Variable Thickness Diaphragm for Radiation Field Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current radiation image capturing devices in interventional radiology fail to effectively reduce exposure doses while maintaining image quality, particularly when capturing images of peripheral regions or regions with changing areas of interest, leading to excessive radiation exposure and degraded image quality.
Innovation Solution
A radiation image capturing device with a diaphragm unit that adjusts its opening area and shape to focus radiation on a predetermined region of interest, using a diaphragm unit with slit plates that increase in thickness away from the circumference, reducing radiation transmission dose as distance increases, and a control unit to direct radiation precisely onto the region of interest.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If the radiation field is expanded to capture peripheral regions, then the observation coverage is improved, but the exposure dose increases excessively
Solution Approach 1:
The diaphragm unit employs a non-uniform thickness design where the thickness varies depending on the position. The central region has smaller thickness to allow sufficient radiation transmission for high-priority imaging areas, while peripheral regions have larger thickness to attenuate radiation and reduce exposure dose. This local variation in thickness creates different radiation transmission characteristics in different regions, resolving the contradiction between coverage area and exposure dose.
Solution Approach 2:
The diaphragm unit is divided into multiple regions with different thickness characteristics. The radiation field is segmented into a central region of interest and peripheral regions, with each region having optimized thickness to achieve its specific function. This segmentation allows the system to prioritize radiation transmission to the central region while limiting exposure to peripheral areas.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the diaphragm opening area is reduced to lower exposure dose, then the radiation transmission is improved, but the image quality of peripheral regions degrades
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of uniformly reducing the diaphragm opening area, the invention applies local quality by varying the thickness selectively in different regions. The central region maintains adequate thickness for image quality, while peripheral regions increase thickness to reduce exposure dose. This localized adjustment preserves image quality in critical areas while achieving dose reduction overall.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the thickness parameter of the diaphragm unit in a spatially varying manner. By adjusting the thickness parameter differently across the diaphragm surface, the system optimizes the balance between radiation transmission (affecting image quality) and exposure dose reduction, allowing peripheral regions to contribute to imaging with reduced dose while maintaining central region image quality.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the diaphragm thickness is increased to reduce radiation transmission and lower exposure dose, then the exposure dose is reduced, but the image quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The diaphragm unit implements local quality by applying different thickness values to different regions based on their imaging priority. The central region of interest maintains smaller thickness to ensure adequate radiation transmission and image quality, while peripheral regions use larger thickness to reduce exposure dose. This spatially differentiated thickness design resolves the contradiction between dose reduction and image quality preservation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution allows for reduced exposure doses while maintaining image quality by adjusting the radiation field to focus on the region of interest, enabling observation of peripheral regions and preventing excessive radiation exposure.
Implementation Method 1
the diaphragm unit is configured such that a transmission dose of the radiation decreases as a distance from a circumferential part of the opening region increases
Data Source
AI summary
A radiation image capturing device includes a radiation image capturing unit, a diaphragm unit, and a control unit. The radiation image capturing unit captures a radiation image based on radiation transmitted through a subject. The diaphragm unit has an opening region that is configured to transmit a part of the radiation emitted from a radiation source and an area thereof is changeable, and the diaphragm unit is configured such that a transmission dose of the radiation decreases as a distance from a circumferential part of the opening region increases. The control unit controls the diaphragm unit such that direct rays of the radiation are irradiated onto a predetermined region of the subject.