Patent Description:
In the medical field, a radiographic imaging apparatus for diagnosing diseases are used in various manners. For example, mammography, which refers to a radiographic breast imaging technology for imaging a breast by using radiation such as X-ray, has not only various advantages of radiography but also a unique feature of minimizing the exposure by enlarging an image, reducing the number of imaging, increasing the resolution, and adjusting the brightness and contrast ratio, as a result of which the use of the mammography is rapidly spreading.

The mammography apparatus may include a column arranged perpendicular to a floor and having a columnar shape, a C-arm having a C shape or a shape similar thereto as a whole by being bent in an arc shape so that two opposite ends thereof face each other in a state in which a middle part is connected to the column so as to be movable upward and downward and rotatable along the column, a radiation generator that is mounted at one end of the C-arm and emits radiation toward the other end facing the one end, a detector arranged to face the radiation generator, and a compressing unit (also referred to as a 'compression paddle') for compressing a breast.

During the mammography using the radiation, it is desirable not only to minimize a radiation dose to the breast, but also to block radiation to a human body other than an imaging target.

<CIT> discloses an X-ray system having a face shield that blocks radiation from being irradiated to a patient's face during X-ray imaging of the patient's breast.

However, according to the technology of the related art, there are disadvantages in that it is difficult to shield radiation adaptively according to a radiographic imaging method and a patient's body condition and it is difficult to secure a working space for adjusting a compression part or the like.

Document <CIT> discloses an X-ray device for diagnosis of breast cancer. The device has a support operative to support an emitter head with a X-ray source and a X-ray detector, where a body part to be examined is positioned in a beam region. A guard device includes a shield, e.g., circular-annular segment, and a mount, e.g., a spring clip, that couples the shield to the support. A clasp element is guided via a compression unit, and is locked by a releasable detent connection when the guard device is locked. A spring element is provided on a location where an one-armed mount is fastened with a rail.

The object of the present invention is to provide a radiation protection device that can be easily adjusted according to a radiographic imaging condition or a patient's body condition to shield radiation from being irradiated toward a patient's body other than an imaging target, and a radiographic imaging apparatus including the same.

To this end, the present invention provides a radiation protection device provided for a radiographic imaging apparatus in accordance with claim <NUM> and a radiographic imaging apparatus in accordance with claim <NUM>.

The present invention provides a radiation protection device including a fixing unit fixed to an arm unit of a radiographic imaging apparatus; an elevation unit coupled to the fixing unit to be movable along a first direction; a connecting unit coupled to the elevation unit to be rotatable in a second direction different from the first direction; and a shielding unit provided on one side of the connecting unit to shield radiation, and a radiographic imaging apparatus including the radiation protection device.

In an exemplary embodiment, the fixing unit may include a fixing pin and a fixing hook protruding from a rear surface of the fixing unit, and the fixing hook may be configured to fix the fixing unit to the arm unit by being hooked on an engaging part provided inside the arm unit.

The fixing unit may include a disengaging operation part configured to rotate the fixing hook for releasing an engaged state of the fixing hook.

In an exemplary embodiment, the elevation unit may include a guide part fixed to the fixing unit, a movable block configured to be movable along the guide part, and a rotation support part provided on one side surface of the movable block and configured to rotatably support the connecting unit.

The guide part may have a plurality of position fixing holes formed at different heights along the first direction, and the movable block or the rotation support part may have a position fixing pin configured to be inserted into one of the position fixing holes for fixing a position.

The position fixing pin may be configured to be pressed toward the position fixing holes by a position fixing spring, and the elevation unit may further include an actuating lever for separating the position fixing pin from the position fixing hole.

The elevation unit may further include a static load spring for supporting the movable block from an upper side.

A rotation part of the connecting unit rotatably coupled to the rotation support part may be formed with a slot, and an actuation of the actuating lever may be allowed only in a state in which the slot is aligned with the actuating lever.

In an exemplary embodiment, the connecting unit may include a connecting unit frame, a rotation part provided on one side of the connecting unit frame and coupled to the rotation support part of the elevation unit, and a rotation fixing part provided on the connecting unit frame and configured to selectively enable rotation of the rotation part with respect to the rotation support part.

The rotation support part may be provided with a fixing shaft having a fixing groove formed on an outer circumferential surface thereof, the rotation part may be coupled to the rotation support part by using the fixing shaft as a rotation axis, and the rotation fixing part may include a rotation fixing pin configured to block rotation of the rotation part by being inserted into the fixing groove.

The rotation fixing pin may be configured to be pressed toward the fixing groove by a rotation fixing spring, and the connecting unit may include an unfixing operation part configured to be operated to separate the rotation fixing pin from the fixing groove.

The connecting unit frame may be provided with a rotation fixing pin driving link configured to retract the rotation fixing pin by an operation of the unfixing operation part.

In the present invention, rotation of the connecting unit with respect to the elevation unit is allowed when the elevation unit is positioned at a predetermined height in the first direction.

The rotation part of the connecting unit may be provided with a slot, and the radiation protection device may further include a locking piece configured to prevent rotation of the connecting unit in the second direction by being partially inserted into the slot, and to release an inserted state into the slot by a locking piece release part at the predetermined height.

According to exemplary embodiments of the present invention, when performing the radiographic imaging operation, it is possible to effectively shield radiation from being irradiated toward a patient's body other than an imaging target, and to improve the convenience of the radiographic imaging operation.

For example, the radiation protection device according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention is configured to be adjustable in height in the vertical direction, and therefore, can be easily adjusted according to a radiographic imaging condition or a patient's body condition, thereby improving the effect of shielding radiation from being irradiated to the patient's body.

The radiation protection device according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention is configured to be rotatable in the left-right direction, so that an operation space can be secured during radiographic imaging, thereby improving the convenience of the radiographic imaging operation.

It should be understood that the appended drawings are not necessarily to scale, presenting a somewhat simplified representation of various features illustrative of the invention. The specific design features of the present invention as disclosed herein, including, for example, specific dimensions, orientations, locations, and shapes will be determined in part by the particular intended application and use environment.

In the figures, reference numbers refer to the same or equivalent parts of the present invention throughout the several figures of the drawing.

First, when adding reference numerals to components in each drawing, it should be noted that the same components have the same numerals as much as possible even if they are shown in different drawings. In addition, when describing the present invention, a detailed description of related known configurations or functions will be omitted if it is determined that the detailed description makes the gist of the present invention unclear. Further, although preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below, the present invention is not limited thereto and can be modified and implemented in various ways by one skilled in the art.

<FIG> is a perspective view showing a radiographic imaging apparatus including a radiation protection device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and <FIG> is a perspective view showing a state in which a shielding unit of the radiation protection device is rotated in the radiographic imaging apparatus including the radiation protection device according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention. <FIG> is a side view showing the radiographic imaging apparatus including the radiation protection device according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and <FIG> is a side view showing a state in which the shielding unit of the radiation protection device is moved down in the radiographic imaging apparatus including the radiation protection device according to the exemplary embodiment.

A radiographic imaging apparatus <NUM> including a radiation protection device <NUM> according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a support stand placed on the ground (not shown), an arm unit <NUM> mounted on the support stand, and the radiation protection device <NUM> provided for the arm unit <NUM>.

In an exemplary embodiment, the arm unit <NUM> may be configured in the form of a C-arm, and the arm unit <NUM> may be provided in the form of being rotatable about a y-axis direction with respect to the support stand provided along a z-axis direction.

The arm unit <NUM> may include a main body part <NUM>, an upper arm <NUM> provided at an upper end of the main body part <NUM>, and a lower arm <NUM> provided at a lower end of the main body part <NUM>. The upper arm <NUM> may be provided with a radiation emitter for emitting radiation, and the lower arm <NUM> may be provided with a radiation detector for detecting radiation emitted from the radiation emitter. When the radiographic imaging apparatus <NUM> according to the present invention is a mammography apparatus, the arm unit <NUM> may further include a compression part <NUM> for compressing a breast placed on an upper surface of the lower arm <NUM> from above. The compression part <NUM> may be provided to the main body part <NUM> so as to be elevated in the z-axis direction.

In the present invention, the radiation protection device <NUM> includes a fixing unit <NUM> fixed to the main body part <NUM>, an elevation unit <NUM> coupled to the fixing unit <NUM> to be movable in the z-axis direction, a connecting unit <NUM> coupled to the elevation unit <NUM> to be rotatable leftward or rightward, and a shielding unit <NUM> provided on one side of the connecting unit <NUM>.

Referring to <FIG>, as the connecting unit <NUM> rotates rightward with respect to the elevation unit <NUM>, the shielding unit <NUM> moves rightward, and accordingly, an operation space can be secured between the upper arm <NUM> and the lower arm <NUM>.

Referring to <FIG>, as the elevation unit <NUM> is moved down in the z-axis direction, the connecting unit <NUM> and the shielding unit <NUM> connected to the elevation unit <NUM> are moved down. By moving up or down the shielding unit <NUM> according to a patient's body condition or a radiographic imaging condition, the shielding unit <NUM> may be adjusted to be positioned at an appropriate height for radiation blocking.

<FIG> is a perspective view showing a state in which the radiation protection device according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention is separated from an arm unit, <FIG> is a perspective view of the radiation protection device according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and <FIG> is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration for fixing the radiation protection device according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention to the arm unit.

The fixing unit <NUM> of the radiation protection device <NUM> is provided with a fixing element for fixing the fixing unit <NUM> to the main body part <NUM> of the arm unit <NUM>. In an exemplary embodiment, the fixing element includes a fixing pin 12a and a fixing hook 14a protruding from a rear surface of the fixing unit <NUM>. The main body part <NUM> is formed with a fixing pin insertion hole 12b into which the fixing pin 12a is inserted and a fixing hook insertion hole 14b into which the fixing hook 14a is inserted.

Referring to <FIG>, the fixing pin 12a is inserted into the fixing pin insertion hole 12b, and an end portion of the fixing pin 12a may come into contact with a mounting detection switch <NUM> provided inside the main body part <NUM>. When the fixing pin 12a contacts or presses the mounting detection switch <NUM>, it can be determined by an electrical signal that the radiation protection device <NUM> is mounted to the arm unit <NUM>.

A control unit (not shown) of the radiographic imaging apparatus <NUM> may adjust the maximum lifting height of the compression part <NUM> when it recognizes, based on the signal of the mounting detection switch <NUM>, that the radiation protection device <NUM> is mounted. In an exemplary embodiment, the compression part <NUM> may be moved up and down by a separate drive motor provided in the main body part <NUM>, and the control unit adjusts the maximum lifting height of the compression part <NUM> to prevent interference or collision with the radiation protection device <NUM>. In addition, the control unit may provide a guide message for confirming a location of the shielding unit <NUM> before starting radiographic imaging.

Meanwhile, the fixing hook 14a inserted into the fixing hook insertion hole 14b is engaged with an engaging part <NUM> provided in the main body part <NUM>, and therefore, can fix the fixing unit <NUM> to the main body part <NUM>.

Referring to <FIG>, a front surface of the fixing unit <NUM> may be provided with a disengaging operation part <NUM> capable of releasing an engaged state of the fixing hook 14a. When the disengaging operation part <NUM> is operated, the fixing hook 14a is moved, so that the engaged state with the engaging part <NUM> can be released. In an exemplary embodiment, the disengaging operation part <NUM> can be actuated so that an end portion of the fixing hook 14a on the main body part <NUM> side is moved upward. Referring to <FIG>, the fixing hook 14a is coupled to a fixing hook rotation shaft <NUM> in the fixing unit <NUM>, and is provided with a fixing hook spring <NUM> for pulling downward the end portion of the fixing hook 14a on the main body part <NUM> side. An end portion of the fixing hook 14a on an opposite side to the main body part <NUM> is connected to the disengaging operation part <NUM>, and when the disengaging operation part <NUM> is pressed downward, the end portion of the fixing hook 14a on the main body part <NUM> side is moved up, so that the engaged state with the engaging part <NUM> is released.

In an implementation of the present invention, the fixing pin 12a may be screwed into the fixing pin insertion hole 12b. In this case, the fixing hook 14a may not be provided. However, as described above, when the fixing pin 12a is inserted into the fixing pin insertion hole 12b and the fixing unit <NUM> is fixed to the main body part <NUM> by the fixing hook 14a, the radiation protection device <NUM> can be quickly attached and detached with respect to the main body part <NUM>.

Next, a configuration of the elevation unit <NUM> of the radiation protection device <NUM> will be described.

<FIG> is a perspective view showing a configuration of an elevation unit of the radiation protection device according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and <FIG> is a side view showing an actuating state of the elevation unit of the radiation protection device according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

The elevation unit <NUM> of the radiation protection device <NUM> may include a guide part <NUM> formed in the z-axis direction, a movable block <NUM> that may be movable along the guide part <NUM>, a rotation support part <NUM> coupled on one side surface of the movable block <NUM>, a position fixing pin <NUM> for fixing the movable block <NUM> to the guide part <NUM>, and an actuating lever <NUM> for actuating the position fixing pin <NUM>.

The guide part <NUM> may be fixed to an inner surface of a frame constituting the fixing unit <NUM>. The guide unit <NUM> may be provided with a plurality of position fixing holes <NUM> having different heights in the vertical direction. In an exemplary embodiment of <FIG>, a pair of position fixing holes <NUM> are formed at the same height on both sides of the guide part <NUM>. However, in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, only one position fixing hole <NUM> may be provided at a predetermined height, and a plurality of position fixing holes <NUM> may be formed at predetermined intervals in the vertical direction. The movable block <NUM> may be moved in the vertical direction along the guide part <NUM>.

The rotation support part <NUM> may include a support bracket <NUM> that rotatably supports a rotation part <NUM> formed at an end portion of the connecting unit <NUM>, and a mounting bracket <NUM> fixed to the movable block <NUM>. The position fixing pin <NUM> and the actuating lever <NUM> may be provided for the rotation support part <NUM>. The position fixing pin <NUM> is configured to be movable in a horizontal direction, and the position fixing pin <NUM> is pressed toward the guide part <NUM> by a position fixing spring <NUM>. The position fixing pin <NUM> is inserted into the position fixing hole <NUM> formed in the guide part <NUM>, so that the vertical positions of the rotation support part <NUM> and the movable block <NUM> may be fixed.

The actuating lever <NUM> serves to move the position fixing pin <NUM> so that the position fixing pin <NUM> can be separated from the position fixing hole <NUM>. In an exemplary embodiment, one end portion of the actuating lever <NUM> may be connected to the position fixing pin <NUM> by a link member <NUM>. When the actuating lever <NUM> is actuated by connection through the link member <NUM>, the position fixing pin <NUM> is separated from the position fixing hole <NUM>, and the movable block <NUM> can be moved up and down along the guide part <NUM>. The actuating lever <NUM> may be provided in the form of being pressed from bottom to top. This allows a user to actuate the actuating lever <NUM> in the manner of supporting the lever from below by a hand to support the weight while releasing the position fixing of the movable block <NUM>, thereby improving actuation stability.

A static load spring <NUM> coupled with the movable block <NUM> may be provided in order to prevent a sudden drop due to the load of the elevation unit <NUM>, the connecting unit <NUM>, and the shielding unit <NUM> in a state in which the position fixing pin <NUM> is separated from the position fixing hole <NUM>. The static load spring <NUM> may be provided in the form of being coupled to an upper end of the guide part <NUM> or coupled to the frame of the fixing unit <NUM>.

Part (a) of <FIG> shows a state in which the position fixing pin <NUM> is inserted in the position fixing hole <NUM>, where the movable block <NUM> and the rotation support part <NUM> are maintained in a state of being fixed in positions in the vertical direction. Part (b) of <FIG> shows a state in which the position fixing pin <NUM> is separated from the position fixing hole <NUM> by actuating the actuating lever <NUM>, where the movable block <NUM> and the rotation support part <NUM> are in a state in which they can be movable in the vertical direction.

On the other hand, as shown in <FIG>, in a state in which the connecting unit <NUM> and the shielding unit <NUM> are rotated laterally to the arm unit <NUM>, if the actuating lever <NUM> is actuated by mistake, and accordingly, the elevation unit <NUM>, the rotation part <NUM>, the shielding unit <NUM> and the like of the radiation protection device <NUM> fall, there is a possibility of injuring the patient's arm or the like. In order to prevent this, the radiation protection device <NUM> may be provided with a configuration for preventing an actuation of the actuating lever <NUM> when the connecting unit <NUM> or the like is rotated laterally to the arm unit <NUM>.

Part (a) of <FIG> is a view showing a rotation part provided for a connecting unit of the radiation protection device and an actuating lever of the elevation unit in a state of <FIG>, and part (b) of <FIG> is a view showing the rotation part provided for the connecting unit of the radiation protection device and the actuating lever of the elevation unit in a state of <FIG>.

The rotation part <NUM> of the connecting unit <NUM> rotatably supported by the support bracket <NUM> of the rotation support part <NUM> is formed with a slot <NUM>, and a link connecting part <NUM> of the actuating lever <NUM> connected to the link member <NUM> is provided in the form of being inserted into the slot <NUM>. Referring to part (a) of <FIG>, in the state of <FIG>, an actuation of the actuating lever <NUM> is permitted while a portion of the link connecting unit <NUM> of the actuating lever <NUM> is inserted into the slot <NUM>. Accordingly, the position fixing pin <NUM> can be separated from the position fixing hole <NUM>. However, referring to part (b) of <FIG>, in the state of <FIG>, the upper end of the actuating lever <NUM> is blocked by the lower surface of the rotation part <NUM>, and therefore, the operation of the actuating lever <NUM> is blocked, so that the position fixing pin <NUM> cannot be separated from the position fixing hole <NUM>. That is, a mechanical anti-lock structure for the actuating lever <NUM> may be provided by the slot <NUM> formed in the rotation part <NUM> of the connecting unit <NUM>.

Meanwhile, the rotation part <NUM> may be further provided with a shaft insertion hole <NUM> into which a shaft for rotation is inserted. The shaft insertion hole <NUM> will be further described below.

Next, the detailed configuration of the connecting unit <NUM> will be described.

<FIG> is a cross-sectional view showing a detailed configuration of the connecting unit connected to a rotation support part of the radiation protection device according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and <FIG> is a perspective view of a fixing shaft provided for the rotation support part of the radiation protection device according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention. In addition, <FIG> is a view showing a height at which rotation of the connecting unit of the radiation protection device according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention can be enabled.

In an exemplary embodiment, the connecting unit <NUM> includes a connecting unit frame <NUM>, a rotation part <NUM> provided at one end portion of the connecting unit frame <NUM>, a rotation fixing part <NUM> provided in the connecting unit frame <NUM>, and an unfixing operation part <NUM> for releasing a fixed state of the rotation fixing part <NUM>.

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, the support bracket <NUM> of the rotation support part <NUM> is provided with a fixing shaft <NUM> forming a rotation axis of the rotation part <NUM> of the connecting unit <NUM>. The fixing shaft <NUM> is fixed in the support bracket <NUM>, and at least one fixing groove <NUM> is provided on an outer circumferential surface of the fixing shaft <NUM>. In an exemplary embodiment, a plurality of fixing grooves <NUM> may be provided at intervals of a predetermined angle (e.g., <NUM> degrees, <NUM> degrees, or <NUM> degrees) along a circumferential direction.

The rotation fixing part <NUM> provided inside the connecting unit frame <NUM> of the connecting unit <NUM> includes a rotation fixing pin <NUM> elastically supported by a rotation fixing spring <NUM> and having one end portion inserted into the fixing groove <NUM> of the fixing shaft <NUM>, and a rotation fixing pin driving link <NUM> for retracting the rotation fixing pin <NUM>. In an exemplary embodiment, the rotation fixing pin driving link <NUM> may be configured in the form of a two-bar link, and the rotation fixing pin <NUM> may be connected to an end portion thereof.

The unfixing operation part <NUM> may be exposed to the outside and provided in the form of a button so that the user can operate it. When the unfixing operation part <NUM> is pressed, the rotation fixing pin driving link <NUM> is actuated, so that the rotation fixing pin <NUM> retreats away from the fixing shaft <NUM>.

In a state in which the end portion of the rotation fixing pin <NUM> is inserted into the fixing groove <NUM> by the rotation fixing spring <NUM>, the connecting unit <NUM> cannot rotate with respect to the rotation support part <NUM>. When the unfixing operation part <NUM> is operated to actuate the rotation fixing pin driving link <NUM>, the rotation fixing pin <NUM> connected to the rotation fixing pin driving link <NUM> retreats and separates from the fixing groove <NUM> of the fixing shaft <NUM>. Accordingly, the rotation restriction of the connecting unit <NUM> with respect to the rotation support part <NUM> is released, so that the connecting unit <NUM> can be rotated.

In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the height at which left and right rotation of the connecting unit <NUM> and the shielding unit <NUM> can be enabled may be limited.

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, the rotation support part <NUM> may be provided with a locking piece <NUM>. In addition, the fixing unit <NUM> of the radiation protection device <NUM> may be provided with a locking piece release part <NUM>. The locking piece <NUM> may be provided to be rotatable about a locking piece rotation shaft <NUM>, a locking part <NUM> may be formed on one side of the locking piece rotation shaft <NUM>, and a contact part <NUM> may be provided on the other side of the locking piece rotation shaft <NUM>. The locking piece release part <NUM> may be formed with a pressing portion <NUM> that can come into contact with the contact part <NUM>.

In an exemplary embodiment, the locking part <NUM> of the locking piece <NUM> may be inserted into an upper side of the slot <NUM> provided in the rotation part <NUM> of the connecting unit <NUM> (part (a) of <FIG>). In a state where the locking part <NUM> of the locking piece <NUM> is inserted into the slot <NUM> of the rotation part <NUM>, the connecting unit <NUM> is not rotated even when the rotation fixing pin <NUM> is separated from the fixing groove <NUM> by operating the unfixing operation part <NUM>. When the elevation unit <NUM> is moved up and the contact part <NUM> of the locking piece <NUM> is thus pressed by the locking piece release part <NUM>(part (b) of <FIG>), the locking part <NUM> of the locking piece <NUM> is separated from the slot <NUM> and the rotation of the connecting unit <NUM> can be enabled.

With such a configuration, the connecting unit <NUM> and the shielding unit <NUM> can be rotated in a state in which the heights thereof are raised to predetermined positions, and therefore, the collision with the patient or other equipment due to the rotations of the connecting unit <NUM> and the shielding unit <NUM> can be prevented.

Although the present invention has been described for illustrative purposes with reference to the above embodiment, one skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, changes and substitutions can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims. Therefore, the embodiments and accompanying drawings of the present invention are presented only for illustrative purposes, not for limiting the scope of the present invention, and the scope of the present invention is not limited by the embodiments and accompanying drawings. The protection scope of the present invention should be construed according to the following claims.

Claim 1:
A radiation protection device (<NUM>) provided for a radiographic imaging apparatus (<NUM>), the radiation protection device (<NUM>) comprising:
a fixing unit (<NUM>) fixed to an arm unit (<NUM>) of a radiographic imaging apparatus (<NUM>);
an elevation unit (<NUM>) coupled to the fixing unit (<NUM>) to be movable along a first direction;
a connecting unit (<NUM>) coupled to the elevation unit (<NUM>) to be rotatable in a second direction different from the first direction; and
a shielding unit (<NUM>) provided on one side of the connecting unit (<NUM>) to shield radiation,
characterized in that rotation of the connecting unit (<NUM>) with respect to the elevation unit (<NUM>) is allowed when the elevation unit (<NUM>) is positioned at a predetermined height in the first direction.