X-ray device provided with a robot arm

• US 6,869,217 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2000
• Issued: 03/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Rasche, Volker, Schomberg, Hermann, Klotz, Erhard Paul Artur
• Primary Examiner(s): Glick, Edward J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KAO, CHIH CHENG G
• Application Number:
  US09/732,200
• Publication Number:
  US 20010005410A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,566 Days
• Field of Search: 378/197, 378/198, 378/193, 378/196
• US Class Current: 378/197
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4441 the rigid structure being a C-arm or U-arm
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4452 the source unit and the detector unit being able to move relative to each other
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4458 the source unit or the detector unit being attached to robotic arms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4464 the source unit or the detector unit being mounted to ceiling

Abstract

The invention relates to an X-ray device which includes an X-ray source and an X-ray detector which are mounted at a respective end of a common holding device. The holding device being attached to the room by way of a supporting device. In order to realize a more flexible construction of such X-ray devices that are widely used and are usually provided with a holding device in the form of a C-arm and nevertheless maintain a high positioning accuracy. The invention further relates to a supporting device constructed with a plurality of hinged, serially interconnected supporting members. The supporting device is formed notably by a serial manipulator, for example, a conventional robot arm.

Claims

1. An X-ray device comprising:

an X-ray source and an X-ray detector which are mounted at different ends of a common holding device, the common holding device being connectable to a room by a supporting device, such that said supporting device has a first end connected to the common holding device and a second end connectable to the room,

wherein the supporting device comprises a plurality of hinged, serially interconnected supporting members connected by six hinges, each of the hinges enabling rotation about an axis of rotation so that the supporting device has six separate axes of rotation, and

wherein the one of the six hinges connected to the second end is a rotational hinge such that the entire supporting device is rotatable about an axis.

2. An X-ray device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the supporting device is a robot arm.

3. The X-ray device of claim 2, wherein the robot arm is controlled by software.

4. An X-ray device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the supporting device is constructed and connected to the holding device in such a manner that the common holding device with the X-ray source and the X-ray detector can be positioned completely as desired.

5. An X-ray device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the supporting device is connected to the holding device by one of the six hinges that permits rotation 360 degrees about an axis.

6. An X-ray device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the holding device is composed of at least two holding members, the X-ray source being mounted on a first holding member whereas the X-ray detector is mounted on a second holding member.

7. An X-ray device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the holding device is a C-arm.

8. An X-ray device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising means for monitoring the distance between an object to be examined and moving parts of the X-ray device including the X-ray source and the X-ray detector.

9. An X-ray device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the means for monitoring the distance are provided with ultrasound sensors and ultrasound detectors.

10. An X-ray device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the means for monitoring the distance include mechanical contact sensors.

11. The X-ray device of claim 10, wherein the mechanical contact sensors produce a signal upon contact with the object to be examined.

12. The X-ray device of claim 8, wherein emergency braking is initiated when the distance between the moving parts and the object to be examined fall below a safety threshold.

13. The X-ray device of claim 8, wherein the means for monitoring the distance include a separate video system to continuously monitor the motion of the X-ray source and the X-ray detector.

14. The X-ray device of claim 1, wherein the common holding device is rigid, such that the distance between the X-ray source and the X-ray detector and the orientation of both elements relative to one another are invariable.

15. The X-ray device of claim 1, wherein the X-ray source and the X-ray detector are mounted on the common holding device by a displacement device such that the X-ray source and the X-ray detector are displaceable along an axis.

16. The X-ray device of claim 1, wherein the second end of the supporting device is connected to the room at a connection point such that the rotational hinge permits rotation about an axis that extends perpendicularly out from the connection point.

17. The X-ray device of claim 1, wherein three of the six hinges of the supporting device are plane hinges.

18. An X-ray device comprising:

an X-ray source and an X-ray detector which are mounted at different ends of a common holding device, the common holding device being connectable to a room by a supporting device,

wherein the supporting device comprises a plurality of hinged, serially interconnected supporting members connected by six hinges, each of the hinges enabling rotation about an axis of rotation so that the supporting device has six separate axes of rotation, wherein the holding device is composed of at least two holding members, the X-ray source being mounted on a first holding member whereas the X-ray detector is mounted on a second holding member, and wherein the distance between the X-ray source and the X-ray detector is changeable by moving the first and second holding members such that an imaging scale and a size of the examination zone of the X-ray device are variable.

19. The X-ray device of claim 18, further comprising a third holding member connected to the supporting device, wherein each of said first and second holding members is connected to said third holding member via a hinge, said first and second holding members being individually controllable to change the distance between the X-ray source and the X-ray detector such that the imaging scale and the size of the examination zone of the X-ray device are variable.

20. The X-ray device of claim 18, wherein three of the six hinges of the supporting device are plane hinges.

21. An X-ray device comprising:

an X-ray source and an X-ray detector which are mounted at different ends of a common holding device, the common holding device being connectable to a room by a supporting device,

wherein the supporting device comprises a plurality of hinged, serially interconnected supporting members, such that the supporting device is a serial manipulator, and wherein the supporting device is a flexible arm comprising six separate hinges, each of the hinges enabling rotation about an axis of rotation such that the supporting device has six separate axes of rotation.

22. The X-ray device of claim 21, wherein three of the six hinges of the supporting device are plane hinges.