PORTABLE MEDICAL IMAGING SYSTEM

• US 20170215826A1
• Filed: 06/13/2016
• Published: 08/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Globus Medical, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Globus Medical, Inc.
• Inventors: Stevens, Robert, Cheng, Yuan, Salem, Hisham, Johnson, Norbert
• Granted Patent: US 11,058,378 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/032 Transmission computed tomography [CT]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4085 Cone-beams
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4405 the apparatus being movable or portable, e.g. handheld or mounted on a trolley
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4441 the rigid structure being a C-arm or U-arm
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/485 involving fluorescence X-ray imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/547 involving tracking of position of the device or parts of the device
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/56 Details of data transmission or power supply, e.g. use of slip rings
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 11/006 using extensible carrier for the cable, e.g. self-coiling spring extensible conductors or cables H01B7/06

Abstract

Medical imaging devices, systems, and methods thereof. The medical imaging system may include a movable station and a gantry. The movable station includes a gantry mount rotatably attached to the gantry. The gantry includes an outer C-arm slidably mounted to and operable to slide relative to the gantry mount, an inner C-arm slidably coupled to the outer C-arm and, an imaging signal transmitter and sensor attached to the C-arms. The two C-arms work together to provide a full 360 degree rotation of the imaging signal transmitter. The movable station may include a motion control system and an imaging control system. In embodiments, the motion control system includes omni-directional wheels for precision controlled-movement of the movable station.

Claims

1. A portable medical imaging system comprising:

a movable station;

a gantry mount attached to the movable station;

a gantry rotatably attached to the gantry mount and including a first C-arm slidably mounted to and operable to slide relative to the gantry mount;

a second C-arm slidably coupled to the first C-arm;

an imaging signal transmitter attached to the second C-arm;

an imaging sensor attached to the second C-arm and operably connected with the imaging signal transmitter, the first and second C-arms together providing a 360 degree rotation of the imaging signal transmitter;

a plurality of omni-directional wheels allowing multiple-axis movement of the portable imaging system;

a plurality of sensors for detecting a desired movement of the movable station; and

a control system responsive to the plurality of sensors for controlling the multiple-axis movement of the portable imaging system by actuating two or more of the plurality of omni-directional wheels.

2. The portable medical imaging system of claim 1, wherein the multiple axis movement is selected from the group consisting of:

movement in a plane;

movement in a 2-D coordinate system; and

three axis movement in a forward-backward direction, movement in a side direction and rotation about a defined axis perpendicular to the forward-backward and side directions.

3. The portable medical imaging system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensors for detecting a desired movement are selected from the group consisting of a strain gauge, force-sensing resistor, a piezoelectric sensor, a piezo capacitive pressure sensor, a piezo resistor and a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) micro-scale strain gauge.

4. The portable medical imaging system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensors for detecting a desired movement are mounted in left-and-right handles of the movable station.

5. The portable medical imaging system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensors for detecting a desired movement are mounted in a joystick of the movable station, and wherein the desired movement is indicated by a movement of the joystick.

6. The portable medical imaging system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensors are operable to sense a desired front left wheel force in a forward/backward direction, a desired rear left wheel force in the forward/backward direction, a desired rear left wheel force in a side direction, a desired front right wheel force in a forward/backward direction, a rear right wheel force in a side direction and a rear right wheel force in a backward/forward direction.

7. The portable medical imaging system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensors comprises a sensor array mounted in a planar configuration selected from the group consisting of a generally circular array, a generally elliptical array, a generally rectangular array and a generally square array.

8. The portable medical imaging system of claim 1, further comprising

a first motor that provides a sliding movement of the first C-arm relative to the gantry mount;

and

a second motor that provides a sliding movement of the second C-arm relative to the first C-arm.

9. The medical imaging system of claim 8, further comprising:

a cable carrier containing a plurality of electrical cables; and

a first cable router having a through-hole and mounted to an outer surface of the first C-arm, the cable carrier extending from the gantry mount over the outer surface of the first C-arm, through the through-hole of the first cable router and over an outer surface of the second C-arm.

10. The medical imaging system of claim 1, further comprising at least one motor under control of the control system for providing power to each of the plurality of omni-directional wheels.

11. A portable medical imaging system comprising:

a movable station comprising an imaging signal transmitter and an imaging sensor mounted on the movable station;

a plurality of omni-directional wheels allowing three-axis movement of the portable imaging system in a general area of a plane;

a plurality of sensors for detecting a desired movement of the movable station; and

a control system responsive to the plurality of sensors for controlling the three-axis movement of the portable imaging system by actuating two or more of the plurality of omni-directional wheels.

12. The portable medical imaging system of claim 11, further comprising:

a gantry mount attached to the movable station; and

a gantry rotatably attached to the gantry mount and including a first C-arm slidably mounted to and operable to slide relative to the gantry mount; and

a second C-arm slidably coupled to the first C-arm, the first and second C-arms together providing a 360 degree rotation of the imaging signal transmitter;

wherein the imaging signal transmitter and the imaging sensor are attached to the second C-arm.

13. The portable medical imaging system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of sensors for detecting a desired movement are selected from the group consisting of a strain gauge, force-sensing resistor, a piezoelectric sensor, a piezo capacitive pressure sensor, a piezo resistor and a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) micro-scale strain gauge.

14. The portable medical imaging system of claim 11, further comprising a plurality of motors, one motor for each of the plurality of omni-directional wheels, each motor controlled by the control system for independently powering one of the plurality of omni-directional wheels.

15. The portable medical imaging system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of sensors for detecting a desired movement are mounted in a joystick of the movable station, and wherein the desired movement is indicated by a movement of the joystick.

16. The portable medical imaging system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of sensors are operable to sense a desired front left wheel force in a forward/backward direction, a desired rear left wheel force in the forward/backward direction, a desired rear left wheel force in a side direction, a desired front right wheel force in a forward/backward direction, a rear right wheel force in a side direction and a rear right wheel force in a backward/forward direction.

17. The portable medical imaging system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of sensors comprises a sensor array mounted in a planar configuration selected from the group consisting of a generally circular array, a generally elliptical array, a generally rectangular array and a generally square array.

18. The portable medical imaging system of claim 11, further comprising

a first motor that provides a sliding movement of the first C-arm relative to the gantry mount;

and

a second motor that provides a sliding movement of the second C-arm relative to the first C-arm.

19. The medical imaging system of claim 11, further comprising:

a cable carrier containing a plurality of electrical cables;

a first cable router having a through-hole and mounted to an outer surface of the first C-arm, the cable carrier extending from the gantry mount over the outer surface of the first C-arm, through the through-hole of the first cable router and over an outer surface of the second C-arm.

20. The medical imaging system of claim 19, further comprising:

a second cable router having a through-hole and mounted to an outer surface of the second C-arm, the cable carrier extending through the through-hole of the second cable router;

wherein the cable carrier extends in a first circumferential direction and enters the first cable router in a second circumferential direction opposite to the first circumferential direction to create a 180 degree service loop over the outer surface of the first C-arm; and

wherein the cable carrier extends in the first circumferential direction and enters the second cable router in the second circumferential direction to create a second 180 degree service loop over the outer surface of the second C-arm.