MRI Transfer Table Assembly

• US 20140364722A1
• Filed: 08/24/2012
• Published: 12/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Children's Hospital & Medical Center
• Original Assignee: Children's Hospital & Medical Center
• Inventors: Dumoulin, Charles L.
• Granted Patent: US 9,968,279 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/415
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/045 Newborns, e.g. premature baby monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0046 Arrangements of imaging apparatus in a room, e.g. room provided with shielding or for improved access to apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 11/005 with movable walls, e.g. for accessing the inside, removable walls
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/44 for weighing persons

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a transfer table assembly suitable for use in association with an MR scanner. The transfer table assembly includes a transfer table attached to a transfer table base that may releasably engage an incubator. The transfer table may be dimensionally constructed such that it may be inserted directly into an MR scanner.

Claims

1. A transfer table assembly suitable for use in association with an MR scanner and an incubator for neonatal infants, said transfer table assembly comprising:

an MR-compatible transfer table base; and

an attachment mechanism for releasably attaching said transfer table base to said incubator in a cantilevered fashion such that said transfer table base is substantially at the same level of bed a scanning bore of an MR scanner;

said transfer table base being sized to be received within a scanning bore of an MR scanner.

2. The transfer table assembly as defined in claim 1, further comprising an MR-compatible transfer table cover adapted to be releasably attached to said transfer table base, wherein said transfer table base and transfer table cover are sized to be received within the scanning bore of the MR scanner.

5. The transfer table assembly as defined in claim 1, further comprising a supporting mechanism for providing structural support to said transfer table base when said transfer table base is attached to said incubator, wherein said supporting mechanism comprises a transfer table end plate extending substantially perpendicularly from said transfer table base, said end plate adapted to abut at least a portion of said incubator so as to provide structural support to said transfer table assembly.

6. The transfer table assembly as defined in claim 5, wherein said end plate further comprises one or more assembly insertion pins configured to align and releasably attach said transfer table assembly to the incubator.

7. The transfer table assembly of claim 1, wherein the transfer table assembly is equipped with life support and monitoring capabilities.

8. The transfer table assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein the transfer table is configured as an open isolette.

9. The transfer table assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein the transfer table assembly further comprises a scale for weighing the neonatal infant.

10. The transfer table assembly as defined in claim 1, further comprising a transfer table cart, wherein said transfer table base further comprises a securing mechanism configured to releasably attach said transfer table base to said transfer table cart in a cantilevered fashion.

25. The transfer table assembly as defined in claim 1, further comprising an MR-compatible, planar transfer table removably attached to a top surface of said transfer table base, said transfer table being configured to receive at least a portion of an incubator bed thereon.

26. The transfer table assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein said transfer table base is shaped as a lower half of a cylinder.

27. The transfer table assembly as defined in claim 2, wherein:

said transfer table base is shaped as a lower half of a cylinder;

said transfer table cover is shaped as an upper half of said cylinder; and

said cylinder is sized to fit within said scanning bore of said MR scanner.

28. The transfer table assembly as defined in claim 2, wherein said transfer table base and said transfer table cover provide an extended internal volume that extends an internal volume of said incubator when said transfer table base is attached to said incubator in said cantilevered fashion.

29. The transfer table assembly as defined in claim 28, further comprising baffles adapted to route heated air from said incubator internal volume into said extended internal volume when said transfer table base is attached to said incubator in said cantilevered fashion.

30. The transfer table assembly as defined in claim 28, further comprising a means for heating air in said extended internal volume.

3. (canceled)

4. (canceled)

11. A system for providing neonatal infants with magnetic resonance image testing, the system comprising:

a) an incubator for neonatal infants;

b) an MR scanner including a scanning bore; and

c) a transfer table assembly comprising;

an MR-compatible transfer table base sized to be received within said scanning bore; and

an attachment mechanism for releasably attaching said transfer table base to said incubator in a cantilevered fashion such that said transfer table base is substantially at the same level of said scanning bore.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said incubator is at least partially enclosed and comprises at least one removable wall, and wherein said attachment mechanism is further configured to releasably attach said transfer table base to said incubator adjacently with a side of the incubator having said at least one removable wall.

13. The transfer table assembly as defined in claim 11, further comprising MR-compatible transfer table cover adapted to be releasably attached to said transfer table base.

16. The system of claim 11 wherein said incubator includes a platform supporting a neonate bed, said platform adapted to be moved from said incubator onto said transfer table assembly.

17. The system of claim 11 wherein said transfer table assembly comprises a safety barrier adapted to prevent non-MRI compatible objects from entering into the MR scanner.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein said safety barriers comprise in-room barriers disposed on the floor about the system to prevent incubators and other devices from getting within a predetermined distance from the MR scanner.

19. The system of claim 18 where said safety barriers comprise at least one of a series of poles disposed on the floor about the MR scanner and a wall disposed on the floor about the MR scanner.

20. The system of claim 11, further comprising a transfer table cart adapted to support said transfer table assembly in a cantilevered fashion and to dock with said MR scanner.

21. The system as defined in claim 20, wherein said transfer table base further comprises a securing mechanism configured to releasably attach said transfer table base to said transfer table cart in a cantilevered fashion.

22. The system as defined in claim 21, wherein said cart is further configured to releasably engage said incubator.

31. The system as defined in claim 13, wherein:

said transfer table base is shaped as a lower half of a cylinder;

said transfer table cover is shaped as an upper half of said cylinder; and

said cylinder is sized to fit within said scanning bore of said MR scanner.

32. The system as defined in claim 13, wherein said transfer table base and said transfer table cover provide an extended internal volume that extends an internal volume of said incubator when said transfer table base is attached to said incubator in said cantilevered fashion.

14. (canceled)

15. (canceled)

23. A method of providing a neonatal infant with an MR imaging scan, the method comprising the steps of:

a) providing an incubator with a neonatal baby laying on a bed therein, said incubator being at least partially enclosed and further comprising at least one removable wall and a moveable platform supporting said neonate bed;

b) removing the removable wall;

c) releasably installing a transfer table assembly onto said incubator adjacent to the side of the incubator in a cantilevered fashion where the removable wall was disposed, said transfer table assembly being adapted to support a neonatal infant thereon, said transfer table assembly further comprising an attachment mechanism for releasably attaching said transfer table base to said incubator in a cantilevered fashion such that said transfer table is substantially at the same level of a scanning bore of an MR scanner, said transfer table assembly further being substantially MR compatible, and wherein the transfer table portion of the transfer table assembly is dimensionally constructed such that it may be inserted directly into said scanning bore of said MR scanner;

d) transferring said platform supporting the bed and infant onto said transfer table assembly;

e) preparing the infant for MR scanning;

f) positioning said infant within said scanning bore of said MR scanner by engaging said transfer table assembly and incubator combination with the MR scanner, wherein said transfer table assembly is inserted within said scanning bore of the MR scanner; and

g) activating the MR scanner to obtain MR imaging of the infant.

24. (canceled)