JPH09329859A - X-ray radiogrpahic equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain excellent closely sticking performance under low vacuum pressure and further, excellent durability by providing an elastic layer between a supporting plate and an intensifying screen supported with the supporting plate. SOLUTION: In a rear supporting part 42, the elastic layer 48 held between a carbon 49 as a rear supporting plate and the intensifying screen 46 is provided. The rear supporting part, 42 is further moved toward a front supporting plate 41, in a state where a film 1a is held and stopped in the state where a radiographing part, becomes a hermetically sealed space, in such a manner that the skirt, part, of the packing 47b of a sealing member 47 arranged all around the periphery in the peripheral part, of the carbon plate 49, between a pressing plate 42a and the carbon plate 49 comes into contact with the front supporting plate 41. At this time, the decrease of pressure in the hermetically sealed space is started by a vacuum pump. In other words, air in the hermetically sealed space is discharged by the vacuum pump, to reduce the pressure inside. In such a case, the elastic layer 48 is provided so that excellent closely sticking can be obtained even if the degree of vacuum is lower than that in the conventional manner.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an X-ray image radiographing apparatus, and more particularly to a contact mechanism between an intensifying screen and a film in a radiographing section.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, especially in the medical field, a plurality of X-ray films are loaded from a magazine containing a plurality of X-ray films into a photographing unit one by one from above, and X-rays of a subject are taken out of the photographing unit.
2. Description of the Related Art An X-ray image capturing apparatus that captures a radiographic image and transports the captured film downward or upward from a capturing unit is well known (Japanese Patent Publication Nos. 5-67215 and 6-68608).
No.). In addition, X for loading the film into the photographing unit from below.
A line image photographing apparatus has been proposed by the present applicant (Japanese Patent Application No. 8-34722).

The X-ray transmission image is not limited to being taken by an adult but may be a child as well.
In the X-ray transmission image of the child, the image area of the observation target is smaller than the size of the adult boy,
For example, in the case of chest radiography, in an X-ray transmission image of a child, a so-called blank region other than the chest image required as image information is large in an image captured on a large film, and it is rather difficult to observe the necessary image portion. The difficulty arises.

Therefore, it is possible to prepare a film having different vertical sizes according to the physique of the object to be photographed in the X-ray image photographing apparatus in advance, and select a film of a desired size as necessary and photograph it. It is generally performed, and an image of an appropriate size is obtained according to the subject (capture target).

In the image capturing section of these X-ray image capturing apparatuses,
Since the film is photographed with an intensifying screen (hereinafter referred to as a screen) being overlapped on the film in order to increase the exposure amount of the film without increasing the irradiation X-ray dose to the subject, the film and the screen are It is necessary to make uniform contact over the entire surface.Usually, a pair of support plates facing each other is provided in the imaging unit, one of which has relatively high rigidity and the other of which has relatively low rigidity. Used,
Each support plate supports the screen and has a structure in which the screens face each other. After the film is loaded between the support plates, the space between the support plates is sealed with a sealing member such as packing, and the inside of the sealed space is decompressed by using a decompression means such as a vacuum pump. The so-called vacuum adhesion is performed by utilizing the fact that the plate is pressed by the atmospheric pressure and pressed against the other support plate and is deformed to some extent by the elasticity of the support plate. When the front and rear screens and the film are vacuum-tightly attached, the force of pressing the screen and the film is very strong (-300mmHg
Below, the half-cut area is about 600kgf).

According to this technique, the film and the screen can be adhered uniformly over the entire surface.

In an X-ray image photographing apparatus capable of photographing films having different vertical sizes, the film is carried into the photographing unit such that the upper end of the photographing unit is always at a substantially constant position.

The sizes of commonly used films are a half-cut size (35 cm × 43 cm) and a large-angle size (35 cm × 35 cm). Usually, the screen is adapted to the largest size film, that is, one for half size.
When shooting with a large-angle film that is smaller than the half-cut size, the upper end of the film is positioned at the same position as when the half-cut size is used.Therefore, the lower end of the large-size film should be positioned on the shooting screen of the half-cut size screen. Become.
When a large-sized film is loaded and vacuum-adhered between the front screen supported by the support plate with relatively large rigidity and the rear screen supported by the support plate with relatively small rigidity, the space between the support plates is The pressure is reduced to a negative pressure space, and the support plate having a relatively small rigidity and the screen supported by the support plate bend at the lower end of the large-angle film. Therefore, the screen diagonally contacts the bottom edge of the large-angle film, and a large force is intensively applied to the bottom edge of the large-angle film, and if you continue shooting in this state, the bottom edge of the large-angle film will be inside the front and rear screens, especially the rear screen. Scratches due to edges. This scratch causes noise on the image when a film having a size larger than that of the large-angle film, that is, a half-cut film is photographed.

Therefore, as a measure against scratches on the screen, a method of reducing the vacuum pressure during decompression is adopted.

[0010]

However, in general, high vacuum pressure gives better adhesion, faster adhesion completion time, and when the vacuum pressure is lowered, the elasticity of the supporting plate, which has relatively small rigidity, is reduced. There is a problem that sufficient adhesion cannot be obtained only by deformation.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an X-ray imaging apparatus having good adhesion performance under a low vacuum pressure and excellent durability. is there.

[0012]

In the X-ray image photographing apparatus of the present invention, intensifying screens supported by a pair of supporting plates are arranged in parallel so as to face each other, and have a size in the vertical direction. Different X-ray films are selectively loaded between the two intensifying screens so that the upper end of the X-ray film is located at a predetermined position above the intensifying screens, and the space sandwiched between the two supporting plates is loaded. In the X-ray image photographing apparatus for making X-ray photographing on the X-ray film by bringing the X-ray film and the both intensifying screens into close contact with each other by sealing and decompressing with a sealing member, Of these, an elastic layer is provided between at least one of the support plates and the intensifying screen supported by the support plates.

That is, by providing the elastic layer between the support plate and the intensifying screen, good adhesion performance can be realized even at a low vacuum pressure.

The elastic layer may have a central portion bulging toward the intensifying screen.

[0015]

According to the X-ray image photographing apparatus of the present invention, in the photographing section having a pair of supporting plates, an elastic layer is provided between any one of the supporting plates and the intensifying screen supported by the supporting plate. By providing it, good adhesion can be achieved even when the vacuum pressure is low when the X-ray film is carried in between the intensifying screens and vacuum adhesion is performed. Since it has excellent adhesion performance at a low vacuum pressure, it is possible to prevent screen scratches due to film edges caused by high vacuum pressure adhesion, and as a result, it is possible to improve the durability of the screen.

[0016]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the X-ray imaging apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing an embodiment of the X-ray image radiographing apparatus of the present invention, and FIG. 1 is a contact structure in which the film is brought into close contact with the intensifying screen in the radiographing section of the X-ray image radiographing apparatus shown in FIG. Showing details of FIG. 3, FIG. 3 and FIG.
It is a figure which shows the operating state of the X-ray imaging apparatus shown in FIG.

The illustrated X-ray image capturing apparatus is for capturing an X-ray transmission image of a chest of a human body as an object 100 on an X-ray film, and a plurality of types of unexposed X-rays having different lengths. Two supply magazines 11 and 12 for accommodating a large number of line films 1a and 1b, respectively,
Based on a film selection instruction from a film selection unit (not shown), one of the two supply magazines 11 and 12 takes out one film 1a or 1b and carries it into the photographing unit 40 described below from below. And the shooting department
The elevating means 30 for elevating the X-ray film 1a or the like carried in 40 to the upper part inside the imaging unit 40, and the upper end of the X-ray film 1a or the like raised by the elevating means 30 so that the upper end abuts at a predetermined position. A contact member 43 is provided above the inside, and a fixed front support plate 41 and a movable rear support portion 42 are provided.
An X-ray film 1a or the like is sandwiched between the X-ray film 1a and the like, and the X-ray film 1a and the like are held, and an X-ray transmission image is taken in this held state
And an unloading means 50 for unloading the X-ray film 1a etc. after the X-ray transmission image is taken out from the imaging section 40, and the X-ray film drawn out from the imaging section 40.
An ID information recording device 60, which is provided on a conveyance path such as 1a, records ID information such as photographing date / time, photographing region (subject), patient name, etc. at the leading end in the conveying direction of the X-ray film 1a and the like. A receive magazine 70 for accommodating an X-ray film 1a and the like in which a line-transparent image and ID information are recorded is provided inside.

More specifically, supply magazines 11 and 12
Is a main body 11a for accommodating the films 1a and 1b, respectively.
, 12a and lids 11b, 12b pivotally supported by the main bodies 11a, 12a so as to be openable and closable so that the inside is in a light-shielding state when closed. 12b is in a closed state, and is opened when mounted inside.

The carrying-in means 20 enters the inside of the main bodies 11a, 12a from the openings of the supply magazines 11, 12 opened inside the apparatus, and is provided with the film 1a and the like laminated respectively inside the main bodies 11a, 12a. One film 1a of the uppermost layer is adsorbed and the film is taken from the opening of the supply magazine 11 or the like.
1a and the like, and further, the sheet-feeding means 21 and 22 for transporting the film 1a and the like to the carry-in rollers 23 disposed opposite to each other below the photographing unit 40, and sandwiching the transported film 1a and the like,
It comprises two transport rollers 23 which are rotationally driven to transport the film 1a and the like upward.

The two sheet-feeding means 21 and 22 are for adsorbing a long-sized film 1a on one side and a short-sized film 1b on the other side. Either one is driven according to the film selection instruction input to the selection means. However, the present invention is not necessarily limited to the configuration in which the individual sheet means 21 and 22 are separately provided for each length of the film, and one sheet means may supply the supply magazine on the designated side in accordance with the instruction for selecting the film. Film 1a of any length moved to 11 or 12 opening
Alternatively, it is of course possible to adopt a configuration in which even 1b can be adsorbed.

When the transport roller 23 grips the leading end of the film 1a or 1b transported by the sheet means 21 or 22 in the transport direction, the transport roller 23 transports the film 1a or the like upward by rotating and driving the film 1a or 1b. The rear end of this roller is
After passing through the roller 23, the roller 23 continues to rotate, thereby applying vibration so that the rear end of the film 1a or the like protrudes from below, and the posture of the film 1a or the like is moved to the lower end (rear end). The axial direction of the roller 23 can be corrected so as to be parallel.

Lifting means 30 are provided on both sides of the film 1a and the like, respectively, and a holding mechanism for holding the film 1a and the like carried into the photographing unit 40 by the transport roller 23 on both sides thereof;
Lifting mechanism that raises the film 1a etc. together with the gripping mechanism that holds the film 1a etc., and the upper end of the film 1a etc. and the contact member
And a positioning control means (not shown) for detecting the contact with 43 and stopping the lifting operation by the lifting mechanism.

The photographing section 40 includes a front support plate 41 fixed to the main body of the X-ray image photographing apparatus, the contact member 43 fixed to the front support plate 41, and a lower part when receiving the film 1a or the like. Open the side widely, and when shooting, it is in close contact with the front support plate 41 and the film 1a
And the like, a rear side support portion 42 that is movable so that the upper side is widely opened, and a suction device 44 that is provided on the rear side support portion 42 and that holds the film 1a and the like that has entered the photographing portion 40.
And a rear support plate of the front support plate 41 and the rear support portion 42.
Intensifying screens (hereinafter referred to as screens) 45 and 46 fixed to the respective 49, and the front support plate 41 and the rear support part 42 in the state where they are close to each other, around these support plates 41 and 49 all around the periphery of the periphery. An elastic member 47 such as a sponge that adheres airtightly over
Sealing member 47 consisting of a and packing 47b made of rubber, front support plate 41, rear support plate 49 and packing 47
It is composed of a decompression means (not shown) for exhausting the air in the space surrounded by and decompressing the space.

Further, the rear side support portion 42 has a pressing plate 42
a, a supporting frame 42c fixed to the pressing plate 42a by a screw 42b, a carbon plate 49 which is a rear supporting plate adhered to the supporting frame 42c, the carbon plate 49 and a rear screen 46. And an elastic layer 48 provided between them. The sealing member 47 described above includes the pressing plate 42a and the carbon plate 49.
The sponge 47a is in contact with the pressing plate 42a, and the packing 47b is in contact with the carbon plate 49.

The rear support section 42 is provided with holding means 44 for holding the film 1a and the like that have entered the photographing section 40 by suction. An X-ray opaque member is affixed to a part of the front support plate 41 corresponding to the upper part of the film.

The unloading means 50 is composed of a suction arm 51 having a suction disk at its tip and a transport roller 52 for sucking the film 1a or the like held on the rear support portion 42 and pulling it out of the photographing section 40. Further, the suction arm 51 is provided at a tip of the first arm 51a which rotates by receiving a driving force, a second arm 51b further rotatably provided at a tip of the first arm 51a, and a tip of the second arm 51b. And a suction disk 51c.

The receiving magazine 70 is composed of a main body 70a for accommodating the film 1a and the like and a lid pair 70b similarly to the aforementioned supply magazines 11 and 12, and includes a long film 1a and a short film 1b. It is housed without distinction. The carry-in to the receive magazine 70 is performed by the transport roller 52.

Next, the operation of the X-ray imaging system of this embodiment will be described.

First, in this apparatus, a supply magazine 11 containing a long size unexposed X-ray film 1a and a supply magazine 12 containing a short size unexposed X-ray film 1b are set. (See Figure 2).

Here, an operator's instruction is input from a film selecting means (not shown), and based on this instruction, the corresponding sheet-fed means 21 or 22 from either one of the two supply magazines 11 and 12 is the film 1a or Take out 1b one by one.

For example, when the instruction is a long size, the sheet-feeding means 21 enters the inside of the main body 11a through the opening of the supply magazine 11 and the uppermost one film 1a among the many laminated films 1a. To pull out the film 1a from the supply magazine 11. At this time, the other sheet means 22 does not perform any operation.

On the other hand, when the instruction is a short size, the sheet feeding means 22 enters the inside of the main body 12a through the opening of the supply magazine 12 and the uppermost one film 1b among the many laminated films 1b. To pull out the film 1b from the supply magazine 12. At this time, the other sheet means 21 does not perform any operation.

Since the following operation is the same regardless of the size instruction, the operation for a long size instruction, that is, for the long-sized film 1a will be described below.

The sheet feeding means 21 sucks the film 1a and pulls it out from the supply magazine 11, and then, while keeping sucking the film 1a, the carry-in roller 23 arranged below the photographing section 40.
(See FIG. 3A). This makes the film
The leading end in the transport direction 1a is guided between the two carry-in rollers 23. At this time, the rear side supporting portion 42 of the photographing section 40 is open at the lower side and narrowed at the upper side, so that the film 1a can smoothly enter the photographing section 40 from below.

The carry-in roller 23 is rotationally driven while sandwiching the leading end of the film 1a in the carrying direction.
Film 1a due to the frictional force between the peripheral surface of the film and the surface of film 1a.
Is conveyed upward between the front side support plate 41 and the rear side support portion 42 of the photographing unit 40 (see FIG. 3A). The film 1a continues to be conveyed upward, but when the rear end (lower end) of the film 1a passes the roller 23, the conveying force acting on the film 1a is lost, and the upward conveyance is stopped, but the roller 23 still rotates. Continuing, vibration is applied so that the lower end of the film 1a is projected from below, and the attitude of the film 1a is corrected so that the lower end of the film 1a and the axial direction of the roller 23 are parallel to each other (see FIG. 3B). ).

Here, the grasping mechanism of the elevating means 30 grasps both side portions of the film 1a in the correct posture, and the elevating mechanism raises the film 1a together with the grasping mechanism.

When the upper end of the film 1a, which is lifted by the lifting mechanism, comes into contact with the contact member 43 provided in the photographing section 40, the positioning control means (not shown) detects this contact and raises the lifting mechanism. Stop the operation. As a result, the film 1a is accurately positioned with respect to the photographing unit 40 with the upper end as a reference (see FIG. 3C).

After the film 1a is positioned, the holding means 44 provided on the rear side support portion 42 is used to hold the rear side support portion 42.
At a predetermined position. After this holding, the gripping mechanism of the lifting / lowering means 30 releases the film 1a, and the lifting / lowering mechanism lowers the gripping mechanism to the original position.

Here, the rear side support portion 42 holding the film 1a
Starts to turn around the upper end in the direction of the front support plate 41, and the front support plate 41 and the rear support portion 42 come close to each other to some extent and face each other substantially in parallel (FIG. 1 (A), FIG. 3 (D)
reference).

The operation of bringing the film 1a into close contact with the screens 45 and 46 will be described below with reference to FIG.

The rear side supporting portion 42 further advances toward the front side supporting plate 41 while holding the film 1a, and presses the pressing plate 42a.
And the carbon plate 49, the skirt part of the packing 47b of the sealing member 47, which is arranged around the entire circumference of the carbon plate, comes into contact with the front side support plate 41 and stops in a state where the inside of the photographing part is a closed space. (See FIG. 1B).

Here, the pressure reduction in the closed space is started by the vacuum pump. That is, the vacuum pump exhausts the air in the closed space to reduce the internal pressure. The depressurized state progresses, that is, the degree of vacuum in the closed space becomes higher, and the rear support part 42 starts to advance in the direction of the front screen 45 due to the pressure difference between the pressure inside the closed space and the external atmospheric pressure. . At this time, the carbon plate 49 has a shape in which the central portion thereof is convex toward the front screen 45 side rather than the peripheral edge portion fixed to the support frame 42c due to the pressure reduction in the closed space.
As the rear support plate 42a progresses forward, first, the central portions of the front screen 45, the film 1a, and the rear screen 46 are brought into close contact with each other.

As the pressure is further reduced, the central portions of these films gradually come in close contact with each other toward the peripheral edge, and finally the front screen 45, the film 1a, and the rear screen 46.
Adheres over the entire surface (FIG. 1 (C)). At this time, since the elastic layer 48 is provided, good adhesion can be obtained even with a lower degree of vacuum than in the past.

In this way, the X-ray transmission image is taken with the film 1a in close contact with the front and rear screens 45, 46. At this time, in order to record ID information later in a small area from the upper end of the film 1a, the front support plate 41
The X-ray 200 is not exposed by the X-ray opaque member attached to the. Since this range is accurately determined from the upper end of the film 1a by the contact member 43, it does not fluctuate even if the film length varies.

After the X-ray transmission image is taken, the rear support portion 42 is
When the lower end is slightly opened, it returns to the original position, and from there, the upper end turns around the lower end in the direction (clockwise in the figure) away from the front support plate 41 to open the upper end. At this time, since the film 1a is held by the holding means 44, the film 1a turns clockwise integrally with the rear support portion 42.

Here, the first arm 51a of the suction arm 51 pivots in a direction (counterclockwise in the figure) approaching the rear support portion 42, and the suction disc 51c of the suction arm 51 is brought to the front surface of the rear support portion 42. Turn to the opposite position and then stop. Then the first
The second arm 51a provided at the tip of the arm 51a pushes the suction plate 51c provided at the tip thereof against the film 1a held by the rear support portion 42 in the first direction (counterclockwise).
Rotating with respect to the arm 51a, the suction plate 51c comes into close contact with the front surface of the film 1a (see FIG. 4A).

When the suction disc 51c is brought into close contact with the film 1a, the suction disc 51c holds the film 1a, while the holding means 44 of the rear side support portion 42 releases the holding of the film 1a, whereby the film 1a is supported on the rear side. It is transferred from the portion 42 to the suction arm 51. The suction arm 51 rotates clockwise while rotating the film 1a while holding it, and returns to the original position. In the process of returning to the original position, the second arm 51b and the first arm 51 are moved.
The upper end of the film 1a is guided to the transport roller 52 by adjusting the rotation and the turning of a (see FIG. 4B).

The suction arm 51 is a film up to the transport roller 52.
When the guide 1a is guided, the suction of the film 1a is released. As a result, the film 1a is transferred from the suction arm 51 to the transport roller 52.

The conveying rollers 52 sandwich the front and back surfaces of the film 1a from both sides, and are rotationally driven to convey the film 1a. ID information recording device provided in this transport path
When the leading end of the film 1a arrives at 60, the conveyance is temporarily stopped here, and the photographing date and time, the photographing part (subject), ID information such as a patient name is recorded (FIG. 4C).
reference). This ID information is input in advance by an operator from a keyboard or the like (not shown) prior to photographing.

Accurate ID in the area not exposed to X-rays
The transport of the film 1a on which the information is recorded is restarted by the rotation of the transport roller 52 again, and the cover 70
b from the opening of the receive magazine 70 where the
(See FIG. 4D), and a series of photographing processing ends.

In the rear side support portion 42, the elastic layer 48 sandwiched between the carbon plate 49, which is the rear side support plate, and the screen 46 has its central portion bulged toward the screen side as shown in FIG. It may be one that has been issued. Further, in the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the elastic layer is provided between the rear support plate and the rear screen has been described, but the elastic layer may be provided between the front support plate and the front screen. Good.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a view showing an X in an imaging unit of an X-ray imaging apparatus of the present invention.
Cross-sectional schematic view of the imaging section showing the close contact between the line film and the intensifying screen

FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing an embodiment of an X-ray imaging apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an operation state of the X-ray imaging apparatus shown in FIG. 2 (part 1)

FIG. 4 is a view showing an operation state of the X-ray imaging apparatus shown in FIG. 2 (part 2);

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an elastic member attached to a rear side support plate of an imaging unit in another embodiment of the X-ray imaging apparatus of the invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1a, 1b X-ray film 11, 12 Supply magazine 21, 22 Sheet feeding means 23 Carry-in roller 30 Grasping device 40 Photographing section 41 Front support plate 42 Rear support section 42a Holding plate 42b Screw 42c Support frame 43 Contact member 44 Adsorption device 45,46 Intensifying screen 47 Packing 48 Elastic layer 49 Carbon plate (rear side support plate) 50 Unloading means 60 ID information recording device 70 Receive magazine

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An intensifying screen supported by each of a pair of supporting plates is arranged in parallel so as to face each other, and X-ray films having different sizes in the vertical direction are selectively formed on both intensifying screens. The X-ray film is carried in so that the upper end of the X-ray film is located at a predetermined position above the intensifying screen, and the space sandwiched between the two support plates is sealed by a sealing member to reduce the pressure, and thereby the X-ray film is loaded. In the X-ray image capturing apparatus for closely contacting both the intensifying screen and the intensifying screen and performing X-ray imaging on the X-ray film, at least one support plate of the pair of support plates and the support plate supported by the support plate. An X-ray imaging apparatus, characterized in that an elastic layer is provided between the intensifying screen and the intensifying screen. 2. The X-ray imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the central portion of the elastic layer is bulged toward the intensifying screen.