MOBILE GRATING-DETECTOR ARRANGEMENT

Abstract

A mobile grating-detector arrangement has an X-ray detector and at least one grating. The grating-detector arrangement is configured to record an interferometric X-ray image of at least one body part of a patient in a patient bed in operation. In addition, an X-ray system with such a grating-detector arrangement and its use for X-ray interferometric imaging is described.

Claims

1. A mobile grating-detector configuration, comprising: an X-ray detector; and at least one grating configured to record an interferometric X-ray image of at least one body part of a patient in a patient bed in operation.

2. The grating-detector configuration according to claim 1, wherein: the grating-detector configuration is to be positioned between a flat, folded position and an unfolded position; and said at least one grating is one of a plurality of gratings and at least some of said gratings are disposed at defined intervals in the unfolded position.

3. The grating-detector configuration according to claim 2, wherein said gratings include a first grating and a second grating, said first grating, said second grating and said X-ray detector are disposed in parallel at least in the unfolded position.

4. The grating-detector configuration according to claim 1, further comprising a trolley connected to said X-ray detector and said at least one grating, with an aid of said trolley, said X-ray detector and said at least one grating can be positioned in relation to the patient.

5. The grating-detector configuration according to claim 4, further comprising a supporting plate for the patient.

6. The grating-detector configuration according to claim 5, wherein said supporting plate has markers to position said supporting plate in relation to an X-ray source.

7. The grating-detector configuration according to claim 5, wherein said supporting plate is connected to said trolley.

8. An X-ray system, comprising: a mobile grating-detector configuration having an X-ray detector and at least one grating configured to record an interferometric X-ray image of at least one body part of a patient in a patient bed in operation; and an X-ray source.

9. The X-ray system according to claim 8, wherein: said grating-detector configuration further has a trolley connected to said X-ray detector and said at least one grating, with an aid of said trolley, said X-ray detector and said at least one grating can be positioned in relation to the patient; and said grating-detector configuration further has a supporting plate for the patient, said supporting plate has markers to position said supporting plate in relation to said X-ray source, and said supporting plate for the patient is connected to the patient bed in operation.

10. An imaging method, which comprises the steps of: providing a mobile grating-detector configuration having an X-ray detector and at least one grating configured to record an interferometric X-ray image of at least one body part of a patient in a patient bed in operation; and using the grating-detector configuration for X-ray interferometric imaging of the patient in the patient bed.

11. The imaging method according to claim 10, which further comprises using the grating-detector configuration for thorax imaging of the patient in the patient bed.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

[0030] FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic lateral view of an exemplary embodiment of a foldable grating-detector arrangement according to the invention in an unfolded position;

[0031] FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic lateral view of the grating-detector arrangement from FIG. 1, but in a folded position;

[0032] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of an X-ray system according to the invention;

[0033] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the X-ray system positioned in relation to a patient in a patient bed from FIG. 3;

[0034] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the patient bed with a guide of an exemplary embodiment of the X-ray system;

[0035] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the patient bed with a supporting plate of an exemplary embodiment of the X-ray system according to the invention; and

[0036] FIG. 7 is a basic schematic representation of the prior art of an X-ray interferometer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0037] Referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail and first, particularly to FIG. 1 thereof, there is shown a grating-detector arrangement 1 according to the invention in a lateral view by way of example and broadly schematically. The grating-detector arrangement 1 contains a supporting plate 4 and a floor rack 3 which are connected to one another by way of a first swivel joint 6 and pivoted against each other. The first swivel joint 6 is embodied as a hinge here, the supporting plate 4 is flat in design and displays slight curvature away from the floor rack 3. The floor rack 3 contains two lateral struts and a cross member which connects the two lateral struts with one another at the ends such that a U-shape is produced (not shown here). The floor rack 3 is connected to the first swivel joint 6 by way of the two U-arms.

[0038] A phase grating G1 is arranged on a side of the supporting plate 4 facing the floor rack 3 in the region of the curvature of the supporting plate 4. On its side opposite the first swivel joint 6, the supporting plate 4 is respectively connected on both sides parallel to the lateral struts of the floor rack 3 by way of a second swivel joint 7 to an end of a supporting strut 5 and pivoted opposite it. At their other end, the supporting struts 5 in each case have a nib 8 facing the lateral struts of the floor rack 3. The nibs 8 of the supporting struts 5 respectively engage in a guide rail embodied on the sides of the lateral struts of the floor rack 3 facing each other. The guide rails form a linear track and at the same time, a pivot bearing for the nibs 8.

[0039] In a central area of the supporting strut 5, the supporting strut 5 is connected to a detector 2 by way of a third swivel joint 9 in a corner area of a first side of the detector 2. On a second side facing the first side, on both sides the detector 2 has two nibs 10 facing the lateral struts of the floor rack 3, which like the nibs 8 of the supporting struts 5 engage in the guide rails of the floor rack 3. On a side of the detector 2 facing the supporting plate 4, an analyzer grating G2 is arranged parallel to the detector 2.

[0040] The grating-detector arrangement 1 is in an unfolded position P2. In the unfolded position P2, both the phase grating G1, the analyzer grating G2 and the detector 2 are arranged parallel to one another. If the grating-detector arrangement 1 is now moved from the unfolded position P2 to the folded position P1 shown in FIG. 2, the nibs 10 of the detector and the nibs 8 of the supporting strut 5 are moved towards the first swivel joint 6 in a direction R1 inside the guide rails of the floor rack 3. With the movement of the nibs 8, 10, the angles between the detector 2 and the floor rack 3, between the supporting strut 5 and the floor rack 3 and between the supporting plate 4 and the floor rack 3 are also reduced at the same time. This simultaneously results in the third swivel joint 9 and the second swivel joint 7 being moved towards the floor rack 3. In the folded position P1, the swivel joints 6, 7, 8 are arranged on the same level as the floor rack 3. As a result, the supporting plate 4 also lies as flat as possible with its curvature in the region of the floor rack 3. While the gratings G1 and G2 are at a defined interval in the unfolded position P2, in the folded position P1 they lie on top of one other. In the folded position P1, the grating-detector arrangement 1 is therefore flat in comparison with the unfolded position P2. In the folded position P1, the grating-detector arrangement 1 can be advantageously transported and introduced between the patient P and the patient bed B with ease.

[0041] To move the grating-detector arrangement 1 from the folded position P1 into the unfolded position P2, the nibs 8, 10 are moved in a direction R2 contrary to the direction R1. This results in precisely the opposite movement pattern, such that the angles between the detector 2 and the floor rack 3 or the supporting strut 5 and the floor rack 3 are increased and the second swivel joint 7 and the third swivel joint 9 are moved away from the floor rack 3. At the same time, the angle between the supporting plate 4 and the floor rack 3 is also increased and the supporting plate 4 deployed. The guide rails of the floor rack 3 may also have detents in which the nibs 8, 10 can engage in order to lock the grating-detector arrangement 1 in the unfolded position P2, but also in intermediate positions between the unfolded position and the folded position P1. In the unfolded position P2, the grating-detector arrangement 1 exhibits the distance defined by the detent between the phase grating G1 and the analyzer grating G2 necessary for interferometric X-ray imaging.

[0042] FIG. 3 shows an exemplary embodiment of an X-ray system 40 according to the invention with a further exemplary embodiment of a grating-detector arrangement 1 according to the invention. The grating-detector arrangement 1 contains a trolley 20. The trolley contains a round base plate 22 with two flat sides which is arranged parallel to the ground in operation. The flat sides of the base plate 22 are connected to four casters 21 with the aid of which the X-ray system 40 can be moved. On its other flat side, the base plate 22 is connected to a centrally arranged mounting stand 23 perpendicular thereto. The mounting stand has a pivot bearing 24 by way of which a rotating arm 25 is rotatably connected thereto around a horizontal axis of rotation A.

[0043] Further components of the X-ray system 40 are connected to a rotating arm 25 by way of arms 26, 27, 28, 29 which are arranged parallel to the axis of rotation A. An X-ray source 41 is connected to the rotating arm 25 via a first arm 26 and arranged in the region of a first end of the rotating arm 25. It is configured and arranged such that in operation X-rays are essentially emitted from it with a beam path parallel to the rotating arm. An absorption grating GO arranged close to the X-ray source 41 and perpendicular to the beam path follows in the direction of the beam path of the X-ray source 41 and is connected to the rotating arm 25 by way of a second arm 27. The absorption grating GO ensures the coherence of the X-rays in one direction.

[0044] This is followed at a defined interval, in which the X-rays are constructively superimposed, by an optional supporting plate 30 and immediately thereafter by a phase grating G1 which is connected to the rotating arm 25 by way of a third arm 28. The phase grating G1 and the supporting plate 30 are arranged perpendicular to the beam path. The X-ray system 40 can also be used without or without a directly connected supporting plate 30, as explained in more detail with reference to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6. Finally, in the direction of the beam path in the area of the end of the rotating arm 25 opposite the X-ray source 41, there follows an analyzer grating G2 and a detector 2 which are jointly connected to the rotating arm 25 by way of a fourth arm 29.

[0045] As aforementioned, interferometric X-ray images of a patient can be created using the X-ray system 40. FIG. 4 shows the X-ray system 40 positioned for an X-ray recording from FIG. 3. A patient P in a patient bed B is supported in a slightly seated position by the supporting plate 30. This results in sufficient space behind the patient for the phase grating G1, analyzer grating G2 and detector 2 required for the recording. The X-ray system according to the invention therefore provides the means to produce an interferometric X-ray image of a patient without the need for larger-scale movement.

[0046] FIG. 5 shows a perspective view in section and by way of example of an X-ray system 40 similar to that in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4. The X-ray system 40 here does not include the optional supporting plate 30 but instead a guide 31 is also arranged and attached to the underside on a head part of the patient bed B. The guide 31 is used to record the phase grating G1. It is adjusted to the shape of the phase grating G1 and comprises two corresponding right-angled guide rails. The head part of the patient bed B is used here directly as a means of support for a patient P (not shown here), and the X-ray system 40 is positioned by way of the guide 31. Care must be taken in the area of the head part that a customary foam mattress is not used as a support for the patient P but a mattress comprising material transparent for X-rays.

[0047] FIG. 6 shows an exemplary perspective view of a separate supporting plate 42 as part of an X-ray system 40 according to the invention. The supporting plate 42 is flat and two-dimensional in design, such that it can be inserted between the patient P (not shown here) and the mattress with ease. The supporting plate 42 has a lifting mechanism containing four scissor-type lift elements 43. For operation, the scissor-type lift elements 43 are fastened to a frame 44 of the patient bed B using suitable means of attachment. The patient P can then be positioned using the scissor-type lift elements 43 and the head part of the patient bed B removed thereafter. The supporting plate 42 has three markers 45 in the shape of a circle, a square and a triangle to position the remaining components of the X-ray system 40 in relation to the supporting plate 42. The markers can be recorded by a camera (not shown here) arranged on the X-ray source 41. By evaluating the shapes and the positions of the markers in relation to each other, the position of the X-ray source 41 in relation to the supporting plate 42 can then be determined. Instructions can consequently be calculated therefrom, according to which the remaining components of the X-ray system 40 are positioned automatically and/or by the operator.

[0048] Finally, it is pointed out once again that the devices and methods previously described in detail are only exemplary embodiments which can be modified in many different ways by a person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention. Furthermore, the use of the indefinite article a does not preclude the possibility of the features concerned also being present multiple times. Likewise, the terms device, unit and system do not preclude the component concerned consisting of several interacting subcomponents which may, where applicable, also be spatially distributed.

[0049] The following is a summary list of reference numerals and the corresponding structure used in the above description of the invention: [0050] 1 Grating-detector arrangement [0051] 2 Detector [0052] 3 Floor rack [0053] 4 Supporting plate [0054] 5 Supporting strut [0055] 6, 7, 9 Swivel joint [0056] 8, 10 Nib [0057] 20 Trolley [0058] 21 Casters [0059] 22 Base plate [0060] 23 Mounting stand [0061] 24 Pivot bearing [0062] 25 Rotating arm [0063] 26, 27, 28, 29 Arms [0064] 30 Supporting plate [0065] 31 Guide [0066] 40 X-ray system [0067] 41 X-ray source [0068] 42 Supporting plate [0069] 43 Scissor-type lift elements [0070] 44 Frame [0071] 45 Marker [0072] A Axis of rotation [0073] B Patient bed [0074] G0 Absorption grating [0075] G1 Phase grating [0076] G2 Analyzer grating [0077] P Patient [0078] P1 Folded position [0079] P2 Unfolded position [0080] R1, R2 Direction