Method for controlling the movement of a mobile part of an x-ray recording system, and an x-ray recording system coupled to video cameras

• US 8,164,631 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2008
• Issued: 04/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthineers AG (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Klingenbeck-Regn, Klaus
• Primary Examiner(s): Donaghue, Larry
• Application Number:
  US12/171,637
• Publication Number:
  US 20090015669A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,383 Days
• Field of Search: 348/77, 348/171
• US Class Current: 348/171
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/102 Protection against mechanical damage, e.g. anti-collision devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/461 Displaying means of special interest
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/547 involving tracking of position of the device or parts of the device

Abstract

With an x-ray imaging system with a moveable part, obstacles can stand in the way of the movement of the moveable part. In accordance with the invention, video cameras capture the occupation of the space by objects using volume elements. It is possible to determine at a target movement of the moveable part which volume elements are passed through during this. If one of these volume elements proves to be a volume element occupied by an object, the movement of the moveable part is prevented, otherwise it is enabled or actively implemented.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a movement of a moveable part of an x-ray imaging system, comprising:

providing a video camera that records an image of a space passed through by the moveable part during the movement;

dividing the space into a plurality of volume elements;

detecting whether an object is occupied in the volume elements;

defining a target movement of the moveable part;

determining the volume elements that the moveable part pass through during the target movement;

checking whether the volume elements that the moveable part pass through during the target movement are occupied by the object;

preventing the target movement if the volume elements are occupied by the object; and

enabling the target movement if the volume elements are not occupied by the object.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein an optical, acoustic or haptic warning message is sent to an operator for preventing the target movement.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the target movement is implemented immediately if the volume elements are not occupied by the object.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the x-ray imaging system is an x-ray system.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the moveable part is an x-ray C-arm of the x-ray C-arm system.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the target movement comprises a circular arc movement.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the target movement comprises a movement from a predefined position to another predefined position.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a type of the object occupied in the volume elements during the target movement is notified to an operator based on the image recorded by the video camera.

9. An x-ray imaging system, comprising:

a moveable part;

a video camera that records an image of a space passed through by the moveable part during a movement; and

a control unit that;

divides the space into a plurality of volume elements;

detects whether an object is occupied in the volume elements;

defines a target movement of the moveable part;

determines the volume elements that the moveable part pass through during the target movement;

checks whether the volume elements that the moveable part pass through during the target movement are occupied by the object;

prevents the target movement if the volume elements are occupied by the object; and

enables the target movement if the volume elements are not occupied by the object.