TILED DIGITAL RADIOGRAPHY DETECTORS FOR LONG-LENGTH IMAGING

• US 20160135764A1
• Filed: 11/16/2015
• Published: 05/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CareStream Health Incorporated
• Original Assignee: CareStream Health Incorporated
• Inventors: effinger, Frederick I., Wojcik, Timothy J., Jadrich, Bradley S.
• Granted Patent: US 9,820,703 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4233 using matrix detectors
• 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 6/4411 the apparatus being modular A61B6/4283 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/56 Details of data transmission or power supply, e.g. use of slip rings

Abstract

A digital radiographic detector having a radiolucent cover and housing at one or more edges of the detector allows radiographic imaging using multiple detector arrangements with overlapping edges that do not obstruct radiographic images captured thereby.

Claims

1. A digital radiographic detector comprising:

a housing;

a multilayer imaging structure within the housing, the multilayer imaging structure comprising a substantially planar first side defined by a plurality of edges, a second side opposite the first side;

a radiolucent cover over the imaging structure and attached to the housing;

a rigid, radio-opaque portion of the housing substantially surrounding the second side and one or more edges of the multilayer imaging structure; and

a rigid, radiolucent portion of the housing attached to the radio-opaque portion of the housing and surrounding one or more edges of the multilayer imaging structure.

2. The detector of claim 1, wherein the multilayer imaging structure further comprises:

an imaging device layer to receive light energy; and

a scintillator layer adjacent the device layer, the scintillator layer to convert radiographic energy to the light energy,

wherein the radiolucent cover is disposed over the substantially planar first side, attached to the radio-opaque housing portion and to the radiolucent housing portion, and wherein the radiolucent cover and the housing portions substantially enclose the multilayer imaging structure within an interior volume of the DR detector.

3. The detector of claim 2, wherein the radiolucent cover is sealingly attached to the radio-opaque housing portion using a fastener in a top side of the detector adjacent an edge of the multilayer imaging structure that is surrounded by the radio-opaque housing portion.

4. The detector of claim 3, wherein the radiolucent housing portion is sealingly attached to the radio-opaque housing portion using a fastener in a bottom side of the detector adjacent an edge of the multilayer imaging structure that is surrounded by the radiolucent housing portion.

5. The detector of claim 2, further comprising a scanning circuit, a read-out circuit, and a bias circuit all enclosed within the interior volume of the DR detector under the imaging device layer and in electrical communication with the imaging device layer.

6. The detector of claim 2, further comprising a transmitter for wirelessly communicating with an image control processing system and for wirelessly transmitting a ready signal to the image control processing system.

7. A digital radiography detection system comprising:

an x-ray source;

a first DR detector comprising;

a housing;

a multilayer structure within the housing, the multilayer structure comprising a substantially planar first side defined by a plurality of edges, a second side opposite the first side, an imaging device layer to receive light energy, and a scintillator layer adjacent the device layer, the scintillator layer to convert radiographic energy to the light energy;

a radiolucent cover over the scintillator layer and attached to the housing;

a rigid, radio-opaque portion of the housing substantially surrounding one or more of the edges of the multilayer structure; and

a rigid, radiolucent portion of the housing surrounding one or more of the edges of the multilayer structure; and

second and third DR detectors each positioned behind the first DR detector with respect to the x-ray source and each comprising a radio opaque housing without a radiolucent housing portion.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the radiolucent cover comprises an outermost top surface of the substantially planar first side.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the radiolucent cover layer extends continuously to form the radiolucent housing portion surrounding said two of the edges of the multilayer structure.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said two of the edges of the multilayer structure comprise opposite parallel edges.

11. The system of claim 7, further comprising an image acquisition control system configured to wirelessly communicate with the first, second, and third DR detectors and to wirelessly receive a ready signal from each of the first, second, and third DR detectors before activating the x-ray source.

12. A long-length imaging system comprising:

first and second DR detectors, each comprising;

a housing;

a multilayer structure within the housing, the multilayer structure comprising a substantially planar first side defined by a plurality of edges, a second side opposite the first side, an imaging device layer to receive light energy, and a scintillator layer adjacent the device layer, the scintillator layer to convert radiographic energy to the light energy;

a radiolucent cover layer over the scintillator layer and attached to the housing;

a rigid, radio-opaque portion of the housing substantially surrounding the bottom portion and all but one of the edges of the multilayer structure; and

a rigid, radiolucent portion of the housing attached to the radio-opaque portion of the housing and surrounding said one of the edges of the multilayer structure; and

a third DR detector disposed behind the first and second DR detectors, such that said radiolucent housing portion of each of the first and second DR detectors overlaps a different edge of the third DR detector, the overlapped edges of the third DR detector comprising a radio-opaque housing.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising a transportable support structure securing in a vertical relative position the first and second DR detectors with a preselected gap size therebetween.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the transportable support structure comprises means for moving the transportable support structure such that the first and second DR detectors are simultaneously positioned forward of the third DR detector.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the means for moving the transportable support structure comprises wheels powered by an electric motor.

16. The system according to claim 12, further comprising an x-ray source, and wherein the system is configured to capture a portion of a radiographic image of a subject on each of the first, second, and third DR detectors simultaneously using one exposure by the x-ray source.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the preselected gap size is large enough for the third DR detector to be exposed by the one x-ray exposure and small enough so that one edge of each of the first and second DR detectors overlaps one edge of the third DR detector.

18. The system of claim 16, further comprising an image acquisition control system configured to wirelessly communicate with each of the first, second, and third DR detectors and to wirelessly receive a ready signal from each of the first, second, and third DR detectors before activating the x-ray source.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein imaging planes of the first, second and third detectors are each disposed horizontally.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the third DR detector is a non-portable fixed DR detector, and wherein the second and third DR detectors are each a portable independently usable DR detector.