Patent ID: 7869569
Filing Date: 2011-01-11
Classification: A61B,G21K,H04N

Abstract:
1. A quantitative x-ray bone densitometer comprising: an x-ray tube radiation source; a first charge coupled device (CCD) sensor aligned with the x-ray radiation source such that the first CCD sensor generates a representation of a patient's spine at a first energy level; a second charge coupled device (CCD) sensor aligned with the x-ray radiation source that generates a representation of the patient's spine at a second energy level; a CCD controller that is electrically connected to the sensor that controls readout of charge stored in pixels of the sensor; a scintillator system that receives x-ray radiation from the source at the first energy level and the second energy level and generates a spatial light pattern in response to the received x-ray radiation at the first energy level and the second energy level; a support surface that supports the patient between the x-ray source, the first CCD sensor and the second CCD sensor such that x-ray radiation can be directed from the source through the patient's spine to the scintillator system; a scanning system that translates the x-ray tube radiation source, the first CCD sensor, the second CCD sensor and the scintillator relative to a stationary support surface; and an optical system that optically couples the spatial light pattern generated by the scintillator in response to the x-ray radiation at the two energy levels to the first CCD sensor and the second CCD sensor.