Portable medical imaging system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11986333-B2
Application number	US-202117355428-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 23, 2021
Priority date	Feb 3, 2016
Publication date	May 21, 2024
Grant date	May 21, 2024

Abstract

Medical imaging devices, systems, and methods thereof. The medical imaging system may include a movable station and a gantry. The movable station includes a gantry mount rotatably attached to the gantry. The gantry includes an outer C-arm slidably mounted to and operable to slide relative to the gantry mount, an inner C-arm slidably coupled to the outer C-arm and, an imaging signal transmitter and sensor attached to the C-arms. The two C-arms work together to provide a full 360 degree rotation of the imaging signal transmitter. The movable station may include a motion control system and an imaging control system. In embodiments, the motion control system includes omni-directional wheels for precision controlled-movement of the movable station.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A portable medical imaging system comprising:
a movable station comprising a housing having a vertical shaft defining a z-axis;
a movable c-arm having a first end and a second end;
a gantry mount attached to the vertical shaft;
a z-axis motor coupled to the vertical shaft and adapted to vertically move the gantry mount along the z-axis;
an x-axis motor coupled to the vertical shaft and adapted to rotate the gantry mount about an x-axis lateral to the z-axis;
an imaging signal transmitter attached to the first end of the movable c-arm and an imaging sensor positioned opposite to the imaging signal transmitter and attached to the second end of the movable c-arm; and
a first translation device mounting the imaging signal transmitter to the first end of the c-arm and a second translation device mounting the imaging sensor to the second end of the c-arm;
a plurality of omni-directional wheels allowing multiple-axis movement of the portable imaging system;
a plurality of sensors for detecting a desired movement of the movable station; and
a control system responsive to the plurality of sensors for controlling the multiple-axis movement of the portable imaging system by actuating two or more of the plurality of omni-directional wheels,
wherein the imaging signal transmitter and imaging sensor are movable from a center axis of the medical imaging system via the first translation device and the second translation device such that the portable medical imaging system is operable to capture an enlarged field of view.

2. The portable medical imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the multiple axis movement is selected from the group consisting of: movement in a plane; movement in a 2-D coordinate system; and three axis movement in a forward-backward direction, movement in a side direction and rotation about a defined axis perpendicular to the forward-backward and side directions.

3. The portable medical imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sensors for detecting a desired movement are selected from the group consisting of a strain gauge, force-sensing resistor, a piezoelectric sensor, a piezo capacitive pressure sensor, a piezo resistor and a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) micro-scale strain gauge.

4. The portable medical imaging system of claim 1 , further comprising:
left and right handles attached to the housing,
wherein the plurality of sensors are mounted to the left and right handles for detecting a desired movement.

5. The portable medical imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of omni-directional wheels include left and right front wheels and left and right rear wheels, wherein the plurality of sensors are operable to sense a desired front left wheel force in a forward/backward direction, a desired rear left wheel force in the forward/backward direction, a desired rear left wheel force in a side direction, a desired front right wheel force in a forward/backward direction, a rear right wheel force in a side direction and a rear right wheel force in a backward/forward direction.

6. The portable medical imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sensors comprises a sensor array mounted in a planar configuration selected from the group consisting of a circular array, an elliptical array, a rectangular array and a square array.

7. The portable medical imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the movable c-arm includes a first C-arm slidably mounted to the gantry mount, and a second C-arm slidably coupled to the first C-arm, wherein the imaging signal transmitter and the imaging sensor are mounted on the second C-arm, the first and second C-arms together providing a 360 degree rotation of the imaging signal transmitter, further comprising:
a first motor that provides a sliding movement of the first C-arm relative to the gantry mount; and
a second motor that provides a sliding movement of the second C-arm relative to the first C-arm.

8. The medical imaging system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one motor under control of the control system for providing power to each of the plurality of omni-directional wheels.

9. The portable medical imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the control system is configured to place the movable station in the fine-tune mode.

10. The portable medical imaging system of claim 4 , further comprising a joystick, wherein the plurality of sensors for detecting a desired movement are mounted in the joystick, and wherein the desired movement is indicated by a movement of the joystick.

11. The medical imaging system of claim 7 , further comprising:
a cable carrier containing a plurality of electrical cables; and
a first cable router having a through-hole and mounted to an outer surface of the first C-arm, the cable carrier extending from the gantry mount over the outer surface of the first C-arm, through the through-hole of the first cable router and over an outer surface of the second C-arm.

12. A portable medical imaging system comprising:
a movable station comprising an imaging signal transmitter and an imaging sensor;
a gantry mount attached to the movable station; and
a gantry rotatably attached to the gantry mount and including a first C-arm slidably mounted to and operable to slide relative to the gantry mount;
a second C-arm slidably coupled to the first C-arm, the first and second C-arms together providing a 360 degree rotation of the imaging signal transmitter, wherein the imaging sensor and the imaging signal transmitter are mounted on the second C-arm;
at least one linear actuator mounted on the second C-arm, the at least one linear actuator adapted to move the imaging signal transmitter and/or an imaging sensor for movement in a linear axis on the movable station;
a plurality of omni-directional wheels allowing three-axis movement of the portable imaging system in a general area of a plane;
a plurality of sensors for detecting a desired movement of the movable station;
a control system responsive to the plurality of sensors for controlling the three-axis movement of the portable imaging system by actuating two or more of the plurality of omni-directional wheels, the control system further configured for controlling motion of the movable station and the at least one linear actuator, and for controlling imaging of the portable imaging system;
a cable carrier containing a plurality of electrical cables;
a first cable router having a through-hole and mounted to an outer surface of the first C-arm, the cable carrier extending from the gantry mount over the outer surface of the first C-arm, through the through-hole of the first cable router and over an outer surface of the second C-arm; and
a second cable router having a through-hole and mounted to an outer surface of the second C-arm, the cable carrier extending through the through-hole of the second cable router;
wherein the cable carrier extends in a first circumferential direction and enters the first cable router in a second circumferential direction opposite to the first circumferential direction to create a 180 degree service loop over the outer surface of the first C-arm; and
wherein the cable carrier extends in the first circumferential direction and enters the second cable router in the second circumferential direction to create a second 180 degree service loop over the outer surface of the second C-arm.

13. The portable medical imaging system of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of sensors for detecting a desired movement are selected from the group consisting of a strain gauge, force-sensing resistor, a piezoelectric sensor, a piezo capacitive pressure sensor, a piezo resistor and a m

Assignees

• Globus Medical Inc

Inventors

• Johnson Norbert
• Stevens Robert
• Salem Hisham
• Cheng Yuan

Classifications

• A61B6/4441 Primary

  the rigid structure being a C-arm or U-arm · CPC title

• A61B6/4405

  the apparatus being movable or portable, e.g. handheld or mounted on a trolley · CPC title

• A61B6/547

  involving tracking of position of the device or parts of the device · CPC title

• A61B6/56

  Details of data transmission or power supply, e.g. use of slip rings · CPC title

• H02G11/006

  using extensible carrier for the cable, e.g. self-coiling spring (extensible conductors or cables H01B7/06) · CPC title