VOLUME IMAGE DATA CAPTURING

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a volumetric image data collecting method and device. SOLUTION: A gantry includes an outer race 12 and an inner race 16 which surround an examination area. A mechanical mechanism for moving an X-ray tube, a collimator, a flat panel detector, and a detector toward and away from the examination area is attached to the inner race. A timing and control circuit 30 controls an electric motor for indexing the inner race around the examination area, an X-ray power supply for pulse driving the X-ray tube in a fluoroscopic mode at a discrete position around the examination area, and a read circuit for reading the frame of the data after each pulse of the X-ray tube. The frame read is stored in a frame memory 36 and reconfigured by a reconfiguring processor into a volumetric image expression, which is stored in the memory. A video processor 42 re-formats either the individual frame or the selected portion of the volumetric image expression into a format for display on a video monitor 42.