Patent ID: 8731142

Claim:
An X-ray collimator for controlling an X-ray radiation field, the X-ray collimator comprising: a lower base member to serve as a base for the X-ray collimator and comprising a protruding section; a pair of regulating members provided vertically on the lower base member, so as to have opposed surfaces parallel to each other; a pair of surrounding members each having a substantially U-shaped form in planar view and having a predetermined height, each of the pair of surrounding members sandwiched between the opposed surfaces of the pair of regulating members in such a way that both U-shaped forms face each other; N columnar members surrounded by the pair of surrounding members, each of the N columnar members having a planar shape obtained by dividing a substantially regular polygon shape into N equal parts, where N is 4, 6, or 8; a guiding member having a rectangular shape in planar view, provided vertically on the protruding section extending from the lower base member so that the rectangular shape has a long side perpendicular to the opposed surfaces of the pair of regulating members; a pair of moving members configured to move parallel to the opposed surfaces of the pair of regulating members in a manner that respectively follows both respective side surfaces of the guiding member, and fixed on external surfaces of each of the pair of surrounding members adjacent to the guiding member; an upper base member for fixing upper end surfaces of at least the pair of regulating members; a first motor for horizontally moving the pair of moving members; and a second motor for moving the N columnar members, wherein the first motor is configured to horizontally move the pair of moving members over the same distance in opposite directions, thereby horizontally moving the pair of surrounding members over the same distance in opposite directions, the pair of surrounding members surrounding the N columnar members, wherein the second motor is configured to move one columnar member of the N columnar members along an internal surface of a surrounding member of the pair of surrounding members surrounding the one columnar member, thereby moving the other N−1 columnar members sequentially along internal surfaces of the pair of surrounding members surrounding each of the other N−1 columnar members.