Patent ID: 7500785

Claim:
An X-ray shield device for use with an X-ray fluoroscopic apparatus for fluoroscopically visualizing a certain site of a subject, comprising an X-ray generator containing an X-ray source, an X-ray detector associated with the X-ray generator and including a projection plane disposed opposed to the X-ray source, and a support member disposed between the X-ray source and the projection plane for supporting the subject, the X-ray shield device being adapted to prevent a specified site of the subject from exposing to the X-ray from the X-ray source, said X-ray shield device comprising: at least one X-ray shielding plate positioned between the X-ray source and the support member; output means for outputting position data of said support member; a shielding plate driving mechanism including a supporting portion for supporting said at least one X-ray shielding plate, said shielding plate driving mechanism being operable to move the shielding plate supported by the supporting portion in a direction transverse to a path of X-ray irradiation; shielding position determining means for determining a shielding position where the irradiation from the X-ray should be shielded, wherein the shielding position determining means comprises: (a) a position of x-ray source measuring device for measuring the position of the x-ray source S relative to a common reference point; (b) a position of shielding plate driving mechanism measuring device for measuring the position of the shielding plate driving mechanism relative to said common reference point; (c) a position of non-irradiation site measuring device for measuring the position of said specified site relative to said common reference point based on the position data from the output means and a previously measured distance between the support member and the specified site; and (d) a computing unit for computing said shielding position based on data from said X-ray source position measuring device, data from said shielding plate driving mechanism position measuring device and data from said non-irradiation position measuring device; and a control unit for controlling operation of said shielding plate driving mechanism to cause movement of said shielding plate to said shielding position in a manner so as to shield said specified site of the subject from the X-ray from the X-ray source of the X-ray generator upon movement of the X-ray generator and the X-ray detector relative to the support member.