Siemens Aktiengesellschaft

Manfred Muether

Erich Heubeck

Werner Guenther

Michael Doebert

Joachim Pfeiffer

Tilman Phleps

Ernst O Fleer

Werner Gunther

Dieter Molitor

Leonhard Werner

Hans-Michael Kratochwilla

Ernst Schmitt

Franz Stueber

Ernest-August Behne

Rolf Adler

A dental x-ray diagnostics installation for producing panorama tomograms of the jaw of a patient has a radiation source and a detector, which converts x-radiation into corresponding light radiation, disposed on opposite sides of the patient. The detector is preceded by a secondary diaphragm. The radiation source, the detector and the secondary diaphragm are rotated around the patient so that radiation attenuated by the jaw, and passing through the secondary diaphragm is incident on the detector. At least one CCD sensor is provided on which light radiation generated by the detector is incident. The CCD sensor converts the light radiation into electrical signals. The sensor has an image zone with a number of lines parallel to a longitudinal extent of the opening of the secondary diaphragm, and has a storage zone. The lines in combination receive all of the light radiation so as to generate a complete charge image corresponding to the x-radiation incident on the detector. A clock generator is provided which controls transfer of the charge from the lines of the image zone into the storage zone, and also controls read-out of the storage zone. By selecting the frequency of the clock pulses generated by the clock pulse generator, the transfer and read-out speed can be selected to simulate the speed of movement of x-ray film in a conventional dental panorama tomography apparatus.

Dental x-ray diagnostics installation for producing panorama slice

A dental x-ray diagnostics installation having a holder for film cassette and a holder for diaphragms of different sizes, which holder for diaphragms is positioned in an x-ray source so that the beam passes through the diaphragm aperture before reaching the subject. The diaphragms are interchangeable with one another and have different diaphragm apertures for the purpose of matching the x-ray beam cross-section to different film cassette formats. In order to be able to more easily execute exposures having film cassettes of different sizes, the installation of the present invention includes a sensing arrangement for determining the size and position of the format of each film cassette inserted into the holder, a logic circuit for taking the output of the sensing arrangement and directing it either to a display unit and/or to a control unit which controls the radiation source dependent on the selected film format and/or controls the adjustment mechanism for a diaphragm arrangement comprising a plurality of diaphragm apertures which are allocated to the different cassette formats.

Dental x-ray installation

A dental x-ray diagnostic installation for the production of panoramic exposures of slices of the skull of the patient particularly in the region of the jaw, characterized by an exposure unit with an x-ray unit pivotable around an axis and displaceable in a plane perpendicular to the axis, a film holder unit lying opposite and moveable relative to the x-ray unit, a head holder arranged between the two units, a control arrangement for controlling the pivoting and displacement movement of the exposure unit relative to the head holder and also controlling the movement of the film holder relative to the x-ray tube of the exposure means and an input arrangement for inputting information of the selected curvature of the slice being exposed. The improvements are that the input means is constructed so that the curvature of the slice to be exposed can be directly graphically inputted into the control arrangement such as by means of a monitor with a light pen or by means of a 'computer graphic tablet'.

Dental x-ray diagnostics installation for producing panoramic exposures

An apparatus for positioning the head of a patient for producing dental panorama tomograms, which apparatus has an arrangement for positioning the head in a desired position relative to a fixed point with respect to at least one projection plane and this point, in turn, assumes a definite position relative to a central ray extending from the x-ray tube towards the x-ray picture, characterized by an arrangement for producing silhouettes and for projecting the silhouettes of the head in an actual position and in a desired position, simultaneously with the fixed point of each of the two silhouettes coinciding. By moving the head forming the silhouette of the actual position, the silhouette of the actual position can be moved to be congruent with the silhouette of the desired position to bring the head into the desired position for x-ray exposure.

Apparatus for positioning the head of a patient for producing x-ray

A dental x-ray diagnostics installation has a rotary unit carrying an x-ray source and a radiation detector disposed behind a secondary diaphragm, the rotary unit rotating around the jaw of a patient to produce panorama tomograph exposures of the patient's jaw. The radiation detector generates electrical signals proportional to the incident radiation intensity. To simplify signal processing, the detector is formed of one or more semiconductor detectors having a scintillation layer which corresponds to the size of the opening in the secondary diaphragm. The voltages acquired by the detector are converted to digital form, and stored in an image memory. A computer calculates a total image from the signals supplied by the detector, and stored in the memory, during a complete exposure. The signals from the image memory are combined to generate a tomogram of a desired slice of the patient's jaw.

In order to provide a dental X-ray diagnostic installation for producing panoramic tomograms of the jaw of the patient and to achieve a simple structure with improved image quality, the apparatus includes an adjustment mechanism for the carrier of the radiation source and the film cassette holder to be adjusted in an orbital curve corresponding to the dental arch of the patient. The adjustment arrangement includes first adjustment parts with which the carrier can be rotated around a first vertical axis, and second adjustment elements for moving or swivelling the first axis in an arch transverse relative to the symmetry axis of the subject during the rotary motion. The swivel radius and the amount of excursion of this swivel motion are selected so that the perpendicular transillumination direction through the subject gives a constant distance between the subject and the film during the motion of the rotary unit. To accomplish this, the invention includes two separate embodiments with various modifications.

Dental X-ray diagnostic installation for producing panoramic tomograms

A dental x-ray diagnostic installation comprises x-ray apparatus containing x-ray generator and x-ray tube having a hollow anode in the form of applicator for insertion in the interior of a patient's mouth. In order to facilitate the construction and handling of the apparatus in particular the insertion of the applicator in the mouth, the x-ray apparatus is designed as a unit capable of being positioned on a table or on a wall and contains a stationary member or part, which supports a horizontal axle which pivotably connects a housing containing the x-ray tube and the applicator on the stationary member for pivotable movement therewith. In addition, the installation includes a bite-on part which has a bite piece and a sleeve, which telescopically receives the applicator and enables the patient to locate the applicator in the desired position within the mouth.

Dental X-ray diagnostic installation

A flexible film cassette for holding a dental x-ray film on the outside of a patient's mouth for exposure from a radiation source from an x-ray diagnostic installation or device in which an applicator is capable of being inserted intraorally in the patient's mouth characterized by a first support extending between an applicator and the cassette and a second support spaced an interval from the axis of the first support for forming a coupling between the film and the housing of the x-ray device to prevent rotation of the cassette relative to the applicator.

Flexible film cassette

The invention relates to a dental x-ray diagnostic installation comprising an applicator capable of introduction into the mouth of a patient on which is arranged an exit window from which x-radiation emitted by an anode can issue and expose a panoramic x-ray film applied externally of the patient's mouth. Associated with the installation is a holding system with which the x-ray film is supported in a defined position relative to the applicator and to the patient's mouth.

Dental x-ray diagnostic installation

A hydraulic-pneumatic control device characterized by a narrow elongated supply strip having a plurality of channels extending parallel to a longitudinal axis of the strip, a plurality of separate groups of openings spaced along the strip with each group having an opening in communication with each channel, a connecting block having a plurality of separate passages mounted on the strip with the passages in communication with the channels and a control block for each of the dental apparatuses whose agents are being regulated. Each of the control blocks is mounted on the separate group of openings of the supply strip for receiving agents from the channels therein and each block has pneumatically actuated valves for regulating the flow of the agent therethrough.

Growing community of inventors

Bensheim, Germany

Manfred Muether