Apparatus for displaying fluoroscopic tomographic images of the body

Claim 1

An apparatus for obtaining body layer images with x-ray or similarly penetrating rays, said apparatus comprising radiation source means and a recording unit operable to produce a scanning operation in which a beam coming from the source means penetrates the subject to be examined and the beam emerging from the body is caused to act on the recording unit, the source means comprising a row of x-ray tubes lying in a common plane and each being switched on for a time period required to operate the recording unit, the x-ray tubes being separated from one another and being disposed for scanning a longitudinal body layer parallel to said common plane by sequential activation thereof, the cathode of each tube having a switching grid for controlling emission therefrom, and means for sequentially actuating said grids in synchronism with a shifting of the recording unit to effect emission of an x-ray beam from the x-ray tubes in said row in such a sequence that the longitudinal body layer parallel to the plane of said sources is scanned while all other layers are blurred.

Claim 2

An apparatus for obtaining body layer images with x-ray or similarly penetrating rays, said apparatus comprising radiation source means and a recording unit operable to produce a scanning operation in which a beam coming from the source means penetrates the subject to be examined and the beam emerging from the body is caused to act on the recording unit, the source means comprising a row of x-ray tubes lying in a common plane and each being switched on for a time period required to operate the recording unit, the x-ray tubes being separated from one another and being disposed for scanning a longitudinal body layer parallel to said common plane by sequential activation thereof, the cathode of each tube having a switching grid for controlling emission therefrom, and means for sequentially actuating said grids in synchronism with a shifting of the recording unit to effect emission of an x-ray beam from the x-ray tubes in said row in such a sequence that the longitudinal body layer parallel to the plane of said sources is scanned while all other layers are blurred.

Claim 9

An apparatus for obtaining body layer images with x-ray or similarly penetrating rays, said apparatus comprising a source and recording unit operable to produce a scanning operation in which a beam coming from the source penetrate the subject to be examined and the beam emerging from the body is caused to act on the recording unit, the source comprising a plurality of radiation sources which are arranged along a path and each of the radiation sources being switched on for a time period required to operate the recording unit, the radiation sources being formed by x-ray tubes separated from one another and disposed for scanning a longitudinal body layer by sequential activation thereof, the x-ray tubes being arranged in a surface array parallel to the longitudinal body layer to be examined, and the x-ray tubes being additionally moved during the recording.

Claim 10

An apparatus for obtaining body layer images with x-ray or similarly penetrating rays, said apparatus comprising a source and recording unit operable to produce a scanning operation in which a beam coming from the source penetrate the subject to be examined and the beam emerging from the body is caused to act on the recording unit, the source comprising a plurality of radiation sources which are arranged along a path and each of the radiation sources being switched on for a time period required to operate the recording unit, the radiation sources being formed by x-ray tubes separated from one another and disposed for scanning a longitudinal body layer by sequential activation thereof, the x-ray tubes being arranged in a surface array parallel to the longitudinal body layer to be examined, and the x-ray tubes being additionally moved during the recording.

Claim 11

An apparatus for obtaining body layer images with x-ray or similarly penetrating rays, said apparatus comprising radiation source means and recording means for effecting a coordinated scanning operation in which a beam coming from the source means penetrates the subject to be examined and the beam emerging from the body is caused to act on the recording means, the source means comprising a row of x-ray tubes lying in a common plane and each being switched on for a time period required to activate the recording means, the x-ray tubes being separated from one another and being disposed for scanning a longitudinal body layer parallel to said common plane by sequential activation thereof in conjunction with a coordinated scanning operation of the recording means, the cathode of each tube having a switching grid for controlling emission therefrom, and means for sequentially actuating said grids in coordination with a scanning operation of the recording means to effect emission of an x-ray beam from the x-ray tubes in said row in such a sequence that the longitudinal body layer parallel to the plane of said sources is effectively scanned by said recording means while all other layers are blurred, characterized in that the x-ray tubes are additionally moved during the recording.

Claim 12

An apparatus for obtaining body layer images with x-ray or similarly penetrating rays, said apparatus comprising radiation source means and recording means for effecting a coordinated scanning operation in which a beam coming from the source means penetrates the subject to be examined and the beam emerging from the body is caused to act on the recording means, the source means comprising a row of x-ray tubes lying in a common plane and each being switched on for a time period required to activate the recording means, the x-ray tubes being separated from one another and being disposed for scanning a longitudinal body layer parallel to said common plane by sequential activation thereof in conjunction with a coordinated scanning operation of the recording means, the cathode of each tube having a switching grid for controlling emission therefrom, and means for sequentially actuating said grids in coordination with a scanning operation of the recording means to effect emission of an x-ray beam from the x-ray tubes in said row in such a sequence that the longitudinal body layer parallel to the plane of said sources is effectively scanned by said recording means while all other layers are blurred, characterized in that the x-ray tubes are additionally moved during the recording.

Claim 13

An apparatus for obtaining body layer images with x-ray or similarly penetrating rays, said apparatus comprising radiation source means and recording means for effecting a coordinated scanning operation in which a beam coming from the source means penetrates the subject to be examined and the beam emerging from the body is caused to act on the recording means, the source means comprising a row of x-ray tubes lying in a common plane and each being switched on for a time period required to activate the recording means, the x-ray tubes being separated from one another and being disposed for scanning a longitudinal body layer parallel to said common plane by sequential activation thereof in conjunction with a coordinated scanning operation of the recording means, the cathode of each tube having a switching grid for controlling emission therefrom, and means for sequentially actuating said grids in coordination with a scanning operation of the recording means to effect emission of an x-ray beam from the x-ray tubes in said row in such a sequence that the longitudinal body layer parallel to the plane of said sources is effectively scanned by said recording means while all other layers are blurred, characterized in that the x-ray tubes each transmit a conical beam to a respective different region of the recording means.

Claim 14

An apparatus for obtaining body layer images with x-ray or similarly penetrating rays, said apparatus comprising radiation source means and recording means for effecting a coordinated scanning operation in which a beam coming from the source means penetrates the subject to be examined and the beam emerging from the body is caused to act on the recording means, the source means comprising a row of x-ray tubes lying in a common plane and each being switched on for a time period required to activate the recording means, the x-ray tubes being separated from one another and being disposed for scanning a longitudinal body layer parallel to said common plane by sequential activation thereof in conjunction with a coordinated scanning operation of the recording means, the cathode of each tube having a switching grid for controlling emission therefrom, and means for sequentially actuating said grids in coordination with a scanning operation of the recording means to effect emission of an x-ray beam from the x-ray tubes in said row in such a sequence that the longitudinal body layer parallel to the plane of said sources is effectively scanned by said recording means while all other layers are blurred, characterized in that the x-ray tubes each transmit a conical beam to a respective different region of the recording means.

Claim 15

An apparatus for obtaining body layer images with x-ray or similarly penetrating rays, said apparatus comprising radiation source means and recording means for effecting a coordinated scanning operation in which a beam coming from the source means penetrates the subject to be examined and the beam emerging from the body is caused to act on the recording means, the source means comprising a row of x-ray tubes lying in a common plane and each being switched on for a time period required to activate the recording means, the x-ray tubes being separated from one another and being disposed for scanning a longitudinal body layer parallel to said common plane by sequential activation thereof in conjunction with a coordinated scanning operation of the recording means, the cathode of each tube having a switching grid for controlling emission therefrom, and means for sequentially actuating said grids in coordination with a scanning operation of the recording means to effect emission of an x-ray beam from the x-ray tubes in said row in such a sequence that the longitudinal body layer parallel to the plane of said sources is effectively scanned by said recording means while all other layers are blurred, the intensity of the beams from the respective tubes during a scanning operating being respectively selected in dependence upon the body thickness to be penetrated by the beams in such a way that their intensity is higher where the beams have to penetrate through thick areas and lower where they have to penetrate through thin areas of the body under examination.

Claim 16

An apparatus for obtaining body layer images with x-ray or similarly penetrating rays, said apparatus comprising radiation source means and recording means for effecting a coordinated scanning operation in which a beam coming from the source means penetrates the subject to be examined and the beam emerging from the body is caused to act on the recording means, the source means comprising a row of x-ray tubes lying in a common plane and each being switched on for a time period required to activate the recording means, the x-ray tubes being separated from one another and being disposed for scanning a longitudinal body layer parallel to said common plane by sequential activation thereof in conjunction with a coordinated scanning operation of the recording means, the cathode of each tube having a switching grid for controlling emission therefrom, and means for sequentially actuating said grids in coordination with a scanning operation of the recording means to effect emission of an x-ray beam from the x-ray tubes in said row in such a sequence that the longitudinal body layer parallel to the plane of said sources is effectively scanned by said recording means while all other layers are blurred, the intensity of the beams from the respective tubes during a scanning operating being respectively selected in dependence upon the body thickness to be penetrated by the beams in such a way that their intensity is higher where the beams have to penetrate through thick areas and lower where they have to penetrate through thin areas of the body under examination.

Claim 17

An apparatus for obtaining body layer images with x-ray or similarly penetrating rays, said apparatus comprising radiation source means and recording means for effecting a coordinated scanning operation in which a beam coming from the source means penetrates the subject to be examined and the beam emerging from the body is caused to act on the recording means, the source means comprising a row of x-ray tubes lying in a common plane and each being switched on for a time period required to activate the recording means, the x-ray tubes being separated from one another and being disposed for scanning a longitudinal body layer parallel to said common plane by sequential activation thereof in conjunction with a coordinated scanning operation of the recording means, the cathode of each tube having a switching grid for controlling emission therefrom, and means for sequentially actuating said grids in coordination with a scanning operation of the recording means to effect emission of an x-ray beam from the x-ray tubes in said row in such a sequence that the longitudinal body layer parallel to the plane of said sources is effectively scanned by said recording means while all other layers are blurred, characterized in that the x-ray tubes are arranged in a surface array along a line parallel to the longitudinal axis of the body.

Claim 18

An apparatus for obtaining body layer images with x-ray or similarly penetrating rays, said apparatus comprising radiation source means and recording means for effecting a coordinated scanning operation in which a beam coming from the source means penetrates the subject to be examined and the beam emerging from the body is caused to act on the recording means, the source means comprising a row of x-ray tubes lying in a common plane and each being switched on for a time period required to activate the recording means, the x-ray tubes being separated from one another and being disposed for scanning a longitudinal body layer parallel to said common plane by sequential activation thereof in conjunction with a coordinated scanning operation of the recording means, the cathode of each tube having a switching grid for controlling emission therefrom, and means for sequentially actuating said grids in coordination with a scanning operation of the recording means to effect emission of an x-ray beam from the x-ray tubes in said row in such a sequence that the longitudinal body layer parallel to the plane of said sources is effectively scanned by said recording means while all other layers are blurred, characterized in that the x-ray tubes are arranged in a surface array along a line parallel to the longitudinal axis of the body.