Collimator for dental x-ray imaging apparatus

Abstract

A collimator for a dental X-ray imaging apparatus, including: a housing () having a first end and a second end, which oppose each other, the first end provided thereat with a light exit aperture, the second end secured to the dental X-ray imaging apparatus so as to define a light passage so that X-rays are able to travel through the light passage and exit from the light exit aperture; a securing means disposed at the second end, with which the housing () is detachably secured to a beam-limiting cone (); a visible light source () placed within the housing () and configured to be able to emit visible light; a window member disposed at the first end of the housing and configured to allow visible light and X-rays to transmit therethrough and be projected and irradiated onto an object to be imaged; a light-reflecting plate () placed in the housing () obliquely with respect to a longitudinal axis of the light passage and configured to be able to reflect visible light emitted from the visible light source () so that it is able to pass through the window member and be projected on the object to be imaged; a beam-limiting member disposed between the light-reflecting plate () and the window member and configured to disallow transmission of visible light and X-rays therethrough and hence define the light exit aperture.