Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. A method for automatically adjusting a radiation diaphragm having a plurality of individually adjustable diaphragm elements, for subsequently obtaining a diagnostic radiation image, with a diagnostic radiation dose, of a subject, comprising the steps of:irradiating the subject with a radiation dose substantially lower than said diagnostic radiation dose passing through said diaphragm with said diaphragm elements open to generate a non-diagnostic localization exposure of the subject from radiation striking a radiation detector, having a detector surface in a detector plane comprised of a plurality of pixels, said exposures being composed of image points respectively formed by combining a plurality of adjacent pixels into a group;electronically, non-manually analyzing said localization exposure for determining only an exterior contour of the subject projected into said detector plane; andusing said contour, automatically electronically calculating respective positions for the individual diaphragm elements at which the individual diaphragm elements substantially abut the exterior contour, and, before obtaining said diagnostic radiation image, automatically electronically moving the individual diaphragm elements to the respective calculated positions to substantially prevent direct irradiation of said radiation detector by radiation unattenuated by the subject when subsequently obtaining the diagnostic radiation image. 2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said localization exposure contains at least one direct radiation region struck by radiation unattenuated by the subject, and a subject region struck by radiation attenuated by the subject, and wherein the step of analyzing said localization exposure comprises converting said localization exposure into a representation wherein said direct radiation region is designated with a first value and said subject region is designated with a second value. 3. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said radiation propagates in a primary beam direction, and wherein said diaphragm elements are disposed in a diaphragm plane, and wherein the step of calculating the respective positions of the individual diaphragm elements comprises calculating said positions using coordinates of at least one point on the contour of the subject in the localization exposure, a position of the detector plane relative to said primary beam direction, and a position of the diaphragm plane relative to said primary beam direction. 4. A method as claimed in claim 3 comprising calculating the respective positions using coordinates of said at least one point on the contour that, in said projection in the detector plane, form an outermost point of the contour in a direction of the diaphragm element whose position is being calculated. 5. A method as claimed in claim 3 wherein said diaphragm radiation image is subsequently obtained with radiation emitted from a focal spot of a radiation source, and wherein said radiation detector has a detector surface containing a plurality of detector elements disposed in rows and columns of a matrix, said detector surface being disposed perpendicularly to said primary beam direction, said method comprising the further steps of:generating said localization exposure with radiation originating from said focal spot; andcalculating the respective positions of the individual diaphragm elements using a coordinate system for defining said coordinates of said at least one point on the contour, said position of the detector plane, and said position of the diaphragm plane, having an origin at said focal spot and coordinate axes respectively proceeding in said primary beam direction and parallel to said rows and columns. 6. A method as claimed in claim 5 wherein said diaphragm plane is disposed perpendicularly to said primary beam direction, and wherein the step of calculating the respective positions of the individual diaphragm elements comprises, for each diaphragm element:determining, as intermediate coordinates, coordinates of a point on the contour of the subject in the detector plane at which the diaphragm element would initially contact the contour as the diaphragm element is moved toward the contour; andmultiplying said intermediate coordinates with a quotient of coordinates in said coordinate system representing the position of the diaphragm plane and coordinates in said coordinate system representing the position of the detector plane, for obtaining final coordinates for the diaphragm element. 7. A method for automatically adjusting a radiation diaphragm having a plurality of individual adjustable diaphragm elements, for subsequently obtaining a diagnostic radiation image, with a diagnostic radiation dose, of a subject, comprising the steps of:irradiating the subject with a radiation dose substantially lower than said diagnostic radiation dose passing through said diaphragm with said diaphragm elements open to generate a non-diagnostic localization exposure of the subject from radiation striking a radiation detector, having a detector surface in a detector plane comprised of a plurality of pixels;electronically, non-manually analyzing said localization exposure for determining only an exterior contour of the subject projected into said detector plane;using said contour, automatically electronically calculating respective positions for the individual diaphragm elements at which the individual diaphragm elements substantially abut the exterior contour, and, before obtaining said diagnostic radiation image, automatically electronically moving the individual diaphragm elements to the respective calculated positions to substantially prevent direct irradiation of said radiation detector by radiation unattenuated by the subject when subsequently obtaining the diagnostic radiation image; andadding said localization exposure pixel-by-pixel to the subsequently obtained diagnostic radiation image. 8. A method as claimed in claim 7 wherein said localization exposure contains at least one direct radiation region struck by radiation unattenuated by the subject, and a subject region struck by radiation attenuated by the subject, and wherein the step of analyzing said localization exposure comprises converting said localization exposure into a representation wherein said direct radiation region is designated with a first value and said subject region is designated with a second value. 9. A method as claimed in claim 7 wherein said radiation propagates in a primary beam direction, and wherein said diaphragm elements are disposed in a diaphragm plane, and wherein the step of calculating the respective positions of the individual diaphragm elements comprises calculating said positions using coordinates of at least one point on the contour of the subject in the localization exposure, a position of the detector plane relative to said primary beam direction, and a position of the diaphragm plane relative to said primary beam direction. 10. A method as claimed in claim 9 comprising calculating the respective positions using coordinates of said at least one point on the contour that, in said projection in the detector plane, form an outermost point of the contour in a direction of the diaphragm element whose position is being calculated. 11. A method as claimed in claim 9 wherein said diaphragm radiation image is subsequently obtained with radiation emitted from a focal spot of a radiation source, and wherein said radiation detector has a detector surface containing a plurality of detector elements disposed in rows and columns of a matrix, said detector surface being disposed perpendicularly to said primary beam direction, said method comprising the further steps of:generating said localization exposure with radiation originating from said focal spot; andcalculating the respective positions of the individual diaphragm elements using a coordinate system for defining said coordinates of said at least one point on the contour, said position of the detector plane, and said position of the diaphragm plane, having an origin at said focal spot and coordinate axes respectively proceeding in said primary beam direction and parallel to said rows and columns. 12. A method as claimed in claim 11 wherein said diaphragm plane is disposed perpendicularly to said primary beam direction, and wherein the step of calculating the respective positions of the individual diaphragm elements comprises, for each diaphragm element:determining, as intermediate coordinates, coordinates of a point on the contour of the subject in the detector plane at which the diaphragm element would initially contact the contour as the diaphragm element is moved toward the contour; andmultiplying said intermediate coordinates with a quotient of coordinates in said coordinate system representing the position of the diaphragm plane and coordinates in said coordinate system representing the position of the detector plan, for obtaining final coordinates for the diaphragm element.