Patent ID: 8433033

Claim:
A panoramic imaging apparatus characterized in that the apparatus comprises: an X-ray source radiating an X-ray; a detector outputting a digital electrical signal depending on an incident X-ray at a constant frame rate; movement means for moving a pair of the X-ray source and the detector around an object in a state where the X-ray source and the detector are opposed to each other with the object located therebetween; storage means for storing, as frame data, the electrical signal outputted by the detector at the constant frame rate while the movement means moves the X-ray source and the detector around the object; panoramic image producing means for producing a panoramic image of a predetermined section of the object from the frame data stored in the storage means; partial sectional image producing means for producing a partial sectional image from the frame data, the partial sectional image focusing on a specified section three-dimensionally and arbitrarily specified based on a partial region indicated on the panoramic image, the specified section being located in a space previously set to enclose the predetermined section and to enable the X-ray to pass therethrough, and preliminary measurement means for previously measuring correspondence information between three-dimensional positions in the space and gains, the gains being defined as gradients at points on a curve in a coordinate system defined by both the plurality of frame data and mapping positions to map the frame data in a memory space so as to reconstruct a panoramic image, wherein the panoramic image producing means is configured to produce the panoramic image by making reference to the correspondence information depending on a position of the predetermined section in the space, and the partial sectional image producing means is configured to produce the partial sectional image by making reference to the correspondence information depending on a position of the specified section.