Improved Method and Device for Determining the Positions of Strange Bodies in Bodies Impervious to Ordinary Light.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Apr., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 30th Dec., 1898 -Accepted, 18th Mar., 1899
Improved Method and Device for Determining the Positions of
Strange Bodies in Bodies Impervious to Ordinary Light.
'A' communication by THE VOLTOHM ELEKTRICITÄTS GESELLSCHAFT, of 28, Schiller-
strasse, Munich, in the Empire of Germany, Electrical Engineers.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6. Bank Street, Manchester, both
in the County of Lancaster, 118, New Street, Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, and 322, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object a method of determining the position of
foreign bodies in bodies impenetrable to ordinary light, by means of the Röntgen
rays, and also a device for carrying out the same.
As is well known in transmitting light through an opaque body, the mutual
position of the Röntgen tubes, the screen and the body through which the light
is to be transmitted play an important part and may give rise under certain
circumstances to wrong conclusions, as the following example shows.
Assuming that there be a foreign body in the upper part of the human body
between and behind the fourth and fifth ribs, if the position of the same is to be
established by means of light transmission and the source of light be situated in
front a little high, the picture of the foreign body will be projected onto the
screen or the photographic plate between the pictures or projections of the third
and fourth ribs. If the source of light (Röntgen tube) on the other hand be
arranged a little low the picture of the foreign body will appear between the
pictures or projections of the fifth and sixth ribs. If one of these transmissions of
light be used, then in each case the picture of the foreign body will give rise to a
wrong conclusion, which in the example selected may be of grave consequence
for the operation to be carried out on the basis of the transmission of light. The
transmission of the light through the body also gives no actual idea how deen
under the surface the foreign body lies which may be of great importance and
value for instance for the case in question.
In order to determine the position of a foreign body independently of the posi-
tion of the Röntgen tube and the screen in transmitting light through it, accord-
ing to the present invention one or more transmissions are carried out. For
instance at the first illumination or transmission of light, the starting point of
the Röntgen rays takes place a little high. the connecting line of this initial point
and the foreign body will cut or bisect the surface of the body to be illuminated
at points above and below the foreign body on opposite sides. If on the second
illumination the starting point of the Röntgen rays be arranged a little low, the
connecting line will cut or bisect the body at points above and below the pre-
viously projected points. In order to obtain the said points on the surface of the
body through which the rays are passed a suitably shaped strip such for instance

page_text: as a bar is employed which is adjusted on each side of the body until the picture
of a given part of the bar on the screen coincides with the picture of the foreign
body. This is then a proof that the said part of the bar or the like lies in the
connecting line or rather in the extension of the same from the starting point
of the Röntgen rays and the foreign body. These points are then marked in a
suitable manner and from the distance between the marks the position of the
foreign body may be determined, or a conclusion may be drawn therefrom as to
which side it is that the foreign body lies closer to the surface. If two trans-
missions of the light do not suffice to exactly determine the position of the body,
several such may be carried out and the intersecting points of the combination
of the initial points of the Röntgen rays and the foreign body with the surface
of the illuminated body may be marked.
In order to determine the points on the surface of the body through which
the rays are to be passed a suitable device with a marking point may be employed.
The following is an example of a practical working device for this object. It
consists of a flat bar which has at one end a round aperture. On this bar a rod
is adjustably mounted in bearings, which rod may be retained at its lower end
in a drawn back position by means of a stop device, such for instance as a snap
spring adapted to engage in a nick in the rod. The front end of the rod is
made as a spring and is provided with a marking pin. A spiral spring is
arranged to push forward the rod so that the marking pin stands in the centre of
the aperture aforesaid.
In order to use this device it is adjusted on the body through which the rays
are to be passed until the picture of the foreign body on the screen appears in
the centre of the picture of the aperture whereupon by pressure on the snap.
spring, the rod is released and the marking pin marks the centre of the aperture
on the body.
Improved Method and Device for Determining the Positions of
Strange Bodies in Bodies Impervious to Ordinary Light.
A communication by THE VOLTOHM ELEKTRICITÄTS GESELLSCHAFT, of 28, Schiller-
strasse, Munich, in the Empire of Germany, Electrical Engineers.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6. Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester, both
in the County of Lancaster, 118, New Street, Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, and 322, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the follow-
ing statement:-
This invention has for its object a method of determining the position of
foreign bodies in bodies impenetrable to ordinary light, by means of the Röntgen
rays, and also a device for carrying out the same.
As is well known in transmitting light through an opaque body, the mutual
position of the Röntgen tubes, the screen, and the body through which the light
is to be transmitted, play an important part and may give rise under certain
circumstances to wrong conclusions as the following example shows.

page_text: In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of the upper part of a human trunk or body;
Figure 2 a diagram of another body in which a foreign substance is to be dis-
covered.
Figure 3 is a plan view, and
Figure 4 a side view of a device for practically carrying out this operation.
Assuming that there be a foreign body a in the upper part of the human body
between and behind the fourth and fifth ribs, Figure 1, if the position of the
same is to be established by means of light transmission and the source of light
be situated in front at the point b, the picture a¹ of the foreign body will be
projected on to the screen or the photographic plate between the pictures or
projections 3 and 4¹ of the third and fourth ribs 3 and 4. If the source of light
(Röntgen- tube) on the other hand be arranged at c the picture a² of the foreign
body will appear between the pictures or projections 52 and C2 of the fifth and
sixth ribs 5 and 6. If one of these transmissions of light be used, then in each
case the picture of the foreign body will give rise to a wrong conclusion, which
in the example selected may be of grave consequence for the operation to be
carried out on the basis of the transmission of light. The transmission of the
light through the body also gives no actual idea how deep under the surface the
foreign body lies which may be of great importance and value, for instance for
the case in question.
In order to determine the position of a foreign body independently of the
position of the Röntgen tube and the screen in transmitting light through it,
according to the present invention one or more transmissions are carried out. In
Figure 2, d is the body through which light is to be passed and e the foreign
body the position of which is to be determined.
For instance at the first illumination or transmission of light, the starting point
of the Röntgen rays takes place at f, the connecting line fe of this initial point
and the foreign body will cut or bisect the surface of the body to be illuminated
at points ff above and below the foreign body on opposite sides. If on the
second illumination the starting point of the Röntgen rays be arranged at g, the
connecting line ge will cut or bisect the body at points 2 g above and below
the previously projected points. In order to obtain the said points f¹ f g¹ g² on
the surface of the body through which the rays are passed a suitably shaped
strip, such for instance as a bar is employed which is adjusted on each side of
the body until the picture of a given part of the bar on the screen coincides
with the picture of the foreign body. This is then a proof that the said part
of the bar or the like lies in the connecting line or rather in the extension of
the same from the starting point of the Röntgen rays and the foreign body. These
points are then marked in a suitable manner and from the distance between the
marks fgf the position of the foreign body e may be determined, or a
conclusion may be drawn therefrom as to which side it is that the foreign body
lies closer to the surface. If two transmissions of the light do not suffice to
exactly determine the position of the body, several such may be carried out and
the intersecting points of the combination of the initial points of the Röntgen
rays and the foreign body with the surface of the illuminated body may be marked.
In order to determine the points f¹ fa¹ on the surface of the body through
which the rays are to be passed a suitable device with a marking point may be
employed.
The following is an example of a practical working device for this object
(Figures 3 and 4). It consists of a flat bar which has at one end a round
aperture k. On this bar a rod m is adjustably mounted in bearings 7, which rod
may be retained at its lower end in a drawn back position by means of a stop
device such for instance as a snan spring n adapted to engage in a nick o in the
rod m.
The front end of the rod m is made as a spring and is provided with a
marking nin p. A spiral spring 7 is arranged to push forward the rod m so that
the marking pin stands in the centre of the aperture & aforesaid.

page_text: In order to use this device it is adjusted on the body through which the rays
are to be passed until the picture of the foreign body on the screen appears in
the centre of the picture of the aperture k, whereupon by pressure on the snap
spring n, the rod m is released and the marking pin p marks the centre of the
aperture on the body.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is:-
1. The method of determining the position of foreign bodies in bodies imper-
vious to ordinary light independently of the initial position of the Röntgen rays
and the screen, characterised by the intersecting lines connecting the foreign body
and the initial or starting point of the Röntgen rays and also the extension of
such lines being capable of being ascertained and marked by means of a suitable
device from the pictures of the foreign body and the device adjusted on the sur-
face of the body through which the rays are passed, so that according to the object
by means of one or more transmissions of rays with the Röntgen tubes placed in
different positions an exact number of points are obtained on the surface of the
body, from the position and distance of which the correct position of the foreign
body can be determined, substantially as herein before set forth
2. A device for carrying out the method hereinbefore described consisting of a
bar (i) provided with a marking place (k) and having a marking pin (2) adjust-
ably mounted thereon in such a way that when the marking pin is pushed forward
it marks on the surface of the body illuminated the position to which the said
marking place. (k) has been adjusted, substantially as herein before described.
Dated this 29th day of December 1898.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents.