PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OF THERMOGRAPHIC DETECTION PLATES

Abstract: Process for taking photographs of thermographic detection plates, consisisting in energizing sequentially electronic flash units (5A, 5B, 16) arranged in such a way as not to hit directly the plate, starting from the flash generated by the photographic camera (12), as well as the corresponding apparatus comprising a portable frame (1) supporting the thermographic plate, the photographic camera (12), provided with a particular deflector member (13) deviating the light beam of the electronic flash unit (12) built in the camera, and one or two lateral electronic flash units (5A, 5B; 16) arranged vertically or horizontally and sequentially energized by the initial flash generated by release of the photgraphic camera.

Description: "Process and apparatus for taking photographs of thermographic detection plates" The present invention relates to a process and an apparatus for taking photographs of thermographic detection plates. It is known that thermographic detection for diagnostic purposes is gaining a steadily increasing popularity, for instance in order to check presence of possible breast tumoral condition, to locate altered cutaneous areas (cellulitis) and in many other cases requiring this type of detection. In order to keep a record of the effected detection, and to be able to analyze and/or compare it subsequently with previous similar detections, it is customary to take a colour photograph of the thermographic plate while it is applied on the patient's body and points out the areas having a temperature out of the norm by colour variation of the liquid crystals forming the thermosensitive layer of said plate. In order to study quickly the photograph, it should preferably be taken with the socalled self-processing instant cameras, such as those manufactured and marketed by the well known Polaroid Corporation at Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.A., but the principle may be also applied to traditional photographic cameras. These photographs, taken in the interior of a medical office, a laboratory or a clinic, must be taken with the aid of the light of an electronic flash unit, and if its light hits directly the surface of the thermographic plate, the colours are altered so that the photograph becomes useless for the analysis. On the other hand, said instant development cameras are generally not provided with an extra outlet for the synchronized connection of electronic flash units to be arranged in a lateral position so as not to hit directly the plate. The problem therefore seemed to be unsolvable, but it was solved with great ingenuity by the system disclosed in the present invention, providing for a process and an apparatus for taking this kind of instant photographs on thermographic plates without any inconvenience. The process according to the present invention essentially consists in sequen- tially energizing one or more electronic flash units arranged aside, above and/or under the photographic camera, in any way out of alignment with the theoretical axis joining the plate with the objective lens of the camera so as not to hit directly the thermographic plate, starting from the flash generated ' by the release of the photographic camera, said flash being deflected to at least one of the lateral electronic flash units so as to actuate it through suitable sensors. The apparatus for carrying out such a process essentially comprises a portable frame, possibly provided with a trigger grip for snapping the photos, which frame supports the thermographic plate, the photographic camera provided with a particular deflector of the light beam of its electronic flash unit, as well as one or two lateral electronic flash units arranged vertically or horizontally and sequen¬ tially energized by the initial flash generated by the release of the photographic camera. In view of the minimal distance that the light has to cover for energizing sequentially the lateral electronic flash units and of the infinitesimal response time of the optical sensors, the sequential energization of the electronic flash units may be considered as contemporaneous for photographic purposes, where opening and closing of the shutter takes place at a speed which is of several orders of magnitude slower than actuation of an electronic flash. These and other characteristics, objects and advantages of the invention will moreover be apparent and clear from the following detailed description of some preferred embodiments, given by way of example and not of limitation of the scope of the invention, and made having reference to the annexed sheets of illustrative and diagrammatic drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a general isometric view of a first embodiment of the apparatus for carrying out the process according to the invention; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of said apparatus; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the instant photographic camera provided with the deflecting member of the light of the electronic flash, shown taken apart; Fig. 4 is an isometric detailed view of said deflecting member, in its particular structural form for application on a Polaroid photographic camera; Fig. 5 is a general isometric view of a second embodiment of the apparatus; and Fig. 6 is a perspective exploded view of the frame supporting the thermographic plate and the electronic flash unit, for the apparatus shown in Fig. 5. ' Referring first to Figs. 1-4 of the accompanying drawings, the apparatus comprises a frame 1 having approximately the form of an irregular penthagon, with a front side 2 made as a screen to be applied on the patient's body with the thermographic plate mounted on it, two lateral sides 3 bearing the supports 4 for the lateral electronic flash units 5A and 5B and two oblique sides 6 connected by a crosspiece 7 provided with a grip 8 having a trigger 9 to actuate release of the photographic camera 10, placed on a base 11 to which said oblique sides 6 are connected. The photographic camera 10, which is preferably an instant develop¬ ment camera, has a built-in electronic flash unit 12, as it is well known. Light emitted from said electronic flash unit 12 is deflected by a deflector member 13, applied on the thermographic camera 10, to the closest electronic flash unit 5A, as indicated by the dotted straight line, which is then actuated by a suitable light sensor and in turn actuates the opposite electronic flash unit 5B in the same way. The electronic flash unit 5A may however actuate the opposite unit 5B even in another way, for instance with a connection passing through the crosspiece 7. The deflector member 13 consists of a rectangular portion 14 inserted astride the head of the photographic camera 10, and an adjacent prismatic angled portion 15 which is being placed before the window for the strobe lamp of the electronic flash unit 12 and has the function of reflecting the light beam to the mentioned lateral unit 5A. The form shown in Fig. 4 is merely illustrative and refers to model A 680 of Polaroid Corporation, but it is to be pointed out that the deflector member may be shaped in different ways in order to fit well on the photographic camera on which it is to be applied. With reference now to Figs. 5 and 6, a second embodiment is shown, where a single separate electronic flash unit 16 is provided, which is applied on the socket 17, mounted on the base 18 of the frame 19 for the thermographic plate, and is placed inside the envelope 20 threaded on the guides 21 of said base 18. As one can see well in Fig. 5, the light beam of the electronic flash unit 12 of the photographic camera 10 is deflected downwards by the deflector member 13 and actuates electronic flash unit 16 in the above mentioned manner. The photographic camera 10 and the frame 19 may be made integral by suitable connecting members (not shown) which may take any suitable shape to this end even according to the type of photographic camera which, as already pointed out, is not necessarily an instant development camera but it could even be a traditional camera. It is also to be understood that the thermographic detection plate may also be of any type, that is to say not only a flexible plate or a rigid plate, with or without supporting frame, or a corset plate to be worn by patient, with one or more layers of liquid crystals applied on a substrate, but also the most recent types of thermographic plates with liquid crystals directly embedded or included in the material of said plate. It is therefore clear that the present invention carries out with simple and safe means the above cited objects and it is also to be understood that several variations, modifications, additions and/or substitutions of elements may be resorted to. the process and/or the apparatus according to the present invention, without departing however from its spirit and objects or falling outside its scope of protection, as it is also defined in the appended claims.

Claims: CLAIMS 1) Process for taking photographs of thermographic detection plates, characte¬ rized by the fact of comprising the steps of sequentially energizing one or more electronic flash units (5A, 5B, 16), arranged aside, above and/or under the photographic camera (10), always out of alignment with the theoretical axis joining the thermographic plate to the objective lens of the photographic camera so as not to hit directly said plate, starting from the flash generated by release of the photographic camera, whose light beam is deflected to at least one of the lateral electronic flash units in order to actuate it through suitable sensors. 2) Process according to Claim 1, characterized by the fact that the light beam of the electronic flash unit (12) built in the photographic camera is deflected by a reflection screen (13) placed before said unit. 3) Process for taking photographs of thermographic detection plates, substan¬ tially as hereinbefore -described and as illustrated in the figures of the accompa- nying drawings, for the above mentiond objects. 4) Apparatus for carrying out the process according to Claims 1-3, characte¬ rized by the fact of comprising a portable frame (1), preferably provided with a trigger grip ( 8, 9) for snapping the photos, said frame (1) supporting the thermographic plate, the photographic camera (10) provided with a deflector member (13) adapted to deflect the light beam of its built-in electronic flash unit (12), as well as one or two lateral electronic flash units (5A, 5B, 16) arranged vertically or horizontally and sequentially energized by the initial flash generated by the release of the photographic camera. 5) Apparatus according to Claim 1, characterized by the fact that the lateral electronic flash units (5A, 5B; 16) are provided with sensors actuating the relevant unit when receiving the light beam emitted by the flash syncronized with the preceding actuated unit. 6) Apparatus according to Claim 4, characterized by the fact that the deflector member (13) for the light beam emitted from the electronic flash unit (12) built in the photographic camera comprises a portion (14) mounted outside the head of the photographic camera and an adjacent prismatic angled portion (15), which is being placed before the window for the strobe lamp of said built-in electronic flash unit (12) and has the function of reflecting the light beam to the closest lateral electronic flash unit (5A). 7) Apparatus for taking photographs of thermographic detection plates, substan¬ tially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated in the figures of the accompa¬ nying drawings, for the above mentioned objects.

Inventors: GIORDANI ILLER, GIORDANI, ILLER
Applicants: IPS INT PROD SERVICES, I.P.S., INTERNATIONAL PRODUCTS & SERVICES S.R.L.
Application year: 1985
Main classification: G03B15
IPC codes: G03B15