Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
SPECIFICATION
This invention relates to an information-bearing
sheet suitable for use with an X-ray film in order to
apply the information, especially, an identification
mark to the X-ray film upon taking an X-ray picture.
X-ray photography has found wide-spread utility
in a variety of fields such as engineering, medicine,
dentistry, etc. When taking a dental X-ray picture for
example, an X-ray film is provided in an envelope which
permits transmission of X-rays therethrough but does not
permit tran~mission of light therethrough. After
taking an X-ray picture of a tooth, teeth or a
dentition on the X-ray film while still holding the
X-ray film within the envelope, a developer and a fixer
are successively injected into the envelope so as to
subject the thus-exposed X-ray f ilm to developing and
fixing treatments. The thus-treated X-ray film is
taken out of the envelope to obtain an X-ray picture of
the tooth, teeth or dentition, which is then used for
diagnosis. In such X-ray photography, it is essential
to make the thus-taken X-ray f ilm correspond exactly to
the particular patient. For this purpose, it is
commonly practiced to take the picture of a mark, which
is adapted to identify each patient, on his X-ray film
upon taking his dental X-ray picture.
In the drawings which form a part o-f this speci-fication:
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Fig. 1 is a plan view of an X-ray fîlm pack;
Fig. 2 is a plan vie~ of an X-ray film on which
a dental X-ray picture has been taken;
Fig. 3 is a plan view of an information-bearing
sheet according to one embodiment of this invention,
which is suitable for use with an X-ray film;
Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along
line IV-IV of Fig. 3;
Fig. 5 is a plan view of an X-ray film on which
a dental X-ray picture has been taken using the mark
depicted in Figs. 3 and 4;
FigO 6 is a plan view of an information-bearing
sheet according to another embodiment of this
invention, which is also suitable for use with an X-ray
film;
Fig. 7 schematically illustrates panoramic
radiography making use of the information-bearing æheet
depicted in Fig. 6 and
Fig. 8 is a plan view of an information-bearing
sheet according to a further embodiment of this
invention, which is also suitable for use with an X-ray
film.
Fig. 1 is a plan view of a pack of X-ray film.
In the drawing, numeral 1 indicates the pack of X-ray
film. Designated at numeral 2 is an envelope which is
made of such an opaque material that permits
transmission of X-ray therethrough but shuts out light.
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Numeral 3 indicates an X-ray film enclosed hermetically
in the envelope 2. The drawing also shows a
mark-bearing portion 4 adhered on the envelope 2 at a
suitable location (for example, in one of its corners)
and a mark 5 (the numeral "1" is shown by way of
example) printed on the mark-bearing portion 4. The
mark 5 has been printed on the mark-bearing portion 4,
for e~ample, with a lead-containing ink.
Prior to taking the X-ray picture, a mark which
is the same as the mark 5 adhered on the X-ray film
pack,and the name of the patient,are beforehand written
in a dental chart or the like. Subsequent to the
above-described preparation, an X-ray picture may be
taken in such a manner as will be described next.
First of all, the X-ray film pack 1 is inserted between
the tongue of the patient and the dentition containing
a target tooth with the side having the mark-bearing
portion 4 adhered thereon being directed toward the
target tooth and is then brought, from the tongue side
of the patient, into contact with the target tooth.
X-ray is thereafter irradiated to the target tooth from
the side opposite to the X-ray film pack 1. After
completion of the irradiation of X-rays, the thus-
exposed X-ray film pack 1 is taken out of his mouth and
a developer and a fixPr are successively injected by
means oE a syringe or the like into the X-ray film pack
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1~ After completion of its developing and fixing, the
envelope 2 is opened to take out the X-ray film 3 from
the envelope 2. An X-ray picture similar to that
illustrated in Fig. 2, which is a plan view of an
exposed X-ray film, i5 obtained on the thus taken-out
X-ray film 3 in the above-described manner.
Referring now to Fig. 2, there are shown the
X-ray film 3, an X-ray picture 6 of teeth and an X-ray
picture 5' of the mark 5 depicted in Fig. 1. Since the
X-ray picture 5' of the specific mark is obtained on
the exposed X-ray film 3 in the above manner, it is
possible to identify the patient of the X-ray film 3
without failure. The X-ray picture 5' may hereinafter
be referred to as "the mark 5'' for the sake of
brevity.
By the way, the thus-exposed X-ray film must be
stored in a certain way because it will be used for
subsequent treatment, diagnosis and/or the like. If it
is stored or filed as is, it is impossible to identify
the patient of the X-ray film because it bears the
X-ray picture 5' of the mark "1'l only. When storing or
filing such an X-ray film, it is necessarv to make
it possible to know the name of the patient of the
X-ray film by some means. For this purpose, it has
conventionally been the practice to place the X-ray film
in a bag or the like and then to write the patient's
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name corresponding to the mark 5' on the X-ray film
with reference to the corresponding dental chart which
was filled out prior to taking the X~ray picture.
The above-described method is however extremely
irksome, because a mark must be written in a dental
chart and another mark, which is the same as the first-
mentioned mark, and its corresponding patient's name
must also be written on a bag adapted to store or file
the X-ray ilm. Moreover, the above-mentioned method
is also accompanied by a danger that when writing the
patient's name on the storing or filing bag of the
X-ray film, another patient's name may be erroneously
written there unless special care is exercised. This
type of problem is not limited to dental X-ray
photography but is a problem liable to occur routinely
in other X-ray photography such as medical and
industrial X-ray photography.
With the foregoing in view, the present
invention has as its object the provision of an
information-bearing sheet suitable for use with an
X-ray film, which sheet is free of the above-described
problems of the prior art and permits fail ~a_e and
easy matching between the resulting exposed X-ray film
and its corresponding object, for example, patient.
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In one aspect of this invention, there is thus
provided an information-bearing sheet suitabl~ for use
with an X-ray film, which comprises:
a mark-bearing portion to be applied to the
X-ray film and exposed to X-rays upon taking an X-ray
picture of an object on the X-ray film; and
a data-filling portion bearing, in a form
printed thereon, the same mark as the mark-bearing
portion, containing at least one blank space adapted to
fill identification data of the object therein and
provided in combination with the mark-bearing portion.
Owing to the combined provision of the
mark-bearing portion and data-filling portion as the
information-bearing sheet, it is possible to easily
match each exposed X-ray film with its corresponding
object without failure.
The above and other objects, eatures and
advantages of the present invention will become
apparent from the following description and the
20. appended claims, taken in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings.
Referring first to Figs. 3 and 4, there are
. illustrated a marker 10 made of paper or a syn~hetic
resin, said marker 10 being adhered on an X-ray film
pack and exposed to X-rays upon its application, and a
mark 11 printed on the marker 10. In the illustrated
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embodiment, the mark 11 is a numeral "1~'. Needless to
say, the mark 11 may take a variety of numbers besides
the above numeral "1", for example, "2", "3", .... The
mark 11 is printed using an X-ray impervious material,
e.g., a lead-containing ink. Numeral 12 indicates a
data sticker made, for e~ample, of the same paper or
synthetic resin as the paper or synthetic resin which
makes up the marker 10. The data sticker 12 is
employed to put down some data thereon. Designated at
numeral 13 is an identifica-tion mark printed on the
data sticker 12. The identification mark 13 has been
placed there by printing the same mark as the mark 11,
which has been printed on the corresponding marker 10,
with a usual ink. Numeral 14 indicates desired data
items which include patient's name, sex and age, date,
doctor's name. If desired or necessary, it is possible
to include other data items such as region. These data
items 14 have been printed on the data sticker 12,
using the same usual ink as the mark 13. Numeral 15
indicates blank spaces corresponding to these data
items 14. Designated at numeral 16 is a tear line
consisting of suitable tear-facilitating means such as
perforations formed in a straight row. Owing to the
provision of the tear line 16, the marker 10 and data
sticker 12 can be easily torn of~ from each other.
Numeral 17 indicates an adhesive layer coated on both
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marker 10 and data sticker 12~ while numeral 18
indicates a sheet of release paper.
When taking an X-ray picture, the operator fills
out the blank space 15 of the data sticker 12. Then,
the marker 10 is torn off and is affixe~ by means of
the adhesive layer 17 to a suitable area of the X-ray
film pack 1 to be used for the photography. X-ray
photography is thereafter eEfected and upon application
of developing and fixing treatments, an X-ray Eilm is
obtained with an X-ray picture of the mark (for
example, the numeral "1") printed on the marker 10. An
X-ray film obtained in the above-described manner i5
shown in plan in Fig. 5, in which numeral 11' indicates
an X-ray picture of the mark 11 on the marker 10.
Incidentally, numeral 6 indicates an X-ray picture of
-teeth, which is the same as that identified by the same
numeral in Fig. 2.
~ hen storing or filing the above-obtained X-ray
film, it is only necessary to peel off the data sticker
12, which bears the same identiEication mark 13 as the
mark 11' imprinted on the X--ray film, from the release
paper 18 and then to adhere it to a storing or filing
. bag. It is thus unnecessary to write the mark on the
storing or filing bag. The blank spaces 15 of the data
stic]cer 12 can be filled out at the same time as the
corresponding dental chart is written. Moreover, it is
only re~uired to match the mark 11l imprinted on the
X-ray film with the identification mark 13. It is thus
feasible to achieve easy matching between the X-ray
film and the corresponding data without failure.
Referring next to Fig. 6, the like elements of
structure as those illustrated in Figs. 3 and ~ are
identified by like reference numerals. The present
embodiment is different from the embodiment shown in
Fig. 3 only in that the mark 11 is printed with a
mirror image configuration, the marker 10 and data
sticker 12 have already been separated, and several
sets of markers 10 and data stickers 12 are adhered on
a single sheet of release paper 18. The other features
are identical to the corresponding features of the
embodiment depicted in Fig. 3.
The reasons for the formation of the rnark 11 in
the mirror image configuration will next be described
with reEerence to Fig. 7. When taking a dental X-ray
picture, panoramic radiography is in some instances
employed to take an X-ray picture of no-t only a
specific region (for e~ample, a diseased part) and its
adjacent areas but also all the remaining teeth on a
single sheet of X-ray film. Panoramic radiography is
now described with reference to Fig. 7, in which -there
are shown the head 20 of an adult patient, his nose 21
and his lower dentition 22. Numeral 23 indlcates an
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X-ray irradiation apparatus while numeral 24 designates
X-rays given off from the X-ray irradiation apparatus
23. There are also d~picted a semicircular film
support 25 adapted to hold an X-ray film for panoramic
radiography, a central axis 25a of the film support 25,
X-ray film mounting frames 25b provided along the
arcuate circumferential edge of the film support 25,
and an X-ray film cassette 26 mounted on the film
support 25 by means of the frames 25b. The X-ray film
cassette 26 is composed of a casing, which permits
transmission of X-rays therethrough but shuts ofE light,
an X-ray film and an intensifying screen. The X-ray
film and intensifying screen are both enclosed within
the casing. Since panoramic radiography is intended to
obtain an X-ray picture of all the teeth of a dentition
in a pattern developed laterally, the X-ray film and
the X-ray film cassette 26, which encloses the X-ray
film, are of elongated shapes. The marker 10, which
has been peeled off from the information-bearing sheet,
is adhered on the X-ray film cassette 26 at a location
adjacent to one end thereof.
Panoramic radiography is practiced in the
following manner. First of all, the X-rays 24 are
irradiated from the X-ray irradiation apparatus 23 in
the radiography-starting position depicted in Fig. 7.
The X-rays 24 are allowed to advance right onto the
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marker 10, thereby exposîng the marker 10 to the X-rays
24. After that, the X-rays 24 are continuously radiatPd
from the X-ray irradiation apparatus 23. At the same
time, the X-ray irradiation apparatus 23 begins to
rotate in a direction indicated by an arrow a while
the film support 25 starts rotating in a direction
indicated by an arrow c and th~ film support 25 ~er
se starts rotating about the central axis 25a in a
direction indicated by an arrow b.
The X-rays 24 pass throuyh two teeth, one being
on the side of the X-ray irradiation apparatus 23 and
the other on the side of the film support 25. ~lowever,
the latter tooth which is closer to the X-ray film is
solely taken on the X-ray film, and the other tooth
which is more remote from the X-ray film is not taken
on the X-ray film because its image is not focused on
the X-ray film due to the rather longer distance
between the other tooth and the X-ray film.
Accordingly9 the resultant X-ray picture of the
dentition is considered as if it has been taken with an
X~ray source disposed within the mouth ~at a location
corresponding to his tongue).
When the X-ray irradiation apparatus 23 and Eilm
support 25 have continued their rotakion in the
directions indlcated by their respective arrows ovPr
180 clegree about the head 20, the relative positional
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relationship between the X-ray irradiation apparatus 23
and film support 25 has been rendered opposite to that
at the beginning of the panoramic radiography.
Furthermore, the film support 25 has also rotated by
itself approximately over 180 degree about the central
axis 25a in the direction indicated by the arrow b.
Owiny to this rotation, all the teeth of the dentition
can be taken on the single sheet of X-ray film. Whèn
analyzing the thus-taken dental X-ray film in
comparison with the corresponding dentition of the
patient, it is apparent that the observer sees the
X-ray film from the side facing the central axis 25a as
viewed in Fig. 7 so as to make the position of the
X-ray film match the actual dentition. Therefore, the
mark 11 imprinted on the X-ray film is al50 seen from
the same side. By printing the mark 11 in a mirror
image configuration for panoramic radiography, the mark
11 can be seen in its normal image configuration when
the resultant dental X~ray film is observed.
The inormation-bearing sheet according to the
further embodiment of this invention is:now described
with reEerence to Fig. 8, in which like elements of
structure as those depicted in Figs. 3, 4 and 6 are
identified by like reference numerals. Numerals 31,32
~5 indicate boxes in which unit marks are respectively
written. These boxes will next be described.
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As more X-ray pictures are taken and more X ray
films are used, more information-bearing sheets are
correspondingly employed. This means that a number of
different marks are required. X-ray pictures with such
different marks have to be filed, for example, in the
chronological or alphabetical order. This i5 CertaiQly
somewhat cumbersome work.
By the way, dental X-ray films are generally
sold in cases each of which contains, for example, 100
X-ray films as a set. In this embodiment, each of such
cases is applied with a mark consisting of one or two
letters of the ~oman alphabet. For example, a mark
"AB" is allotted to a particular case. With respect to
all the 100 dental x-ray films contained in the case,
the mark "AB" are printed in advance on their
respective envelopes with an X-ray impervious material.
On the other hand, the radiographer prepares in
advance a plural set of information-bearing sheets
which are of the same type as that in Fig. 3 or 6 and
are numbered respectively from "1" to "100". If he
obtains cases having different unit marks, he can still
use the numbers ranging from "1" to "100" repeatedly
for the X-ray films in the different cases. Let's
assume by way of example that he has bought five cases
of diEferent unit marks, say, "A", "AA", "AB", "AC" and
"AD". If the numbers ranging from "1" to "100l' are
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allotted respectively to the individual X-ray films in
each of the cases, lt is only necessary for him to keep
5 sets of information-bearing sheets numbered
respectively from "1" to "100" for the 500 X-ray films
in total. It is thus unnecessary for him to keep
information-bearing sheets numbered respectively from
"101" to "500".
In actual application, it is necessary to put
down the unit mark oE each X-ray film, which is to be
used, in the boxes 31,32 upon taking an X ray picture
with the X-ray film. In this manner, it is possible to
make a significant reduction to the size of numbers
required for individual information-bearing sheets.
In the above-described embodiments, the
respective information-bearing sheets were used by way
of example for dental applications. The application
field of such information-bearing sheets is however not
limited to dentistry but may be equally e~panded to
other areas such as medicine and engineering. The
storing or filing bags were reEerred to as means for
storing or filing X-ray films. This invention can
however be applied irrespective oE the type of such
storing or filing means. The individual marks are not
necessarily limited to numbers or letters but other
symbols may also be used as such marks. Since the
marks printed on the markers contain lead, they may be
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covered with transparent films to avoid any adverse
effects of the lead, which is contained in the marks~
to human bodies. Use of such transparent films is
particularly effective for dental X-ray film packs,
S because the X-ray packs are inserted in mouths together
with their respective lead-containing markers adhered
thereon.
