Shimadzu Corporation

Nippon Hoso' Kyokai

Other

Takayuki Takemoto

Shiro Oikawa

Kenkichi Tanioka

Shirou Suzuki

Yutaro Kimura

Tutomu Katou

Hiromichi Tonami

Yasukuni Yamane

Susumu Adachi

Hidetoshi Kishimoto

Toshio Yamagishi

Takahisa Nishikawa

Keiichi Hiragaki

Tatsuya Shimizu

In a fluoroscopy image apparatus of the invention, in case an ordinary control circuit for an image sensor is out of order, a D/A switching mechanism is switched to analog, and a plurality of pixels of the image sensor is controlled as one pixel unit by a pixel control circuit. By TV standard scanning system signals generated in a TV reference signal circuit, the image sensor is scanned through the gate driver circuit. In a picture signal superimpose circuit, X-ray image signals from a readout amplifier are superimposed on a TV frame synchronization signal of the TV standard scanning system, and outputted as analog video signals. The analog video signals are transmitted to an external monitor to be displayed.

Fluoroscopy image apparatus

In a plane type radiation detector unit, a rotating shaft is provided on one end side of the detector unit and is attached to a fluoroscopic radiographing stand to hold the detector unit so that the detector unit can be rotated around the rotating shaft by 90&deg; to widen a space in front of an object or patient to be tested. A plurality of slide electrodes is disposed on the rotating shaft to input or output signals to or from the detector unit, or to supply a power source. A detecting portion of the detector unit includes an X-ray converting layer, an active matrix board, a gate circuit portion and a reading circuit portion. The detecting portion is controlled by a control circuit portion to read pixel signals of the detecting portion to the reading circuit portion and send out data to an outside through the slide electrodes. Also, by providing a communication circuit portion for sending or receiving radio signals from the outside, data can be sent to the outside by radio signals through a non-contact I/O device. Thus, the plane type radiation detector unit can be miniaturized and made light in weight without using a connector and a cable, and moreover, a space in front of the object can be widened.

X-ray image taking apparatus with plane type radiation detector unit

In a two-dimensional radiation detector of the invention, a semiconductor layer for converting a radiological image or light image converted therefrom to a picture image of charges by sensing X-ray, and a switching element matrix are integrally formed. A bias electrode common to a signal electrode of the semiconductor layer is connected to a bias power source through a switch or a resistance. An electric current flowing through the bias electrode from the bias power source is detected by a detector, and supplied to a control circuit. The control circuit compares a detected value supplied from the detector with a threshold value, and turns off the switch when the detected current value reaches the threshold value to shut off application of the bias voltage to the bias electrode.

Two-dimensional radiation detector

An apparatus using a two-dimensional radiation sensor for acquiring X-ray penetration images or the like. A monitoring radiography is performed with a small dose before a production radiography. A radiographic condition for the production radiography, specifically a radiation emitting period or a tube current of a radiation generator, is computed based on a ratio between a quantity of charges in a region of interest collected from the two-dimensional radiation sensor in time of the monitoring radiography and a desired quantity of charges in the region of interest in time of the production radiography. The production radiography is carried out based on a result of the computation to acquire a high quality image.

Radiographic apparatus

An X-ray image pickup tube converts a transmitted X-ray image into electric signals. The pickup tube includes a target structure having a fluorescent element, and a translucent conductive film for receiving a high voltage, with a photoconductive film laminated thereupon. The fluorescent element receives transmitted X rays in a two-dimensional distribution, and converts them into visible rays in a two-dimensional distribution. The translucnet conductive film is optically coupled to a surface of the fluorescent element opposite from an X-ray incident surface thereof. The photoconductive film includes an amorphors semiconductor layer which converts the visible rays transmitted in a two-dimensional distribution through the translucent conductive film, into electric charges in a two-dimensional distribution, and which multiplies the electric charges in the two-dimensional distribution based on electric fields formed by the high voltage applied to the translucent conductive film. The pickup tube also has a signal reading device in the form of an electron gun or switching elements for scanning a surface of the photoconductive film, as electric signals, a two-dimensional electric potential distribution occurring on the photoconductive film.

X-ray image pickup tube

A two-dimensional radiation detector for obtaining a radiographic image as converted into electric signals. The detector has a multi-layer structure including a scintilator, a translucent electrode film, a photoconductive film and a scan switch layer. The scan switch layer includes conductors arranged in matrix form and in contact with the photoconductive film, a plurality of FETs corresponding to the conductors arranged in matrix form, and a uniformly planar conductor for successively applying a bias voltage through the FETs to the matrix conductors row by row. Each FET has a drain electrode connected to one of the matrix conductors, a source electrode connected to the uniformly planar conductor, and a gate electrode connected to the drive circuit. The translucent electrode film includes column conductors corresponding to columns of the matrix conductors, each of the column conductors being connected to a signal reading line.

Growing community of inventors

Joyo, Japan

Takayuki Takemoto