Device for guiding a magnetic element

• US 7,616,983 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2005
• Issued: 11/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GMBH (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Reich, Hans-Joachim, Nekovar, Anton
• Primary Examiner(s): Casler; Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): RAMIREZ, JOHN FERNANDO
• Application Number:
  US11/230,802
• Publication Number:
  US 20060062347A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,512 Days
• Field of Search: 600/407, 600/410, 600/429, 600/431, 600/424, 600/426, 600/427, 378193-198, 335/296, 335/302, 335/306
• US Class Current: 600/427
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4441 the rigid structure being a C-arm or U-arm

Abstract

A device for guiding a magnetic element has magnet holders that can be pivoted about vertical axes from an operating position to a rest position, such that a patient to be examined can be examined using imaging devices, having X-ray radiation sources and X-ray detectors respectively attached to C-arms.

Claims

1. A device for guiding a magnetic element in a body to be examined in an operating area, the device comprising:

a support device for a body to be examined comprising a bed, said bed configured to be displaced longitudinally such that the bed can be moved longitudinally along an operating area allowing different regions of the body to be moved longitudinally into and out of the operating area;

at least one pair of guide magnets used to navigate a magnetic element in the body, said guide magnets disposed within a pair of floor-mounted magnet holders on opposite sides of the bed, each magnet holder fixed about a pivot point on a semi-circular rail support, to allow independent pivoting about a vertical axis at the pivot point and each magnet holder configured to be independently pivoted into the operating area on the semi-circular rail support so that the magnet holders have a common longitudinal axis and to be pivoted out of the operating area on the semi-circular rail support, wherein the semi-circular rail support allows the magnet holders to be moved without a great deal of force into and out of the operating area without a longitudinal movement of the magnet holders;

two C-shaped arms comprising imaging devices having a radiation source and a radiation detector arranged at opposite ends of each C-shaped arm;

wherein each C-shaped arm is configured to be pivoted about a radial axis of the arm and to be moved in a peripheral direction relative to a circle around the radial axis, mutually independent of the other C-shaped arm;

wherein a first floor-mounted C-shaped arm is mounted on a floor support at the head end of the bed; and

wherein a second ceiling mounted C-shaped arm is mounted on a ceiling support above the operating area and configured to be moved longitudinally along the ceiling out of the operating area into a rest position when the magnet holders are pivoted into the operating area and configured to be moved longitudinally along the ceiling into the operating area when the magnet holders are pivoted out of the operating area into a park position.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the guide magnets are held in the magnet holders and configured to be pivoted along with the magnet holders into an operating position perpendicular to a longitudinal axis common to both guide magnets.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the floor-mounted C-shaped arm is configured to be moved into a position away from a longitudinal axis of the bed by pivoting the floor support, thereby allowing the bed to be moved passed the floor-mounted C-shaped arm to examine an abdominal or urogenital area of the body.