Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba

Tokyo Shibaura Denki Kabushiki Kaisha

Hiroshi Asahina

Ichiro Ogura

Toyomitsu Kanebako

Kunio Aoki

Yoshinori Nakatani

Hiroshi Yasuhara

Hiroshi Nakayama

Masahiro Ozawa

Masayuki Nishiki

Naoki Yamada

Makoto Kaneko

Hitoshi Fujita

Hideki Sato

Motomu Suzuki

The connections among a plurality of dynamic image generating means, a plurality of work stations, a plurality of temporary storage means and a plurality of video tape recorders are switched from one to another a matrix switcher, so that the number of the video tape recorders may be smaller than the total number of the dynamic image generating means and the work stations. The dynamic image generating means are connected via the temporary storage means to the video tape recorders, and the video tape recorders are connected via the temporary storage means to the work stations, so that wait time at the time of image recording or reproduction can be shortened.

Image storage apparatus

An X-ray diagnostic apparatus repeatedly radiates pulse-like X-rays, repeatedly images X-rays passing through an object to be examined at a predetermined frame period, and sequentially displays a plurality of images thus obtained repeatedly. In this invention, the exposure dose can be reduced since the number of X-ray irradiation times per unit time is set to be smaller than the number of frames to be imaged per unit time.

X-ray diagnostic apparatus

An X-ray radiographic apparatus comprises an X-ray tube having an X-ray focal point for radiating X-ray beams toward an object being examined, an X-ray beam limiting device incorporating a limiting member making an aperture for limiting the X-ray beams passing therethrough, the aperture being adjustable in size, and an element for obtaining a surface image of the object through the aperture. The obtained surface image is utilized in various aspects. One aspect is control of the size of the aperture by comprising an element for forming a frame image representing the aperture in accordance with a given size information, an element for displaying the surface image on which the frame image is superposed, a specifying element for being able to specify by hand a size of the frame image by giving the size information to the frame image forming element, and an element for driving the limiting member so that the size of the aperture is brought into a size specified by the aperture displayed on the surface image displaying element. Another aspect concerns positioning using a reference image and automatic exposure control.

X-ray radiographic apparatus

An apparatus is specialized in diagnosing a vascular system in an organism. The diagnostic apparatus is preferable especially to inspection of a circulatory system such as a blood vessel. The inspection can be carried out by obtaining a longitudinal structual image of a lumen of the vascular system and a stenosis index of the lumen. In order to accomplish it, the apparatus comprises an element for fluorographing the vascular system by X-rays, an element for obtaining a plurality of fluoroscopic images based on the X-ray fluoroscopic image signals supplied, an element for ultrasonic probing which has an ultrasonic probe inserted into the vascular system with a catheter, an element for obtaining a plurality of tomographic images based on the ultrasonic tomographic image signals supplied, an element for determining structure of the vascular system based on the plurality of fluoroscopic images and the plurality of tomographic images, and an element for displaying the structure of the vascular system.

Apparatus for diagnosing vascular systems in organism

An X-ray diagnostic apparatus including an imaging system in which X-rays are applied to a subject and a picture image in response to an X-ray does transmitted through the subject is displayed comprises an X-ray generator for generating an X-ray a detecting unit for detecting the X-ray generated from the X-ray generator and passing through the subject disposed between the X-ray generator and the detecting unit and for generating a signal in response to the detected X-ray, a deciding unit operatively connected to the detecting unit for deciding an optimum imaging condition for a portion of the subject to be imaged before a start of an imaging process, a unit for detecting whether the imaging system or the subject is being moved or not, and a controlling unit for controlling the imaging condition within a predetermined interval of time during or after the movement of the imaging system or the subject. The detecting unit for the movement of the imaging system or the subject includes a first recording memory for recording the digital signal just before injecting a contrast medium successively as a mask image, a second recording memory for recording the digital signal after injecting the contrast medium successively as a transmitted image.

An X-ray diagnosis apparatus comprises an X-ray source for obtaining images of an object by means of cine-fluorographic image pickup and TV image pickup, first and second X-ray image pickup systems comprising image intensifiers, TV cameras, cine-fluorographic movie cameras, etc., a single image processing system for subjecting TV images obtained by the first and second X-ray image pickup systems to image processing, a buffer system, disposed between one of the X-ray image pickup systems and the image processing system, for buffering the image transmitted from this one of the X-ray image pickup systems to the image processing system, and a display system for displaying the image processed by the image processing system. In this apparatus, images from the first and second X-ray image pickup systems can be sequentially delivered to the single image processing system in a time-divisional manner.

X-ray diagnosis apparatus

Pulsed X-rays are emitted to a subject under examination at regular intervals while an arm supporting an X-ray tube and a combination of an image intensifier tube and a TV camera so as to interpose the subject therebetween is rotated around the subject at a given speed, thereby obtaining a number of X-ray images of the subject at intervals of a constant angle of view. The X-ray images are converted to optical images which are taken by the TV camera to obtain image signals. Image signals are stored in respective frame memories. Two image signals with an interval of a predetermined number of frames are read from the frame memories and displayed on right and left display screens. The displayed images are viewed by an observer through a stereoscopic viewer for guiding the right and left images to the right and left eyes of the observer, respectively. The frame interval between the two images is selected such that the displayed images have a predetermined difference in angle of view which will give the observer a desired sensation of stereoscopy. Even if only the two images are displayed statically or even if pairs of such two images are displayed dynamically, therefore, stereoscopic presentation of images of the subject can be made.

Stereoscopic X-ray apparatus

A stereoscopic X-ray apparatus is provided in which X-rays are irradiated from the two foci of a stereoscopic X-ray tube to an object to be examined so as to obtain images of the object picked-up in two directions and which permits the object to be stereoscopically displayed based on the two picked-up images. X-ray images having passed the object are picked-up by an image intensifier tube and a TV camera and stored into two frame memories. The two images output from the frame memories are alternately displayed on a display unit. At this time, the positional relation between the object and the X-ray tube and the positional relation between the object and the image intensifier tube set at the picking-up time are compared with those set in the standard state, the display positions of the two images are shifted in the right and left directions by the same distance equal to half the difference therebetween so as to adjust parallax of the two images which corresponds to the stereoscopy, thus making it possible to stereoscopically display the two images with the desired stereoscopy.

Stereoscopic x-ray apparatus

A digital fluorography apparatus includes an X-ray tube, an X-ray/photo converter, an imaging system, an image processing unit, a display, a comparing unit, a fluorographic control unit, an imaging control unit, and an X-ray tube control unit. The converter opposes the tube to sandwich an object therebetween. An X-ray image formed by the converter is sensed by the imaging system. The image processing unit directly outputs image data sensed by the imaging system in a fluorography mode, and performs predetermined digital image processing of the image data and then outputs the resultant image data in an imaging mode. The image data output from the image processing unit in the fluorography mode is compared with reference data by the comparing unit, and a fluorographic control signal corresponding to the comparison result is generated from the fluorographic control unit. The imaging control unit generates an imaging control signal corresponding to the control data from the fluorographic control unit. The X-ray tube is driven under the X-ray radiation conditions corresponding to the control signals.

Digital fluorography apparatus

X-ray mask images of a subject are acquired by a TV camera before a contrast media injected by a injector reaches a region of interest of the subject, the acquired X-ray mask images are stored in a mask image memory in accordance with a frame counter and a memory controller. X-ray contrast images of the subject are acquired by the TV camera after the contrast media reaches the region of interest of the subject, the acquired X-ray contrast images are stored in a contrast image memory in accordance with a frame counter and a memory controller. The mask images and contrast images are subtracted by a subtraction processor, and X-ray subtraction images are obtained. The X-ray images of the subject acquired by the TV camera and the X-ray subtraction images are superimposed by a superimposition processor, and then are displayed on a TV monitor.

Method and system for displaying X-ray images of blood-vessel structure

An image processing apparatus includes frame memories for storing information of an image to be displayed; a block memory for dividing the information stored in the frame memories into a given number of information blocks and storing the divided information blocks; a microcomputer circuit for automatically determining a desired value of each of LEVEL and WIDTH according to given contents of the divided information blocks; and an image emphasis circuit for window-processing information of the image to be displayed according to the determined value of each of the LEVEL and WIDTH.

Image processor with automatic setting of window width and level for

An X-ray photographing device of a digital fluorographic apparatus for use in X-ray diagnosis includes an image intensifier for converting X-rays transmitted through an object to an optical image, and a TV camera for converting the optical image to a television video signal. An effective video level range of the TV camera is narrower than that of the image intensifier. In order to perform a proper X-ray transmittance correction for the object, an X-ray television video signal is converted, at levels out of the effective video level range of the TV camera, to a maximum allowable input video level. In a TV monitor, the levels of the television signal which are out of the effective video signal level range of the TV camera are displayed at the maximum signal level to permit a ready transmittance correction operation. The subtraction image is displayed in accordance with the proper corrected levels.

Digital X-ray medical diagnostic apparatus

In a digital fluoroscopy apparatus, digital reference data is written in a given data position of digital image data where no medical information is contained. This digital reference data has contrast level information with respect to X-ray images of an object under examination. The image data having the reference data is stored in an analogue storage device after being D/A-converted. When the image signal having the D/A-converted reference data is again A/D-converted for the digital subtraction, the contrast level of the finally-A/D-converted reference data varies from that of the original reference data. The image data having the finally-A/D-converted reference data is corrected based upon the contrast level variation from the original level in an image data correction unit.

Digital fluoroscopy apparatus

An X-ray apparatus is disclosed which comprises an X-ray tube, a high voltage generating circuit for applying a high voltage between the anode and the cathode of the X-ray tube, a filament heating circuit for heating a filament of the X-ray tube, first switching element connected between one terminal of said filament and the negative bus of said high voltage generating circuit, second switching element connected between the other terminal of said filament and the negative bus of said high voltage generating circuit and an inverter circuit for alternately switching said first and second switching elements at a given period to switch the tube current paths.

Growing community of inventors

Tochigi, Japan

Hiroshi Asahina