WO2014209249A1

WO2014209249A1 - Compound fiber-optic connector and x-ray receiver based thereon

Info

Publication number: WO2014209249A1
Application number: PCT/UA2013/000104
Authority: WO
Inventors: Sergii MIROSHNYCHENKO; Andrii NEVGASYMYI
Original assignee: Miroshnychenko Sergii; Nevgasymyi Andrii
Priority date: 2013-06-27
Filing date: 2013-09-13
Publication date: 2014-12-31

Abstract

Compound fiber-optic connector for an X-ray receiver has at least two focons. Adjacent side-by-side wide input butt-ends of each pair of contiguous focons have optically interconnected by partial interlacement of input ends of the optical fibers belonged to both said focons. These wide input butt-ends divide initial total light flash into partial luminous fluxes. Narrow output butt-ends of said focons are meant for snap-together with oelectronic transducers of said partial luminous fluxes into fragmentary analogous videosignals. First variant of X-RAY RECEIVER has an entire planar converter of the X-radiation into the visible light placed before said connector. Second variant of X-RAY RECEIVER has discrete converter of the X-radiation into the visible light in the form of doses of an X-ray luminophor. They have placed within recesses in sheets of an opaque material used as basis of aforesaid connector. Any X-ray receiver equipped by a unit of optoelectronic transducers placed after said connector.

Description

C O M PO U N D FI B ER-O PTIC C ON N ECTO R

AN D X-RAY R EC E IVE R BASE D TH E R EO N

(variants)

Field of the Invention

This invention relates to the structure of compound fiber-optic connectors and matrix X- ray receivers based on such connectors. These X-ray receivers can be used as equipment of apparatuses for medical and technical X-ray diagnostics.

Background Art

Nowadays, planar plate-shaped converters of the X-radiation into the visible light and apparatuses for roentgenoscopy based on such converters are well known. One side of each such converter serves as a fluorescent screen, which shows any obtained image.

Immediate (especially repeated and/or long-term) visual observation of such images is harmful for people because only part of X-rays (usually no more than 70% of each their pulse) converts into the visible light.

Change of roentgenoscopy by roentgenography secures labour of specialists in medical (and technical) X-ray diagnostics practically.

However, even relatively short-term roentgenographic examination provides significant radiation exposure for a patient. Therefore, it is desirable to fulfil roentgenographic tests as seldom as possible. It is especially critical for victims of disasters at nuclear power plants, and for maintenance staff of atomic industry and atomic energetics.

Unfortunately, it is necessary, in certain cases, to repeat roentgenography several times during one diagnostic session. Typical examples are -

Angiographic studies using radiopaque substances for the purpose of vascular permeability or urinary tracts patency and evaluation of effectiveness of blood supply of tissues and organs etc.; and

Roentgenography of motile internals, such as heart and lungs.

Moreover, it is necessary to define fluoroscopically real-time dynamic position of flexible probes, catheters and other diagnostic or surgical instruments, which are inserting into human organism, as a rule, through tubular organs.

Finally, all users of any apparatuses, which are equipped with converters of the X- radiation into the visible light, are in need of record and storage of images in the digital form.

The WO 98/1 1722 (PCT/UA96/00016, priority date 10.09.1996) discloses a device for X-ray diagnostics that provides -

Decrease of any X-ray radiation exposure for patient's organism calculating on one examination no less than 10 times in comparison with usual roentgenography,

Formation of an entire output videosignal having frequency no less than 25 video frames per second, that is quite enough for X-ray contrast angiography and X-ray observation of motile organs, and

Digital record of obtained images and their storage using high-capacity information carriers for the purpose of clinical recording, repeated overview and, when necessary, data exchange between medical facilities and consultancy per Internet Relay Chat.

This known device (hereinafter referred to as «Χ-ray receiver* or simply «receiver») has a planar plate-shaped converter of the X-radiation into the visible light and no less than two optoelectronic transducers of partial luminous fluxes into fragmentary analogous videosignals (or, usually, a matrix composed of at least two horizontal and at least two vertical rows of such transducers, generally, TV-cameras), which are rigidly fastened onto a common base thereby that their discrete fields of vision are overlapping and their common field of vision exceeds the area of said plate-shaped converter. The optical channel of this device includes air gap and lens optics at an input into each TV-camera. The electrical outputs of all TV-cameras are connected through an ADC to a multichannel corrector of geometric distortions, which joins fragmentary digital videosignals into an entire output digital videosignal.

Resolving power of this videosignal is the greater, the more TV-cameras were used. Moreover, this videosignal - after adjustment of said corrector - is practically free from distortions due to unavoidable barely visible differences of geometrical shapes and dimensions of discrete TV-cameras and their parts and mounting misalignments.

These X-ray receivers are easy-produced, safe to handle and affordable in spite of use of high-performance converters of the X-radiation into the visible light and optoelectronic transducers.

The best X-ray receiver of such kind was disclosed in RU 2284089. It has opaque housing having a roentgenoparent front wall, behind of which are fastened in series:

A planar plate-shaped converter of the X-radiation into the visible light that generates total luminous flux adequate to each next roentgen pulse,

A parallel to the said planar plate-shaped converter and separated from it by air gap an additional lightproof and roentgenopaque partition having through-holes, in which lead-glass washers are embedded in order to filter residual X-radiation, and

Optoelectronic transducers, which are equipped with input objective lenses and rigidly fastened onto a common base thereby that their discrete fields of vision are overlapping and their common field of vision exceeds the area of said planar plate-shaped converter.

These transducers absorb partial luminous fluxes, which pass through said washers, and generate at own electrical outputs fragmentary analogous output videosignals, which can be thereafter transformed into entire output digital videosignals as well as the receiver disclosed in the above-mentioned WO 98/1 1722.

In addition, tubular blinds are fastened to the said partition in front of said washers.

Length A of each such blind and its distance D from the front surface of said planar plate- shaped converter to the plane of front end faces of said objective lenses are related by the ratio A/D = (0.50...0.95).

The use of said additional partition, blinds conformable to the said ratio A D, and lead- glass washers allows -

Firstly, to considerably reduce the parasitic illumination of adjacent optoelectronic transducers, because said washers are optically isolated from one another in said partition, while the light, which reflects from parts of optical channels to the surface of said planar plate-shaped converter and back from said surface to said parts, returns mostly via the blinds into initial channels, and

Secondly, to enhance operating reliability of the receiver, because the X-ray load on optoelectronic transducers is limited only by very insignificant part of the X-radiation, which can pass through said washers without conversion into the visible light, and because the danger of a mechanical break-down of the washers is practically excluded. However, long-term use of all above-described receivers, which have significant air gap between their fluorescent screens and respective optoelectronic transducers' units, demonstrates that possibility of improvement of entire diagnostic images only by extension of number of said optoelectronic transducers and by their shielding from parasitic illumination is practically over.

The point is that quolity of diagnostic images is substantially dependent on optical coupling coefficient of a fluorescent screen and optoelectronic transducers. Alias, number of electrons, which can appear on each respective optoelectronic transducer's electrical output calculating on each one X-ray photon converted into the visible light, will have been the greater, the more is said coefficient.

Unfortunately, any fluorescent screen - according to the Lambert distribution - radiates light into the half-space, i.e. in the range 180°. Under these conditions, the lens optics having magnifying power 1 and aperture ratio 1/1 transmits on the respective optoelectronic transducer's optical input no more than 5% of taking luminous flux (see websites www.proxitronic.ru or http_www.proxitronic.biz_pxt_file=efo). It would seem, change of the lens optics by a fiber-optic connector, which is capable - at the said parameters - to transmit about 70% of luminous flux (see op cit), provides solution of the problem.

However, it is impossible to build any known fiber-optic connector per se into each such above-described X-ray receiver, in which fields of vision of optoelectronic transducers must be overlapping.

In fact, the German firm Proxitronic Imaging GmbH (see first-mentioned website www.proxitronic.ru) offers single fiber-optic connectors of three kinds, namely:

(I) light diffusers having narrow input butt-ends and wide output butt-ends;

(II) shaped harnesses having parallel optical fibers and cross-section that is constant along the full their length; and

(III) focons (i.e. concentrators of luminous fluxes) having wide input butt-ends and narrow output butt-ends.

It is obvious that fiber-optic light diffusers (I) is in essence unsuitable for equipment of any X-ray receiver, because - A few such diffusers can be arranged oppositely to any plate-shaped converter of the

X-radiation into the visible light only with wide spaces between their narrow input butt-ends that causes inadmissible losses of diagnostic information, and

Supply of scattered light onto optical inputs of optoelectronic transducers sharply decreases optical coupling coefficient of any such transducer with any fluorescent screen.

Said shaped harnesses (II), which have constant cross-section along their full length, have been using for a long time as facilities of non-scattering (owing to practical exclusion of air gaps) optical connection between fluorescent screens and TV-cameras. For example, each such connector can efficiently transmit weak luminous flux to a TV-camera connected with an (in particular; single-stage) electrical amplifier (see US 3,813,489).

It is clear that some harness of this kind can be formed as big fiber-optic lightguide, which may contact face-to-face with large fluorescent screen on one side and with a TV- cameras' unit or with other suitable optoelectronic transducers on another side.

However, such compound fiber-optic connector having constant cross-section along its full length does not provide neither concentration of luminous fluxes on inputs of several TV- cameras, nor overlap of discrete fields of vision of adjacent TV-cameras.

An attempt to elimine first said disadvantage using normal focons (III) is known from RU 2172137, in which are disclosed (see. Fig.1):

(a) a compound fiber-optic connector having at least two focons of preferably rectangular cross-section, in which adjacent wide input butt-ends are arranged side-by-side and, in operative position, directed to the fluorescent screen and divide full initial luminous flux into partial luminous fluxes, whereas their narrow output butt-ends are immediately snap- together with optoelectronic transducers converting said partial luminous fluxes into fragmentary analogous videosignals; and

(b) an X-ray receiver having arranged in series a converter of the X-radiation into the visible light (that is made, particularly, in the form of an entire thin X-ray luminophor layer), the described above compound fiber-optic connector being adjacent face-to-face to the said converter, and at least two optoelectronic transducers, which are immediately snap-together with the respective focons' narrow output butt-ends. Electrical outputs of these optoelectronic transducers connected with a suitable generator of entire output videosignals.

Naturally, use of said focons as basis of said compound fiber-optic connector increase significantly optical coupling coefficient of the converter of the X-radiation into the visible light and the optoelectronic transducers.

However, simple side-by-side mechanical attachment of the wide input butt-ends of the contiguous focons does not overlap fields of vision of the optoelectronic transducers connected to the focons' optical outputs. This deteriorates quality of entire diagnostic images owing to loss of pixels on focon boundary junctions and different luminance of discrete parts of images synthesized from fragmentary videosignals. Such luminance irregularity is well known for the persons skilled in the optoelectronics as «chess pattern noisei>.

Summary of the Invention

The invention is based on the problem - by way of establishment of functional optical connections between adjacent focons - to create such compound fiber-optic connector and such X-ray receivers on basis of this connector, which allow to exclude losses of pixels at focons' boundary junctions, to suppress chess pattern noises and, thereby, to improve quality of visual diagnostic information.

First part of said problem has solved in that a compound fiber-optic connector for an X- ray receiver has at least two focons, these focons have adjacent side-by-side wide input butt- ends, which are meant for division of initial total light flash into partial luminous fluxes, and narrow output butt-ends, which are meant for direct connection to optoelectronic transducers of said partial luminous fluxes into fragmentary analogous videosignals, at that said adjacent wide input butt-ends of each contiguous focons have optically interconnected by partial interlacement of such input ends of the optical fibers, which belong to both said focons.

This allows overlapping fields of vision of the contiguous focons and, correspondingly, fields of vision of the optoelectronic transducers connected to the focons' outputs and, as a result, to equalize luminance and to increase information value of entire diagnostic images.

An additional feature consists in that -

The compound fiber-optic connector has formed as a closely packed matrix;

This matrix has composed of many sheets of an opaque material, at that each such sheet has thickness commensurable with diameter of the used optical fiber and is equipped with guide micro-channels for laying of the optical fibers' input ends;

These microchannels are spased in increments more than diameter of the used optical fiber on the side of said focons' wide input butt-ends and crossing in contiguity zone of said butt-ends in order to provide partial interlacement of the optical fibers' input ends, which belong to both contiguous focons, and have combined on the side of said focons' narrow output butt-ends into such common channels, sidewalis of which serve as holders of harnesses composed of aggregated optical fibers' output ends.

This compound fiber-optic connector is per se suitable for modernization of present X- ray receiver as an insertion between an available planar plate-shaped converter of the X- radiation into the visible light and an available optoelectronic transducer unit.

Next additional feature consists in that the sheets of an opaque material have symmetrical recesses in and around inputs into said microchannels; said recesses have light- reflecting surfaces, and said input ends of the optical fibers are partially inserted into the said recesses. This compound fiber-optic connector can be immediately overlain on light-emitting surface of any available planar plate-shaped converter of the X-radiation into the visible light. Said recesses, which have said light-reflecting surfaces, serve as traps of re-reflected ligth beams and provide delivery of theirs into said optical fibers. This increases additionally optical coupling coefficient of any fluorescent screen and optoelectronic transducers. This valuable advantage is the more appreciable, the greater an X-ray luminophor layer.

Further additional feature consists in that the above-mentioned opaque material is selected from group comprising copper foil, bronze foil, brass foil, aluminum foil, copper-lead alloy foil, leaded bronze foil, leaded brass foil, lead-covered copper foil, lead-covered bronze foil, lead-covered brass foil, lead-covered aluminum foil, lead-tin coated copper foil, lead-tin coated bronze foil, lead-tin coated brass foil and lead-tin coated aluminum foil.

This prowides substantial depletion of action of residual X-ray radiation on said optoelectronic transducers. Moreover, such action may be practically excluded, if lead was used as ingredient of a foil or a coating of a foil.

Second part of said problem has solved - pursuant to first variant - as follows. An X- ray receiver comprises of arranged in series - A planar plate shaped converter of the X-radiation into the visible light,

A compound fiber-optic connector having at least two focons; these focons have adjacent side-by-side wide input butt-ends, which are faced to the said converter of the X- radiation into the visible light and meant for division of an initial total light flash into partial luminous fluxes, and narrow output butt-ends,

At least two such optoelectronic transducers of partial luminous fluxes into fragmentary analogous videosignals; these transducers connected immediately to the said narrow output butt-ends of the respective focons.

According to the invention,

Said compound fiber-optic connector has formed as a closely packed matrix;

This matrix has composed of many sheets of an opaque material, at that each such sheet has thickness commensurable with diameter of the used optical fiber and is equipped with guide microchannels for laying of the optical fibers' input ends;

These microchannels are spased in increments more than diameter of the used optical fiber on the side of said focons' wide input butt-ends and crossing in contiguity zone of said butt-ends in order to provide partial interlacement of the optical fibers' input ends, which belong to both contiguous focons, and have combined on the side of said focons' narrow output butt-ends into such common channels, sidewalls of which serve as holders of harnesses composed of aggregated optical fibers' output ends.

Such structure of the X-ray receiver allows to overlap fields of vision of the contiguous focons and, correspondingly, fields of vision of the optoelectronic transducers connected to the focons' outputs and, as a result, to equalize luminance and to increase information value of entire diagnostic images.

An additional feature consists in that the sheets of an opaque material have symmetrical recesses in and around inputs into said microchannels; said recesses have light- reflecting surfaces, and said input ends of the optical fibers are partially inserted into the said recesses. This provides directing re-reflected light beams into the open input butt-ends of the optical fibers.

Second part of said problem has solved - pursuant to second variant - as follows. An X-ray receiver comprises of optically connected -

A converter of the X-radiation into the visible light,

A compound fiber-optic connector having at least two focons; these focons have adjacent side-by-side wide input butt-ends, which are meant for formation of partial luminous fluxes, and narrow output butt-ends, and

According to the invention,

Said compound fiber-optic connector is formed as a closely packed matrix;

This matrix has composed of many sheets of an opaque material, thickness of which is commensurable with diameter of a selected optical fiber, and has in each sheet guide microchannels for laying of the optical fibers' input ends;

These microchannels are spased in increments more than diameter of the used optical fiber on the side of said focons' wide input butt-ends and crossing in contiguity zone of said butt-ends in order to provide partial interlacement of the optical fibers' input ends, which belong to both contiguous focons, and have combined on the side of said focons' narrow output butt-ends into such common channels, sidewalls of which serve as holders of harnesses composed of aggregated optical fibers' output ends;

The sheets of an opaque material have symmetrical recesses in and around inputs into said microchannels;

Said converter of the X-radiation into the visible light is formed as a set of such discrete doses of an X-ray luminophor, which fill at least partially the volumes of said recesses and have on top light-reflecting coatings, and

Said input ends of the optical fibers are partially inserted into the said volumes filled by said X-ray luminophor.

This X-ray receiver has such converter of the X-radiation into the visible light, which is integrated with above-proposed compound fiber-optic connector. This combination serves a$ anti-scattering grid that provides additional improvement of diagnostic imaging. Indeed, only direct X-rays may freely come in said recesses, whereas scattered X-radiation must be absorbing by sidewalls of these recesses and by butt-ledges of the opaque material between these recesses.

An additional feature consists in that the said doses of an X-ray luminophor fill the volumes of said recesses only partially, and near-bottom parts os these recesses have light- reflecting surfaces. This increases additionally, firstly, optical coupling coefficient of said X- ray luminophor and said optoelectronic transducers contacting with the focons' optical outlets and, secondly, operational efficiency of said anti-scattering grid.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The invention will now be explained by detailed description of an improved compound fiber-optic connector and X-ray receivers based on this connector with references to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig .1 shows diagram of a partial interlacement of optical fibers' input ends of contiguous focons for the purpose of functional optical connection of theirs;

Fig.2 shows a fragment of a compound fiber-optic connector in the form of a closely packed matrix comprising many sheets of an opaque material (the view from common optical input into said matrix, on which said sheets are conventionally separated);

Fig.3 shows a positional relationship of optical fibers' input ends within symmetrical recesses in any sheet of an opaque material (for the first variant of an X-ray receiver having a planar plate-shaped converter of the X-radiation into the visible light);

Fig.4 shows a structural element of second variant of an X-ray receiver having a discrete converter of the X-radiation into the visible light.

Best Embodiments of the Invention

A simplest compound fiber-optic connector for an X-ray receiver (see Fig.1 ) has at least two identical focons 1. They have adjacent side-by-side wide input butt-ends 2, which are meant for division of each initial total light flash into partial luminous fluxes, and narrow output butt-ends 3, which are meant for direct connection with designated below optoelectronic transducers of said partial luminous fluxes into fragmentary analogous videosignals. The adjacent wide input butt-ends 2 of each pair of the contiguous focons 1 have optically interconnected by a partial interlacement of such input ends of a few optical fibers 4, which belong to both said focons 1.

It is reasonable in respect to the invention, if any cross-section of each focon 1 is inscribed in a rectangle (preferably in a square), any practicable fiber-optic connector has at least two horizontal and two vertical rows of the focons 1 , and number of the focons 1 is no less than (but preferably more than) two in each said row.

Correspondingly, a more complicated compound fiber-optic connector made in the form of a closely packed matrix (see Fig.2). It comprises of many sheets 5 of the opaque material. Thickness of each said sheet 5 is commensurable with diameter of the selected optical fiber 4 and, minimally, must be more than sum of two such diameters. The sheets 5 have guide microchannels 6 for laying of the optical fibers' input ends 4.

These microchannels 6 (see anew Fig.1 ) have located in each said sheet 5 on the side of said focons' 1 wide input butt-ends 2, spaced in increments more than diameter of the used optical fiber 4 and crossed in contiguity zone of said butt-ends 2 in order to provide a partial interlacement of the optical fibers' 4 input ends, which belong to each pair of the contiguous focons 1 . Further (especially on the side of said focons' 1 narrow output butt-ends 3) the microchannels 6 have combined into such common channels 7, sidewalls of which serve as holders of planar harnesses 8 composed of aggregated optical fibers' 4 output ends.

Aforementioned opaque material can be selected from group comprising copper foil, bronze foil, brass foil, aluminum foil, copper-lead alloy foil, leaded bronze foil, leaded brass foil, lead-covered copper foil, lead-covered bronze foil, lead-covered brass foil, lead-covered aluminum foil, lead-tin coated copper foil, lead-tin coated bronze foil, lead-tin coated brass foil and lead-tin coated aluminum foil.

The Fig.3 shows that the sheets 5 of an opaque material have symmetrical recesses 9 in and around inputs into said microchannels 6. As a rule, such recesses 9 have profile in the form of a quadratic curve's arc (e.g. an arc of second-order parabolic curve or hyperbola) and light-reflecting surfaces. Said input ends of the optical fibers 4 are partially inserted into the said recesses 9.

It should be noted that smooth surfaces of a majority of fine metals and alloys of theirs possess sufficient light-reflecting properties. Optionally, these properties may be improved by deposition of sub-micron sheets of certain fine metals such as aluminum or silver.

An X-ray receiver based on the proposed fiber-optic connector can be made in two variants.

First (conventional) variant of an X-ray receiver (see anew Fig.3) comprises of arranged in series - An (generally planar) plate-shaped converter 10 of the X-radiation into the visible light

(produced usually from caesium iodide or salts of rare earths, e.g. gadolinium oxysulphide),

A compound fiber-optic connector 11 , in which input ends of the optical fibers 4 in each pair of the contiguous focons 1 have partially interlaced, as it shown on Figs 1 and 2, and An unit of the optoelectronic transducers 12, which have rigidly fixed on a not shown on the drawings common rectangular frame (quantity and arrangement of these transducers 12 correspond to the focons 1 ).

Adjacent wide input butt-ends 2 of the focons 1 have directed to the said converter 10, and their narrow output butt-ends 3 have attached to the optoelectronic transducers 12.

If the sheets 5 of an opaque material have symmetrical recesses 9 in and around inputs into said microchannels 6, it is preferable when said recesses 9 have light-reflecting surfaces, and said input ends of the optical fibers 4 have inserted partially (e.g., on 1...3 MM) into the said recesses 9.

Second (new in essence) variant of an X-ray receiver (see Fig.4) bases also on the proposed compound fiber-optic connector 1 1 , in which input ends of the optical fibers 4 belonged to each pair of the contiguous focons 1 have partially interlaced, as it shown on Figs 1 and 2. This X-ray receiver has a discrete converter 13 of the X-radiation into the visible light composed of many doses of an X-ray luminophor (e.g. caesium iodide etc.). These doses placed within the symmetrical recesses 9 in the sheets 5 of an opaque material. Said input ends of the optical fibers 4 have partially inserted into the said filled by the selected X- ray luminophor volumes (usually up to 3 mm over the bottoms of the recesses 9).

In preferable case, the doses of the selected X-ray luminophor, which serve as the discrete converter 13 of the X-radiation into the visible light, fill volumes of said recesses 9 only partially and have on top light-reflecting coatings 14.

In common with first variant, this new receiver is equipped with a suitable unit of optoelectronic transducers 12, which have rigidly fasted onto non-shown on the drawings a common (usually rectangular) frame. Number and positional relationship of said transducers 12 meet the identical requirements to the focons 1 . Optical inputs of said transducers 12 contact immediately with the narrow output butt-ends 3 of the focons 1.

Naturally, any above-described X-ray receiver must be equipped by well-known at present (and, therefore, not shown on the drawings) a multichannel corrector of geometric distortions, a generator of entire output (as a rule, digital) videosignals, a recorder of theirs and, optionally, a suitable means for multiple replay of diagnostic Images based on such output videosignals.

Above-described fiber-optic connector 11 can be made as follows.

First step is choice of adequate thickness of the opaque material sheets 5 subject to the selected diameter of the optical fiber. Further steps are definition of number of the optical fibers 4 in each focon 1 , number of the focons 1 in each horizontal row, number of such rows, and number of interlaced input ends of the optical fibers 4 in each pair of the contiguous focons 1. These data serve as a basis for definition of overall dimensions of the sheets 5 of the selected opaque material and number of theirs in any designed matrix connector 11.

Then each sheet 5 of the selected opaque material treats using photolithography or laser etching in order to form -

The microchannels 6 for laying of the optical fibers' 4 input ends,

As a rule, the symmetrical recesses 9 in and around the inputs into said microchannels

6, and

The common channels 7 for laying of harnesses 8, which will be composed of the output ends of the optical fibers 4.

Further the input ends of the optical fibers 4 paste into said microchannels 6. Meanwhile, a predetermined number of said input ends of the optical fibers 4 belonged to the butt-end 2 of each focon 1 insert into the butt-end 2 of the contiguous focon 1. At that input butt-ends of all optical fibers 4 uplift above bottoms of the symmetrical recesses 9, if they had been foreseen, and the output ends of the optical fibers 4 aggregate in flat harnesses 8, which in turn paste into the common channels 7.

Finally, all sheets 5 of the opaque material, in which the optical fibers 4 have fixed, glue step by step in one matrix fiber-optic connector 11.

Adhesives have usually prepared on the basis of fluid at room temperature epoxy resins, suitable hardening agents (e.g. hexamethylenediamine) and opaque fillers, such as carbon black and so forth.

Production of the first variant of an X-ray receiver has completed, when any finished fiber-optic connector 11 would have equipped at least with a (preferably planar) entire converter 13 of the X-radiation into the visible light. Production of the second variant of an X- ray receiver includes making of such fiber-optic connector 1 1 , in which each sheet 5 has said symmetrical recesses 9, placing of identical doses of the selected X-ray luminophor into these recesses 9 and laying of light-reflecting coatings 14 onto surfaces of said doses. Product of this process appears as a small-sized single-block X-ray receiver.

The X-ray receiver having planar plate-shaped converter 10 of the X-radiation into the visible light, in which sheets 5 of the used opaque material have symmetrical recesses 9 in and around all inputs into the microchannels 6, operates as follows (see Fig.3). When said plate-shaped converter 10 absorbs each regular X-ray pulse, it generates a gapless light flash. This flash falls onto the receiving side of the fiber-optic connector 1 1 and divides into wide input partial luminous fluxes, quantity of which is equal to the focons' 1 quantity. Each such wide partial luminous flux divides further into narrow input partial luminous fluxes, quantity of which is equal to the quantity of the symmetrical recesses 9 in the sheets 5 of the opaque material. Some part of photons of each such narrow input partial luminous flux passes immediately into the optical fibers' 4 butt-ends. Majority of the rest photons focuses on said optical fibers' 4 butt-ends owing to interflection between light- reflecting surfaces of the symmetrical recesses 9 and the light-emitting surface of said converter 10 and also passes into said fibers 4.

Finally, the harnesses 8, which have composed of output ends of the optical fibers 4 of each focon 1 , form concentrated output partial luminous fluxes and transmit of theirs onto the optical inputs of rhe optoelectronic transducers 12.

The mass of the sheets 5 of the opaque material and optical fibers 4 absorbs the most part of a residual X-ray radiation, whereas insignificant part of this radiation dissipates in space surrounding the X-ray receiver.

Peculiarity of operation of a single-block X-ray receiver having discrete converter 13 of the X-radiation into the visible light consists in follows (see Fig.4).

When each regular X-ray pulse acts on discrete converter 13 of the X-radiation into the visible light, the placed within recesses 9 doses of the X-ray luminophor convert mayority of X-ray photons immediately into partial input luminous fluxes. Some part of photons of each such input partial luminous flux reflects from the light-reflecting coatings 14 and passes immediately into the optical fibers' 4 butt-ends. Majority of the rest photons focuses on said optical fibers' 4 butt-ends owing to interflection between light-reflecting surfaces of the symmetrical recesses 9 and the light-reflecting coatings 14 and passes into said fibers 4 too.

Then the focons 1 concentrate recovered visible light into output partial luminous fluxes and transmit of theirs on the optical inputs of the optoelectronic transducers 12.

Additional feature of operation of said single-block X-ray receiver consists in that the sidewalls of the recesses 9 and butt-ledges of the opaque material between these recesses 9, which serve as anti-scattering grid, absorb the most part of scattered X-ray radiation.

Industrial applicability

Proposed fiber-optic connector can be produced as commercial product using available for sale opaque materials, optical fibers and polymeric glues. Use of this connector as component of an X-ray receiver of an apparatus for medical or technical X-ray diagnostics allows increasing quality of diagnostic information substantially if even a low-power X-ray generator would have used.

Claims

CLAI M S

1. A compound fiber-optic connector for an X-ray receiver having at least two focons, in which adjacent side-by-side wide input butt-ends are meant for division of initial total light flash into partial luminous fluxes and narrow output butt-ends are meant for direct connection to optoelectronic transducers of said partial luminous fluxes into fragmentary analogous videosignals, characterized in that said adjacent wide input butt-ends of each contiguous focons have optically interconnected by partial interlacement of such input ends of the optical fibers, which belong to both said focons.

2. The compound fiber-optic connector according to the claim 1 characterized in that - It is formed as a closely packed matrix;

This matrix has composed of many sheets of an opaque material, at that each such sheet has thickness commensurable with diameter of the used optical fiber and is equipped with guide microchannels for laying of the input ends of the optical fibers;

3. The compound fiber-optic connector according to the claim 2 characterized in that said sheets of an opaque material have symmetrical recesses in and around inputs into said microchannels; said recesses have light-reflecting surfaces, and said input ends of the optical fibers are partially inserted into the said recesses..

4. The compound fiber-optic connector according to the claim 2 or to the claim 3, characterized in that said opaque material is selected from group comprising copper foil, bronze foil, brass foil, aluminum foil, copper-lead alloy foil, leaded bronze foil, leaded brass foil, lead-covered copper foil, lead-covered bronze foil, lead-covered brass foil, lead-covered aluminum foil, lead-tin coated copper foil, lead-tin coated bronze foil, lead-tin coated brass foil and lead-tin coated aluminum foil.

5. An X-ray receiver comprising arranged in series -

A planar plate-shaped converter of the X-radiation into the visible light,

At least two such optoelectronic transducers of partial luminous fluxes into fragmentary analogous videosignals, which are connected immediately to the said narrow output butt- ends of the respective focons,

characterized in that

Said compound fiber-optic connector has formed as a closely packed matrix;

6. The X-ray receiver according to the claim 5, characterized in that the sheets of an opaque material have symmetrical recesses in and around inputs into said microchannels; said recesses have light-reflecting surfaces, and said input ends of the optical fibers are partially inserted into the said recesses.

7. An X-ray receiver comprising optically connected -

A converter of the X-radiation into the visible light,

At least two such optoelectronic transducers of partial luminous fluxes into fragmentary analogous videosignals, which are individually connected immediately to the said narrow output butt-ends of the respective focons,

characterized in that

Said compound fiber-optic connector is formed as a closely packed matrix;

This matrix has composed of many sheets of an opaque material, thickness of which is commensurable with diameter of a selected optical fiber, and has in each sheet guide microchannels for laying of the input ends of the optical fibers;

Said converter of the X-radiation into the visible light is formed as a set of such discrete doses of an X-ray luminophor, which fill at least partially the volumes of said recesses and have on top light-reflecting coatings; and

8. The X-ray receiver according to the claim 7, characterized in that said doses of an X-ray luminophor fill the volumes of said recesses only partially, and near-bottom parts os these 3ΤΜΧ recesses have light-reflecting surfaces.