POSITIONING OF AN EXAMINATION OBJECT FOR AN IMAGING METHOD

• US 20170354385A1
• Filed: 06/06/2017
• Published: 12/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthineers AG (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GMBH (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: LERCH, Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 10,687,778 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0077 Devices for viewing the surface of the body, e.g. camera, magnifying lens
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/70 Means for positioning the patient in relation to the detecting, measuring or recording means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/032 Transmission computed tomography [CT]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/035 Mechanical aspects of CT
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/04 Positioning of patients; Tiltable beds or the like operating tables A61G13/00; operating chairs A61G15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/0407 Supports, e.g. tables or beds, for the body or parts of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/0414 with compression means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/42 Arrangements for detecting radiation specially adapted for radiation diagnosis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4208 characterised by using a particular type of detector
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4258 for detecting non x-ray radiation, e.g. gamma radiation A61B6/037 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/44 Constructional features of apparatus for radiation diagnosis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4429 related to the mounting of source units and detector units
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4435 the source unit and the detector unit being coupled by a rigid structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4441 the rigid structure being a C-arm or U-arm
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/48 Diagnostic techniques A61B6/022, A61B6/025 A61B6/032, A61B6/037 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/488 involving pre-scan acquisition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/54 Control of apparatus or devices for radiation diagnosis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/542 involving control of exposure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/544 dependent on patient size
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/545 : involving automatic set-up of acquisition parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/589 : Setting distance between source unit and patient
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/283 : Intercom or optical viewing arrangements, structurally associated with NMR apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/30 : Sample handling arrangements, e.g. sample cells, spinning mechanisms

Abstract

A method is described for positioning of an examination object for an imaging method. The method is used to record an external image of externally visible features of the examination object. The recording of the external image is used as the basis for determining a position and/or orientation of at least one part of the examination object assigned to the imaged features. Subsequently, a check is performed as to whether the determined position and/or orientation of the at least one part of the examination object conforms to a reference position and/or reference orientation. Finally, if the determined position and/or orientation of the at least one part of the examination object does not conform to the reference position and/or reference orientation, the position and/or orientation of the at least one part of the examination object is corrected. Also described is an object-positioning facility. Furthermore, an imaging medical facility is described.

Claims

1. A method for the positioning of an examination object for an imaging method, comprising:

recording an external image of externally visible features of the examination object via an external-image recording unit;

determining at least one of a position and orientation of at least one part of the examination object assigned to the imaged features on the basis of the recording of the external image;

checking whether the respective at least one of the determined position and orientation of the at least one part of the examination object conforms to a respective at least one of a reference position and reference orientation; and

correcting the respective at least one of the determined position and orientation of the at least one part of the examination object in response to the checking indicating that the respective at least one of the determined at least one of position and orientation of the at least one part of the examination object not conforming to the respective at least one of reference position and reference orientation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the respective at least one of reference position and orientation includes at least one of an alignment of the at least one part of the examination object with respect to an axis of symmetry of the at least one part and a relative position of individual parts of the examination object with respect to one another.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the external-image recording unit includes sensors for at least one of recording images of a 3D surface and creating a 2D image recording.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the examination object includes a patient and at least one part of the examination object includes at least one body part of the patient.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein, during the determining, anatomical landmarks are extracted from the recording of the external image and the anatomical landmarks are used to compile a virtual 3D body model from which at least one of a position and orientation of the at least one body part is determined.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein, during the checking, determining at least one of

whether the at least one body part should be arranged differently, and

whether an axis of symmetry of the at least one body part is aligned correctly with respect to the medical imaging facility, and

whether individual body parts of the patient are arranged correctly relative to one another.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising

displaying at least one of the positioning and alignment of the patient, during the positioning of the at least one body part, in real time, wherein at least one of the reference position and reference alignment of the body part are displayed simultaneously to permit identifying, from two image depictions, whether it is necessary to change at least one of the positioning and alignment of the at least one body part.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising

displaying, in response to identifying that it is necessary to change at least one of the position and alignment of the at least one body part, suggested corrections.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the recording of the external image, the determining of at least one of the position and orientation of the at least one part, the checking and the correcting are performed semi-automatically or fully automatically.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the external-image recording unit includes at least one of the following:

a camera,

a depth camera,

a non-contact electromagnetic sensor,

an ultrasound distance-measuring unit,

a radar-sensor facility, and

a depth camera and additionally a 2D camera.

11. A method of claim 4, wherein for the correcting of at least one of positioning and alignment, at least one inflatable patient support cushion with a plurality of air chambers is placed under the patient and, during the correcting, it is determined, in dependence on at least one of a position to be corrected and alignment of the at least one body part which air chambers have to be inflated with which defined air quantity in order to achieve correct at least one of the positioning and alignment of the patient.

14. A non-transitory computer program product including a computer program, directly loadable into a storage facility of a control facility of an imaging medical facility, including program sections to carrying out the method of claim 1 when the computer program is executed in the control facility of the imaging medical facility.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing program sections, reasible and executable by a computing unit, for carrying out the method of claim 1 when the program sections are executed by the computing unit.

16. The method of claim 2, wherein the external-image recording unit includes sensors for at least one of recording images of a 3D surface and creating a 2D image recording.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the examination object includes a patient and at least one part of the examination object includes at least one body part of the patient.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein, during the determining, anatomical landmarks are extracted from the recording of the external image and the anatomical landmarks are used to compile a virtual 3D body model from which at least one of a position and orientation of the at least one body part is determined.

19. The method of claim 5, wherein, during the checking, determining at least one of

whether the at least one body part should be arranged differently, and

whether an axis of symmetry of the at least one body part is aligned correctly with respect to the medical imaging facility, and

whether individual body parts of the patient are arranged correctly relative to one another.

20. The method of claim 2, wherein at least one of the recording of the external image, the determining of at least one of the position and orientation of the at least one part, the checking and the correcting are performed semi-automatically or fully automatically.

25. A non-transitory computer program product including a computer program, directly loadable into a storage facility of a control facility of an imaging medical facility, including program sections to carrying out the method of claim 2 when the computer program is executed in the control facility of the imaging medical facility.

26. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing program sections, reasible and executable by a computing unit, for carrying out the method of claim 2 when the program sections are executed by the computing unit.

27. A non-transitory computer program product including a computer program, directly loadable into a storage facility of a control facility of an imaging medical facility, including program sections to carrying out the method of claim 7 when the computer program is executed in the control facility of the imaging medical facility.

28. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing program sections, reasible and executable by a computing unit, for carrying out the method of claim 7 when the program sections are executed by the computing unit.

12. An object-positioning facility, comprising:

an external-image recording unit to record an external image of externally visible features of an examination object and to produce a recorded external image;

a position-determining unit to determine at least one of a position and orientation of at least one part of the examination object assigned to the imaged features based upon the recorded external image and to produce a determined at least one of a position and orientation;

a checking unit to check whether the determined respective at least one of position and orientation conforms to a respective at least one of a reference position and reference orientation; and

a position-correcting unit to correct the respective at least one of position and orientation of the at least one part of the examination object in response to the checking indicating that the respective at least one of the determined at least one of position and orientation of the at least one part of the examination object not conforming to the respective at least one of reference position and reference orientation.

13. An imaging medical facility, comprising:

a scanning unit to acquire a region to be examined of an examination object;

a control facility to control the scanning unit; and

the object-positioning facility of claim 12.

22. A computed tomography system, comprising:

a scanning unit to acquire a region to be examined of an examination object;

a control facility to control the scanning unit; and

the object-positioning facility of claim 12.

21. An object-positioning facility, comprising:

an external-image recorder to record an external image of externally visible features of an examination object and to produce a recorded external image;

a memory storing computer-readable instructions; and

one or more processors configured to execute the computer-readable instructions such that the one or more processors are configured to

determine at least one of a position and orientation of at least one part of the examination object assigned to the imaged features based upon the recorded external image and to produce a determined at least one of a position and orientation;

check whether the determined respective at least one of position and orientation conforms to a respective at least one of a reference position and reference orientation; and

correct the respective at least one of position and orientation of the at least one part of the examination object in response to the checking indicating that the respective at least one of the determined at least one of position and orientation of the at least one part of the examination object not conforming to the respective at least one of reference position and reference orientation.

23. An imaging medical facility, comprising:

a scanning unit to acquire a region to be examined of an examination object;

a control facility to control the scanning unit; and

the object-positioning facility of claim 21.

24. A computed tomography system, comprising:

a scanning unit to acquire a region to be examined of an examination object;

a control facility to control the scanning unit; and

the object-positioning facility of claim 21.