APPARATUS FOR ACQUIRING DIGITAL X-RAY IMAGE

• US 20100252756A1
• Filed: 06/09/2009
• Published: 10/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digiray Corp.
• Original Assignee: 3D Imaging & Simulations Corp.
• Inventors: Kim, Jin-Yong, Smitt, Asbjorn, Lee, Sung-Woon, Yi, Ji-Hyun
• Granted Patent: US 8,263,957 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/584
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/2014 Reading out of stimulable sheets, e.g. latent image
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 42/08 Visualisation of records by optical means

Abstract

Provided is an apparatus for acquiring a digital X-ray image that radiates X-ray on a patient'"'"'s part by using a high sensitivity imaging plate (IP), reads the radiated patient'"'"'s part, acquires a signal including patient information and image information regarding a patient, converts the signal into a digital signal, and links the digital signal to external equipment.

Claims

1. An apparatus for acquiring a digital X-ray image that inserts an imaging plate (IP) into the entrance of a case body, scans a laser beam onto the IP, and acquires an image signal from latent images accumulated by scanning radiation onto the IP, the apparatus comprising:

a laser beam scanning unit guiding the laser beam generated from laser;

a reflection mirror installed in the entrance of the case body and having the laser beam scanned by the laser beam scanning unit reflected onto the IP without emitting the laser beam to the outside;

a dichroic filter transmitting through the laser beam reflected by the reflection mirror to be scanned on the IP and reflecting a blue wavelength light having photostimulated luminescence on the IP by the scanning of the laser beam;

an optical fiber transferring the blue wavelength light having photostimulated luminescence on the IP to a band-pass filter;

a band-pass filter transmitting the blue wavelength light therethrough and preventing a red wavelength light from transmitting therethrough in order to acquire the blue wavelength light transferred through the optical fiber;

a photo-multiplication tube acquiring and collecting blue wavelength image signals transmitting through the band-pass filter and amplifying images;

two position detection sensors installed at both ends of the entrance of the case body and detecting positions where the laser beam is scanned;

a transfer member installed inside the case body, having the IP hooked thereto, and transferring the IP forward and backward;

a power transmission unit transmitting power to allow the transfer member to operate; and

a controller controlling the operations of the laser, the laser beam scanning unit, the position detection sensors, and the power transmission unit.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the laser beam scanning unit comprises:

a swing mirror swing left and right according to power applied from the outside and scanning the laser beam generated from the laser;

a F-theta lens adjusting a focal distance of the laser beam deflected in the swing mirror; and

an auxiliary mirror reflecting the laser beam which has passed through the F-theta lens to a scanning region.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the swing mirror comprises:

a flow plate having a mirror fixed to the front surface of the flow plate;

two magnets installed at both sides of the rear surface of the flow plate;

a fixing plate installed to face the flow plate by a predetermined space and having two coils installed in the positions corresponding to the magnets; and

two springs each connected to two connection rods that protrude from both sides of the flow plate and the fixing plate.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dichroic filter is installed to have an inclination angle of 45 degrees with respect to light that is input into the optical fiber.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transfer member comprises:

a rail installed on the bottom of the inner portion of the case body in a horizontal direction;

a transfer rod movably installed in the rail and having both ends fixed to a belt of the power transmission unit; and

two hooks installed in one side of the transfer rod to have the IP hooked thereto.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the power transmission unit comprises:

a driving pulley fixed to the driving axis of a motor;

a following pulley connected to the driving pulley via a first belt and rotating and connected to two roller shafts;

the roller shafts installed in both sides of the inner portion of the case body and connected to the following pulley and first and second pulleys; and

two second belts wound around the first and second pulleys of the roller shaft and transferring a rotational force.

2. An apparatus for acquiring a digital X-ray image that scans a laser beam onto an IP included in the case body and acquires an image signal from latent images accumulated by scanning radiation onto the IP, the apparatus comprising:

a laser beam scanning unit guiding the laser beam generated from laser;

a reflection mirror installed in one side of the interior of the case body and having the laser beam scanned by the laser beam scanning unit reflected onto the IP without emitting the laser beam to the outside;

a dichroic filter transmitting through the laser beam reflected by the reflection mirror to be scanned on the IP and reflecting a blue wavelength light having photostimulated luminescence on the IP by the scanning of the laser beam;

an optical fiber transferring the blue wavelength light having photostimulated luminescence on the IP to a band-pass filter;

a band-pass filter transmitting the blue wavelength light therethrough and preventing a red wavelength light from transmitting therethrough in order to acquire the blue wavelength light transferred through the optical fiber;

a photo-multiplication tube acquiring and collecting blue wavelength image signals transmitting through the band-pass filter and amplifying images;

two position detection sensors installed at both ends of one side of the interior of the case body and detecting positions where the laser beam is scanned;

a plurality of transfer members installed inside the case body and reciprocally transferring the IP forward and backward;

a power transmission unit transmitting power to allow the transfer members to operate; and

a controller controlling the operations of the laser, the laser beam scanning unit, the position detection sensors, and the power transmission unit.

7. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the transfer members are fixed in a length direction of a chain of the power transmission unit and are rectangular-shaped and are bent in the shape of “

”

from both ends thereof in order to guide transfer of the IP.

9. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the power transmission unit comprises:

a driving pulley fixed to the driving axis of a motor;

a following pulley connected to the driving pulley via a belt and rotating and connected to a plurality of chain shafts installed inside the case body;

first and second sprockets installed in both ends of the chain shafts 67, respectively; and

the chain fastened to the first and second sprockets.

10. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the laser beam scanning unit comprises:

a swing mirror swing left and right according to power applied from the outside and scanning the laser beam generated from the laser;

a F-theta lens adjusting a focal distance of the laser beam deflected in the swing mirror; and

an auxiliary mirror reflecting the laser beam which has passed through the F-theta lens to a scanning region.

11. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the dichroic filter is installed to have an inclination angle of 45 degrees with respect to light that is input into the optical fiber.