Portable radiographic imaging system

• US 9,521,986 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2014
• Issued: 12/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Inc.
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta Inc.
• Inventors: Ozawa, Kenichi, Kojima, Masahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho, Allen C.
• Application Number:
  US14/485,090
• Publication Number:
  US 20150078521A1
• Time in Patent Office: 830 Days
• Field of Search: 378/97, 378/98.8, 378108-110, 378/114, 378/115, 378/91, 250/370.09
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4233 using matrix detectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4266 characterised by using a plurality of detector units A61B6/4014 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4283 characterised by a detector unit being housed in a cassette
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4405 the apparatus being movable or portable, e.g. handheld or mounted on a trolley
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/54 Control of apparatus or devices for radiation diagnosis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/542 involving control of exposure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/548 Remote control of the apparatus or devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/56 Details of data transmission or power supply, e.g. use of slip rings
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/563 involving image data transmission via a network
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/566 involving communication between diagnostic systems

Abstract

A portable radiographic imaging system includes an FPD cassette and a portable console, each of which is configured to wirelessly communicate with a portable relay unit. The relay unit prohibits a radiation generator from emitting radiation when judging that a wireless communication connection has not been established between the relay unit and the radiation generator, and allows the radiation generator to emit radiation when judging that the wireless communication connection has not been established between the relay unit and the radiation generator after an interlock release signal is transferred from the console or the like to the radiation generator.

Claims

1. A portable radiographic imaging system, comprising:

an FPD cassette;

a portable console;

a portable radiation generator; and

a portable relay unit which performs wireless communication with the portable radiation generator emitting radiation to an object, wherein;

each of the FPD cassette and the portable console is configured to perform wireless communication with the portable relay unit, and

the portable relay unit prohibits the portable radiation generator from emitting radiation when judging that a wireless communication has not been established between the portable relay unit and the portable radiation generator, and allows the portable radiation generator to emit radiation when judging that the wireless communication has not been established between the portable relay unit and the portable radiation generator after the portable relay unit transfers to the portable radiation generator a signal to allow the portable radiation generator to emit radiation, the signal being sent from the FPD cassette or the portable console.

2. The portable radiographic imaging system of claim 1, wherein the portable relay unit judges that the wireless communication connection has not been established between the portable relay unit and the portable radiation generator when the portable relay unit does not receive a signal from the portable radiation generator within a predetermined time period after the portable relay unit transmits a signal to the portable radiation generator.

3. The portable radiographic imaging system of claim 2, wherein a plurality of time periods can be set as the predetermined time period.

4. The portable radiographic imaging system of claim 1, wherein the portable relay unit periodically performs a judging process to judge whether or not the wireless communication connection has been established between the portable relay unit and the portable radiation generator, and

the portable relay unit causes the portable console and/or the FPD cassette to announce that the wireless communication connection has not been established between the portable relay unit and the portable radiation generator when judging that the wireless communication connection has not been established between the portable relay unit and the portable radiation generator.

5. The portable radiographic imaging system of claim 1, wherein the portable relay unit transmits a signal to instruct to stop currently-performed processing and return to a state to perform preprocessing for imaging, to the FPD cassette, when the signal to allow the portable radiation generator to emit radiation is transmitted from the FPD cassette or the portable console to the portable relay unit in the state that the portable radiation generator is prohibited from emitting radiation.

6. A radiographic imaging system, comprising:

a plurality of portable radiographic imaging systems, wherein each portable radiographic imaging system of the plurality of radiographic imaging systems comprises;

an FPD cassette;

a portable console;

a portable radiation generator; and

a portable relay unit which performs wireless communication with the portable radiation generator emitting radiation to an object, wherein;

each of the FPD cassette and the portable console is configured to perform wireless communication with the portable relay unit, and

the portable relay unit prohibits the portable radiation generator from emitting radiation when judging that a wireless communication connection has not been established between the portable relay unit and the portable radiation generator, and allows the portable radiation generator to emit radiation when judging that the wireless communication connection has not been established between the portable relay unit and the portable radiation generator after the portable relay unit transfers to the portable radiation generator a signal to allow the portable radiation generator to emit radiation, the signal being sent from the FPD cassette or the portable console.