System for medical imaging and a patient support system for medical diagnosis

• US 20050211905A1
• Filed: 10/06/2004
• Published: 09/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IS2 Medical Systems, Inc. (Positron Corporation)
• Original Assignee: IS2 Medical Systems, Inc. (Positron Corporation)
• Inventors: Stark, Iain
• Granted Patent: US 7,456,407 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/363.80
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/037 Emission tomography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/04 Positioning of patients; Tiltable beds or the like operating tables A61G13/00; operating chairs A61G15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4258 for detecting non x-ray radiation, e.g. gamma radiation A61B6/037 takes precedence

Abstract

A system for medical imaging and a patient support system for medical diagnosis are provided. The system includes a gantry mounted on the base. The gantry has an annular support. A detector head is fixed to the inner surface of the annular support. The annular support rotates along an axis of the inner space, and is prevented from moving in horizontal and vertical direction and moving angularly. The patient support system has a patient bed system having a plurality of configurations. The contact surface of the patient has a couch back support, a thigh support and a leg support. A controller is provided for angular movements of the supports, and for vertical/horizontal movements of the supports.

Claims

1. A system for medical imaging comprising:

a base;

a gantry mounted on the base, said gantry having an annular support ring, which defines a cylindrical inner space, and a detector head for a nuclear camera, which is fixed to said inner surface of said annular support ring; and

a mechanism for allowing said annular support ring to rotate along a centre axis of said inner space and for preventing horizontal, vertical and angular movements of said annular support.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mechanism includes a drive unit located on said base for generating rotation movement, and a transfer element for transferring said rotation movement to said annular support.

3. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said detector head has a V-shaped housing fixed to said inner surface of said annular support and a pair of detectors disposed in said V-shaped housing.

4. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein said pair of said detectors are disposed at substantially 90 degrees to each other.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said bed system is detachably attached to said base.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a supporting system for supporting and adjustably positioning a patient at a location with respect to said detector head.

7. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the supporting system includes a contact surface of said patient and a mechanism for changing the configuration of said contact surface.

8. The system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the configuration includes a flat bed surface and a chair.

9. The system as claimed in claim 7, further comprising a mechanism for moving said contact surface in vertical and horizontal directions.

10. A system for supporting and positioning a patient for medical diagnosis, comprising:

(1) a contact surface for said patient including;

a couch back support having a first end and a second end,

a thigh support having a first end pivotably connected to said second end of said couch back support, and a second end, and

a leg support having a first end pivotably connected to said second end of said thigh support, and a second end;

(2) a link mechanism for pivotably linking said couch back support;

said thigh support and said leg support; and

(3) a control system for providing angular movements to said couch back support, said thigh support and said leg support.

11. The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the linking mechanism includes a single actuator to configure the contact surface.

12. The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the linking mechanism includes a plurality of actuators to configure the contact surface.

13. The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein said link mechanism includes:

a connection element;

a first link arm having a first end pivotably connected to said couch back support and a second end pivotably connected to said connection element,

a second link arm having a first end pivotably connected to said thigh support and a second end pivotably connected to said connection element, and

a third link arm having a first end pivotably connected to said leg support and a second end pivotably connected to said connection element.

14. The system as claimed in claim 13, wherein said linking mechanism includes:

a first actuator for changing a first angle Θ

1 between said couch back support and said horizontal plane, and

a second actuator for changing a second angle Θ

2 between said thigh support and said horizontal plane.

15. The system as claimed in claim 14, further comprising an adjustable arm pivotably connected to said thigh support, whose length is changed under the control of the second actuator.

16. The system as claimed in claim 10, further comprising a sliding table for sliding on a horizontal plane, said second end of said couch back support and said first end of said thigh support being pivotably connected to said sliding table.

17. The system as claimed in claim 10, further comprising a based, a horizontal plane on the base on which the contact surface is placed, and a mechanism for providing a vertical movement of said horizontal plane.

18. The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein said couch back support is angled in accordance with said angular movement such that a head of said patient, which is placed on said first end of said couch back support, is gradually moved up and/or down.

19. The system as claimed in claim 18, wherein said thigh back support is angled in accordance with said angular movement such that an upper leg of said patient, which is placed on said thigh support, is gradually moved up and/or down.

20. The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein said leg support is angled in accordance with said angular movement such that a lower leg of said patient, which is placed on said leg support, is gradually moved up and/or down.

21. The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein a knee of said patient is placed on said second end of said thigh support and said first end of said leg support, and wherein said keen is bent in accordance said angular movements of said thigh support and said leg support.

22. The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein said first end of said couch back support and said second end of said thigh support are moved up/down with respect to a horizontal plane, respectively.

23. The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein an angle of said couch back support, an angle of said thigh support, an angle of said leg support, or combinations thereof is relatively determined.

24. The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein an angle of said couch back support, an angle of said thigh support, an angle of said leg support, or combinations thereof is determined based on prerecorded data of said patient.

25. The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein an angle of said couch back support, an angle of said thigh support, an angle of said leg support, or combinations thereof is adjusted so as to provide natural movements to said patient.