Imaging apparatus

Abstract

An imaging apparatus 10 for generating an image of a subject including a scanning arrangement which includes an energy emitting source 20 and a detector 22 housed within a housing 12 . The housing defines a scanning zone 24 in which the subject is operatively positioned for scanning. A displacing arrangement 36 which includes a U-shaped belt-and-pulley drive arrangement is configured to displace the scanning arrangement relative to the housing 12 in a scanning direction. The housing 12 has a first door and second door defining a substantially linear pathway through the scanning zone. A motor 38 and horizontal drive belts 40 are disposed below the scanning zone and are not displaced relative to the housing in the scanning direction in which the energy emitting source and detector are displaced during scanning such that the displacing arrangement does not restrict or impede movement of the subject through the scanning zone.

1 . An imaging apparatus for generating an image of a subject, the imaging apparatus comprising:
 a scanning arrangement which includes an energy emitting source and a detector;   a housing which houses the scanning arrangement, and which defines an internal scanning zone or area in which the subject is operatively positioned for scanning by the scanning arrangement;   the energy emitting source and detector positioned on opposing sides of the internal scanning zone;   a displacing arrangement which serves operatively to interconnect the energy emitting source and detector and is housed within the housing and is configured to collectively displace the energy emitting source and detector relative to the housing in a scanning direction such that the energy emitting source and detector remain aligned in a plane transverse to the scanning direction in order to scan the subject in the scanning zone;   a first opening and   a second opening in the housing,   wherein the first opening and the second opening are arranged at or near opposing ends or sides of the housing so as to define a substantially linear path between them, such that, in use, the subject travels in a substantially straight line along the linear path by entering the scanning zone via one of the openings in the housing and exiting the scanning zone via the other one of the openings in the housing; and   wherein at least part of the displacing arrangement operatively connecting the energy emitting source and detector together is not disposed in the scanning zone and is not itself displaced relative to the housing in the scanning direction in which the energy emitting source and detector are displaced during scanning such that the displacing arrangement does not restrict or impede movement of the subject through the scanning zone.   
     
     
         2 . The imaging apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first opening includes a first door for closing the first opening and a second door for closing the second opening. 
     
     
         3 . An imaging apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the part of the displacing arrangement connecting the energy emitting source and detector together is disposed above or below the scanning zone. 
     
     
         4 . An imaging apparatus as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the displacing arrangement includes a belt-and-pulley drive arrangement which includes first and second drive belts drivingly connected to pulleys in a U-shaped configuration around the scanning zone and a motor drivingly connected to the first drive belts, wherein the motor and a pair of the first drive belts of the belt-and-pulley drive arrangement, which serve to connect the energy emitting source and detector together, are disposed above or below the scanning zone. 
     
     
         5 . An imaging apparatus as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the second drive belts of the belt-and-pulley drive arrangement of the displacing arrangement is configured to displace the scanning arrangement along a vertical axis of the imaging apparatus, and wherein the first drive belts of the belt-and-pulley drive arrangement of the displacing arrangement extends laterally from one side of the housing to the other. 
     
     
         6 . An imaging apparatus as claimed in  claim 5 , which is devoid of a C-shaped arm mechanically connecting the energy emitting source and detector together. 
     
     
         7 . An imaging apparatus as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the displacing arrangement is configured collinearly to displace the energy emitting source and the detector relative to the housing. 
     
     
         8 . An imaging apparatus as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the energy emitting source is secured to a set of transversely spaced apart, vertically extending drive belts on one side of the scanning zone whilst the detector is secured to another opposing set of transversely spaced apart, vertically extending drive belts on the other side of the scanning zone, wherein a lower set of pulleys and an upper set of pulleys, on each side of the scanning zone, are drivingly connected by transversely extending shafts and wherein the motor is located below the scanning zone and is drivingly connected to the lower sets of pulleys via the pair of first drive belts to ensure simultaneous upward or downward displacement of the energy emitting source and detector relative to the housing, wherein each of the source and detector are secured to the set of vertical drive belts by way of an attachment formation which clamps onto the respective vertical drive belts at the same height and side thereof, such that, as the first drive belts are displaced by the motor, the scanning arrangement rises or falls together with one side of the vertical drive belts, and wherein a linear bearing is provided in each corner, adjacent to each vertical drive belt, the energy emitting source and detector both having a pair of linear bearing followers which operatively slide up and down along the linear bearings to ensure linear movement of the scanning arrangement. 
     
     
         9 . An imaging apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , which includes an image generating unit configured to generate the image of the subject, the image generating unit being interfaced to the detector and to a processor. 
     
     
         10 . An imaging apparatus as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the housing has a substantially rectangularly cuboidal shape and defines a front, a rear and two sides of the imaging apparatus, the first door being located at the front of the imaging apparatus and the second door being located at the rear of the imaging apparatus such that the subject travels substantially in a straight line through the imaging apparatus as part of a screening process. 
     
     
         11 . An imaging apparatus as claimed in  claim 2 , which includes an interlock unit which is communicatively coupled to a locking mechanism and a position sensor or switch associated with each door, the interlock unit being configured to provide a hard interlock and being configured to designate both doors as normally locked, the interlock unit further being configured to transmit an unlocking signal to the locking mechanism of one of the doors in response to identification of the subject, wherein the interlock unit is configured to transmit locking signals to the locking mechanism of both doors when scanning is in progress and wherein the interlock unit is configured to retain at least one of the doors in a locked condition at all times. 
     
     
         12 . An imaging apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the linear path is bidirectional such that when the apparatus operates in a first direction the first opening is an entrance and the second opening is an exit and when the apparatus operates in an opposing direction the second opening is an entrance and the first opening is an exit. 
     
     
         13 . An imaging apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , which includes one or more biometric or proximity type readers for identification of the subject. 
     
     
         14 . An imaging apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the energy emitting source is configured to emit a beam of x-rays in a transverse anatomical plane of the subject. 
     
     
         15 . An imaging apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , which is configured to identify a subject being scanned for a first time and to assign a unique identifier to the subject, the imaging apparatus being configured to communicate data associated with the unique identifier to a remote server or database, and/or to receive data from the remote server or database.