Compact and durable encasement for a digital radiography detector

1. A digital radiography detector assembly comprising:

a digital radiography detector having a housing having upper and lower planar members and four side walls;

a portable assembly detachably mounted to the detector, the portable assembly comprising,

a portable carrier having a cavity for detachably enclosing the detector within the cavity of the carrier, and

at least one handle detachably mounted to one end of the portable carrier, wherein the at least one handle includes one or more of a battery and an antenna that can be connected to the digital radiography detector when the digital radiography detector is mounted within the portable carrier cavity.

2. The detector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the portable carrier is rigidly mounted to the attached enclosed digital radiography detector housing to provide additional structural rigidity of the digital radiography detector assembly.

3. The detector assembly of claim 1 wherein the at least one handle includes a plurality of batteries that can be connected to the digital radiography detector when the at least one handle is mounted to the portable carrier.

4. The detector assembly of claim 1 wherein the at least one handle includes one or more antennas that can be connected to the digital radiography detector when the at least one handle is mounted to the portable carrier.

5. The detector assembly of claim 1 , comprising:

a separate charging unit configured to connect to an external power supply, wherein the at least one handle to include a connector to connect the battery to the separate charging unit to charge the battery; and

a first non-electrically conductive latch component in an outer surface of the housing of the digital radiography detector, the first latch component engageable with a second non-electrically conductive latch component on an inner cavity wall of the portable carrier.

6. The detector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the digital radiography detector includes at least a first antenna connected to the digital radiography detector through a first side wall and a second antenna connected to the digital radiography detector through a second side wall adjacent the first side wall, wherein the first antenna is used when the at least one handle is connected to a first side wall and the second antenna is used when the at least one handle is connected to a second side wall.

7. The detector assembly of claim 6 , wherein the at least one handle is connected to a first side wall for a landscape orientation of the digital radiography detector in a radiographic imaging apparatus, and the at least one handle is connected to the second side wall for a portrait orientation of the digital radiography detector in the radiographic imaging apparatus.

8. The detector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the housing is configured to define a cavity, further comprising:

a stiffener disposed in the cavity;

a radiographic image detector mounted on the stiffener within the cavity for converting a radiographic image to an electronic radiographic image, the detector comprising a detector array formed on a substrate; and

a shock absorbing assembly comprising an elastomeric material and located within the cavity for absorbing shock to the detector array/stiffener in directions perpendicular to and parallel to the detector array/stiffener.

9. The detector assembly of claim 8 , wherein the shock absorbing assembly includes a plurality of elastomeric members, located at a plurality of corners of the detector array/stiffener or includes at least one elastomeric member extending a portion along the length of a side wall of the housing.

10. The detector assembly of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of elastomeric members or the at least one elastomeric member encapsulate portions of the detector array/stiffener, further comprising:

a battery and imaging electronics mounted within the cavity below the detector array/stiffener; and

a thermal transfer member thermally coupled to the battery and imaging electronics for dispersing heat generated by the battery and the imaging electronics.

11. The detector assembly of claim 1 , wherein the housing is configured to define a cavity, further comprising a radiographic image detector assembly mounted within the cavity for converting a radiographic image to an electronic radiographic image, wherein the detector assembly includes a scintillator screen and a detector array, wherein the detector assembly is bonded to the upper surface of the housing.

12. A digital radiography detector assembly comprising:

a digital radiography detector having a housing having upper and lower surfaces and side walls to connect the upper and lower surfaces; and

at least one handle detachably mounted at one portion of the digital radiography detector, wherein the at least one handle includes one or more of a battery and an antenna that can be connected to the digital radiography detector when the digital radiography detector is mounted to the to the at least one handle.

13. The detector assembly of claim 12 wherein the at least one handle includes a plurality of batteries that can be connected to the digital radiography detector when the at least one handle is mounted to the digital radiography detector.

14. The detector assembly of claim 12 wherein the at least one handle includes one or more antennas that can be connected to the digital radiography detector when the at least one handle is mounted to the digital radiography detector.

15. The detector assembly of claim 12 , comprising a separate charging unit configured to connect to an external power supply, wherein the at least one handle to include a connector to connect the battery to the separate charging unit to charge the battery.

16. The detector assembly of claim 12 , wherein the digital radiography detector includes at least a first antenna connected to the digital radiography detector through a first side wall and a second antenna connected to the digital radiography detector through a second side wall adjacent the first side wall, wherein the first antenna is used when the at least one handle is connected to a first side wall and the second antenna is used when the at least one handle is connected to a second side wall.

17. The detector assembly of claim 16 , wherein the at least one handle is connected to a first side wall for a landscape orientation of the digital radiography detector in a radiographic imaging apparatus, and the at least one handle is connected to the second side wall for a portrait orientation of the digital radiography detector in the radiographic imaging apparatus.

18. The detector assembly of claim 12 , wherein the housing is configured to define a cavity, further comprising:

a stiffener disposed in the cavity;

a radiographic image detector mounted on the stiffener within the cavity for converting a radiographic image to an electronic radiographic image, the detector comprising a detector array formed on a substrate; and

a shock absorbing assembly comprising an elastomeric material and located within the cavity for absorbing shock to the detector array/stiffener in directions perpendicular to and parallel to the detector array/stiffener.

19. The detector assembly of claim 18 , wherein the shock absorbing assembly includes a plurality of elastomeric members, located at a plurality of corners of the detector array/stiffener or includes at least one elastomeric member extending a portion along the length of a side wall of the housing, wherein the plurality of elastomeric members encapsulate portions of the detector array/stiffener.

20. The detector assembly of claim 12 , wherein the housing is configured to define a cavity, further comprising a radiographic image detector assembly mounted within the cavity for converting a radiographic image to an electronic radiographic image, wherein the detector assembly includes a scintillator screen and a detector array, wherein the detector assembly is bonded to the upper surface of the housing.