PORTABLE MEDICAL IMAGING SYSTEM

• US 20170215827A1
• Filed: 06/13/2016
• Published: 08/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2016
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Globus Medical, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Globus Medical, Inc.
• Inventors: Cheng, Yuan, Stevens, Robert, Salem, Hisham, Johnson, Norbert
• Granted Patent: US 10,842,453 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 6/03 Computed tomography [CT] echo-tomography A61B8/14
• 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 6/547 involving tracking of position of the device or parts of the device

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. In embodiment, the imaging signal transmitter and imaging sensor are offset from a center axis of the medical imaging system such that the portable medical imaging system is operable to capture an enlarged field of view.

Claims

1. A portable medical imaging system comprising:

a movable station comprising a movable c-arm having a first end and a second end;

an imaging signal transmitter attached to the first end of the movable c-arm and an imaging sensor positioned opposite to the imaging signal transmitter and attached to the second end of the movable c-arm; and

a first translation device mounting the imaging signal transmitter to the first end of the c-arm and a second translation device mounting the imaging sensor to the second end of the c-arm,

wherein the imaging signal transmitter and imaging sensor are movable from a center axis of the medical imaging system via the first translation device and the second translation device such that the portable medical imaging system is operable to capture an enlarged field of view.

2. The portable medical imaging system of claim 1, wherein 360 degree rotation of the imaging signal transmitter and the imaging sensor provide complete coverage of the enlarged field of view.

3. The portable medical imaging system of claim 1, wherein the imaging signal transmitter and the imaging sensor are translated a distance from the center axis of the c-arm before any imaging occurs.

4. The portable medical imaging system of claim 1, wherein the first and second translation devices comprise a first linear actuator and a second linear actuator, respectively, the first linear actuator acting to position the imaging signal transmitter in tandem with the second linear actuator acting to position the imaging sensor for taking a desired image or images.

5. The portable medical imaging system of claim 1, wherein the first and second translational devices are selected from the group consisting of linear tracks, linear actuators, and ball screws.

6. The portable medical imaging system of claim 1, wherein the first and second translational devices are adapted for movement along a linear axis in an orientation that is perpendicular or parallel to an axis of a Cartesian coordinate system.

7. The portable medical imaging system of claim 6, wherein the linear axis provides an additional degree of freedom in taking an image of an object requiring a field of view larger than the movable station without the at least one linear axis.

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

the movable C-arm slidably coupled to the first C-arm,

the first C-arm and the movable C-arms together providing a 360 degree rotation of the imaging signal transmitter and the imaging sensor.

9. 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, the first and second C-arms together providing a 360 degree rotation about an object to be imaged;

at least one linear actuator mounted on the second C-arm, the at least one linear actuator mounting an imaging signal transmitter and/or an imaging sensor for movement in a linear axis on the movable station; and

a control system for controlling motion of the movable station and the at least one linear actuator, and for controlling imaging of the portable imaging system.

10. The portable medical imaging system of claim 9, wherein the imaging signal transmitter and the imaging sensor are translated a distance from the center axis of the c-arm before any imaging occurs.

11. The portable medical imaging system of claim 9, wherein the at least one linear actuator comprises a first linear actuator and a second linear actuator under control of the control system, the first linear actuator acting to position the imaging signal transmitter in tandem with the second linear actuator acting to position the imaging sensor for taking the desired image.

12. The portable medical imaging system of claim 9, wherein the linear axis is adapted for an orientation that is perpendicular or parallel to an axis of a Cartesian coordinate system.

13. The portable medical imaging system of claim 9, wherein the linear axis provides an additional degree of freedom in taking an image of an object requiring a field of view larger than the movable station without the at least one linear axis.

14. The portable medical imaging system of claim 9, 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.

15. A portable medical imaging system comprising:

a movable station comprising a movable c-arm having a first end and a second end;

an imaging signal transmitter attached to the first end of the movable c-arm and an imaging sensor positioned opposite to the imaging signal transmitter and attached to the second end of the movable c-arm; and

wherein the imaging signal transmitter and imaging sensor are offset from a center axis of the medical imaging system such that the portable medical imaging system is operable to capture an enlarged field of view.

16. The portable medical imaging system of claim 15, where the imaging signal transmitter and imaging sensor are in fixed positions.

17. The portable medical imaging system of claim 15, where the imaging signal transmitter and imaging sensor are movable relative to the c-arm.

18. The portable medical imaging system of claim 17, wherein the imaging signal transmitter and imaging sensor translate linearly a given distance before any imaging occurs.

19. The portable medical imaging system of claim 15, wherein the linear axis provides an additional degree of freedom in taking an image of an object requiring a field of view larger than the movable station without the at least one linear axis.

20. The portable medical imaging system of claim 15, 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,

the movable C-arm slidably coupled to the first C-arm,

the first C-arm and the movable C-arms together providing a 360 degree rotation of the imaging signal transmitter and the imaging sensor.