Medical examination device for CT imaging and for nuclear medical imaging

• US 20110280364A1
• Filed: 05/11/2011
• Published: 11/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GMBH (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Maschke, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,662,750 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 378/4
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/037 Emission tomography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4405 the apparatus being movable or portable, e.g. handheld or mounted on a trolley
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4417 related to combined acquisition of different diagnostic modalities
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4429 related to the mounting of source units and detector units
• 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 6/5229 combining image data of a patient, e.g. combining a functional image with an anatomical image
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/5235 combining images from the same or different ionising radiation imaging techniques, e.g. PET and CT

Abstract

A medical examination device for CT imaging and for nuclear medical imaging is provided. The medical examination device has an essentially ring-shaped gantry with a CT imaging arrangement and a nuclear medical imaging arrangement. The gantry has an especially laterally arranged, fold-out or removable segment for creating an access opening to the interior of the gantry.

Claims

1-13. -13. (canceled)

14. A medical examination device for CT imaging and for nuclear medical imaging, comprising:

a annular gantry comprising an laterally arranged segment to create an access opening to an interior of the gantry; and

a CT imaging arrangement and a nuclear medical imaging arrangement arranged on the gantry.

15. The examination device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the nuclear medical imaging arrangement is a PET imaging arrangement or a SPECT imaging arrangement.

16. The examination device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the segment encloses an angular area of 70°

to 110°

.

17. The examination device as claimed in claim 16, wherein the segment encloses an angular area of 90°

.

18. The examination device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the segment is folded out by a hinge.

19. The examination device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the segment is completely moved out of the gantry, or is telescopically moved into a remainder of the gantry, or is moved into a park position above the gantry to create the access opening.

20. The examination device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the segment comprises half of the gantry that is spaced by a mechanical device away from an opposing half of the gantry to create two opposite openings.

21. The examination device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the gantry is supported on a mount.

22. The examination device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the mount is fixedly mounted on a floor or on a ceiling or is able to be moved by a rollers or by a guide rail.

23. The examination device as claimed in claim 22, wherein the mount comprises an articulated-arm robot with at least four degrees of freedom.

24. The examination device as claimed in claim 23, wherein the articulated-arm robot has six degrees of freedom.

25. The examination device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the gantry is able to be adjusted in three orthogonal spatial directions.

26. The examination device as claimed in claim 14, further comprising a patient support table.

27. The examination device as claimed in claim 26, wherein the patient support table has at least one degree of freedom of movement for automatic and/or manual adjustment.

28. The examination device as claimed in claim 26, wherein the patient support table is able to be tilted or rotated around at least one axis in at least two spatial directions orthogonal to one another and/or along at least one orbital or elliptical track.

29. The examination device as claimed in claim 26, further comprising a hydraulic drive device and/or a pneumatic drive device and/or an electric drive device for adjusting the gantry and/or the patient support table.