APPARATUS FOR CAPTURING MEDICAL IMAGE AND METHOD OF ADJUSTING TABLE THEREOF

• US 20150047125A1
• Filed: 08/05/2014
• Published: 02/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: BAE, Jin-hyun, AHN, Ji-hun
• Granted Patent: US 9,585,596 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 5/601
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/706 Indicia not located on the patient, e.g. floor marking
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/03 Computed tomography [CT] echo-tomography A61B8/14
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/0407 Supports, e.g. tables or beds, for the body or parts of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/0487 Motor-assisted positioning
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/0492 using markers or indicia for aiding patient positioning
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/56 Details of data transmission or power supply, e.g. use of slip rings
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10198 setting parameters for the interrogator, e.g. programming parameters and operating modes

Abstract

A wireless device communicates with a medical image capturing apparatus to adjust a position of a table supporting an object to be imaged. An operator adjusts a position of the wireless device, the apparatus measures the wireless device'"'"'s position, and adjusts the table based on the measured position. A method may include measuring distances between the wireless device and each of a plurality of respective detection units arranged along an axis. An axial distance may be measured between a reference point and the wireless device using measured distances and locations of the detection units relative to the reference point. The table is moved with respect to a gantry aperture of the apparatus based on the calculated axial distance. Controlled table movement may be movement into the gantry aperture and/or table height adjustment.

Claims

1. A method performed by an apparatus for capturing a medical image of an object to adjust a location of a table that supports the object, the method comprising:

measuring respective distances between a plurality of detection units arranged along an axis and an operator-adjustable wireless device;

calculating an axial distance on the axis between a reference point and the wireless device using the measured distances and respective locations of the plurality of detection units relative to the reference point; and

moving the table with respect to a gantry aperture of the apparatus based on the calculated axial distance.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the axis is in a longitudinal direction of the table, and moving the table comprises moving the table into the gantry aperture based on the calculated axial distance.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the axis is in a direction normal to a major surface of the table, with the major surface being parallel to the ground, and moving the table comprises adjusting the height of the table based on the calculated axial distance.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the axis is a first axis in a longitudinal direction of the table, the plurality of detection units are a plurality of first detection units, the calculated axial distance is a first axial distance, moving the table comprises moving the table into the gantry aperture, and the method further comprises:

measuring respective distances between the wireless device and a plurality of second detection units arranged along a second axis;

calculating a second axial distance on the second axis between the reference point and the wireless device using the distances between the plurality of second detection units and the wireless device and locations of the plurality of second detection units relative to the reference point, and

the moving of the table comprises adjusting a height of the table based on the calculated second axial distance.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising setting a point on the object which is separated by the calculated first axial distance from the reference point as an imaging point,

wherein the moving comprises moving the table such that the imaging point is located in the gantry.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an imaging point setting request from the wireless device.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising, after the calculating of the axial distance is completed, transmitting a message to the wireless device indicating that the setting of the imaging point has been completed.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the moving of the table comprises receiving a table movement request from the wireless device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless device comprises a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, and

the plurality of detection units comprise a plurality of RFID readers.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the measuring comprises measuring a distance between each of the plurality of RFID readers and the RFID tag by using a time taken from when a first signal is emitted from each of the plurality of RFID readers to a time that a second signal emitted from the RFID tag is received by each of the plurality of RFID readers.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus or a computed tomography (CT) apparatus.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having embodied thereon a program for executing the method of claim 1.

12. A method performed by a wireless device to adjust a location of a table that supports an object, the method comprising:

activating a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag of the wireless device in response to a first user input;

receiving, from an apparatus for capturing a medical image of the object, a message indicating that setting of an imaging point has been completed, wherein the imaging point setting is based on a location of the wireless device identified using an RFID reader of the apparatus; and

following receipt of the message, transmitting a table movement request to the apparatus in response to a second user input.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising, when the message is not received from the apparatus within a predetermined period of time after the RFID tag is activated, outputting a message requesting that the location of the wireless device be re-adjusted.

15. An apparatus for capturing a medical image of an object which adjusts a location of a table that supports the object, the apparatus comprising:

a distance measurement unit that measures respective distances between a plurality of detection units that are arranged along an axis and an operator-adjustable wireless device;

an imaging point setting unit that calculates an axial distance on the axis between a reference point and the wireless device using the measured distances and respective locations of the plurality of detection units relative to the reference point; and

a table control unit that moves the table with respect to a gantry aperture of the apparatus based on the calculated axial distance.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a communication unit that receives an imaging point setting request and a table movement request from the wireless device.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein after the calculating of the axial distance is completed, the communication unit transmits a message informing that the setting of the imaging point has been completed to the wireless device.

18. A wireless device for communication with a medical imaging apparatus having a table that supports an object to be imaged, the wireless device comprising:

a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag;

a user input receiving unit that receives user inputs;

a tag control unit that activates the RFID tag responsive to a first user input; and

a communication unit that receives from the medical imaging apparatus a message indicating that setting of an imaging point has been completed, wherein the imaging point setting is based on a location of the wireless device identified using an RFID reader of the apparatus, and the communication unit transmits a table movement request to the apparatus based on a second user input.

19. The wireless device of claim 18, further comprising an output unit, wherein when the message is not received from the apparatus within a predetermined period of time after the RFID tag is activated, the output unit outputs a message requesting that the location of the wireless device be re-adjusted.

20. The wireless device of claim 18, further comprising a light pointer that emits a narrow beam of light indicating which point is indicated by the wireless device.