1. A method for cone beam computed tomography, the method comprising:
moving a digital radiation detector along at least a portion of a detector path, the at least a portion of the detector path extending so that the digital radiation detector is configured to move at least partially around a first extremity of a patient, the detector path having a distance D1 that is sufficiently long to allow the first extremity to be positioned within the detector path;
moving a radiation source along at least a portion of a source path outside the detector path, the source path having a distance D2 greater than the distance D1, the distance D2 being sufficiently long to allow adequate radiation exposure of the first extremity for an image capture by the digital radiation detector;
moving the radiation source at a source position along the source path in correspondence to a detector position for the detector along the detector path during the image capture; and
providing a first gap in the detector path.
2. The method according to claim 1, where the detector path, the detector, the source path and the radiation source are within a housing.
3. The method according to claim 1, comprising providing a second gap in the source path sized to allow a second, adjacent extremity to be positioned in the second gap during the image capture, the first gap having a circumferential length sufficient to allow the first extremity to pass through the first gap.
4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a foot support that is adjustable for foot placement at an angular position that is horizontal, vertical, or at some angle that lies between horizontal and vertical, where the foot support is positioned operatively adjacent to the detector path.
5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising moving the source and detector along the first extremity or rotating the detector path and source path to a vertical or other angular orientation.
6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising revolving the source path and independently revolving the detector path, where the detector path can revolve to align the first gap with a second gap in the source path.
7. The method according to claim 6, where the first and second gaps each extend approximately 180 degrees plus the fan angle determined by radiation source and detector geometry and distance.
8. The method according to claim 1, where detector path and the source path are rigidly connected or movably connected.
9. An apparatus for cone beam computed tomography (CBCT), the apparatus comprising:
a digital radiation detector;
a first device to move the detector along at least a portion of a detector path, the at least a portion of the detector path extending so that the detector is configured to move at least partially around an imaging position of the CBCT apparatus, the detector path having a distance D1 that is sufficiently long to allow the imaging position of the CBCT apparatus to be positioned within the detector path;
a radiation source;
a second device to move the source along at least a portion of a source path outside the detector path, the source path having a distance D2 greater than the distance D1, the distance D2 being sufficiently long to allow adequate radiation exposure of the imaging position of the CBCT apparatus for an image capture by the detector; and
a first gap in the detector path.
10. The apparatus according to claim 9, where the detector path and the detector are within a first housing, and where the source path and the radiation source are within a second housing.
11. The apparatus according to claim 9, comprising a second gap in the source path sized to allow a second, adjacent extremity to be positioned in the second gap during the image capture, the first gap having a circumferential length sufficient to allow a first extremity of the patient to pass through the first gap into the imaging position of the CBCT apparatus.
12. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the first and second devices maintain the radiation source at a source position along the source path in correspondence to a detector position for the detector along the detector path during the image capture.
13. The apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising a foot support that is adjustable for foot placement at an angular position that is horizontal, vertical, or at some angle between horizontal and vertical, where the foot support is operatively adjacent the detector path.
14. The apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising a third device configured to move the source and detector along the first extremity and configured to rotate the detector path and source path to a vertical or other angular orientation.
15. The apparatus according to claim 9, where the first device is revolvable, where the second device is revolvable, and when the second device is revolved to one position a second gap in the source path is configured to align with the first gap.
16. The apparatus according to claim 15, where the first and second gaps each extend approximately 180 degrees plus the fan angle determined by radiation source and detector geometry and distance.
17. The apparatus according to claim 9, where the first device and the second device are the same device or the first device and the second device are movably connected.
18. The apparatus according to claim 9, comprising a second gap in the source path sized to allow a first extremity of the patient to pass through the second gap and a housing for the source path to correspond to the second gap, where the first gap has a circumferential length sufficient to allow the first extremity to pass through the first gap.
19. The apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising a third device configured to adjust the source and detector along the first extremity or to adjust the detector path and source path to a vertical or other angular orientation.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method for making a multi-piece vehicle interior trim panel, said method comprising:
providing a major panel having a major substrate, a sprayed urethane major skin layer disposed over at least a portion of the major substrate, and a layer of foam between the major substrate and the major skin layer, the major panel having a mounting portion having at least one mounting opening;
forming a minor panel, said minor panel being formed by:
providing a spray mold having a mold surface smaller than the outer surface of the major skin layer;
spraying polyurethane material proximate the mold surface to form a sprayed urethane minor skin layer having a height (H), an exterior surface, and an interior surface;
spraying a first portion of expandable polyurethane material onto the minor skin layer to form a first resilient layer;
placing a mounting substrate onto the first resilient layer; and
spraying a second portion of expandable polyurethane material onto the first resilient layer and the mounting substrate to form a second resilient layer;
removing the minor panel from the mold; and
securing the minor panel to the mounting portion of the major panel, wherein a package space (X) is disposed between the interior surface of the minor skin layer and the mounting portion of the major substrate, with at least one of (i) the height (H) of the minor skin being less than 12 mm and (ii) the package space (X) being less than 5 mm.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the mounting substrate is placed onto the first resilient layer before the first resilient layer has substantially cured.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the mounting substrate has at least one projection and wherein securing the minor panel to the major panel comprises inserting the projection through the mounting opening of the major panel and securing the projection to the major panel.
4. The method of claim 3 wherein the mounting substrate comprises a plate, the projection extending from the plate, the plate having at least one plate opening therein.
5. The method of claim 4 wherein spraying a second portion of expandable polyurethane material onto the first resilient layer and the mounting substrate comprises spraying the second portion onto the plate and through the plate opening.
6. The method of the claim 3 wherein the projection is heat-staked to the major panel portion.
7. The method of claim 4 wherein the resilient layers each have a density of 0.1 to 0.75 gcm3.
8. The method of claim 7 wherein the skin layer each have a density of 0.85 to 1.2 gcm3.
9. The method of claim 7 wherein the first resilient layer has an average thickness of 0.3-4.5 mm.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein the second resilient layer has an average thickness of 0.3 to 3 mm.
11. The method of claim 10 wherein the minor skin layer has a n average thickness of 0.3 to 8 mm.
12. The method of claim 11 wherein the plate has a thickness of 0.2 to 3 mm.
13. An automobile interior panel made by the method of claim 1.
14. An automobile instrument panel made by the method of claim 1.
15. A method for making a multi-piece vehicle interior trim panel, said method comprising:
providing a major panel having a major substrate and major skin layer disposed over at least a portion of the major substrate, the major substrate having a mounting portion;
forming a minor panel, said minor panel being formed by:
spraying polyurethane material proximate a mold surface to form a sprayed urethane minor skin layer having a height (H);
placing a mounting substrate proximate the minor skin layer; and
spraying expandable polyurethane material over the mounting substrate to form a resilient layer to secure the mounting substrate to the minor skin layer; and
securing the minor panel to the mounting portion of the major panel, wherein a package space (X) is present between the minor skin layer and the mounting portion, with at least one of the height (H) being less than 12 mm or the package space (X) being less than 5 mm.
16. The method of claim 15 wherein the mounting substrate has at least one projection and wherein securing the minor panel to the major panel comprises securing the projection to mounting portion of the major panel.
17. The method of claim 15 wherein the minor skin layer has an average thickness of 0.3 to 8 mm.
18. The method of claim 15 wherein the resilient layers each have a density of 0.1 to 0.75 gcm3.
19. The method of claim 18 wherein the skin layer each have a density of 0.85 to 1.2 gcm3.
20. A method for making a multi-piece vehicle interior trim panel, said method comprising:
providing a major panel having a major substrate and sprayed urethane major skin layer disposed over at least a portion of the major substrate, the major panel having at least one mounting opening;
forming a minor panel, said minor panel being formed by:
providing a spray mold having a mold surface smaller than the outer surface of the major skin layer;
spraying polyurethane material proximate the mold surface to form a polyurethane skin layer;
spraying a first portion of expandable polyurethane material onto the skin layer to form a first resilient layer;
placing a mounting substrate proximate the first resilient layer; and
spraying a second portion of expandable polyurethane material onto the first resilient layer and the mounting substrate to form a second resilient layer; and
securing the minor panel to the major panel.