Method and device for installing and removing a structural component of an mr apparatus

• US 20040158922A1
• Filed: 12/02/2003
• Published: 08/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GMBH (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Eberler, Michael, Zebelein, Guenther, Renz, Wolfgang, Eberler, Ludwig
• Granted Patent: US 7,421,747 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 5/81.1R
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/28 Details of apparatus provided for in groups G01R33/44 - G01R33/64

Abstract

A device to install and remove a structural component in and from a medical large device has a guide system that simplifies the difficult handling of the structural component due to the size or the weight of the structural component. The guide system has a first guide rail that can be positioned on a height-adjustable patient bed of the large device, and a guide groove which is arranged on the structural component. Additionally, another second guide rail can be attached to the medical large device, which forms an extension of the first guide rail when the patient bed is correspondingly positioned. With this device the structural component can be easily raised and lowered with the aid of the height-adjustable patient bed, and can easily be slid into and out of the large device when the first and second rails are at the same height.

Claims

1. A device to install and remove a structural component of a medical installation, said medical installation having a height-adjustable patient bed, said device comprising:

a two-part guide system attachable to said patient bed and to said structural component;

a first of the two pads of said guide system comprising a guide rail and a second of said two parts of said guide system comprising a guide grove; and

said guide system, upon placement of said structural component on said patient bed, guiding said structural component along said guide rail.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said guide groove is in said structural component.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said structural component has a bearing support attached thereto, and wherein said guide groove is in said bearing support.

4. A device as claimed in claim 3 wherein said bearing support is comprised of plastic.

5. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said guide system comprises an attachment element for attaching said guide rail to said patient bed.

6. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said guide rail is a first guide rail, and wherein said guide system comprises a second guide rail mounted on said medical device that, with appropriate positioning of said patient bed, forms an extension of said first guide rail.

7. A device as claimed in claim 6 wherein said second guide rail is comprised of plastic.

8. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said medical device is a magnetic resonance tomography device.

9. A device as claimed in claim 8 wherein said structural component is a radio-frequency body antenna of said magnetic resonance tomography device.

10. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said structural component is a gradient system of said magnetic resonance tomography device.

11. A device as claimed in claim 10 wherein said guide rail is a first guide rail, and wherein said guide system comprises a second guide rail mounted to said gradient system, said second guide rail, given appropriate positioning of said patient bed, forming an extension of said first guide rail.

12. A method for installing and removing a structural component of a medical device comprising the steps of:

positioning a first part of a guide system at a height-adjustable patient bed of the medical device;

forming a second part of the guide system on a structural component and engaging said first part of said guide system with said second part of said guide system with said structural component on said patient bed; and

adjusting the height of the patient bed to selectively raise and lower the structural component therein relative to said medical device, and moving said structural component along said first and second parts of said guide system to install or remove said component relative to said medical device.

13. A magnetic resonance tomography device comprising:

a magnetic resonance scanner having a radio-frequency body antenna and a gradient system;

a height-adjustable patient bed adapted to receive a patient thereon to move said patient into and out of said magnetic resonance scanner; and

a device for installing and removing a structural component, selected from the group consisting of said radio-frequency body antenna and said gradient system, relative to said magnetic resonance scanner, said device comprising a two-part guide system having a first part attached to said height adjustable patient bed and a second part attached to said structural component, said first part comprising a guide rail and said second part comprising a guide groove interacting with said guide rail allowing said structural component, when placed on said patient bed, to be moved along said guide rail relative to said magnetic resonance scanner.