Patent ID: 7401977

Claim:
An x-ray apparatus comprising: a spatially adjustable x-ray source that emits x-rays in a beam path; a spatially adjustable x-ray detector; and a control unit connected to said x-ray source and to said x-ray detector that aligns said x-ray source relative to said x-ray detector so that said x-ray detector is in said beam path to acquire diagnostic data from a subject between the x-ray source and the x-ray detector, said control unit identifying a position of a radio-opaque object in an examination room in which said x-ray source and said x-ray detector are located that blocks at least part of said beam path from reaching said x-ray detector that would otherwise be used to acquire diagnostic data from the subject and that, before acquiring diagnostic data from the subject with said x-ray source and said x-ray detector, emits a humanly perceptible signal if and when the radio-opaque object is located in the beam path.