Combined panoramic and computed tomography apparatus

1. A combined imaging apparatus for x-ray imaging of a subject in multiple modes, the imaging apparatus comprising a supporting structure having an extended rotary arm, wherein the rotary arm comprises:

a computed tomography detector and a panoramic imaging detector, both mounted on the same side of a movable platen; and

a detector positioning apparatus actuable to translate the position of the movable platen along a curvilinear path to either of at least first and second positions with respect to an x-ray source,

wherein the first position disposes the computed tomography detector in the direct path of an x-ray source and wherein the second position disposes the panoramic imaging detector in the direct path of the x-ray source, wherein curvilinear translation of the movable platen is within a plane that is substantially orthogonal to an axis that is substantially parallel to the length of the extended rotary arm.

2. The combined imaging apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first position is a different distance from the x-ray source than the second position.

3. The combined imaging apparatus of claim 1 wherein curvilinear translation is provided by one or more linear actuators.

4. The combined imaging apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a cephalometric detector spaced apart from the movable platen and wherein the detector positioning apparatus is further actuable to translate the position of the movable platen to a third position that translates both the computed tomography detector and the panoramic imaging detector out of the direct path of the x-ray source.

5. The combined imaging apparatus of claim 4 wherein at least one of the computed tomography, panoramic, and cephalometric detectors is a computed radiography detector.

6. The combined imaging apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least one of the computed tomography and panoramic detectors is a digital detector.

7. The combined imaging apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least one of the computed tomography and panoramic detectors uses a sensitized film.

8. The combined imaging apparatus of claim 1 wherein one or more of the detectors is an area detector.

9. The combined imaging apparatus of claim 1 wherein a cephalometric detector is also mounted to the rotary arm.

10. A method for providing computed tomography, panoramic, and cephalometric imaging of a subject from the same imaging apparatus, comprising:

providing a supporting structure including an extended rotary arm having a detector positioning apparatus and an x-ray source both respectively mounted thereon;

configuring the detector positioning apparatus to one of three positions that dispose a selected detector that is either a computed tomography detector, or a panoramic detector, or a cephalometric detector in an unobstructed, in-line relationship to the x-ray source that is mounted on the extended rotary arm; and

energizing the x-ray source to obtain an image at the selected detector, wherein the computed tomography detector and the panoramic imaging detector are mounted on the same side of a movable platen, and wherein configuring the detector positioning apparatus comprises curvilinear translation of the movable platen within a plane that is substantially orthogonal to the length of the extended rotary arm.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein configuring the detector positioning apparatus comprises moving the movable platen to a third position that translates both the computed tomography detector and the panoramic imaging detector out of the direct path of the x-ray source.

12. A combined imaging apparatus for computed tomography, panoramic, and cephalometric imaging of a subject, the apparatus comprising:

an x-ray source; and

a supporting structure having an extended rotary arm;

a cephalometric detector mounted at a first distance Od from the x-ray source; and

a detector positioning apparatus mounted to the rotary arm and adjustable to a first configuration, a second configuration, and a third configuration, where the detector positioning apparatus includes a movable platen that rotates about an axis orthogonal to the rotary arm, where a computed radiography detector and a panoramic detector are provided on different sides of the movable platen, and rotation of the detector positioning apparatus alone provides the first configuration, the second configuration, and the third configuration;

wherein the first configuration disposes the computed tomography detector at an unobstructed position in line with the x-ray source at a second distance Ob along the exposure path;

wherein the second configuration disposes the panoramic detector at an unobstructed position in line with the x-ray source at a third distance Oc along the exposure path; and

wherein the third configuration displaces both the computed tomography detector and the panoramic detector away from the exposure path to dispose the cephalometric detector at an unobstructed position in line with the x-ray source along the exposure path.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein at least one of the computed tomography and panoramic detectors is a digital detector, where rotation of the movable platen alone provides the first configuration, the second configuration, and the third configuration.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein at least one of the computed tomography and panoramic detectors uses a sensitized film.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein at least one of the computed tomography, panoramic, and cephalometric detectors is a computed radiography detector.

16. The combined imaging apparatus of claim 12 wherein the computed tomography detector and the panoramic imaging detector are mounted along opposite sides of the movable platen and translation of the movable platen between first and second positions is rotation of the movable platen with respect to an axis that is substantially orthogonal to the length of the extended rotary arm.

17. A method for providing computed tomography, panoramic, and cephalometric imaging of a subject from the same imaging apparatus, comprising:

providing a supporting structure including an extended rotary arm having a detector positioning apparatus mounted thereto;

configuring the detector positioning apparatus to one of three positions that dispose a selected detector that is either a computed tomography detector, a panoramic detector, or a cephalometric detector in an unobstructed, inline relationship to the x-ray source that is mounted on the extended rotary arm;

rotating only the detector positioning apparatus to provide the first configuration, the second configuration, and the third configuration; and

energizing the x-ray source to obtain an image at the selected detector,

where the detector positioning apparatus includes a movable platen that rotates about an axis orthogonal to the rotary arm, where the computed radiography detector and the panoramic detector are provided at opposite sides of the movable platen;

wherein the first configuration disposes the computed tomography detector at an unobstructed position in line with the x-ray source at a second distance Ob along the exposure path;

wherein the second configuration disposes the panoramic detector at an unobstructed position in line with the x-ray source at a third distance Oc along the exposure path; and

wherein the third configuration displaces both the computed tomography detector and the panoramic detector away from the exposure path to dispose the cephalometric detector at an unobstructed position in line with the x-ray source along the exposure path.