Medical unit and method for improving examination and treatment workflows

• US 9,468,395 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2009
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthineers AG (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GMBH (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Fontius, Jrg Ulrich
• Primary Examiner(s): Fernandez, Katherine
• Assistant Examiner(s): BOR, HELENE CATHERINE
• Application Number:
  US12/321,907
• Publication Number:
  US 20090192384A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,821 Days
• Field of Search: 600/413, 600/421, 128/898
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00694 with means correcting for movement of or for synchronisation with the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/061 for measuring dimensions, e.g. length
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/20 Surgical navigation systems; Devices for tracking or guiding surgical instruments, e.g. for frameless stereotaxis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/721 using a separate sensor to detect motion or using motion information derived from signals other than the physiological signal to be measured
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7285 for synchronising or triggering a physiological measurement or image acquisition with a physiological event or waveform, e.g. an ECG signal A61B6/5205, A61B6/541, A61B8/5207, A61B8/543 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/03 Computed tomography [CT] echo-tomography A61B8/14
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/5264 due to motion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/527 using data from a motion artifact sensor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/541 involving acquisition triggered by a physiological signal
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/88 Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications electromagnetic prospecting or detecting of objects, e.g. near-field detection, G01V3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/89 for mapping or imaging

Abstract

The invention relates to a medical unit comprises a 3D radar array for the detection of positional or movement data of objects in an examination space and a processing unit for the evaluation of the detected data, with the processing unit being connected to the medical unit and to the 3D radar array, and with the evaluated data being used to control the medical unit or for post-processing data acquired by the medical diagnostic or therapeutic unit. The invention also relates to a method for improving examination or treatment workflows with the medical unit, comprising: detecting positional or movement data of objects in the examination space by the 3D radar array; generating control commands for the medical unit based on the detected data; and post-processing image or spectroscopy data received by the medical based on the detected data. The medical unit is a medical diagnostic or therapeutic unit.

Claims

1. A medical unit, comprising:

a medical device;

a 3D radar array that detects positional data of an object in an examination space of the medical device;

a processing unit that monitors a movement of the object based on the detected data;

a control unit that controls the medical device based on the monitored movement of the object; and

a post-processing unit that post-processes medical data acquired by the medical device, wherein the post-processing comprises of correcting movement artifacts based on the monitored movement of the object.

2. The medical unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the 3D radar array is arranged in a patient couch of the medical device.

3. The medical unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the 3D radar array is arranged in a cavity that surrounds the examination space of the medical device.

4. The medical unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the 3D radar array adjustably operates in different frequency ranges.

5. The medical unit as claimed in claim 4, wherein the 3D radar array simultaneously operates in the different frequency ranges.

6. The medical unit as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a plurality of 3D radar arrays that are operated in the different frequency ranges.

7. The medical unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the 3D radar array does not undergo any spurious interactions with the medical device.

8. The medical unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processing unit, the control unit, and the post-processing unit are integrated into a single unit.

9. The medical unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the medical device is a medical imaging device.

10. The medical unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the medical device is a medical diagnostic or therapeutic device.

11. A method for improving workflows of a medical unit comprising a medical device, comprising:

detecting movement data of an object in an examination space of the medical device by a 3D radar array;

monitoring a movement of the object based on the detected data;

generating a control command for the medical device based on the monitored movement of the object; and

post-processing medical data received the medical device, wherein the post-processing comprises correcting movement artifacts of the medical data based on the monitored movement of the object.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the control command triggers the medical device.

13. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the control command pauses or aborts an examination or treatment with the medical device.

14. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the control command controls a temporal flow of an examination or treatment with the medical device.

15. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the movement data comprises data selected form the group of:

a heart movement of a patient, a breathing movement of the patient, movement of the patient, a dimension of a body part of the patient, and a position of the body part of the patient.

16. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the workflow is an examination or treatment workflow of the medical device.

17. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the medical data comprises image data or spectroscopy data.