Apparatus and method for simultaneously displaying relative displacements of a fluctuating biological object

Claim 2

X-ray apparatus for producing discrete images of a human organ in fluctuating motion, each said image being derived at a selected time related to systole and diastole, respectively, for simultaneous, independent presentation of said images on respective discrete areas within a common image plane, comprising: (A) means for X-irradiating said organ; (B) means for producing a diastolic timing signal for controlling the period of transmission of said X-radiation through said organ during diastole; (C) means for producing a systolic timing signal for controlling the period of transmission of said X-radiation through said organ during systole; (D) means for directing X-rays from said organ, during one said period, to selected discrete area segments of said image plane, each said segment corresponding with one discrete image element of one said discrete image; (E) means for directing X-rays from said organ, during the other said period, to selected discrete area segments of said image plane, each said segment corresponding with one discrete image element of the other said discrete image, said area segments and image elements being interdigital to produce said images in an interlaced pattern, such that relative displacements of said organ between systole and diastole may be simultaneously viewed and determined from juxtaposed said image elements; and (F) means enabling said systolic and diastolic images to be distinguished from, and identified relative to, each other.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein: said directing means includes a masking frame having alternate parallel slits and bars of equal intervals for exposing substantially half the area of an X-ray sensitive film in alternate equally spaced strips; and means responsive to one said timing signal are included for repositioning said frame relative to said film such that the bars cover the sensitized areas of said film and expose substantially the remaining half of said film to produce said interlaced images for simultaneous presentation.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 2, wherein: said bars are so shaped and formed of a material such that uncollimated X-rays are absorbed.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 2, wherein: said one said timing signal is said diastolic timing signal.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 2, wherein: said masking frame is interposed between said X-irradiation means and said organ.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said directing means further includes another such masking frame interposed between said organ and said image plane.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 2, wherein: said masking frame is interposed between said organ and said image plane.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 2, wherein: said frame moves and said film is fixed in position, whereby said images are formed from neighboring regions of said organ during systole and diastole, respectively.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 2, wherein: said film moves and said frame is fixed in position, whereby said images are formed from the same regions of said organ during systole and diastole, respectively.

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 2, wherein: said slits are sufficiently narrow that each said image appears substantially continuous.

Claim 12

The apparatus of claim 10, wherein: said slits are no greater than 1.0 millimeters wide.

Claim 13

The apparatus of claim 2, wherein: said frame is normally upward in position for diastole; and means are included to reposition said frame downwardly a distance of one slit width for systole.

Claim 14

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein: said transmission periods coincide with minimum motion of said organ during systole and diastole, respectively.

Claim 15

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: said images are produced within one cardiac cycle.

Claim 16

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: said images are produced repetitively over a plurality of cardiac cycles.

Claim 17

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: said directing means includes means to limit said irradiation to selected regions of said organ.

Claim 18

The apparatus of claim 16, wherein: said directing means includes means interposed between the source of said X-radiation and said organ to limit radiation from said organ to said selected areas of said image plane.

Claim 19

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: said directing means includes means interposed between said organ and said image plane to limit radiation from said organ to said selected areas of said image plane.

Claim 20

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus includes: means for producing a signal representative of one said period; means for storing said representative signal; and means for controlling the other said transmission period in accordance with said stored signal to normalize the exposures of said images in a predetermined manner.

Claim 21

The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said apparatus includes: means for counting X-ray photons during one said transmission period; means for storing said photon count; and means for controlling the other said transmission period in accordance with said photon count, thereby substantially to equalize the image radiation exposures.

Claim 22

The apparatus of claim 20, wherein: means are provided for controlling the elapsed time of said other transmission period in accordance with the elapsed time of said photon count.

Claim 23

The apparatus of claim 20, wherein: means are provided to control the photon count during said other transmission period to be substantially equal to the first said photon count.

Claim 24

The apparatus of claim 22, wherein: said photon counting means is directly responsive to said X-irradiation means.

Claim 25

The apparatus of claim 23, wherein: said photon counting means includes means directly responsive to X-ray photons from said organ.

Claim 26

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: said discrete area segments and image elements are sufficiently narrow that each said image appears substantially continuous.

Claim 27

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said pparatus includes: means for converting X-ray photons at said image plane into electrical signals representative of each said image.

Claim 28

The pparatus of claim 26, wherein said apparatus includes: fluorescent means for simultaneously displaying said images in response to said electrical signals.

Claim 29

The apparatus of claim 26, wherein: means are provided for processing said electrical signals relative to corresponding selected points of said organ; and means are further provided for displaying said images with respect to said selected points.

Claim 30

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus includes: fluorescent means for simultaneously displaying said images.

Claim 31

X-ray apparatus for deriving an electrocardiographic signal from a human for producing discrete images of a human organ in fluctuating motion, each said image being composed of a set of discrete image elements and derived at a selected time related to the cardiac cycle, for simultaneous, independent presentation of said images on respective discrete areas within a common image plane, each said area having a set of discrete area segments, each of which corresponds with one said image element, comprising: (A) means for X-irradiating said human organ; (B) means for deriving an electrocardiographic signal, indicative of the cardiac cycle, from said human; (C) means for deriving a first timing signal for controlling said X-radiation from said organ to said image plane for a first period; (D) means for deriving a second timing signal, separated from said first timing signal by a discrete time interval, for controlling said X-radiation from said organ to said image plane during a second period; (E) means for directing the first said X-radiation, during said first period, to selected said discrete area segments of said image plane corresponding with said discrete elements of one said discrete image; (F) means for directing the second said X-radiation, during the other said period, to selected said discrete area segments of said image plane corresponding with said discrete elements of the other said discrete image, said corresponding elements and area segments being interdigitally juxtaposed to produce said images in an interlaced pattern, such that a relative change of condition of said organ during said interval can be determined from juxtaposed said image elements; and (G) means enabling said discrete images to be distinguished from, and identified relative to, each other.

Claim 32

X-ray apparatus for deriving an electrocardiographic signal from a human for producing discrete images of a human organ in fluctuating motion, each said image being composed of a set of discrete image elements and derived at a selected time related to the cardiac cycle, for simultaneous, independent presentation of said images on respective discrete areas within a common image plane, each said area having a set of discrete area segments, each of which corresponds with one said image element, comprising: (A) means for X-irradiating said human organ; (B) means for deriving an electrocardiographic signal, indicative of the cardiac cycle, from said human; (C) means for deriving a first timing signal for controlling said X-radiation from said organ to said image plane for a first period; (D) means for deriving a second timing signal, separated from said first timing signal by a discrete time interval, for controlling said X-radiation from said organ to said image plane during a second period; (E) means for directing the first said X-radiation, during said first period, to selected said discrete area segments of said image plane corresponding with said discrete elements of one said discrete image; (F) means for directing the second said X-radiation, during the other said period, to selected said discrete area segments of said image plane corresponding with said discrete elements of the other said discrete image, said corresponding elements and area segments being interdigitally juxtaposed to produce said images in an interlaced pattern, such that a relative change of condition of said organ during said interval can be determined from juxtaposed said image elements; and (G) means enabling said discrete images to be distinguished from, and identified relative to, each other.

Claim 33

The X-ray apparatus of claim 30, wherein: said directing means includes masking means positioned between the source of said X-radiation and said human.

Claim 34

The X-ray apparatus of claim 31, wherein: another said masking means is positioned between said human and said image plane.

Claim 35

The X-ray apparatus of claim 30, wherein: said directing means includes masking means positioned between said human and said image plane.

Claim 36

The X-ray apparatus of claim 30, wherein: said directing means includes a masking frame having alternate parallel slits and bars of equal intervals for exposing substantially half the area of presentation of an X-radiographic film in alternate equally spaced bands.

Claim 37

The X-ray apparatus of claim 34, wherein: said frame is normally positioned for one said discrete image; and means responsive to one said timing signal are included for repositioning said frame relative to said film such that the bars cover the sensitized areas of said film and expose substantially the remaining half of the area of presentation of said film to produce said interlaced images for simultaneous presentation.

Claim 38

The X-ray apparatus of claim 30, wherein: said timing signals occur within one cardiac cycle.

Claim 39

X-ray apparatus of claim 30, wherein: said fluctuating motion is recurrent and said image plane receives X-radiation over a plurality of successive cardiac cycles.

Claim 40

The X-ray apparatus of claim 37, wherein: said directing means includes masking means having an exposure slit means; and means for discretely positioning said slit means in accordance with said timing signals.

Claim 41

The X-ray apparatus of claim 30, wherein: said directing means include a masking means having alternate parallel slits and bars of equal widths for controlling the exposure of an X-radiographic film such that said film is exposed only during said periods.

Claim 42

The X-ray apparatus of claim 30, wherein: said directing means include a masking means having exposure slit means; and means for discretely positioning said slit means in accordance with said timing signals.