Medical imaging installation and method for such an installation

• US 20070189456A1
• Filed: 01/30/2007
• Published: 08/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GMBH (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Haras, Gabriel
• Granted Patent: US 7,465,090 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 378/98.500
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/08 Auxiliary means for directing the radiation beam to a particular spot, e.g. using light beams

Abstract

A medical imaging installation and a method for a medical imaging installation are disclosed for defining a specific position on the surface of an object. In at least one embodiment, the installation has a support apparatus for an object, a device for recording measured data from the object in order to produce an image of the object, a unit for displaying an image obtained from the object, and a device, arranged on the installation in a defined fashion, for projecting a light pattern onto the surface of the object. The light pattern is inserted appropriately into the displayed image of the object in order to define a specific position on the surface of the object.

Claims

1. A medical imaging installation comprising:

a support apparatus for an object;

a device to record measured data from the object to produce an image of the object;

a unit to display an image obtained from the object; and

a device, arranged on the installation in a defined fashion, to project a light pattern onto the surface of the object, the light pattern being appropriately insertable, to define a specific position on the surface of the object, into the displayed image of the object.

2. The medical imaging installation as claimed in claim 1, wherein the specific position in the image is definable, and the support apparatus with the object is adjustable in such a way that, with the aid of the device to project the light pattern, the light pattern is projectable in real terms onto the surface of the object such that the real projection corresponds substantially to the projection inserted in the image.

3. The medical imaging installation as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

a computing device to determine the adjusting path of the support apparatus provided with the object on the basis of the definition, undertaken in the image, of the specific position, and to prompt the determined adjustment of the support apparatus.

4. The medical imaging installation as claimed in claim 1, wherein the light pattern is a grid.

5. The medical imaging installation as claimed in claim 1, wherein the light pattern includes a coding.

6. The medical imaging installation as claimed in claim 5, wherein the coding is performed by at least one of lines of different thickness, numbers and colors.

7. The medical imaging installation as claimed in claim 1, wherein the insertion of the light pattern into the displayed image of the object is performed in such a way that the display of the light pattern is adapted to the display of the object.

8. The medical imaging installation as claimed in claim 1, wherein the projection of the light pattern onto the surface of the object is performed with at least one of parallel and fan-shaped light beams.

9. The medical imaging installation as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device to project the light pattern onto the surface of the object comprises at least one laser emitting visible light.

10. The medical imaging installation as claimed in claim 1, wherein the medical imaging installation is an x-ray computed tomography installation.

11. The medical imaging installation as claimed in claim 10, wherein the device to project the light pattern onto the surface of the object is arranged on the stationary part of a gantry of the x-ray computed tomography installation.

12. A method for a medical imaging installation for defining a specific position on the surface of an object, comprising:

producing, with the aid of a device for recording measured data of the medical imaging installation from the object arranged on a support apparatus, at least one image of the object is produced;

displaying the image obtained from the object with the aid of a unit for display; and

inserting a light pattern into the displayed image of the object in order to define the specific position on the surface of the object.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the specific position in the image is defined, and the support apparatus with the object is adjusted in such a way that the light pattern is projected in real terms onto the surface of the object with the aid of a device, arranged in a defined fashion on the medical imaging installation, such that the real projection corresponds substantially to the projection inserted in the image.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein a computing device is used on the basis of the definition, undertaken in the image, of the specific position to determine the adjusting path of the support apparatus provided with the object, and to prompt the appropriate adjustment of the support apparatus.

15. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the light pattern is a grid.

16. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the light pattern comprises a coding.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the coding is performed by at least one of lines of different thickness, numbers and colors.

18. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the insertion of the light pattern into the displayed image of the object is performed in such a way that the display of the light pattern is adapted to the display of the object.

19. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the projection of the light pattern onto the surface of the object is performed with at least one of parallel and fan-shaped light beams.

20. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein a device to project a light pattern onto the surface of the object comprises at least one laser emitting visible light.

21. The method as claimed in claim 20, wherein the medical imaging installation is an x-ray computed tomography installation.

22. The method as claimed in claim 21, wherein the device to project the light pattern onto the surface of the object is arranged on the stationary part of a gantry of the x-ray computed tomography installation.

23. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the method is provided for defining a specific medical intervention position.

24. A medical imaging installation comprising:

a support apparatus for an object;

means for recording measured data from the object to produce an image of the object;

means for displaying an image obtained from the object; and

means, arranged on the installation in a defined fashion, for projecting a light pattern onto the surface of the object, the light pattern being appropriately insertable, to define a specific position on the surface of the object, into the displayed image of the object.

25. The medical imaging installation as claimed in claim 24, wherein the specific position in the image is definable, and the support apparatus with the object is adjustable in such a way that, with the aid of the means for projecting the light pattern, the light pattern is projectable in real terms onto the surface of the object such that the real projection corresponds substantially to the projection inserted in the image.

26. The medical imaging installation as claimed in claim 25, further comprising:

means for determining the adjusting path of the support apparatus provided with the object on the basis of the definition, undertaken in the image, of the specific position, and for prompting the determined adjustment of the support apparatus.