Radiological imaging method and radiological apparatus with vertical scanning of 2 radiation sources
Inventors
BLEAS, Stéphane • Desaute, Pascal • JACQUIER, Laurent • NOTTEBAERT, Cédric • VITTECOQ, David
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-12251245-B2
Publication Date
2025-03-18
Expiration Date
Abstract
A radiological apparatus including: a gantry encapsulated within a cover, a patient platform, and two radiation sources with imaging directions orthogonal to each other, sliding vertically to perform vertical scanning of a patient standing on the platform. The gantry cover top view is L shaped, each radiation source being located outside the gantry cover, inside the angular sector of the L, and is encapsulated within a cover sliding vertically with the radiation source it encapsulates. The radiological apparatus also includes: a first security device stopping the vertical scanning, when it detects a patient body part going outside a first predetermined area, to avoid collision with the vertically sliding radiation sources covers, and a second security device stopping the vertical scanning, when it detects an object or a person external to the radiological apparatus within a second predetermined area, to avoid collision with the vertically sliding radiation sources covers.
Core Innovation
The invention provides a radiological imaging method in which a patient stands on a patient platform and undergoes vertical scanning by a first radiation source and a second radiation source. The first and second radiation sources belong to a gantry encapsulated within a gantry cover, have imaging directions orthogonal to each other, and slide vertically to perform the vertical scanning. The gantry cover has a top view that is L shaped and has an interior angular sector, and each radiation source is located outside the L shaped gantry cover and inside the interior angular sector, while being encapsulated within a vertically sliding cover.
The method solves safety during vertical scanning by detecting a patient body part going outside a first predetermined area and stopping the vertical scanning to avoid collision between the patient body part and the vertically sliding radiation sources covers. The method further solves safety for external intrusions by detecting a presence of an object or of a person external to the radiological apparatus within a second predetermined area and stopping the vertical scanning to avoid collision between the object or person and the vertically sliding radiation sources covers.
The disclosed approach uses two safety/security devices and, in preferred detection, electromagnetic radiation beams emitted from the security devices, where the scanning is stopped when the emitted beams cross the detected patient body-part region or when the presence is detected within the respective second predetermined area. The gantry geometry and constrained arrangement of the vertically sliding radiation-source covers inside the L shaped gantry cover are coordinated with the predetermined areas used for collision avoidance.
Claims Coverage
The provided independent claims are clm-00001 (method) and clm-00003 (apparatus). Across these independent claims, the inventive features center on a vertical scanning gantry with orthogonal radiation sources, an L-shaped gantry cover with an interior angular sector, vertically sliding encapsulated radiation-source covers, and two security devices that stop scanning based on detections within first and second predetermined areas to avoid collision.
Vertical scanning with two orthogonal sliding radiation sources in an encapsulated gantry
A radiological imaging method comprising vertical scanning of a patient standing on a patient platform by a first radiation source and a second radiation source that belong to a gantry encapsulated within a gantry cover, having imaging directions orthogonal to each other and sliding vertically to perform the vertical scanning, with each radiation source encapsulated within a cover sliding vertically.
L-shaped gantry cover with interior angular sector placement of sources
The method where the gantry cover has a top view that is L shaped and has an interior angular sector, and each of the first and second radiation sources is located outside of the L shaped gantry cover and inside of the interior angular sector, and is encapsulated within a cover sliding vertically.
Collision avoidance by stopping scanning on patient body-part detection in first predetermined area
Detecting, using a first security device, a patient body part going outside a first predetermined area, and stopping, using the first security device, the vertical scanning when the first security device detects the patient body part going outside the first predetermined area so as to avoid collision between the patient body part and the vertically sliding radiation sources covers.
Collision avoidance by stopping scanning on external object/person detection in second predetermined area
Detecting, using a second security device, a presence of an object or of a person external to the radiological apparatus within a second predetermined area, and stopping, using the second security device, the vertical scanning when the second security device detects the presence of the object or the person within the second predetermined area so as to avoid collision between the object or person and the vertically sliding radiation sources covers.
Radiological apparatus with gantry cover, patient platform, and vertically sliding orthogonal sources
A radiological apparatus comprising a gantry encapsulated within a gantry cover, a patient platform, and a first radiation source and a second radiation source with imaging directions orthogonal to each other, sliding vertically so as to perform vertical scanning of a patient standing on the platform, where the radiation sources are encapsulated within vertically sliding covers.
L-shaped gantry cover arrangement for orthogonal sources
The radiological apparatus where the gantry cover has a top view that is L shaped and has an interior angular sector, and each of the first and second radiation sources is located outside of the L shaped gantry cover and inside of the interior angular sector, and is encapsulated within a cover sliding vertically with the radiation source that the cover encapsulates.
Apparatus safety: first security device stopping scanning to avoid collision with patient body part
A first security device stopping the vertical scanning when the first security device detects a patient body part going outside a first predetermined area so as to avoid collision between the patient body part and the vertically sliding radiation sources covers.
Apparatus safety: second security device stopping scanning to avoid collision with external object/person
A second security device stopping the vertical scanning when the second security device detects presence of an object or of a person external to the radiological apparatus within a second predetermined area so as to avoid collision between the object or person and the vertically sliding radiation sources covers.
Across the independent claims, the key coverage is for vertical scanning using two orthogonally directed radiation sources that slide vertically within vertically sliding encapsulating covers, arranged relative to an L-shaped gantry cover with an interior angular sector, and two separate security devices that stop the vertical scanning upon detection of a patient body part leaving a first predetermined area or an external object/person entering a second predetermined area, to avoid collision with the moving source covers.
Stated Advantages
Avoid collision between a patient body part and the vertically sliding radiation sources covers.
Avoid collision between an object or a person external to the radiological apparatus and the vertically sliding radiation sources covers.
Documented Applications
Vertical scanning of a patient standing on a patient platform using a radiological imaging method and a radiological apparatus with two orthogonally directed radiation sources.
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