Positioning of an examination table relative to a medical imaging apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10181074-B2
Application number	US-201514854362-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 15, 2015
Priority date	Sep 16, 2014
Publication date	Jan 15, 2019
Grant date	Jan 15, 2019

Abstract

The automated positioning of an examination table relative to a medical-technical imaging installation is provided. A camera image is frozen by a first user interaction. Reference information is defined in the frozen camera image by a second user interaction. An examination table or medical-technical imaging installation with the aid of a positioning system is moved based on congruence between the reference location information with a recording region of the medical-technical imaging installation.

First claim

We claim:

1. An apparatus for automated positioning of an examination table relative to a medical-technical imaging installation comprising:
at least one camera aligned with an examination table; and
a display and operating unit, designed for outputting a camera image, including at least one microprocessor; the microprocessor configured to cause the apparatus to:
continuously evaluate the camera image before the camera image is frozen;
recognize a pointing gesture in the camera image;
upon recognition of the pointing gesture, freeze the camera image on the display and operating unit in a manner temporally dependent on a first user interaction, wherein the pointing gesture is the first user interaction;
define reference location information on the examination table in the frozen camera image based on at least one second user interaction; and
move the examination table or the medical-technical imaging installation with aid of a positioning system, wherein the reference location information is brought to congruence with a recording region of the medical-technical imaging installation.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the microprocessor is further configured to cause the apparatus to:
define marking location information based on the recognized pointing gesture.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the microprocessor is further configured to cause the apparatus to:
provisionally define the reference location information at a defined distance from the marking location information; or
provisionally define the reference location information in accordance with the marking location information.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the microprocessor is further configured to cause the apparatus to:
detect a displacement of the reference location information by the second user interaction; or
detect a confirmation of the reference location information by the second user interaction.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising:
a touchscreen,
wherein the microprocessor is further configured to cause the apparatus to:
store the reference location information, the marking location information, or the reference location information and the marking location information as a point in two-dimensional space, a line in two-dimensional space, an area in two-dimensional space, a line in three-dimensional space, a plane in three-dimensional space, or a volume in three-dimensional space;
represent the reference location information, the marking location information, or the reference location information and the marking location as a movable positioning graphic displayed above the frozen camera image on the display and operating unit; and
displace the reference location information based on the second user interaction above the frozen camera image on the touchscreen.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the movable positioning graphic is a line, a pair of lines, or a rectangle.

7. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the reference location information, the marking location information, or the reference location information and the marking location information two-dimensionally or three-dimensionally map(s) a region of an organ,
wherein the region of the organ is brought to congruence with the recording region of the medical-technical imaging installation by the positioning.

8. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the microprocessor is further configured to cause the apparatus to:
recognize a two-handed gesture as the pointing gesture,
wherein the marking location information, the reference location information, or the marking location information and the reference location information describe(s) a region to be scanned,
wherein the region to be scanned is brought to congruence with the recording region of the medical-technical imaging installation by the positioning.

9. An apparatus for automated positioning of an examination table relative to a medical-technical imaging installation comprising:
at least one camera aligned with an examination table; and
a display and operating unit, designed for outputting a camera image, including at least one microprocessor; the microprocessor configured to cause the apparatus to:
continuously recognize a pointing gesture in the camera image before the camera image is frozen;
continuously visually output the respectively recognized pointing gesture on the display and operating unit;
define marking location information in a manner dependent on the pointing gesture recognized at a point in time of a first user interaction;
freeze the camera image on the display and operating unit in a manner temporally dependent on the first user interaction;
define reference location information on the examination table in the frozen camera image based on at least one second user interaction; and
move the examination table or the medical-technical imaging installation with aid of a positioning system, wherein the reference location information is brought to congruence with a recording region of the medical-technical imaging installation.

10. A method for automated positioning of an examination table relative to a medical-technical imaging installation, the method comprising:
continuously evaluating, by at least one microprocessor, a camera image before the camera image is frozen;
recognizing, by the at least one microprocessor, a pointing gesture in the camera image;
freezing, by the at least one microprocessor, the camera image on a display and operating unit upon recognition of the pointing gesture by the at least one microprocessor, wherein the freezing is temporally dependent on a first user interaction, and wherein the pointing gesture is the first user interaction;
defining, by the at least one microprocessor, reference location information on the examination table aligned with at least one camera in the frozen camera image based on at least one second user interaction; and
positioning the examination table or the medical-technical imaging installation with aid of a positioning system, wherein the reference location information is brought to congruence with a recording region of the medical-technical imaging installation.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
defining, by the at least one microprocessor, marking location information based on the recognized pointing gesture.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
provisionally defining, by the at least one microprocessor, the reference location information at a defined distance from the marking location information; or
provisionally defining, by the at least one microprocessor, the reference location information in accordance with the marking location information.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12 , further comprising:
detecting, by the at least one microprocessor, a displacement of the reference location information by the second user interaction; or
detecting, by the at least one microprocessor, a confirmation of the reference location information by the second user interaction.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
storing, by the at least one microprocessor, the reference location information, the marking location information, or the reference location information and the marking location information as a point in two-dimensional space, a line in two-dimensional space, an area in two-dimensional space, a plane in three-dimensional space, or a volume in three-dimensional space;
representing, by the at least one microprocessor, the reference location information, the marking location information, or the reference location information and the marking location information as a movabl

Assignees

• Braun Christoph
• Hannemann Thilo
• Uebler Johann
• Siemens Ag

Inventors

• Braun Christoph
• Hannemann Thilo
• Uebler Johann

Classifications

• G06V10/945

  User interactive design; Environments; Toolboxes · CPC title

• G06V40/28

  Recognition of hand or arm movements, e.g. recognition of deaf sign language (static hand signs G06V40/113) · CPC title

• A61B6/032 Primary

  Transmission computed tomography [CT] · CPC title

• G06F18/40

  Software arrangements specially adapted for pattern recognition, e.g. user interfaces or toolboxes therefor · CPC title

• G06K9/6253

  Physics · mapped topic