Medical imaging system and anti-collision method with a controllable arm

• US 20070086570A1
• Filed: 10/13/2006
• Published: 04/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthineers AG (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Spahn, Martin
• Granted Patent: US 8,767,920 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 378/117
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0064 Body surface scanning
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1114 Tracking parts of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/102 Protection against mechanical damage, e.g. anti-collision devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4441 the rigid structure being a C-arm or U-arm
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4452 the source unit and the detector unit being able to move relative to each other
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4458 the source unit or the detector unit being attached to robotic arms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4464 the source unit or the detector unit being mounted to ceiling
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/547 involving tracking of position of the device or parts of the device
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/548 Remote control of the apparatus or devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/589 Setting distance between source unit and patient

Abstract

The invention relates to a medical imaging system as well as an anti-collision method for the like. With this, the movement of a moveable parts, e.g. a C-arm is stopped or slowed down if the part approaches the patient, i.e. falls below a predeterminable minimal distance to specific surface areas of the patient or approaches these. These distances are detected by means of at least one sensor.

Claims

1-15. -15. (canceled)

16. A medical imaging system, comprising:

a moveable part that moves respective to a patient;

a sensor connected to the movable part that detects a surface of the patient; and

a control device linked to the sensor that controls a movement of the moveable part based on a distance between the moveable part and the surface of the patient calculated according to the detection.

17. The imaging system as claimed in claim 16,

wherein the sensor detects a surface of an object of the medical imaging system, and

wherein the control device controls a movement of the moveable part based on a distance between the moveable part and the surface of the object calculated according to the detection.

18. The imaging system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the control device stops or slows down the movement of the movable part if the part touches or approaches the patient or the object.

19. The imaging system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the control device calculates the distance between the moveable part and the surface of the patient or the object.

20. The imaging system as claimed in claim 17,

wherein the sensor detects a position of an individual surface area of the patient or the object and transmits the position to the control device, and

wherein the control device:

stores a position of the moveable part or receives the position of the movable part detected by a second sensor,

calculates the distance between the moveable part and the individual surface area of the patient or the object from the position of the individual surface area of the patient or the object and the position of the moveable part, and

controls a speed or a direction of the movement of the moveable part based on the distance.

21. The imaging system as claimed in claim 20, wherein the control device continually stores the position of the moveable part or receives the position of the movable part detected by the second sensor.

22. The imaging system as claimed in claim 20, wherein the second sensor is an electromagnetic sensor comprising:

a first sensor part that supplies an electromagnetic field, and

a second sensor part attached to the moveable part that detects the position of the moveable part in the electromagnetic field.

23. The imaging system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the sensor is selected from the group consisting of:

an ultrasound sensor, an optical sensor, and an electromagnetic sensor.

24. The imaging system as claimed in claim 23, wherein the optical sensor is a camera and the electromagnetic sensor is a radar device.

25. The imaging system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the imaging system is an x-ray system and the moveable part is an x-ray detector or an x-ray tube.

26. The imaging system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the imaging system is a C-arm system and an x-ray detector and an x-ray tube are affixed to the C-arm moved about the patient.

27. The imaging system as claimed in claim 16, wherein a plurality of sensors are affixed to a plurality of different locations on the moveable part.

28. The imaging system as claimed in claim 27, wherein a coordinate system of the imaging system is spatially calibrated with a coordinate system of the sensor or the sensors.

29. The imaging system as claimed in claim 28, wherein the imaging system creates a 3D model of the patient and registers the 3D model with the coordinate system of the imaging system.

30. The imaging system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the movable part is affixed to a robot arm system comprising a plurality of rotating arms so that the movable part is moved in six directions respective to the patient.

31. An anti-collision method for a medical imaging system comprising a movable part moved about a patient, comprising:

detecting a surface of an external object by a sensor connected to the movable part;

transmitting the detection to a control device;

calculating a distance between the moveable part and the surface of the external object according to the detection; and

controlling a movement of the moveable part based on the calculated distance to prevent a collision of the moveable part with the external object.

32. The anti-collision method as claimed in claim 31, wherein the external object is the patient or an object of the medical image system.

33. The anti-collision method as claimed in claim 31,

wherein the sensor detects a position of an individual surface area of the external object and transmits the position to the control device, and

wherein the control device:

stores a position of the moveable part or receives the position of the movable part detected by a second sensor,

calculates the distance between the moveable part and the individual surface area of the external object from the position of the individual surface area of the external object and the position of the moveable part, and

controls a speed or a movement direction of the moveable part based on the distance.

34. The anti-collision method as claimed in claim 31, wherein a coordinate system calibration between the imaging system and the sensor is performed prior to recording an image data of the patient.

35. The anti-collision method as claimed in claim 31, wherein the sensor is an optical sensor.