Medical X-ray photographing apparatus

• US 10,485,507 B2
• Filed: 04/02/2019
• Issued: 11/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: J Morita Manufacturing Corporation (J. Morita Corporation)
• Original Assignee: J Morita Manufacturing Corporation (J. Morita Corporation)
• Inventors: Niizeki, Ryuichiro, Yamada, Fuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Kiknadze, Irakli
• Application Number:
  US16/373,567
• Publication Number:
  US 20190223823A1
• Time in Patent Office: 238 Days
• Field of Search: 378 4, 378 15, 378 19
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/025 Tomosynthesis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/032 Transmission computed tomography [CT]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/08 Auxiliary means for directing the radiation beam to a particular spot, e.g. using light beams
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4405 the apparatus being movable or portable, e.g. handheld or mounted on a trolley
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4441 the rigid structure being a C-arm or U-arm
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/461 Displaying means of special interest
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/5205 involving processing of raw data to produce diagnostic data
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/547 involving tracking of position of the device or parts of the device
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/587 Alignment of source unit to detector unit

Abstract

A medical X-ray photographing apparatus includes a support, a support holder, a motor, a turning controller, an image processor, a light emitter, and a processor. The support is configured to turn an X-ray generator and an X-ray detector about a predetermined turning axis while holding the X-ray generator and the X-ray detector such that they face each other. In the apparatus, the light emitter is disposed on a virtual loop line surrounding the turning axis and includes a plurality of color LEDs. The processor is configured to control the light emitter in association with the turning of the support. The processor controls emission of the plurality of color LEDs according to an operating situation of the apparatus.

Claims

1. A medical X-ray photographing apparatus comprising:

a support configured to turn an X-ray generator and an X-ray detector about a predetermined turning axis while holding said X-ray generator and said X-ray detector such that said X-ray generator and said X-ray detector face each other, said X-ray generator configured to emit an X-ray, said X-ray detector being configured to output an electric signal according to an incident X-ray;

a support holder configured to rotatably support said support;

a motor configured to turn said support held by said support holder;

a turning controller configured to control said motor;

an image processor configured to generate an X-ray image by processing a plurality of projection images based on said electric signal;

a light emitter disposed on a virtual loop line surrounding said turning axis, the light emitter including a plurality of color LEDs; and

a processor configured to control said light emitter in association with turning of said support, the processor controlling emission of said plurality of color LEDs according to an operating situation of said medical X-ray photographing apparatus.

2. The medical X-ray photographing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a color of said plurality of color LEDs is one color.

3. The medical X-ray photographing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a color of said plurality of color LEDs is a set of a plurality of colors.

4. The medical X-ray photographing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the set of the plurality of colors is a set of red, blue, and green.

5. The medical X-ray photographing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a set of said color LEDs is arranged in the set of the plurality of colors such that each of said set of color LEDs is disposed close to the others at one position and sets of said color LEDs are distributed at regular intervals.

6. The medical X-ray photographing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said plurality of color LEDs are arranged in an order such that a same array pattern of said set of plurality of colors is repeated at equal intervals.

7. The medical X-ray photographing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said operating situation includes at least one of a turning preparation state of said support, on and off states of an electromagnetic lock of said support, an emergency stop state, an X-ray irradiation state, a turning angle or a turning direction of said support, and an X-ray irradiation direction.

8. The medical X-ray photographing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said light emitter is disposed on a circumference of a circle centered on said turning axis.

9. The medical X-ray photographing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said light emitter is formed of a closed circular shape.

10. The medical X-ray photographing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said light emitter is fixed to said support holder.

11. The medical X-ray photographing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of color LEDs emit light at positions separated from each other.

12. The medical X-ray photographing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

an angle detector configured to detect an angle of said support, wherein,

said processor, based on the detected angle of said support, lights, turns off or blinks the plurality of color LEDs at two portions facing each other diametrically in a light emission mode, the light emission mode being different from that of other color LEDs such that an orientation of an X-ray axis between said X-ray generator and said X-ray detector is shown.

13. The medical X-ray photographing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein when said support is turned, said processor, based on the detected angle of said support, lights, turns off or blinks at least one of the plurality of color LEDs corresponding to a turning range of said support determined based on said detected angle in a light emission mode different from that of other color LEDs such that the turning range of said support is shown.

14. The medical X-ray photographing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

an angle detector configured to detect an angle of said support, wherein

when said support is rotated, said processor, based on the detected angle of said support, lights, turns off or blinks at least one of the plurality of color LEDs corresponding to a turning range of said support determined based on said detected angle in a light emission mode, the light emission mode being different from that of other color LEDs such that the turning range of the support is shown.

15. The medical X-ray photographing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said light emitter is provided at a position where said light emitter is visually recognizable from at least one of a direction along a radial direction perpendicular to said turning axis and a direction along said turning axis.

16. The medical X-ray photographing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein

said support includes an arm base having two ends, a pair of arms, each of said arms extending from each end of said arm base, and

said light emitter is provided on a side of said arm base from which said pair of arms extends.

17. The medical X-ray photographing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said turning axis is horizontal.

18. The medical X-ray photographing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a storage in which a swing angle of said support and a center direction which is a center of said swing angle in emitting the X-ray from said X-ray generator toward said X-ray detector are stored in order to perform tomosynthesis photography,

wherein said processor controls said light emitter such that said swing angle and said center direction, which are read from said storage, are indicated by said light emitter.