An X-ray television system with image storage and automatic exposure-release

The design of an X-ray television system containing an electronic recording storage tube is described. The sequence of storage tube functions and X-ray exposure is automatically controlled by a central timing device and all time intervals are synchronized with the vertical scanning period of the television system. By actuating a single exposure release button when a new image is required, erasure of the previous image and storage of the new one are completed within haifa second. During this interval the X-ray source is energized for not more than one quarter of a second but generally less. Continuous display times of useful pictures of up to 30 niinutes were obtained. Apart from the single-shot operation provision is made for automatically repeating the exposure at intervals variable between 2 and 6 seconds. In this cycling mode slowly varying phenomena and surgical manipulations may be observed in quasi-motion. Any number of ordinary television display units may be supplied with composite television signals from the output of the storage unit and one such device may be permanently set-up for still or moving photographic recording of the images. The unit is presently undergoing tests for quantitative evaluation of its performance and for the investigation of its medical potential. One objective for further development is already under consideration, i.e. the exploitation of the potential of the storage tube for the storing of four images. Thus when required two images obtained in two planes of the object could be stored simultaneously with those of a previous exposure which would be retained for reference.