Operator console for X-ray tomographs

• US 4,773,086 A
• Filed: 10/28/1987
• Issued: 09/20/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Yokogawa Medical Systems Limited
• Original Assignee: Yokogawa Medical Systems Limited
• Inventors: Matsumoto, Isao, Fujita, Kenjiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Howell, Janice A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Porta, David P.
• Application Number:
  US07/117,363
• Time in Patent Office: 328 Days
• Field of Search: 378/4, 378/20, 378/114-116, 378/98, 340/712, 340/365 VL, 340/286 M, 340/525
• US Class Current: 378/4
• CPC Class Codes: H05G 1/30 Controlling

Abstract

An operator console for an X-ray tomograph, has a variety of switches sequentially actuatable for scanning operation of the X-ray tomograph. Each switch is provided with an indicator means for indicating a controllable condition to give the operator a switch operating procedure, and also with an indicator means for indicating a selected condition to allow the operator to know a current setting at a glance. The number of operating steps for routine scanning operation can be reduced by providing capability for presetting scanning parameters for respective body areas to be scanned. The operator console can easily be operated without any errors even by a novice operator.

Claims

1. An operator console for a tomograph apparatus comprising an imaging source, an imaging detector and a source scanning means, said console comprising

a plurality of scanning control switches, each switch being equipped with a light emitter having a blinking light state, a continuous light state and an unlit state, said blinking light indicating a scanning step to be selected, said continuous light indicating a selected scanning step which has been initiated, wherein said plurality of scanning control switches are divided into a plurality of groups with each group comprising a plurality of scanning control switches, and wherein for each successive group one or more of said plurality of switches having the scanning steps to be selected displayed on the light emitters as blinking lights are successively operated by an operator to produce signals for causing the tomograph to perform the respective scanning steps in the successive groups, whereupon the light emitters on the just operated switches change from a a blinking light to a continuous light to indicate that the scanning step just selected has been initiated;

control means responsive to operation of a scanning control switch for concurrently generating a selected display signal and a plurality of to be selected display signals;

a selected display output means, responsive to said selected display signal applied from said control means, for causing the light emitter asociated with the just operated scanning control switch to change from a blinking light to a continuous light to indicate that the respective control switch has been just operated and the selected scanning step has been initiated; and

a to be selected dispaly output means, responsive to said plurality of to be selected display signals applied from said control means, for concurrently causing the light emitters associated with a group of said plurality of scanning control switches next to be operated to change from an unlit state to blinking lights to indicate that one or more of the respective control switches are to be next operated in that group, such that said operator operates in sequence at least one switch in successive groups of said plurality of to be operated switches having the associated light emitter having blinking lights to cause desired scanning steps, whereupon the just operated one or more of the plurality of switches in each successive group have their associated light emitters causes to be changed from blinking lights to continuous lights, and concurrently another successive group of said plurality of to be operated switches have their associated light emitters caused to be changed from unlit states to blinking lights to indicate to the operator the next successive group of said plurality of switches to be operated.

2. The console of claim 1, wherein said switches are push button switches.

3. An operator console for a tomograph apparatus comprising an imaging source, an imaging detector and a source scanning means, said console comprising

a plurality of scanning control switchs, each switch being equipped with a light emitter having a blinking light state, a continous light state and an unlit state, said blinking state indicating a scanning step to be selected, said continuous light indicating a selected scanning step which has been initiated, wherein said plurality of scanning control switches are divided into a plurality of groups with each group comprising a plurality of scanning control switches, and wherein for each successive group one or more of said plurality of switches having the scanning steps to be selected displayed on the light emitters as blinking lights are successively operated by an operator to produce signals for causing the tomograph to perform the respective scanning steps in the successive groups, whereupon the light emitters on the just operated switches change from a blinking light to a continuous light to indicate that the scanning step just selected has been initiated, the scanning control switches incorporating switches for designating the selection of an object to be imaged;

a storage means for storing scan parameters preset for each section of the object to be imaged;

a scan parameter display means for displaying the scan parameters;

control means responsive to operation of a scanning control switch for concurrently generating a selected display signal and a plurality of to be selected dispaly signals, and said control means responsive to operation of a scanning control switch designating the section of the object to be imaged for generating a scan parameter display signal;

means responsive to said scan parameter display signal for displaying corresponding parameters of said preset scan parameters stored in said storage means;

a selected display output means, responsive to said selected display signal applied from said control means, for causing the light emitter associated with the just operated scanning control switch to change from a blinking light to a continuous light to indicate that the respective control switch has just been operated and the indicated scanning step has been initiated; and

a to be selected display output means, responsive to said plurality of to be selected display signals applied from said control means, for concurrently causing the light emitters associated with a group of said plurality of scanning control switches next to be operated to change form an unlit state to blinking lights to indicate that one or more of the respective control switches are to be next operated in that group, such that said operator operates in sequence at least one switch in successive groups of said plurality of to be operated switches having the associated light emitter having blinking lights to cause desired scanning steps, whereupon the just operated one or more of the plurality of switches in each successive group have their associated light emitters caused to be changed from blinking lights to continuous lights, and concurrently another successive groups of said plurality of to be operated switches have their associated light emitters caused to be changed from unlit states to blinking lights to indicate to the operator the next successive group of said plurality of switches to be operated.

4. The console of claim 3, wherein said switches are push button switches.

5. The console of claim 3, wherein said scan parameter display means includes a register which temporarily holds scan parameters that are used for displaying purposes, the contents of the register being alterable by said operator.