Body portion support for use with penetrating radiation examination apparatus

Claim 2

Apparatus for examining part of a body by means of penetrating radiation, such as X- or gamma -radiation, comprising a source of said radiation, support means, transmissive of said radiation, disposed to support said body part in a predetermined position relative to said source, detector means disposed to receive radiation emergent from said body part, and a scanning structure for causing said source and detector means to execute rotational scanning motions relative to the body part, wherein said support means includes a reservoir for a liquid medium, the wall of said reservoir facing in the direction of the axis of the rotational scanning motion being formed of pouched, flexible material so that the body part to be examined, when inserted into the pouched wall, can be surrounded by the liquid medium in the reservoir, while exposed to said radiation, and means for varying the amount of said liquid medium in said reservoir to expel air from the pouch when the body part is inserted therein.

Claim 3

Apparatus according to claim 1 adapted foR the examination of the head of a human patient, and wherein said reservoir wall is constructed in the form of a hat having a peripheral flange, around the open end thereof, which is secured to a rigid wall member.

Claim 4

Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said support means further includes a rigid support member, disposed within said reservoir so as to support said head at a predetermined angle in relation to said source and detector means.

Claim 5

Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said support member comprises a tubular member disposed to surround said pouch and said body part.

Claim 6

Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said liquid medium is water.

Claim 7

Apparatus utilizing penetrating radiation such as X- or gamma - radiation to evaluate a variable absorption coefficient with respect to said radiation in a plane within a body, including a source of said radiation and detecting means for detecting a beam, radiated from said source, after passage through said body in said plane, said detecting means and said source on the one hand and said body on the other hand being relatively movable so that output signals can be obtained representing the absorption by said body of beams at a plurality of angularly and laterally spaced positions, and means for utilizing said output signals to effect said evaluation, said apparatus further comprising a scanning frame on which said source and said detecting means are mounted, facing each other across an aperture in which said body can be positioned so that said beams of radiation pass through said body in said plane, said aperture being formed through a rigid wall member which forms part of a reservoir for a liquid medium, the absorption of said radiation exhibited by said liquid medium being similar to the absorption of said radiation by said body, said aperture being sealed by a flexible member, transmissive to said radiation and impervious to said liquid medium, which is disposed to surround said body in the vicinity of said plane, means being provided for controlling the pressure exerted on said body by said liquid medium, acting through said flexible member, by permitting variation in the amount of said liquid medium in said reservoir, said source and said detecting means being mounted for orbital scanning movement about an axis normal to said plane and also for lateral scanning movement to cause said detecting means to pick up radiation successively from respective beam paths through the body which are disposed across the lateral extent of said body in said plane, and means for producing interrelated orbital and lateral scanning movements of said source and said detecting means in such a way that for each of a series of successive increments of said orbital scanning movement a lateral scanning movement occurs from which there is derived a set of output signals corresponding to the absorption suffered by said radiation on traversing said beam paths, successive sets of such output signals being derived after said successive increments of orbital movement.

Claim 8

Apparatus utilizing penetrating radiation such as X- or gamma - radiation to evaluate a variable absorption coefficient with respect to said radiation in a plane within a body, including a source of said radiation and detecting means for detecting a beam, radiated from said source, after passage through said body in said plane, said detecting means and said source on the one hand and said body on the other hand being relatively movable so that output signals can be obtained representing the absorption by said body of beams at a plurality of angularly and laterally spaced positions, and means for utilizing said output signals to effect said evaluation, said apparatus further comprising a scanning frame on which said source and said detecting means are mounted, facing each other across an aperture in which said body can be positioned so that said beams of radiation pass through said body in said plane, said aperture being formed through a rigid wall member which forms part of a reservoir for a liquid medium, the absorption of said radiation exhibited by said liquid medium being similar to the absorption of said radiation by said body, said aperture being sealed by a flexible member, transmissive to said radiation and impervious to said liquid medium, which is disposed to surround said body in the vicinity of said plane, means being provided for controlling the pressure exerted on said body by said liquid medium, acting through said flexible member, by permitting variation in the amount of said liquid medium in said reservoir, said source and said detecting means being mounted for orbital scanning movement about an axis normal to said plane and also for lateral scanning movement to cause said detecting means to pick up radiation successively from respective beam paths through the body which are disposed across the lateral extent of said body in said plane, and means for producing interrelated orbital and lateral scanning movements of said source and said detecting means in such a way that for each of a series of successive increments of said orbital scanning movement a lateral scanning movement occurs from which there is derived a set of output signals corresponding to the absorption suffered by said radiation on traversing said beam paths, successive sets of such output signals being derived after said successive increments of orbital movement.