The present invention relates, among other things, to a device for indicating the position of the edge of a first area illuminated by an x-ray radiation source in relation to the edge of a second area which is illuminated by a light source and which completely or partially coincides with the first area. The invention also relates to an arrangement and method for such indication.
The utilization of position detectors to determine whether x-ray radiation emitted from an x-ray radiation source coincides with radiation or light emitted from a utilized light source is already known. The latter is utilized as an aid for determining the area on a patient or object that is to be exposed to x-ray radiation. It is accordingly important that the x-ray radiation source and the light radiation source are coordinated so that the x-ray exposure is not carried out on an area that differs from the predetermined area. Such a deviation may mean that the x-ray procedure needs to be repeated and that the patient or object must be subjected to unnecessary exposure to the x-ray radiation source.
There is thus a pronounced need to be able to maintain an accurate coordination between the emitted x-ray radiation and the light illumination from the x-ray radiation-emitting equipment and the light-emitting equipment respectively, which comprise components, for example, in the form of x-ray tubes, lamps and/or fluorescent tubes, collimators/shutters, etc. The components can deteriorate and/or be subjected to external manual influences that cause changes in the emitting function of the x-ray radiation source or light source. There is thus a need to be able to check and adjust the equipment, in order to obtain the required accuracy in coordination when it is used on a patient or object. It is, in addition, important that checking and adjustment can be carried out using technically simple means which, in spite of their simplicity, must be able to work with the requisite reliability. There is also the requirement that the checking equipment in question should be able to be constructed with small external dimensions and should be easy to handle and easy and economical to manufacture.
The equipment or instruments known to date are relatively complicated and difficult to handle and have relatively large external dimensions. Thus, for the checking, the use is already known of markers and film developing, or arrangements utilizing fluorescent materials, which are time-consuming to use or require strong radiation, darkroom facilities, etc. The construction of indicating instruments utilizing electronics and fibre arrangements that connect x-ray radiation-sensitive components, diodes/sensors, etc, to the electronics, is already known. The fibres in the fibre arrangement must be arranged in a special way in order to be able to obtain correct functioning of the sensor or the sensor arrangement, which complicates the equipment.
The main object of the present invention is, among other things, to solve the abovementioned problems.
The principal characteristics of a device according to the invention are, among other things, that it comprises an elongated unit which is provided with first and second parts separated by a mark, which first and second parts are intended to extend inside the second area and outside the second area respectively. In addition, the unit comprises indicating elements that are sensitive to x-ray radiation and that are arranged to assume a first indication state, preferably an activated indication state, in the presence of x-ray radiation directed towards the element, and a second indication state, preferably an inactivated indication state, in the absence of x-ray radiation directed towards the element. The position indication is thereby able to be determined by means of the said mark and the indication states.
In further developments of the concept of the invention, the unit consists of an elongated or ruler-shaped unit that has at least one display that can be turned to face towards the x-ray radiation source. The display can be composed of elements arranged consecutively. Elements that are in positions within the first area mentioned in the introduction assume an activated indication state, and elements that are in positions outside the first area assume an inactivated indication state. The elongated or ruler-shaped unit can be provided with a sensor device that can act as an activation device or ON button. The unit can also be provided with a disconnection circuit that, after a predetermined period of time, disconnects predetermined indication states that have been assumed, after which time the reading can be considered to have been carried out. In additional embodiments, the device can be provided with automatically-starting reconnection circuits or reset circuits that can come into operation after the predetermined period of time. In a known way, the unit has an internal battery source and, in addition, is provided with a diode/sensor network, amplification network and logic network. The unit can consist of an elongated or tubular casing that has a flat lower outer surface. The casing can be arranged to contain a circuit board containing the components in question. The casing can also be designed with a slot that extends in the longitudinal direction and acts as a window, through which the elements can be viewed for determining the indication state. In an embodiment, the mark can consist of a mark located at the middle part of the casing, for example a red mark. Additional characteristics are apparent from the following subsidiary claims concerning the device in question.
The invention relates to an arrangement that can comprise two elongated units, the first unit of which is intended to extend inside the second area mentioned in the introduction and the second unit of which is intended to extend outside the second area. Both units comprise x-ray radiation-indicating elements that are arranged to assume a first indication state, preferably an activated indication state, in the presence of x-ray radiation, and a second indication state, preferably an inactivated indication state, in the absence of x-ray radiation. The position indication can be determined by means of the positions of the units and the indication states of the elements. In the arrangement, the end edges can be considered to act as a mark, for example a virtual mark, c.f. the mark described above.
The arrangement according to the invention can comprise one elongated unit arranged to be able to adopt two different positions, depending upon the application, where, in the first position, the unit extends from the second edge and inside the second area and, in the second position, the unit extends from the edge and outside the second area. As described above, the unit can comprise x-ray radiation-indicating elements which are arranged to assume a first indication state, preferably an activated indication state, in the presence of x-ray radiation, and a second indication state, preferably an inactivated indication state, in the absence of x-ray radiation. In this case, the position indication can be determined by means of the positions of the unit and the indication states of the elements and by the temporary disconnection of the x-ray radiation source between changes of the position of the unit. When the unit is applied in a direction from the edge of the light field where the x-ray radiation field extends beyond the light field or where the light field extends beyond the x-ray radiation field, the deviation can be determined by means of only one application of the unit.
A method according to the invention can be characterized in that the unit is applied to an edge of a light field area created by a light source, which unit comprises x-ray radiation-indicating elements, so that a first part that is separated by a mark from a second part is exposed to the light and the second part is positioned where it is not exposed to the light. An additional characteristic is that the x-ray radiation source is thereafter activated and the discrepancy is determined by reading off the activated and inactivated states of the x-ray radiation-indicating elements in the parts and the mark.
The method according to the invention can principally be characterized in that two units are applied to an edge of a light field area created by a light source, preferably edge to edge. As described above, the units comprise x-ray radiation-indicating elements. The application is carried out in such a way that one unit is exposed to the light and the other unit is positioned where it is unexposed to the light. The x-ray radiation source can thereafter be activated and the discrepancy can be determined by means of the activated and inactivated states of the x-ray radiation-indicating elements.
By means of what is proposed in the above, an exceedingly simple unit and an exceedingly simple method for the use of the unit are obtained. Thus, for example, in a first stage, the unit or ruler can be placed with its centre at the edge of the light. Thereafter the unit or ruler is exposed to x-ray radiation. The elements that receive the x-ray radiation are switched on or activated. Elements can be arranged with a light column function where the elements are switched on accordingly (as in a speedometer). The unit itself is activated automatically when the x-ray radiation incides on any one of its ends for a certain period of time. The criterion for activation of the elements or the light column function can be arranged in various ways and using various parameters. The unit can be switched on and off in a relatively simple way. The unit can consist of a unit with a mark, for example on its middle part. Alternatively, the unit can consist of two interacting parts, which parts are laid end to end, with the edge contact being regarded as a mark. The unit can also consist of one unit that is moved during the interval between two activations of the x-ray radiation source when carrying out the checking procedure. During one activation, the unit is applied in such a way that it extends from the edge and into the light field, while, in the second position, it extends from the edge and outwards from the light field. The unit and the arrangement can also operate with several units in order to determine the discrepancy between several edges of the light field and the x-ray radiation field. Alternatively, the same unit or units can be used at the different edges during different activations of the x-ray radiation source.
A currently-proposed embodiment of the device, arrangement and method according to the invention will be described below with reference to the attached drawings in which
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The LCD elements are arranged consecutively in an arrangement that can be likened to a light column function. In the example shown, the number of elements and the number of sensors can be 40 or more. The width of the light column can be, for example, 2.5 mm. In an embodiment, the sensors can comprise or consist of silicon diodes. In the embodiment, the x-ray radiation switches on a number of LCD elements which, in this case, corresponds to the irradiation of a corresponding number of sensors by the x-ray radiation source. In the said light column function, the activated or switched-on part of the light column increases in length the further into the irradiated x-ray field the unit is placed. In an embodiment, a criterion for activating the elements is utilized, where an underlying or preceding element has a signal level significantly larger than a subsequent element. By “significantly” can be meant here signal levels that are 50% larger than the signal level for the preceding element. Alternatively, all elements that have a signal level within 50% (or within the range 40-60%) of the maximum signal level can be switched on. At one end, the unit is provided with a sensor 21 that acts as an ON button in the event of irradiation.
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The invention is not limited to the embodiments shown above as examples, but can be modified within the framework of the following patent claims and concept of the invention.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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03028859 | Mar 2003 | SE | national |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | PCT/SE04/01539 | Oct 2004 | US |
Child | 11415990 | May 2006 | US |