Mobile digital radiography x-ray apparatus and system

• US 7,016,467 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2004
• Issued: 03/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jack Jerome Brooks
• Original Assignee: Jack Jerome Brooks
• Inventors: Brooks, Jack Jerome
• Primary Examiner(s): Bruce, David V.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SONG, HOON K
• Application Number:
  US10/918,267
• Publication Number:
  US 20060034427A1
• Time in Patent Office: 585 Days
• Field of Search: 378/102, 378/55, 378/62, 378/116, 378196-198, 709220-221
• US Class Current: 378/102
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4405 the apparatus being movable or portable, e.g. handheld or mounted on a trolley
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/563 involving image data transmission via a network

Abstract

A mobile x-ray apparatus for generating a digital x-ray image and transmitting it to a remote site, includes: (a) a first computer; (b) a flat panel detector in communication with the first computer; and (c) an x-ray cart assembly removably supporting the first computer, which includes a cart with a battery charger and an x-ray machine in communication with the flat panel detector; wherein the mobile x-ray apparatus includes an x-ray tube extendible from the cart, and a mechanism for framing a target body area of a patient. Also included herein is a method of generating a digital x-ray image and forwarding it to a remote site using the mobile x-ray apparatus.

Claims

1. A digital radiography method of rapidly generating a digital x-ray image and forwarding it to a remote site, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) moving a mobile x-ray apparatus to the patient, and entering an imaging technique at the mobile x-ray apparatus;

(b) positioning a flat panel detector of the mobile x-ray apparatus under a target body area of the patient;

(c) emitting x-rays from the mobile x-ray apparatus onto the target body area;

(d) sensing energy from the x-rays using sensors of the flat panel detector;

(e) converting signals from the sensors of the flat panel detector into at least one digital image;

(f) transmitting the at least one digital image from the flat panel detector to a first computer of the mobile x-ray apparatus;

(g) forwarding the at least one digital image to a remote site using the first computer; and

wherein the at least one digital image is transmitted from the flat panel detector to the first computer by a wireless network; and

further comprising the step of using a first input apparatus of the first computer to enter patient demographics;

wherein the at least one digital image and the patient demographics form a patient study; and

further comprising the step of converting the patient study to Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine protocol within the first computer prior to sending the patient study to a quality control workstation.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of transmitting the patient study to a first network destination via a network.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the first network destination is a Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine quality control workstation, the Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine quality control workstation comprising a second computer and a second display device.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

using the second computer and the second display device to verify a match between the at least one digital image and the patent demographics, and then transmitting the patient study to a second network destination via the network.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the second network destination is a Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine archive.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the second network destination is a review workstation, the review workstation comprising a third computer and a third display device.

7. The method according to claim 4, wherein the second network destination is a Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine diagnostic workstation, the diagnostic workstation comprising a diagnostic computer, a plurality of high-resolution diagnostic display devices, and image viewing software.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

analyzing the at least one digital image displayed on at least one high-resolution monitor using the image viewing software, and transmitting an x-ray report to a remote site via the network.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the network is a wireless network.