US2537373A - Collapsible day viewing and protective device for fluoroscope screens - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 9, 1951 T. R. ROSENBERG COLLAPSIBLE DAY VIEWING AND PROTECTIVE DEVICE FOR FLUOROSCOPE SCREENS Filed Sept. 14, 1949 INVENTOR. THEODORE R. R0$EN8ER6 AGENT iatented jan. 9,

UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE COLLAPSIBLE DAY VIEWING AND PROTEC- TIVE DEVICE FOR FLUOROSCOPE SCREENS Theodore R. Rosenberg, New York, N. Y.

Application September 14, 1949, Serial No. 115,721

4 Claims.

I My invention relates to fluoroscopic screens, more particularly the type of screens used by the .medical profession for examining the chest or other parts of the body of a patient.

Heretofore it has been customary to make these examinations in a darkened room, calling for elaborate preparations especially when carried out during the hours of daylight and inconveniencing both the physician and the patient.

-It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide means for enabling a physician to examine a patient fluoroscopically in the presence of ordinary illumination.

Another object of my invention is to provide means selectively operable for the detailed observation of any portion of the screen or for an overall viewing of the entire image.

A further object of this invention is to provide convenient means for protecting a fluorescent screen from the harmful effect of daylight when not in use.

A further object is to provide means for making it possible to view a fluorescent screen in the manner referred to while leaving the hands of the observer free, thereby enabling him to take notes or make necessary adjustments at the controls of the machine.

Yet a further object of the invention i to provide a single device capable of performing all of the various functions set forth above.

The invention will be particularly described drawn to a still larger scale and showing the device in position of use;

Fig. is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 2, showing a modification; and

Fig. 6 is a diagonal section taken on the line 66 of Fig. 5.

Referring first to Figs. 1 through 4, there is shown a conventional screen ID, of fluorescent material, held by suitable means such as clips 35 in a frame l4 which in turn is supported in a bracket 38; this bracket is mounted for vertical movement on a standard l2 which it engages through a guide sleeve l3, the latter being secured by an arm 39 to the bracket 38. The sleeve I3 is 2 suspended from a chain H which may be led in conventional manner over rollers (not shown) and provided at its other extremity with a counterweight for keeping the screen l0 and its associated parts in balance.

In accordance with the present invention, '1 provide the screen [0 with a viewing device l5 comprising a bellows [6 which may be extendable to a length of, say, 18 inches. The rear of the bellows it is secured to a frame member [1, as by screws l8; similar but longer screws l9 serve to .Secure the frame I! to the frame I4. A rubber asket 33 is interposed between the two frames, this gasket having suitable recesses, as shown, to accommodate the clips 35.

Attached to the front or smaller end of the frusto-pyramidal bellows i6 is an eye piece 20 provided at its free end, which is open toward the observer, with an annular gasket 2| consisting, for example, of a rubber tube. Disposed internally of the eye piece 20 is a lens carrier 22, pivotally mounted therein by a pin 23 which extends through the wall of the eye piece and carries at its projecting end a handle 24 for displacing the lens carrier from its vertical or operative position, shown in full lines in Fig. 4, into its horizontal or inoperativeposition, shown in dot-dash lines in the same figure. The lens carrier 22 holds a pair of lenses 25, which may be biconvex magnifying lenses of, say, 12 to 18 inches depth of focus. Back of the lens carrier 22 a protective lead glass plate 26 may be inserted into the eye piece 20.

In order to prevent the bellows I6 from sagging under the weight of the eye piece, I provide four diagonally arranged resilient elements, such as elastic threads 21, which extend from the four corners of the frame ll toward corresponding corners of the frame 28 through which the eye piece is secured to the bellows, These elastic threads should be strong enough to maintain the eye piece, when released by the operator, in substantially centered position'with respect to the screen Ill, at the same time collapsing the bellows as shown in Fig. 3, without however unduly impeding the extension of the bellows by the observer and the movement of the eye piece relative to the screen. A head band 29, provided with an elastic insert 30 for adjustment to different head sizes, is attached to the eye piece 20 and enables the operaton'as illustrated in Fig. 1, to extend the .bellOws and adjust the eye piece relative to the screen without using his hands or risking the intrusion of light between his eyes and the eye piece.

balance whether When not in use, the eye piece is preferably encased in a cover 3! which bears against the frame 28, thereby effectively protecting the sensitive fluorescent screen ill from the eflects of daylight or other harmful radiation, the rear of the screen being conventionally protected by a resinous plate 32, permeable to X-rays but otherwise opaque, which is permanently secured to the screen 19. The strap 291may' be'detached before encasement if it cannot be conveniently accommodated inside the cover 3 I.

In the modification shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the frame I! is provided at its fQlll? corners with holes 34 adapted to receive bolts 36screw'ed into frame I4, these bolts projecting beyond the frame if! may be snapped around' the projecting end of bolt 36, as"shown; thereby'holding" the frame I! in place and urgingittoward the frame" Hi. It will be understood that the" stiffness of the clips 31 should be greate'r than thatof' the diagonaily extending resilient elements ('Which'in' this modificationhavebeen shown" as helical spr'ingsfi) 'in' orde r to" sure {good contact between the frames Mjil and the gaskettii;

" Fr'or'nFi-g; l'itshould'be clear that the operator, upon strapping the eye piece 29 to" his' head f jl meansjcf the band 29, may extend the bellows i6 by"siniply stepping or bending back to th de re dista c 'iromi e m a a align the eye piece'gfl with any portiohof'the jjsfcreen "by mocements of his head, thus leaving 'his -handsjfree forother tasks. For the observation of details the handle 24 may-be' turn'ed up, thereby bringing the lenses -25 into operative 'posi tion,"and the beHOWs ma-y' be somewhat rei esee to bring" the eyes of the observer "closer to the screen, whereas for a viewing of the"en- "ftire f'screen surface the length of the bellows -placermeved'out of'the wayfas desired. It

will be apparent that'the elasticity of the insert should-also be considerably'ies's than --that"of "the elernents' 2 T or 2 T thereby insuring full contact between the face of the observer ahdthe eye piece. r 'The welght of the device 15 should be small in' relation to that of the sliding assembly Z l 9, l3, M138, 39 so that the'screen will remain-in ornot thedevice is attached thereto. l "It'is to be noted that the invention is not limited to "the precise embodiments shown and nescribed".butis,"on the contrary, capable of numerous adaptations and modifications within the scope oilthe appended'claims.

'Igilaim:

1.1:: an apparatus having a fluorescent screen and viewing means for observing said screen, the combination, with an extendible bellows having alargerend secured to said screen and a smaller nd secured to said viewin m ans, of res l ently contracti fl xibl m an exerting a con ac s rc i a gene ly axi .cl rectiq 1 1 91 sa smaller end, thereby tending to collapse said bellows with said viewing means centered with respect to said screen, said contractile means by the flexibility thereof permitting sideways movement of said viewing means substantially parallel to said screen.

2. In an apparatus having a fluorescent screen and viewing means for observing said screen, the combination, with an extendible hellows havinga larger encl"secured' to said "screen and a smaller end secured to said viewing means, of a plurality of resiliently contractile, flexible, elongated elements extending in different directionsbetween-sa-id screen and said viewing means a degrerting a contracting force in a generally axial direction 'upon said smaller end, thereby tending to collapse-said bellows with said viewing means centered with respect to said screen, said contractile elements by their flexibility permitting sideways movement of said viewing 'means substantially parallel -to said" screen. i

-3'. "I n"an apparatus having a fluorescents'creen and viewing means for observing sald screen, the combination, with-an eX-tendible bellows 'having a larger end secured tos'aid'screen and a smaller end secmedtosaid viewing' inean's'; of a plurality of resiliently contractile, fleiiible, elongated elementsexteridin'g within said bellows from end to end betweensaid screen and said viewing means and exerting a contracting force in agenerally axial direction upon said smaller end, thereby tendingt'o collapse said bellows with said viewing means centered withr'espect to said screen, said co'ntractilefelements by theirflexibility permitting sidewaysmovement of "said viewing means substantially parallel to said screen.

AI In an apparatus having a fluorescent screen and viewing means"forobserving said'screen;the combination,- with' an extendible bellows 'of frusto-pyramidal configuration, having"- its'large'r end secured-to said" screen and itssmaller 'end secured 'to'fsaid viewing means; of a' plurality er resiliently contractile, flexible, elongated elements extending betweencorresponding corners of said smaller and "larger ends and exerting? a contracting force in a generally axial direction upon said smaller end, thereby tending to 1e01- lapse saidbellows with said viewing means .c'e'ntered with respect to'sai'd screen", said-contractile elements by their flexibility-permitting sideways movement ofsaid' viewing means substantially parallel to said screen. 'THEODORE R. ROSENBERG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the .I .1 I a I UNITED ,s' ratrns .rati snjrs Nu mber :Name a v Date 38 2.92 J y 3 i38 699,767 .SaXby ,May 12, i902 f703,.55 l lappold July 1,1902 984,520 Campbell I Feb. 14, ,l9 1 1 l,l 4 3 ,0fl 5 Freud June 1 5 1 9l5 2,290,767 Renter July 2,1, 19 42 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country v Date 33,231 Holland ,June l6,"'l934 735,512 France '.,N ov. ,1 1932

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