Adjustable opening X-ray mask
US5991362A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 15, 1996 |
| Grant date | Nov 23, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 15, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG21K1/04
- WIPO fieldEngines, pumps, turbines
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A controller of the cross sectional area and shape of an X-ray beam includes two or more disks disposed in the center of the path of the beam, each disk being radio-opaque except for a window centered on the beam. One or more of the disks has a tracks at each side of the window in which shutters can slide between positions in which they close or open the window and select the size and shape of the X-ray beam passed through the controller and a subject to an image intensifier or other X-ray utilization device. One of the disks has a cam track which is engaged by a cam following element attached to a shutter on the other disk. The disks are mounted for relative rotation by drive motors which causes the shutter with the cam follower to change position and alter the size or shape of the transmitted beam cross section. With the shutter in desired position the disks can be rotated together to reorient the shaped beam around its central axis.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.