by using x-rays, bone density

摘要

An x-ray bone densitometry apparatus (30) having a patient table (32) with a length extending along a Y-axis and a width extending along an X-axis and a C-arm (56) supporting an x-ray source (52) at one side and an x-ray detector (54) at an opposite side of the table (32) such that the source (52) and detector (54) are aligned along a source-detector axis which is transverse to the Y-axis. The source is selectively energized to emit a fan beam of x-rays which conform to a beam plane which is transverse to the Y-axis and contains the source-detector axis. Either, or both, the C-arm (56) or the table (32) are selectively movable relative to the other along the X-axis, along the Y-axis, and along a Z-axis which is transverse to both the X-axis and the Y-axis so that selected regions of a patient on the table can be selectively scanned with the fan beam of X-rays. In addition, the C-arm (56) is selectively rotatable around a rotational axis extending along the Y-axis to selectively change the angle of the fan beam with respect to a patient on the table (32).