X-ray diagnostic apparatus with a beam transmitter and beam receiver mounted opposite one another on a curved holder

• US 6,203,196 B1
• Filed: 08/20/1999
• Issued: 03/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GMBH (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Meyer, Michael, Seubert, Hans-Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Church, Craig E.
• Application Number:
  US09/377,751
• Time in Patent Office: 578 Days
• Field of Search: 378/195-198
• US Class Current: 378/197
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4441 the rigid structure being a C-arm or U-arm
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4464 the source unit or the detector unit being mounted to ceiling

Abstract

X-ray diagnostic apparatus has a beam transmitter and beam receiver mounted opposite one another on a curved holder. In a first operating mode, the curved holder is formed by at least a first circular ring segment on which the beam transmitter and the beam receiver are mounted. In a second operating mode, a second circular ring segment is coupled to the first circular ring segment so that a closed ring results. Displacement arrangements, as well as energy supply connections, are provided for the beam transmitter and the beam receiver, and a signal transmission arrangement for the beam receiver is provided, so that the beam transmitter and the beam receiver can be controlled, positioned opposite one another, so as to rotate around an examination subject. With this X-ray diagnostic apparatus, both transirradiation exposures and computed tomography exposures can be produced.

Claims

1. An X-ray diagnostic apparatus comprising:

a curved holder;

an X-ray beam transmitter and an X-ray beam receiver mounted opposite each other on said curved holder, said X-ray beam transmitter and said X-ray beam receiver being operable in a first mode and in a second mode;

said curved holder, in said first mode, comprising a first circular ring segment on which said X-ray beam transmitter and said X-ray beam receiver are mounted; and

said curved holder, in said second mode, comprising a second circular ring segment coupled to said first circular ring segment to form a closed ring.

2. An X-ray diagnostic apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first mode comprises an X-ray transirradiation mode and wherein said second mode comprises an X-ray computed tomography mode.

3. An X-ray diagnostic apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising an energy supply connected to said X-ray beam transmitter and said X-ray beam receiver, and a signal transmission circuit connected to said X-ray beam receiver for transmitting signals produced by said X-ray beam receiver, and a displacement mechanism for rotating said curved holder to rotate said X-ray beam transmitter and said X-ray beam receiver, disposed opposite each other, around a center.

4. An X-ray diagnostic apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a first mount apparatus on which said first circular ring segment is mounted, and a second mount apparatus on which said second circular ring segment is mounted, said first and second mount apparatuses being displaceable relative to each other to couple and decouple said first and second circular ring segments.

5. An X-ray diagnostic apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein said second circular ring segment is mounted to said second mount apparatus so as to be decouplable from said second mount apparatus.

6. An X-ray diagnostic apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein at least one of said first mount apparatus and said second mount apparatus is spatially displaceable.

7. An X-ray diagnostic apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein said first mount apparatus comprises ceiling rails and a mounting element displaceable along said ceiling rails.

8. An X-ray diagnostic apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein said first mount apparatus comprises floor rails and a mounting element displaceable along said floor rails.

9. An X-ray diagnostic apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein said first mount apparatus comprises a freely movable carriage.

10. An X-ray diagnostic apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein said second mount apparatus comprises ceiling rails and a mounting element displaceable along said ceiling rails.

11. An X-ray diagnostic apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein said second mount apparatus comprises floor rails and a mounting element displaceable along said floor rails.

12. An X-ray diagnostic apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein said second mount apparatus comprises a freely movable carriage.

13. An X-ray diagnostic apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said second circular ring segment is displaceable relative to said first circular ring segment to form said closed ring.

14. An X-ray diagnostic apparatus as claimed in claim 13 wherein said second circular ring segment is telescopically displaceable on said first circular ring segment.

15. An X-ray diagnostic apparatus as claimed in claim 13 wherein said second circular ring segment is pivotably displaceable around a rotational axis on said first circular ring segment.