Sectional image photography system and method thereof

• US 6,480,564 B1
• Filed: 02/02/2000
• Issued: 11/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Chang-hyo, Kim, Hyeong-cheol
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Robert H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): YUN, JURIE
• Application Number:
  US09/496,623
• Time in Patent Office: 1,014 Days
• Field of Search: 378/58, 378/21, 378/98.8, 378/25
• US Class Current: 378/21
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/04 and forming images of the material

Abstract

A sectional image photography system includes a mounting table adapted to receive an object to be examined; a radiation projector for projecting a radiation toward an object being examined, the radiation being projected at a same level from different locations; a plane radiation detector for obtaining a plurality of partial radiation images formed from the radiations transmitted through the object in the form of electrical image signals; and an image processor for composition-processing the partial radiation images obtained by the plane radiation detector into a sectional image of a desired section of the object. Here, X-rays are used as the radiation. The plane radiation detector has a plurality of plane radiation detectors which are disposed to correspond to the radiation projected from different locations of the radiation projector. Accordingly, since the radiation images transmitted through the object are directly obtained by the plane radiation detectors, there is no radiation image distortion. Further, since there is no need to employ a driving mechanism, the structure of the product is simplified and the reliability is increased.

Claims

1. A sectional image photography system comprising:

a mounting table adapted to receive an object to be examined;

a radiation projector for projecting a radiation toward an object being examined, the radiation being projected at a same portion of said object at a same level from different locations;

a flat-type plane radiation detector for obtaining a plurality of partial radiation images formed from the radiation transmitted through a same portion of the object at a same level from different locations while the object remains stationary relative to the radiation projector, in the form of electrical image signals; and

an image processor for composition-processing the partial radiation images obtained by the plane radiation detector into a sectional image of a desired section of the object.

2. The sectional image photography system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the radiation is X-ray radiation.

3. The sectional image photography system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said plane radiation detector is one plane radiation detector moved to correspond to the image formative locations of the radiation images of the radiations projected from the respective locations of the radiation projector and are transmitted through the object.

4. The sectional image photography system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the image processor comprises:

a computer for composition-processing a plurality of radiation partial images obtained by the plane radiation detector; and

a frame grabber for converting image signals obtained by the plane radiation detector into image data which can be processed by the computer, and for inputting the image data into the computer.

5. The sectional image photography system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said plane radiation detector obtains a plurality of partial radiation images formed from the radiation transmitted through a same portion of the object at a same level from different locations while the object remains stationary relative to the radiation projector and the plane radiation detector, in the form of electrical image signals.

6. A sectional image photography system comprising:

a mounting table adapted to receive an object to be examined;

a radiation projector for projecting a radiation toward an object being examined, the radiation being projected at a same portion of said object at a same level from different locations;

a plurality of plane radiation detectors, which are disposed to correspond to the radiation projected from different locations of the radiation projector through a same portion of said object at said same level, for obtaining a plurality of partial radiation images formed from the radiation transmitted through a same portion of the object at a same level from different locations, in the form of electrical image signals; and

an image processor for composition-processing the partial radiation images obtained by the plane radiation detector into a sectional image of a desired section of the object.

7. The sectional image photography system as claimed in claim 6, wherein a number of the plane radiation detectors ranges from 4 to 8.

8. A sectional image photography system comprising:

a mounting table adapted to receive an object to be examined;

a radiation projector for projecting a radiation toward an object being examined, the radiation being projected at a same portion of said object at a same level from different locations;

a flat-type plane radiation detector for obtaining a plurality of partial radiation images formed from the radiation transmitted through a same portion of the object at a same level from different locations while the object remains stationary relative to the radiation projector, in the form of electrical image signals;

an image processor for composition-processing the partial radiation images obtained by the plane radiation detector into a sectional image of a desired section of the object; and

a plane radiation detector vertically disposed below the mounting table.

9. A method for obtaining a sectional image by using a sectional image photography system comprising the steps of:

a) placing an object to be examined on a mounting table of the sectional image photography system, and focusing a certain section of the object at a certain height at a focus surface of the sectional image photography system;

b) projecting radiation generated from a radiation projector with respect to an object being examined from at least two locations on a circumference of the radiation projector;

c) obtaining at least two radiation partial images transmitted through the object from said at least two locations in the form of electrical image signals by using a flat-type plane radiation detector while the object is stationary relative to the radiation projector; and

d) obtaining the sectional image by processing at least two radiation image signals which are obtained by the plane radiation detector.

10. The sectional image photography method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the step of obtaining at least two radiation portion images transmitted through the object occurs whole the object is stationary relative to the radiation projector and the plane radiation detector.