Radiation image acquisition device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9255996-B2
Application number	US-201113981372-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 21, 2011
Priority date	Jan 25, 2011
Publication date	Feb 9, 2016
Grant date	Feb 9, 2016

Abstract

A radiation image acquisition device includes: a radiation source which emits radiation; a wavelength conversion member which generates scintillation light according to incidence of the radiation emitted from the radiation source and transmitted by an object; first imaging means which condenses and images the scintillation light emitted from an entrance surface for the radiation in the wavelength conversion member; and second imaging means which condenses and images the scintillation light emitted from a surface opposite to the entrance surface in the wavelength conversion member, wherein one of the first imaging means and the second imaging means condenses the scintillation light emitted from the entrance surface or the opposite surface in a direction of a normal thereto, and wherein the other condenses the scintillation light emitted from the entrance surface or the opposite surface in a direction inclined with respect to a direction of a normal thereto.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A radiation image acquisition device comprising:
a radiation source configured to emit radiation;
a wavelength conversion member of a flat plate shape configured to generate scintillation light according to incidence of the radiation emitted from the radiation source and transmitted by an object;
first imaging means configured to condense and image the scintillation light emitted from an entrance surface for the radiation in the wavelength conversion member; and
second imaging means configured to condense and image the scintillation light emitted from a surface opposite to the entrance surface in the wavelength conversion member,
wherein one of the first imaging means and the second imaging means is configured to condense the scintillation light emitted from the entrance surface or the opposite surface in a direction of a normal thereto,
wherein the other of the first imaging means and the second imaging means is configured to condense the scintillation light emitted from the entrance surface or the opposite surface in a direction inclined with respect to a direction of a normal thereto,
wherein the first imaging means is configured to condense the scintillation light emitted in the direction of the normal to the entrance surface,
wherein the second imaging means is configured to condense the scintillation light emitted in the direction inclined with respect to the direction of the normal to the opposite surface,
wherein a condensing lens unit of the first imaging means is configured to focus on the entrance surface and condense the scintillation light emitted in the direction of the normal from the entrance surface toward an imaging unit, and
wherein a condensing lens unit of the second imaging means is configured to focus on the opposite surface and condense the scintillation light emitted in the direction inclined with respect to the normal to the opposite surface from the opposite surface toward an imaging unit.

2. The radiation image acquisition device according to claim 1 ,
wherein each of the first imaging means and the second imaging means has:
a condensing lens unit configured to condense the scintillation light emitted from the wavelength conversion member; and
an imaging unit configured to image the scintillation light thus condensed.

3. The radiation image acquisition device according to claim 1 ,
wherein a light receiving surface of the first imaging means is parallel to the entrance surface.

4. The radiation image acquisition device according to claim 1 ,
wherein an optical axis of a condensing lens unit of the first imaging means is perpendicular to the entrance surface, and
wherein an optical axis of a condensing lens unit of the second imaging means makes a predetermined angle with respect to the direction of the normal to the opposite surface.

5. The radiation image acquisition device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first imaging means faces the entrance surface and is arranged on the normal to the entrance surface.

6. The radiation image acquisition device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the radiation source is arranged on the normal to the entrance surface, and
wherein the first imaging means is arranged at a position off the normal to the entrance surface so as to condense the scintillation light via a reflecting mirror arranged between the wavelength conversion member and the radiation source.

7. The radiation image acquisition device according to claim 6 ,
wherein the reflecting mirror is arranged so that a reflecting surface thereof makes a predetermined angle with respect to the direction of the normal to the entrance surface, and reflects the scintillation light emitted in the direction of the normal from the entrance surface in a predetermined direction with respect to the normal to the entrance surface.

8. The radiation image acquisition device according to claim 6 ,
wherein the first imaging means is arranged so that an angle between an optical axis of a condensing lens unit of the first imaging means and a reflecting surface of the reflecting mirror is equal to an angle between the normal to the entrance surface and the reflecting surface.

9. The radiation image acquisition device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the radiation source is arranged so that an optical axis of the radiation makes a predetermined angle with respect to the normal to the entrance surface, and
wherein the first imaging means is arranged on the normal to the entrance surface.

10. The radiation image acquisition device according to claim 9 ,
wherein the second imaging means is arranged so that an optical axis of a condensing lens unit of the second imaging means makes a predetermined angle with respect to the normal to the opposite surface, and
wherein the optical axis of the condensing lens unit of the second imaging means is positioned on a same side as the optical axis of the radiation source, with the normal to the entrance surface and the normal to the opposite surface as references.

11. The radiation image acquisition device according to claim 9 ,
wherein the second imaging means is arranged so that an optical axis of a condensing lens unit of the second imaging means makes a predetermined angle with respect to the normal to the opposite surface, and
wherein the optical axis of the condensing lens unit of the second imaging means is positioned on an opposite side from the optical axis of the radiation source, with the normal to the entrance surface and the normal to the opposite surface as references.

12. The radiation image acquisition device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the radiation source is arranged so that an optical axis of the radiation makes a predetermined angle with respect to the normal to the entrance surface, and
wherein the first imaging means is arranged at a position off the normal to the entrance surface so as to condense the scintillation light via a reflecting mirror arranged between the wavelength conversion member and the radiation source.

13. The radiation image acquisition device according to claim 12 ,
wherein the second imaging means is arranged so that an optical axis of a condensing lens unit of the second imaging means makes a predetermined angle with respect to the normal to the opposite surface, and
wherein the optical axis of the condensing lens unit of the second imaging means is positioned on a same side as the optical axis of the radiation source, with the normal to the entrance surface and the normal to the opposite surface as references.

14. The radiation image acquisition device according to claim 12 ,
wherein the second imaging means is arranged so that an optical axis of a condensing lens unit of the second imaging means makes a predetermined angle with respect to the normal to the opposite surface, and
wherein the optical axis of the condensing lens unit of the second imaging means is positioned on an opposite side from the optical axis of the radiation source, with the normal to the entrance surface and the normal to the opposite surface as references.

15. The radiation image acquisition device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the second imaging means is arranged at a position off the normal to the opposite surface so as to condense the scintillation light emitted in the direction of the normal to the opposite surface, via a reflecting mirror arranged on the normal to the opposite surface.

16. The radiation image acquisition device according to claim 15 ,
wherein the reflecting mirror is arranged so that a reflecting surface thereof makes a predetermined angle with

Assignees

• SUGIYAMA Mototsugu
• Suyama Toshiyasu
• Hamamatsu Photonics Kk

Inventors

• SUGIYAMA Mototsugu
• Suyama Toshiyasu

Classifications

• G01T1/20

  with scintillation detectors · CPC title

• G01N23/04 Primary

  and forming images of the material · CPC title

• G01N2223/611

  patterned objects; electronic devices · CPC title

• G01T1/2006 Primary

  using a combination of a scintillator and photodetector which measures the means radiation intensity · CPC title

• G01T1/2002

  Optical details, e.g. reflecting or diffusing layers · CPC title