Fluoroscopy barrier
A digital radiographic detector assembly having a housing with a radiopaque sheet and an electrical connector. A digital communication cable is attached to the electrical connector and is configured to be electrically connected to an image receptor positioned in the housing and to a radiographic imaging device. The radiographic imaging device detects that the digital radiographic detector is positioned in the housing and, in response, enables the start of a fluoroscopy exam.
1 . A method of operating a digital radiographic imaging system comprising the steps of:
communicatively coupling a digital radiographic detector to the digital radiographic imaging system;
the digital radiographic imaging system determining that a fluoroscopy imaging mode is not selected and initializing the digital radiographic imaging system in a standard static imaging mode;
selecting the fluoroscopy imaging mode in the digital radiographic imaging system and the digital radiographic imaging system disabling the selected fluoroscopy mode in response to determining that the digital radiographic detector is not inserted into a barrier assembly;
inserting the digital radiographic detector into the barrier assembly and selecting the fluoroscopy mode in the digital radiographic imaging system; and
the digital radiographic imaging system and the digital radiographic detector capturing fluoroscopic images of a patient in response to the digital radiographic imaging system determining that the digital radiographic detector is inserted into the barrier assembly, wherein the barrier assembly comprises a radiopaque material extending beyond all borders of the digital radiographic detector.
2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising capturing static radiographic images of the patient using the digital radiographic detector and the digital radiographic imaging system after the step of initializing the digital radiographic imaging system in the standard static imaging mode.
3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the digital radiographic imaging system determining that the digital radiographic detector is inserted in the barrier assembly comprises the digital radiographic imaging system receiving a digital signal transmitted from the digital radiographic detector indicating that the digital radiographic detector is inserted in the barrier assembly.
4 . A method of operating a digital radiographic imaging system comprising the steps of:
electrically connecting a digital radiographic detector to the digital radiographic imaging system;
the digital radiographic imaging system determining whether a fluoroscopy mode is selected in the digital radiographic imaging system and, if the fluoroscopy mode is determined not to be selected, the digital radiographic imaging system initializing a standard static radiographic imaging mode in the digital radiographic imaging system and, if the fluoroscopy mode is determined to be selected, determining whether the digital radiographic detector is inserted into a barrier assembly and not initializing the standard static radiographic imaging mode in the digital radiographic imaging system;
in response to determining that the fluoroscopy mode is selected in the digital radiographic imaging system and that the digital radiographic detector is not inserted into the barrier assembly, the digital radiographic imaging system disabling the selected fluoroscopy mode; and
in response to determining that the fluoroscopy mode is selected in the digital radiographic imaging system and that the digital radiographic detector is inserted into the barrier assembly, the digital radiographic imaging system initializing the fluoroscopy mode in the digital radiographic imaging system, wherein the barrier assembly comprises a radiopaque material extending beyond all borders of the digital radiographic detector.
5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the step of the digital radiographic imaging system initializing the fluoroscopy mode in the digital radiographic imaging system further comprises the digital radiographic imaging system and the digital radiographic detector capturing fluoroscopic images of a patient.
6 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the step of the digital radiographic imaging system initializing a standard static radiographic imaging mode in the digital radiographic imaging system further comprises the digital radiographic imaging system and the digital radiographic detector capturing standard static radiographic images of a patient.
7 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the step of determining that the digital radiographic detector is inserted into the barrier assembly comprises the digital radiographic imaging system receiving a digital signal transmitted from the digital radiographic detector indicating that the digital radiographic detector is inserted into the barrier assembly.
8 . A method of operating a digital radiographic imaging system comprising the steps of:
electrically connecting a digital radiographic detector to the digital radiographic imaging system;
capturing standard static radiographic images of a patient using the digital radiographic detector and the digital radiographic imaging system;
selecting a fluoroscopy mode in the digital radiographic imaging system and the digital radiographic imaging system disabling the selected fluoroscopy mode in response to determining that the digital radiographic detector is not positioned in a barrier assembly;
inserting the digital radiographic detector into the barrier assembly and selecting the fluoroscopy mode in the digital radiographic imaging system; and
the digital radiographic imaging system and the digital radiographic detector capturing fluoroscopic images of the patient in response to the digital radiographic imaging system determining that the digital radiographic detector is positioned in the barrier assembly, whereby the barrier assembly comprises a radiopaque material extending beyond all borders of the digital radiographic detector.
9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the step of determining that the digital radiographic detector is positioned in the barrier assembly comprises the digital radiographic imaging system receiving a digital signal transmitted from the digital radiographic detector indicating that the digital radiographic detector is positioned in the barrier assembly.