Ekg synchronized x-ray double pulse exposure apparatus and method

Claim 1

An X-ray cardiac synchronizer for use with an X-ray machine for causing an X-ray burst to be produced at a given point in the cardiac cycle of a person disposed in the path of said burst comprising: means for producing an electrical signal representing the cardiac cycle, first means connected to said producing means for receiving said cardiac cycle representing signal and for producing a first Xray machine actuating signal, which will cause an X-ray machine connected to said synchronizer to produce said X-ray burst, at a first given point in said cycle so as to produce a first Xray photograph on a given sheet of X-ray sensitive material; second means connected to said cardiac signal producing means for receiving said cardiac cycle representing signal and for producing a second X-ray machine actuating signal, which will cause an X-ray machine connected to said synchronizer to produce an X-ray burst, at a second and different given point in said cycle so as to produce a second X-ray photograph on said given sheet in the same position as said first photograph and approximately covering said first photograph, any portions of said first photograph not covered by said second photograph or any portions and said second photograph covering regions of said sheet not in said first photograph resulting from changes in heart size occuring between said first and second points; and means for connecting said first and second means to an Xray machine for coupling said first and second actuating signals to that X-ray machine.

Claim 11

A method of obtaining a double-exposure of an X-ray photograph of the heart comprising the steps of: producing the electrical waveform representing the cardiac cycle of said heart; producing a first signal at a first given point in the cardiac cycle of a person disposed in the path of X-rays from an X-ray machine; applying said first signal to an X-ray machine so as to produce an X-ray burst and accordingly to produce a first X-ray photograph on a given sheet of X-ray sensitive material; aNd producing a second signal at a second and applying said second signal to said machine so as to produce an X-ray burst and accordingly to produce a second X-ray photograph on said given sheet in the same position as said first photograph and approximately covering said first photograph, any portions of said first photograph not covered by said second photograph and any portions of said second photograph covering regions of said sheet not in said first photograph resulting from changes in heart size occurring between said first and second points.

Claim 12

A method of obtaining a double-exposure of an X-ray photograph of the heart comprising the steps of: producing the electrical waveform representing the cardiac cycle of said heart; producing a first signal at a first given point in the cardiac cycle of a person disposed in the path of X-rays from an X-ray machine; applying said first signal to an X-ray machine so as to produce an X-ray burst and accordingly to produce a first X-ray photograph on a given sheet of X-ray sensitive material; aNd producing a second signal at a second and applying said second signal to said machine so as to produce an X-ray burst and accordingly to produce a second X-ray photograph on said given sheet in the same position as said first photograph and approximately covering said first photograph, any portions of said first photograph not covered by said second photograph and any portions of said second photograph covering regions of said sheet not in said first photograph resulting from changes in heart size occurring between said first and second points.