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EP-4040195-B1 - X-RAY CASSETTE WITH SHOCK ABSORBERS

EP4040195B1EP 4040195 B1EP4040195 B1EP 4040195B1EP-4040195-B1

Inventors

  • PONS, SYLVAIN
  • RIEUVERNET, PIERRE

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20220208

Claims (6)

  1. Portable radiological cartridge (10) comprising: - a digital detector (11) for ionizing radiation in the form of a flat panel; - a single-piece base (12) comprising a first main face (13), a second main face (14) opposite the first main face (13), the base (12) being delimited by four lateral faces (15, 16, 17, 18), the base (12) supporting the digital detector (11) on the first main face (13); - an electronic card (19) which ensures control of the digital detector (11); - a housing (20) for mechanical protection, in which the base (12), the digital detector (11) and the electronic card (19) are arranged, the housing (20) comprising four lateral faces (25, 26, 27, 28), an upper face (23) and a lower face (24); - at least one three-dimensional component (30, 40), each of the at least one three-dimensional component(s) (30, 40) being associated with at least one of the four lateral faces (15, 16, 17, 18) of the base (12), each three-dimensional component (30, 40) comprising: - a lower portion (31, 41) which is connected to the base (12) and which at least partially surrounds the at least one lateral face (15, 16, 17, 18) of the base (12) with which the three-dimensional component (30, 40) is associated; - an upper portion (32, 42) which extends from the first main face (13) of the base (12) as far as the upper face (23) of the housing (20); in that the portable radiological cartridge comprises a flexible circuit (60); the lower portion (41) of at least one of the three-dimensional components (40) comprising at least one recess (44) which is intended to accommodate the flexible circuit (60); the upper portion (42) of at least one of the three-dimensional components (40) comprising at least one opening (43) along an axis substantially perpendicular to the lateral face of the base (12) with which the three-dimensional component (40) is associated; characterized in that the portable radiological cartridge comprises a comb (50) which comprises a branch (51) which extends substantially parallel with the first main face (13) of the base (12) and is in contact with the lower portion (41) of the three-dimensional component (40), the branch (51) being provided with at least one tooth (52) which extends substantially perpendicularly to the branch (51), the at least one tooth (52) being configured to cooperate with the three-dimensional component (40) in order to fix the branch (51) against the flexible circuit (60).
  2. Portable radiological cartridge (10) according to claim 1, wherein the lower portion (31, 41) of at least one of the three-dimensional components (30, 40) partially surrounds a lateral face adjacent to the lateral face of the base (12) with which the three-dimensional component (30, 40) is associated.
  3. Portable radiological cartridge (10) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one tooth (52) is inserted into the opening (43) of the upper portion (42) of the three-dimensional component (40) and is configured to block the comb (50) in terms of translation in a plane substantially parallel with the base (12).
  4. Portable radiological cartridge (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the upper portion of at least one of the three-dimensional components terminates with a shape which complements the upper face (23) of the housing (20).
  5. Portable radiological cartridge (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the at least one three-dimensional component (30, 40) is made of elastomer material, polyurethane, thermoplastic elastomer material, polyamide and/or polyester.
  6. Portable radiological cartridge (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the lower portion (31, 41) of the at least one three-dimensional component (30, 40) is adhesively bonded to the base (12).

Description

The invention relates to the field of imaging. It can be applied to any type of imager, including X-ray, visible, and infrared imagers. The invention is described here in the field of medical X-ray imaging, by way of example and without loss of applicability to other imaging fields. The invention concerns a portable radiological cassette with shock absorbers that improve the cassette's protection against drops, impacts from external objects, localized or distributed pressure, and any other stresses. The invention relates to a portable radiological cassette as defined in claim 1. The cassette includes a digital ionizing radiation detector that provides an image based on the received radiation. The radiological system further comprises an ionizing radiation source, such as an X-ray tube, for generating X-rays, and a base station with an information processing system for synchronizing the X-ray tube and the detector. This system also enables image processing, such as presenting the operator with an image corrected for all detector defects and enhanced, for example, by edge enhancement. An object whose X-ray image is to be obtained is placed between the source and the detector. Such a system can be used in numerous applications, such as medical radiology and non-destructive testing. The invention can also be implemented for detecting other types of radiation, including gamma rays. In the past, radiological systems using digital detectors or image intensifier tubes were bulky and not very mobile. It was necessary to position the object relative to the system to obtain the desired image. With the advent of new generations of solid-state detectors, the detector has become less bulky, and it has become possible to move the detector relative to a stationary object. For medical radiology, digital detectors have been developed in the form of mobile cassettes that can be placed in the immediate vicinity of a patient whose image needs to be acquired, when the patient's condition prevents them from being transported to a dedicated radiology room. These detectors now have geometric characteristics similar to Older analog sensors of the cassette or electroluminescent screen type. However, they remain more mechanically fragile than these older analog sensors and are particularly more susceptible to breakage of internal components in the event of a fall or violent impact. The mobile cassette essentially comprises a digital ionizing radiation detector in the form of a flat panel and an electronic board that, among other things, controls the digital detector. The detector and the board are housed in a casing that provides mechanical protection. The cassette used in a portable system undergoes far more handling than in a fixed radiological system, necessitating enhanced mechanical protection, particularly against shocks it may experience during transport. Specifically, the digital detector is often constructed from photosensitive components arranged in an array on a glass plate, which forms the most fragile element of the cassette. In addition to impacts that could damage it, this plate is also susceptible to deformation, especially torsional deformation. Portable cassettes must therefore combine extreme resistance to external damage with a small size and weight. Indeed, these portable cassettes can be exposed during handling and throughout their lifespan to drops, impacts from external objects, localized or distributed pressure, and bending stresses when a patient's weight is exerted on a detector that is not evenly supported. For this reason, the mechanical structure of the detectors must provide maximum protection for the fragile components: the digital detector and the electronic board. Shocks, vibrations, or internal mechanical play within the cassette result in damage induced by these mechanical stresses. This damage can lead to breakage of the active part of the detector (photodiode array on a glass substrate, possibly encapsulated by a glass cover located above the scintillator), to the rupture or damage of electronic boards or components placed on these boards, to the detachment or rupture of connectors or flexible cables intended to electrically connect the various sub-assemblies, and finally to disturbances in the radiological image caused by the Vibration of the flexible connectors (also called flexible modules) that provide electrical contact between the photodiode array and the electronic boards. This degradation can occur immediately during mechanical stress and cause instantaneous failure. It can also result from wear mechanisms related to friction or the repetition of minor disturbances throughout the product's lifespan. To protect the sensitive parts of a cassette, several solutions are currently being implemented. One solution involves adding layers integrated into an outer protective film. This solution does not protect the panel from internal impacts due to internal movement during a fall and tends to inc