Patent Number: 048797367
Section: description

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As shown in FIG. 1 an x-ray examination installation constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention includes a stand 1 consisting of a column or pedestal 2 to which an arm 3 for a C-shaped carrier 4 is attached. An x-ray tube 5 is mounted at one free end of the carrier 4, and an x-ray image intensifier 6 is mounted at the opposite end. The x-ray tube 5 has a central ray 7 centered on the x-ray image intensifier 6. A patient support table 8, on which a patient 9 is disposed, is situated between the x-ray tube 5 and the x-ray image intensifier 6. The x-ray image intensifier 6 carriers an x-ray film changer 11 via a holder 10. A carriage 12 is connected to the holder 10, which permits the x-ray film changer 11 to be displaced by approximately 90.degree. from an exposure position 11d (shown in dashed lines) to a standby position (shown in solid lines). Such displacement can be undertaken, for example, by drive rollers 14, 15 and 16 entrained by a belt 13, one of the rollers being driven by a motor 17. In the view shown in FIG. 1, the motor 17 is disposed behind the roller 14. As shown in FIG. 2, the holder 10 surrounds the x-ray image intensifier 6, and permits the x-ray film changer 11 to be displaced to a standby position at any one of locations 11a, 11b or 11c, the latter position being shown in dashed lines. Such movement ensues as indicated by the curved arrows. As shown in FIG. 3, the holder 10 includes a bearing 18. The inner bearing race 19 in a the form of a ring, is rigidly connected to the x-ray image intensifier 6. The outer bearing race 20, also in the form of a ring, is rotatably seated around the inner race 19. The inner and outer bearing races 19 and 20 are relatively moveable via a bearing medium 21 (schematically indicated by a solid line) which may be, for example, rollers or a slip surface. As can also be seen in FIG. 3, the carriage 12 is integrated with the outer bearing race 20, so that the carriage 12 is also displaced when the film changer 11 is moved around the inner bearing race 20. The x-ray film changer 11 is manually displaceable to various standby positions by a handle 22. A spring-loaded pin 23 is provided for locking the x-ray film changer into anyone of positions 11aa, 11b or 11c shown in FIG. 2. The pin 23 engages one of the recesses 24, 25 or 26 provided in the inner bearing race 19, dependent on the desired position. If a right brachial catheterization is to be undertaken on the patient 9, the operator swivels the x-ray film changer 11 to the position 11a shown in FIG. 2, so that the pin 23 engages the recess 24. The physician can then conduct the examination without being impeded by the x-ray film changer 11, located at its standby position at the opposite side. For a left brachial catheterization, the x-ray film changer 11 is swiveled to the position llc shown in FIG. 2, so that the pin 23 engages the recess 26. If it is necessary to have access to the patient from both longitudinal sides of the support table 8 the film changer is brought to the position 11b, so that the pin 23 engages the recess 25. Given a cranial or caudal rotation of the x-ray image intensifier 6, or of the x-ray source 5, appropriate rotational movements can bring the x-ray film changer 11 to a standby position at which it does not impede the range of motion of the image intensifier 6. Although modifications and changes may be suggested by those skilled in the art, it is the intention of the inventors to embody within the patent warranted hereon all changes and modifications as reasonable and properly come within the scope of their contribution to the art.