Medical radiological apparatus including optical crosshair device for patient positioning and forearm and spinal positioning aides

• US 5,835,562 A
• Filed: 06/07/1995
• Issued: 11/10/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hologic Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Hologic Incorporated
• Inventors: LeFebvre, Tina, Ramsdell, Tracy L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Porta, David P.
• Application Number:
  US08/475,404
• Time in Patent Office: 1,252 Days
• Field of Search: 378/205, 378/206
• US Class Current: 378/206
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/0421 with immobilising means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/0487 Motor-assisted positioning
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/06 Diaphragms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/08 Auxiliary means for directing the radiation beam to a particular spot, e.g. using light beams
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/405 Source units specially adapted to modify characteristics of the beam during the data acquisition process A61B6/4021, A61B6/4035 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/482 involving multiple energy imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/488 involving pre-scan acquisition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/505 for diagnosis of bone
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/548 Remote control of the apparatus or devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/583 using calibration phantoms
• CPC Class Codes: G21K 1/10 Scattering devices; Absorbing devices; Ionising radiation filters

Abstract

A medical radiological apparatus, such as an x-ray bone densitometry apparatus includes patient positioning aides for accurate patient placement and consistent positioning during a single scanning procedure, or during subsequent procedures. An optical crosshair device helps align the patient'"'"'s spine along the Y-axis of the apparatus and the patient'"'"'s hips along the X-axis of the apparatus, perpendicular to the spine. Spinal and forearm positioning aides help the patient maintain consistent, comfortable positions within scans. They also enable reproducibility of patient position in subsequent scans, so that scan results from one scan to another may be compared by a medical practitioner, with reasonable assurance that the respective scan results are not unduly compromised by inconsistent patient placement. The forearm positioning aide consistently places the forearm flat on the patient support table in a proper position parallel to the longitudinal table axis. The spinal positioning aide has diverging support wings which enable the patient to maintain elbows in a position off the table, in a manner which is not likely to cause spinal movement due to arm fatigue.

Claims

1. A medical radiological apparatus comprising:

a patient table having a length extending along a Y-axis and a width extending along an X-axis;

an x-ray source on one side of the patient table;

an x-ray detector on an opposite side of the table and aligned with the x-ray source along a source-detector axis;

wherein the source and detector are movable relative to the patient table, and wherein the source, when selectively energized, emits a beam of x-rays which conforms to a beam plane which is transverse to both the X-axis and the Y-axis, to scan selectively selected regions of a patient on the table with the beam of x-rays; and

an optical crosshair device that projects a visible crosshair toward the x-ray source and coaxial with the source-detector axis and having a plane along the Y-axis and a plane normal to the Y-axis, the optical crosshair device being adjacent the detector and movable with the detector relative to the table so that the visible crosshair is movable relative to a patient on the table.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the penetrating radiation beam forms a fan-shaped beam plane relative to the patient table.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the radiological apparatus is an x-ray bone densitometry apparatus.

4. An x-ray bone densitometry apparatus, comprising:

a patient table having a length extending along a Y-axis and a width extending along an x-axis;

a C-arm supporting an x-ray source at one side of the patient table and an x-ray detector at an opposite side of the table, the C-arm being movable relative to the patient table;

the source and detector being aligned along a source a source-detector axis;

the source, when selectively energized, emitting a fan beam of x-rays which conforms to a beam plane which is transverse to both the X-axis and Y-axis, to scan selectively selected regions of a patient on the table with the beam of x-rays; and

an optical crosshair device that projects a visible crosshair toward the x-ray source and coaxial with the source detector-axis and having a plane along the Y-axis and a plane normal to the Y-axis, the optical crosshair device being supported by the C-arm adjacent the detector and movable with the C-arm so that the visible crosshair is movable relative to a patient on the table.