ADJUSTABLE SCANNER
First Claim
1. Apparatus for dental and facial imaging, the apparatus comprising:
- a controller;
a rotatable gantry;
a source of penetrating radiation mounted on the gantry and including a beam limiter with a plurality of doors; and
a detector of penetrating radiation mounted opposite the source on the gantry, so that the head of a patient can be positioned between the source and the detector, with the axis of rotation of the gantry passing through the patient'"'"'s head;
wherein the detector is mounted translatably on the gantry between a first position and a second position and includes a first stop positioned at the first position and a second stop positioned at the second position, wherein movement of the detector between the first position and the second position is controlled so that the movement of the detector is slowed in a first direction before the detector reaches the first stop and movement of the detector is slowed in a second direction before the detector reaches the second stop, wherein the controller is configured to coordinate movement of the rotatable gantry, the plurality of doors of the beam limiter, and movement of the detector.
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Accused Products
Abstract
For dental and facial imaging, a source of x-rays (14) or other penetrating radiation and a detector (20) are mounted opposite one another on a rotatable gantry (28), so that the head of the patient can be positioned between the source (14) and the detector (20), with the axis of rotation (36) of the gantry passing through the patient'"'"'s head. The detector or the source are mounted so they can translate and/or pivot horizontally or vertically. The gantry is angulated so that the source or the detector may not be at the same height relative to the patient'"'"'s head. The gantry can telescope, moving the source and the detector closer together or further apart. The collimator changes dynamically with the motion of the gantry and/or the source and detector to scan a smaller portion of the scan field.
24 Citations
19 Claims
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1. Apparatus for dental and facial imaging, the apparatus comprising:
- a controller;
a rotatable gantry;
a source of penetrating radiation mounted on the gantry and including a beam limiter with a plurality of doors; and
a detector of penetrating radiation mounted opposite the source on the gantry, so that the head of a patient can be positioned between the source and the detector, with the axis of rotation of the gantry passing through the patient'"'"'s head;
wherein the detector is mounted translatably on the gantry between a first position and a second position and includes a first stop positioned at the first position and a second stop positioned at the second position, wherein movement of the detector between the first position and the second position is controlled so that the movement of the detector is slowed in a first direction before the detector reaches the first stop and movement of the detector is slowed in a second direction before the detector reaches the second stop, wherein the controller is configured to coordinate movement of the rotatable gantry, the plurality of doors of the beam limiter, and movement of the detector. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 10, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
- a controller;
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4. Apparatus for dental and facial imaging, the apparatus comprising:
- a rotatable gantry;
a source of penetrating radiation mounted on the gantry; and
a detector for the radiation mounted opposite the source on the gantry, so that the head of the patient can be positioned between the source and the detector, with the axis of rotation of the gantry passing through the patient'"'"'s head;
wherein at least one of the detector or the source is mounted rotatably on the gantry. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6)
- a rotatable gantry;
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7. Apparatus for dental and facial imaging, the apparatus comprising:
- an angulated rotatable gantry;
a source of penetrating radiation mounted on the gantry;
a detector for the radiation mounted opposite the source on the gantry, so that the head of the patient can be positioned between the source and the detector, with the axis of rotation of the gantry passing through the patient'"'"'s head;
wherein at least one of the detector or the source is mounted lower than the vertical midpoint of the patient'"'"'s head, and the other of the at least one of the detector or the source is mounted higher than the vertical midpoint of the patient'"'"'s head. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9)
- an angulated rotatable gantry;
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11. Apparatus for dental and facial imaging, the apparatus comprising:
- a rotatable gantry;
a source of penetrating radiation mounted on the gantry;
a dynamic collimator changing its collimation of the source to trim the penetrating radiation to cover only a specific region of the scan field; and
a detector for the radiation mounted opposite the source on the gantry, so that the head of the patient can be positioned between the source and the detector, with the axis of rotation of the gantry passing through the patient'"'"'s head;
wherein at least one of the detector or the source is mounted lower than the vertical midpoint of the patient'"'"'s head, and the other of the at least one of the detector or the source is mounted higher than the vertical midpoint of the patient'"'"'s head.
- a rotatable gantry;
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12. Apparatus for dental and facial imaging, the apparatus comprising:
- a telescoping and rotatable gantry;
a source of penetrating radiation mounted on the gantry;
a dynamic collimator changing its collimation of the source to trim the penetrating radiation to cover only a specific region of the scan field; and
a detector for the radiation mounted opposite the source on the gantry, so that the head of the patient can be positioned between the source and the detector, with the axis of rotation of the gantry passing through the patient'"'"'s head;
wherein at least one of the detector or the source is mounted lower than the vertical midpoint of the patient'"'"'s head, and the other of the at least one of the detector or the source is mounted higher than the vertical midpoint of the patient'"'"'s head.
- a telescoping and rotatable gantry;
Specification