Method of testing waterproof performance of radiological imaging apparatus, and radiological imaging apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9675314-B2
Application number	US-201514947452-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 20, 2015
Priority date	Nov 21, 2014
Publication date	Jun 13, 2017
Grant date	Jun 13, 2017

Abstract

A method of testing waterproof performance of a radiological imaging apparatus including: a sensor panel including a plurality of radiation detecting elements two-dimensionally arranged; a housing containing the sensor panel; and an air pressure measuring unit configured to measure an air pressure in the housing having a vent hole allowing the air to flow into and out of the housing, includes: a load application step of continuing to apply a load to the housing; an air pressure measurement step of measuring the air pressure in the housing with the air pressure measuring unit, the air pressure changing while the load is being applied to the housing; and a waterproof performance determination step of determining whether the waterproof performance of the radiological imaging apparatus is normal based on a pattern of change in the measured air pressure in the housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of testing waterproof performance of a radiological imaging apparatus,
the radiological imaging apparatus including:
a sensor panel including a plurality of radiation detecting elements two-dimensionally arranged;
a housing containing the sensor panel; and
an air pressure measuring unit configured to measure an air pressure in the housing,
the housing having a vent hole allowing the air to flow into and out of the housing,
the method comprising:
a load application step of continuing to apply a load to the housing of the radiological imaging apparatus;
an air pressure measurement step of measuring the air pressure in the housing with the air pressure measuring unit, the air pressure changing while the load is being applied to the housing of the radiological imaging apparatus; and
a waterproof performance determination step of determining whether the waterproof performance of the radiological imaging apparatus is normal based on a pattern of change in the measured air pressure in the housing.

2. The method of testing waterproof performance of a radiological imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, in the waterproof performance determination step, a check is made to determine whether the waterproof performance of the radiological imaging apparatus is normal based on one of a change rate of the measured air pressure in the housing, a time elapsing before the air pressure in the housing drops to a predetermined air pressure, and an amount of change in the air pressure dropping in a predetermined time in the housing.

3. The method of testing waterproof performance of a radiological imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein at least the load application step and the air pressure measurement step are carried out, with the vent hole being closed.

4. A method of testing waterproof performance of a radiological imaging apparatus,
the radiological imaging apparatus including:
a sensor panel including a plurality of radiation detecting elements two-dimensionally arranged;
a housing containing the sensor panel; and
an air pressure measuring unit configured to measure an air pressure in the housing,
the housing having a vent hole allowing the air to flow into and out of the housing,
the method comprising:
a load application step of applying a load to the housing of the radiological imaging apparatus to release the air in the housing to the outside through the vent hole;
an air pressure measurement step of measuring the air pressure in the housing with the air pressure measuring unit, the air pressure continuing to increase after the application of the load is stopped; and
a waterproof performance determination step of determining whether the waterproof performance of the radiological imaging apparatus is normal based on a pattern of change in the measured air pressure in the housing.

5. The method of testing waterproof performance of a radiological imaging apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein, in the waterproof performance determination step, a check is made to determine whether the waterproof performance of the radiological imaging apparatus is normal based on one of a change rate of the measured air pressure in the housing, a time elapsing before the air pressure in the housing increases to a predetermined air pressure, and an amount of change in the air pressure increasing in a predetermined time in the housing.

6. The method of testing waterproof performance of a radiological imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a ventilation filter for preventing liquid from penetrating into the housing is provided in the vent hole.

7. The method of testing waterproof performance of a radiological imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, in the load application step, the load is applied to a portion of the housing of the radiological imaging apparatus, the portion being softer than the other portions of the housing.

8. The method of testing waterproof performance of a radiological imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, in the waterproof performance determination step, a check is made to determine whether the waterproof performance of the radiological imaging apparatus is normal based on a comparison between a pattern of change in the measured air pressure in the housing and a pattern of change in an air pressure measured in the housing of the radiological imaging apparatus in a brand-new state.

9. A method of testing waterproof performance of a radiological imaging apparatus,
the radiological imaging apparatus including:
a sensor panel including a plurality of radiation detecting elements two-dimensionally arranged;
a housing containing the sensor panel;
a speaker configured to emit sound, the speaker being provided in the housing; and
a microphone configured to convert the sound into audio data, the microphone being provided in the housing,
the method comprising:
a recording step of converting the sound emitted from the speaker in the housing into the audio data and recording the audio data;
a frequency analysis step of subjecting the recorded audio data to frequency analysis; and
a waterproof performance determination step of determining whether the waterproof performance of the radiological imaging apparatus is normal based on a distribution of intensity of the audio data subjected to the frequency analysis with respect to frequency.

10. The method of testing waterproof performance of a radiological imaging apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein, in the recording step, the speaker is made to emit one of white noise and frequency sweep sound.

11. The method of testing waterproof performance of a radiological imaging apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein, in the waterproof performance determination step, a check is made to determine whether the waterproof performance of the radiological imaging apparatus is normal based on a comparison between the distribution of the intensity obtained through the frequency analysis and a distribution of the intensity obtained by carrying out the recording step and the frequency analysis step in the radiological imaging apparatus in a brand-new state.

12. The method of testing waterproof performance of a radiological imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a notification step of issuing a notification of a result of the determination after the waterproof performance determination step.

13. A radiological imaging apparatus comprising:
a sensor panel including a plurality of radiation detecting elements two-dimensionally arranged;
a housing containing the sensor panel;
a speaker configured to emit sound, the speaker being provided in the housing;
a microphone configured to convert the sound into audio data and record the audio data, the microphone being provided in the housing,
an analyzing unit configured to subject the audio data to frequency analysis, the audio data being converted from the sound emitted from the speaker in the housing and being recorded with the microphone; and
a determining unit configured to determine whether the waterproof performance of the radiological imaging apparatus is normal based on a distribution of intensity of the audio data subjected to the frequency analysis with respect to frequency.

14. The method of testing waterproof performance of a radiological imaging apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein a ventilation filter for preventing liquid from penetrating into the housing is provided in the vent hole.

15. The method of testing waterproof performance of a radiological imaging apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein, in the load a

Assignees

• Konica Minolta Inc

Inventors

• Ota Ikuma
• Ishimoto Hajime
• Eguchi Yoshihiko
• Shikino Atsunori

Classifications

• G01M3/3218

  for flexible or elastic containers · CPC title

• A61B6/4283

  characterised by a detector unit being housed in a cassette · CPC title

• G01M3/3236

  by monitoring the interior space of the containers · CPC title

• A61B6/586 Primary

  Detection of faults or malfunction of the device · CPC title