Imaging system simulator

• US 20090258335A1
• Filed: 07/20/2006
• Published: 10/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Jansen, John, Herczegh, Laszlo, Marmaropoulos, George, Vu, Giang T., Parmeswaran, Lekshmy
• Granted Patent: US 8,721,344 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/262
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/28 Arrangements of sound-producing means in dolls; Means in dolls for producing sounds
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 30/00 Remote-control arrangements specially adapted for toys, e.g. for toy vehicles steering mechanisms for toy vehicles A63H17/36; for model railways A63H19/24, A63H19/28
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 30/02 Electrical arrangements transformers H01F; converters H02M
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 30/04 using wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/00 Teaching not covered by other main groups of this subclass teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying F41G3/26
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 23/24 for chemistry
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 23/28 for medicine
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 23/286 for scanning or photography techniques, e.g. X-rays, ultrasonics
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 25/00 Models for purposes not provided for in G09B23/00, e.g. full-sized devices for demonstration purposes model vehicles, tracks therefor, models in the nature of toys A63H
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 3/00 Manually or mechanically operated teaching appliances working with questions and answers electrically-operated G09B7/00; e.g. G09B7/063 advertising or displaying in general G09F
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/00 Electrically-operated educational appliances working with questions and answers G09B7/00; simulators G09B9/00; advertising or displaying in general G09F
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/04 with audible presentation of the material to be studied sound recording or reproducing G11B
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/00 Electrically-operated teaching apparatus or devices working with questions and answers mechanically operated G09B3/00; computing arrangements G06F

Abstract

A medical training and simulation system includes a plurality of inanimate objects, each being associated with an identification tag which stores an identification code which uniquely identifies an associated object. A database stores information of the objects. A reader reads a respective identification code of a selected object. An information retrieving processor retrieves the stored information which corresponds to the read identification code of the selected object. A device reproduces at least a portion of the retrieved information of the selected object.

Claims

1. A medical training and simulation system comprising:

a plurality of inanimate objects, each being associated with an identification tag which stores an identification code which uniquely identifies an associated object;

a database for storing information of the objects;

a reader for reading a respective identification code of a selected object;

an information retrieving processor for retrieving the stored information which corresponds to the read identification code of the selected object; and

a device for reproducing at least a portion of the retrieved information of the selected object.

2. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the objects include at least toys and animated characters.

3. The system as set forth in claim 1, further including:

an imaging simulator which includes a model of a diagnostic imaging scanner and defines an associated examination region which is disposed about the simulator and wherein the reader is disposed adjacent the examination region for reading the respective identification code of the selected object positioned in the examination region; and

a monitor for displaying images depicting an interior portion of the object from the retrieved stored information.

4. The system as set forth in claim 3, further including:

a story teller for presenting a medical story relating to the selected object.

5. The system as set forth in claim 4, wherein the story includes an animation of an imaging procedure.

6. The system as set forth in claim 3, further including:

a motion sensor for detecting a motion of the object positioned in the examination region and triggering a blurring of the displayed image.

7. The system as set forth in claim 3, further including:

a plurality of identification tags associated with the selected object, each identification tag identifies an image attribute.

8. The system as set forth in claim 7, wherein the image retrieving processor retrieves a portion of the previously stored data which corresponds to the identified image attribute and the monitor displays an image based on the retrieved portion of the stored information.

9. The system as set forth in claim 7, wherein the image attribute includes one of:

a heart;

a stomach;

a head;

a leg; and

an arm.

10. The system as set forth in claim 3, wherein the model depicts one of:

an MRI scanner;

a CT scanner;

a digital x-ray scanner;

a SPECT scanner;

a PET scanner; and

an ultrasound scanner.

11. The system as set forth in claim 1, further including:

a simulation triggering device for triggering the reader.

12. A simulation and education method comprising:

reading an identification code which identifies a selected inanimate object;

retrieving stored data which corresponds to the read identification code of the selected object; and

generating a diagnostic image of the identified object from the retrieved stored data.

13. The method as set forth in claim 12, wherein the objects include at least toys and animated characters.

14. The method as set forth in claim 12, wherein the stored data includes a medical story about the selected object.

15. The method as set forth in claim 14, wherein the story includes an animation of an imaging procedure and further including:

displaying the animation on a monitor.

16. The method as set forth in claim 12, further including:

a plurality of identification tags associated with the selected object, wherein each identification tag identifies an image attribute.

17. The method as set forth in claim 16, wherein the step of retrieving data includes retrieving a portion of previously stored image data which corresponds to the identified image attribute, and further including:

displaying an image depicting an interior portion of the object from a retrieved portion of the stored data.

18. The method as set forth in claim 12, further including:

positioning the selected object in an examination region defined by a model of a diagnostic imaging scanner.

19. The method as set forth in claim 18, further including:

detecting a motion of the object positioned in the examination region; and

triggering a blurring of the diagnostic image to demonstrate the importance of remaining still during the imaging procedure.

20. The method as set forth in claim 18, when the model simulates at least one of:

an MRI imaging scanner;

a CT imaging scanner;

a SPECT scanner;

a PET scanner;

an x-ray system; and

an ultrasound imager.

21. The method as set forth in claim 12, further including subsequently:

carrying the object into a diagnostic imaging suite;

sensing the identification code in the imaging suite; and

generating an animated display to guide a human patient undergoing diagnostic imaging through a diagnostic imaging procedure.