IP Library Granted Patent US 9,220,470
Granted Patent B2
US 9,220,470 · App. 14/525,892 · Granted Dec 29, 2015

Radiological image capturing apparatus and radiological image capturing system

Inventor: Hiromu Ohara (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
A61B6/4291A61B6/4007A61B6/48A61B6/484A61B6/505A61B6/5282A61B6/586G01N23/20075G21K1/06A61B6/4488G21K2201/067G21K2207/005
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,220,470
App. No.
14/525,892
Granted
Dec 29, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

There is described a radiological image capturing apparatus, which makes it possible to obtain a good X ray image in which contrast of the peripheral portions are emphasized by employing the Talbot interferometer method and the Talbot-Lau interferometer method. The apparatus is provided with an X-ray tube, a multi-slit member, a first diffraction grating, a second diffraction grating and an X-ray detector. The second diffraction grating contacts the X-ray detector. A distance L between the multi-slit element and the first diffraction grating is set to be not less than 0.5 m, a distance Z 1 between the first diffraction grating and the second diffraction grating is set to be not less than 0.05 m, and a slit interval distance d 0 of the multi-slit element is set to be not less than 2 μm. With the settings, the abovementioned good X-ray image can be obtained by using the Talbot-Lau interferometer system.

Claims (18)

1. A radiological image capturing apparatus, comprising:

an X ray tube that emits first X rays;

a subject placing plate to place a subject thereon;

a plurality of diffraction gratings;

an X-ray detector that detects second X rays, which have passed through the plurality of diffraction gratings; and

a control device that compares an image of Moiré fringes, which has been captured at a first occasion without placing the subject on the subject placing plate, with another image of Moiré fringes, which has been captured at a second occasion being later than the first occasion without placing the subject on the subject placing plate, to determine whether or not a distortion has generated in any one of the plurality of diffraction gratings, and issues a notification when determining that the distortion has generated in any one of the plurality of diffraction gratings.

2. The radiological image capturing apparatus of claim 1 ,

wherein the second occasion is established in advance.

3. The radiological image capturing apparatus of claim 2 ,

wherein the second occasion is established based on used hours of the radiological image capturing apparatus.

4. A radiological image capturing apparatus of claim 2 ,

wherein the second occasion is established based on a number of times the X ray tube emits the first X rays.

5. The radiological image capturing apparatus of claim 1 :

wherein the second occasion is repeatedly established at predetermined time periods in advance.

6. The radiological image capturing apparatus of claim 1 ,

wherein the plurality of diffraction gratings includes such a diffraction grating that convert the first X rays emitted by the X ray tube to multi X rays that are to be emitted from multi radiant sources.

7. The radiological image capturing apparatus of claim 1 ,

wherein the control device determines that a distortion has generated in any of a plurality of gratings when, an interval of the Moire fringes is expanded or reduced at a value equal to or greater than a predetermined value; a part of or all of the Moire fringes are curved; or a difference between a maximum part and a minimum part of detected amount of the irradiated X rays among the Moire fringes is expanded or reduced at a value equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 29, 2014
From: OHARA, HIROMU
To: KONICA MINOLTA MEDICAL AND GRAPHIC, INC
Reel/Frame 034059/0658 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 29, 2014
From: KONICA MINOLTA MEDICAL AND GRAPHIC, INC
To: KONICA MINOLTA INC.
Reel/Frame 034059/0781 →
Priority Claims (3)
JP 2007-041437 · Feb 21, 2007 · national
JP 2007-041440 · Feb 21, 2007 · national
JP 2007-041446 · Feb 21, 2007 · national
Continuity (3)
Continuation 13781840 · Mar 1, 2013
Continuation 12527673
Related Publication 20150043710A1 · Feb 12, 2015