SELF-GUIDED PORTABLE MEDICAL DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEM

• US 20080161672A1
• Filed: 10/17/2006
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Marar, Rajeev Ramankutty
• Granted Patent: US 8,983,663 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/407
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0431 Portable apparatus, e.g. comprising a handle or case
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7475 User input or interface means, e.g. keyboard, pointing device, joystick
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4405 the apparatus being movable or portable, e.g. handheld or mounted on a trolley
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/00 Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves imaging of objects using sonar G01S15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4405 Device being mounted on a trolley
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

The present invention provides a medical diagnostic device with an automatic moving mechanism. The device comprises an input interface for receiving instructions from an operator or from a remote device. A motion controller is coupled to the input interface for controlling movements of the diagnostic device based on the instructions received through the input interface. A moving assembly is coupled to the motion controller for moving the diagnostic device under control of the motion controller. In an embodiment, a method of guiding a portable imaging system through various locations in a hospital is disclosed. Also the invention discloses a self-guided portable imaging system.

Claims

1. A medical diagnostic device with an automatic moving mechanism, comprising:

an input interface for receiving instructions;

a motion controller coupled to the input interface for controlling movements of the medical diagnostic device based on the instructions received through the input interface; and

a moving assembly coupled to the motion controller for moving the medical diagnostic device under control of the motion controller.

2. A medical diagnostic device as in claim 1, wherein the input interface is a user interface, and the instructions represent movements commanded by a user.

3. A medical diagnostic device as in claim 1, wherein the input interface is configured to receive the instructions from a remote device.

4. A medical diagnostic device as in claim 1, wherein the medical diagnostic device is a medical imaging device.

5. A medical diagnostic device as in claim 4, wherein the medical imaging device is selected from a group consisting of a computed tomography imaging device, a positron emission tomography imaging device, a magnetic resonance imaging device, an ultrasound imaging device and an X-ray imaging device.

6. A medical diagnostic device as in claim 1, wherein the medical diagnostic device is a patient monitoring device.

7. A medical diagnostic device as in claim 6, wherein the patient monitoring device is selected from a group consisting of an electrocardiographic monitoring device, a blood pressure monitoring device, and an anaesthesia monitoring device.

8. A medical diagnostic device as in claim 1, wherein the input interface is a wireless interface.

9. A medical diagnostic device as in claim 1, wherein the motion controller is configured to receive the instructions from the input interface and to generate control signals based on the instructions, the control signals applied to the moving assembly for controlling movements of the medical diagnostic device.

10. A medical diagnostic device as in claim 1, wherein the moving assembly is configured to allow a linear and a 360 degree rotational movement of the medical diagnostic device.

11. A medical diagnostic device as in claim 2, wherein the moving assembly is configured to receive signals from the motion controller for moving the medical diagnostic device under manual control of the user.

12. A medical diagnostic device as in claim 3, wherein the moving assembly is configured to receive signals from the motion controller for moving the medical diagnostic device automatically without real-time manual control by a user.

13. A method of guiding a portable imaging system to locations in a hospital, the method comprising the steps of:

preparing a route map based on hospital data, the hospital data including hospital information;

obtaining a work list, the work list including patient information and job information;

determining a navigation route for movement of the imaging system based on the work list and the route map; and

moving the imaging system based on the navigation route.

14. A method of guiding a portable imaging system as in claim 13, wherein moving the imaging system includes moving the imaging system along the navigation route under manual control of a user.

15. A method of guiding a portable imaging system as in claim 13, wherein moving the imaging system includes moving the imaging system along the navigation route automatically without real-time manual control of a user.

16. A method of guiding a portable imaging system as in claim 13, wherein preparing a route map includes defining the route map from the hospital data.

17. A method of guiding a portable imaging system as in claim 13, wherein preparing a route map includes having a user manually enter the route map.

18. A method of guiding a portable imaging system as in claim 13, wherein preparing a route map includes fetching the route map from a server.

19. A method of guiding a portable imaging system as in claim 13, wherein the step of obtaining a work list includes fetching the work list from a server.

20. A method of guiding a portable imaging system as in claim 13, wherein the step of obtaining a work list includes having a user manually enter the work list.

21. A method of guiding a portable imaging system as in claim 13, wherein the step of determining a navigation route comprises:

defining movement paths of the imaging system based on the route map and the work list.

22. A method of guiding a portable imaging system as in claim 13, wherein the step of determining a navigation route comprises having a user manually enter the navigation route.

23. A method of guiding a portable imaging system as in claim 21, wherein the defining of movement paths is performed automatically.

24. A method of guiding a portable imaging system as in claim 13, wherein the imaging system includes a medical imaging device, the medical imaging device being selected from a group consisting of a computed tomography device, a positron emission tomography device, a magnetic resonance imaging device, an ultrasound imaging device and an X-ray device.

25. A self-guided portable medical imaging system, comprising:

a medical imaging device;

a robotic controller coupled to the medical imaging device, the robotic controller comprising;

a processor configured to guide the movement of the medical imaging device using a work list and a route map; and

a moving assembly operably coupled to the processor for moving the medical imaging device.

26. A self-guided portable medical imaging system as in claim 25, wherein the processor is configured to fetch the work list automatically from a server on a predefined interval, the work list including patient information and job information.

27. A self-guided portable medical imaging system as in claim 26, wherein the processor is further configured to generate a route map from hospital data, the hospital data being fetched from the server.

28. A self-guided portable medical imaging system as in claim 27, wherein the processor is further configured to generate a navigation route using the route map and the work list for controlling the moving assembly.

29. A self-guided portable medical imaging system as in claim 28, wherein the processor is further configured to provide security to the imaging device from unauthorized or wrong usage.

30. A self-guided portable medical imaging system as in claim 25, wherein the processor is further configured to control the movement of the medical imaging device automatically.

31. A self-guided portable medical imaging system as in claim 25, wherein the robotic controller comprises a user interface configured to receive movement commands from a user to manually direct the movement of the medical imaging device.

32. A self-guided portable medical imaging system as in claim 25, wherein the imaging device is one of a computed tomography device, a positron emission tomography device, a magnetic resonance imaging device, an ultrasound imaging device and an X-ray device.