent when read the following description of the present invention with reference to the drawings thereof.
One aspect of the present invention is to constitute the radiography apparatus by an image pickup unit including an X ray source for irradiating cone shaped X ray beam to a patient and an image receptor disposed opposite the X ray source for receiving X ray image data of the patient by the irradiated cone shaped X ray beam; a cylindrical ring which carries the image pickup unit, defines a sufficient space to receive the patient therein so as to permit relative positional change of the patient with respect to the image pickup unit and is supported so as to permit rotation around its center axis; a first arm which extends from the cylindrical ring along its center axis and supports the X ray source in the image pickup unit; a second arm which extends from the cylindrical ring along its center axis so as to oppose the first arm and supports the image receptor in the image pickup unit; an image pickup unit rotating mechanism which causes to rotate the cylindrical ring at least one rotation so as to permit rotation of the image pickup unit one time around the patient; a first video image processing unit which produces a radioscopic video image based on the X ray image data obtained from the image pickup unit; a second video image processing unit which reconstructs a three dimensional like video image based on the X ray image data obtained from the image pickup unit; and a change-over switch which changes-over the X ray image data obtained from the image pickup unit either to the first video image processing unit or to the second video image processing unit.
Another aspect of the present invention is to constitute the radiography apparatus by an image pickup unit including an X ray source for irradiating cone shaped X ray beam to a patient and an image receptor disposed opposite the X ray source for receiving X ray image data of the patient by the irradiated cone shaped X ray beam; a supporting member which carries the image pickup unit; a rotary member which carries the supporting member, defines a sufficient space to receive the patient therein so as to permit relative positional change of the patient with respect to the image pickup unit and is supported so as to permit rotation around its center axis; an image pickup unit rotating mechanism which causes to rotate the rotary member at least one rotation so as to permit rotation of the image pickup unit one time around the patient; a video image processing and control unit which processes and controls the X ray image data obtained from the image pickup unit; and an external member which covers the rotary member and the image pickup unit rotating mechanism other than the image pickup unit and the supporting member carrying the image pickup unit, whereby the image pickup unit and the supporting member carrying the image pickup unit are exposed outside the external covering member.
Still another aspect of the present invention is to constitute the radiography apparatus to include an obstacle detection means which is mounted either on the image pickup unit or on the supporting member and detects existence and non-existence of an obstacle on a floor in a rotation range of the image pickup unit, and a rotary member or a cylindrical ring rotation control unit which controls the rotation of the rotary member or the cylindrical ring by the image pickup unit rotating mechanism based on the obstacle detection result by the obstacle detection means.
According to the present invention, since a space is defined at the portion of rotation center of the rotary member or the cylindrical ring supporting the image pickup unit so as to permit relative movement of the patient with respect to the rotary member or the cylindrical ring, thereby either through horizontal movement of the patient in parallel along the rotation center axis or through horizontal movement of the rotary member or the cylindrical ring, the image pickup range of the image
Kobiki Takaaki
Matsui Nobuhiko
Suzuki Tsutomu
Takagi Hiroshi
Antonelli Terry Stout & Kraus LLP
Hitachi Medical Corporation
Hobden Pamela R.
Kim Robert H.
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