Telesystems Co., Ltd.

Takara Telesystems Corp.

Akitoshi Katsumata

Koichi Ogawa

Tsutomu Yamakawa

Masahiro Tsujita

Tatsuya Nagano

Kazuhide Kitou

Hideyuki Nagaoka

Hisatoshi Aoki

An X-ray tomographic imaging apparatus includes an X-ray and a direct conversion type of detector. The X-ray tube and the detector are supported by the support means so as to be rotatable along curved orbits mutually independently. Under instructions from a computer, scans and image reconstruction are performed. The X-ray tube and the detector are moved along the orbits mutually independently so that X-ray beams are always transmitted through a desired tomographic plane of an object at desired angles. Acquired frame data are used to produce a panoramic image of the plane, while the frame data and the panoramic image are used to produce a tomographic image in which structural components of the object are optically focused and distortions caused due to differences in X-ray paths are suppressed. The apparatus can be used as devices for dental, medical diagnosis and nondestructive inspection, and can have a CT imaging function.

X-ray tomogram imaging device

There is provided a panoramic imaging apparatus which serves as a radiation imaging apparatus. The panoramic imaging apparatus includes an X-ray tube radiating an X-ray as a radiation, a detector outputting digital-quantity frame data corresponding to an incident X-ray, and moving means moving the pair of X-ray tube and the detector relatively to an object. The apparatus further includes means for acquiring the frame data from the detector during movement of the X-ray tube and the detector, and means for optimally focusing a portion being imaged of the object using the acquired data and producing a three-dimensional optimally focused image in which the real size and shape of the portion being imaged are reflected.

Radiation imaging apparatus and imaging method using radiation

In the imaging space provided by a panoramic imaging apparatus, a phantom is arranged. The phantom is located to a predetermined tomographic plane and includes markers which image known positional information with an X-ray beam. The X-ray beam from an X-ray source is acquired as X-ray transmission data by a detector, and a panoramic image is produced using the data. Based on known positional information of the markers and information of marker positions in the panoramic image, distance information (Rs, Rd) between the X-ray tube and the detector and height information (B) of the X-ray tube to the detector are calculated. From this calculated results and the acquired data, parameters (&#x394;x/&#x394;Fi, &#x3b8;, &#x394;&#x3b8;/&#x394;Fi, D, A, CX, CY) defining positional relationships among the X-ray tube, the detector, and the tomographic plane are calculated such that amounts of changes in the position connecting the X-ray tube and the detector are considered in the parameters. This allows the parameters to be calibrated for 3D image reconstruction.

Radiation imaging apparatus and phantom used for the same

A radiation imaging apparatus is provided. The apparatus has moving means moving a pair of an X-ray tube and a detector relatively to an object. The apparatus further has means which acquire digital frame data outputted from the detector. The frame data are acquired from the same portion being imaged of the same object at different time points. The apparatus has means which use the frame data to produce a plurality of three-dimensional optimally focused images at the respective time points, an actual position and shape of the portion being imaged being reflected in the images, and means which estimate changes of the plural three-dimensional optimally focused images.

A panoramic imaging apparatus functionally includes an image processing apparatus. In this apparatus, two planar images are produced, which are subjected to registration. A registration process is applied to overall areas of two planar images based on curves decided from positions designated on the two planar images respectively. The positions on each of the planar images are aligned along a straight line, both straight lines corresponding to each other in a horizontal direction, and a scale factor for the registration is changed position by position on the straight lines. One of the two planar images is searched for a match of each local region of the other planar image, to any of regions of the one planar image, and images of the matched regions are re-produced to produce a planar image. The difference information is calculated between the planar images.

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Ichinomiya, Japan

Akitoshi Katsumata