Stereoscopic X-ray examination apparatus with light conductive rods to transmit the optical images

Claim 1

A STEREOSCOPIC X-RAY EXAMINATION APPARATUS COMPRISING A PAIR OF CLOSELY SPACED X-RAY SOURCES ADAPTED TO IRRADIATE AN OBJECT UNDER STUDY, MEANS FOR ALTERNATELY ENENGIZING SAID SOURCES IN TIME SEQUENCE, AN IMAGE AMPLIFIER TUBE COMPRISING AN OUTPUT SCREEN, SAID IMAGE AMPLIFIER TUBE POSITIONED TO RECEIVE X-RAYS PASSING THROUGH SAID OBJECT FROM SAID SOURCES AND ACTING TO CONVERT SAID XRAYS INTO A PAIR OF OPTICAL IMAGES ON THE OUTPUT SCREEN OF SAID IMAGE AMPLIFIER TUBE, A FLEXIBLE ELONGATED LIGHT CONDUCTIVE MEANS, COMPRISING A BUNDLE OF OPTICAL FIBERS, SAID LIGHT CONDUCTIVE MEANS HAVING ONE END OPTICALLY COUPLED TO SAID OUTPUT SCREEN FOR RECEIVING SAID OPTICAL IMAGES, SAID END OF SAID LIGHT CONDUCTIVE MEANS BEING ROTATABLE ABOUT BOTH ITS OWN OPTICAL AXIS AND THE OPTICAL AXIS OF SAID IMAGE AMPLIFIER TUBE, OPTICAL ROTATION COMPENSATING MEANS COUPLED TO SAID IMAGE AMPLIFIER TUBE FOR COMPENSATING FOR MOVEMENT OF SAID END OF SAID LIGHT CONDUCTIVE MEANS, VIEWING MEANS COUPLED TO THE OTHER END OF SAID LIGHT CONDUCTIVE MEANS, SAID VIEWING MEANS INCLUDING A PAIR OF CLOSELY SPACED PARALLEL LIGHT PATHS FOR SAID OPTICAL IMAGES, AND MEANS PROVIDING FOR ALTERNATE LIGHT TRANSMISSION THROUGH SAID PATHS IN SYNCHRONISM WITH THE ENERGIZATION OF SAID X-RAY SOURCES.