X-ray Radiography Laser Marker for Overlapping Region Verification
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Solution Overview
Problem
In long-format x-ray radiography, variability in image quality across concatenated images leads to reduced quality in overlapping areas, potentially exposing sensitive regions to excessive x-rays and making it difficult to confirm the location of interest before imaging.
Innovation Solution
An x-ray radiography device equipped with a laser line marker that illuminates specific locations of overlapping image areas, allowing accurate verification of their position relative to areas of interest, using location data from partitioned imaging regions and adjustable x-ray tube angles for clear illumination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the imaging distance is increased to reduce distortion in long-format imaging, then the optical illumination from the collimator lamp becomes scattered and blurred, making it difficult to identify overlapping image areas, but this is necessary for controlling distortion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a laser line marker as an intermediary tool to mark the overlapping image areas. The laser line marker provides a clear, focused light source that is not affected by the imaging distance, allowing operators to accurately identify overlapping areas even when the collimator lamp illumination becomes blurred at longer distances.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the illumination method from using the collimator lamp (which scatters at long distances) to using a laser line marker (which maintains focus). This parameter change in the light source characteristics allows for clear identification of overlapping areas regardless of the increased imaging distance required for distortion control.
2Productivity
If adjacent imaging regions are set to overlap to enable long-format imaging, then image quality in overlapping areas deteriorates due to variability in image quality across concatenated images, but overlapping is necessary to concatenate multiple x-ray images
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by marking the overlapping image areas with the laser line marker before performing the actual x-ray imaging. This allows operators to identify and adjust the imaging regions in advance, ensuring that areas of interest are not positioned in overlapping regions, thereby preventing image quality deterioration in critical areas while still enabling long-format imaging.
3Area of stationary object
If overlapping image areas are used in long-format imaging, then x-ray exposure to certain locations is increased because these areas are imaged twice, but this may be necessary to ensure complete coverage of the imaging region
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the laser line marker to preliminarily identify overlapping image areas before imaging. This allows operators to adjust the partitioning of the long-format imaging region to avoid placing areas of interest (such as sensitive regions) in the overlapping areas, thereby minimizing unnecessary x-ray exposure while maintaining complete coverage of the required imaging region.
4Ease of operation
If the collimator lamp is used for optical illumination to check imaging regions, then the beam scatters at increased imaging distances, making edges of imaging regions blurred and difficult to check, but this is the conventional method for confirming illumination
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the conventional collimator lamp illumination system with a laser line marker system. The laser line marker provides a coherent, focused light source that maintains its edges even at long distances, replacing the incoherent, scattering light from the collimator lamp. This substitution enables precise visual confirmation of imaging region edges and overlapping areas without the blurring effect.
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
Enables precise identification of overlapping image areas at locations of interest, reducing x-ray exposure and improving image quality by allowing for easier setting of imaging regions, even at greater distances, and reducing the need for repeated imaging.
Implementation Method 1
a laser line marker for emitting a laser beam that is emitted in the form of a line
Data Source
AI summary
In long-format radiography, a long-format imaging region is determined and the long-format imaging region is partitioned into a plurality of imaging regions. Following this, and prior to x-ray imaging, a particular location of an overlapping image area is illuminated by a laser line marker, through laser line marker emission controlling means, in order to confirm that no overlapping image area, which is provided in adjacent imaging regions when the long-format imaging region is partitioned, is positioned on a location of interest of the examination subject. The ability to indicate clearly the particular location of the overlapping image area, through the laser line marker, makes it possible to evaluate accurately whether or not an overlapping image area is positioned on a location of interest. Doing so makes it possible to set the imaging region easily.