Digital display for medical imaging system bore

Abstract

A medical imaging system includes a gantry having an inner bore surface defining a bore for receiving a patient, wherein a digital display is attached to the inner bore surface of the bore. The system also includes a couch for moving the patient into the bore. Further, visual content having a calming effect on the patient is displayed on the display.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] Aspects of the present invention relate to a medical imaging system, and more particularly to a medical imaging system comprising a gantry having an inner bore surface defining a bore for accommodating a patient, wherein a digital display is attached to the inner bore surface of the bore for displaying visual content for the patient. BACKGROUND

[0002] Medical imaging systems comprise a bore to accommodate a patient to be imaged or scanned. The bore is typically elongated and forms a tunnel which can be imposing or intimidating for those young or adult people suffering from claustrophobia. This effect becomes more pronounced as the average bore length of medical imaging systems such as positron emission tomography / computed tomography (PET / CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems tends to be longer. In the past cases, a typical PET / CT scanner bore cover included internal components necessary to achieve an axial field of view (aFoV) between 160 and 250 mm, there are now scanners with aFoVs close to 1 m or longer. The same applies to MRI where standard bore cover lengths are typically larger than 1.5 mm. In addition to the imposing nature of the scanner, the patient / technician interaction is further limited when the patient is engulfed by the long system, leaving very few options for the technician and the patient to interact. SUMMARY

[0003] A medical imaging system for imaging a patient is disclosed. The system comprises a gantry having an inner bore surface defining a bore for accommodating a patient, wherein the gantry comprises an imaging device for imaging the patient located in the bore. The system further comprises a couch for moving the patient into the bore. Moreover, the system comprises a digital display attached to an upper portion of the inner bore surface of the bore to enable the patient to view the display along a longitudinal axis of the system.

[0004] The person skilled in the art can apply the respective features of the present invention in any combination or sub-combination, jointly or separately. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0005] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are further described in the following detailed description in connection with the appended drawings, wherein:

[0006] Figure 1 A medical imaging system according to an aspect of the present invention is depicted.

[0007] Figure 2 is a front view of a medical imaging system and depicts a digital display attached to the inner bore surface of the bore according to an aspect of the present invention.

[0008] Figure 3The configuration for the digital display is described.

[0009] Figure 4 An exemplary PET detector ring is depicted.

[0010] Figure 5 It is along Figure 3 The image shows a side view of the display in line of sight 5-5, and also depicts cross-sectional side views of the first, second, and third PET detector rings and the medical imaging system. Detailed Implementation

[0011] Although various embodiments incorporated into the teachings of this disclosure have been shown and described in detail herein, those skilled in the art can readily devise many other variations of embodiments still incorporating these teachings. The scope of this disclosure is not limited in its application to the construction details and component arrangements of the exemplary embodiments set forth in the specification or illustrated in the drawings. This disclosure covers other embodiments practiced or implemented in various ways. Furthermore, it should be understood that the wording and terminology used herein are for descriptive purposes and should not be construed as limiting. The use of “comprising,” “including,” or “having,” and variations thereof herein is intended to cover the items listed thereafter and their equivalents, as well as additional items. Unless otherwise specified or limited, the terms “mounted,” “connected,” “supported,” and “coupled,” and variations thereof are used extensively and cover direct and indirect mounting, connection, support, and coupling. Furthermore, “connected” and “coupled” are not limited to physical or mechanical connections or couplings.

[0012] refer to Figure 1Fig. 1 shows a view of a medical imaging system 10 according to an aspect of the present application. The present application can be used in conjunction with any medical imaging system 10 having a substantially circular bore 12 for accommodating a patient 14, such as a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system, a positron emission tomography (PET) system, a single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) system, a PET / MRI system, an X-ray computed tomography (CT) system, a PET / CT system, a SPECT / CT system, and other systems. For the purpose of illustration, the present application will be described in conjunction with a known PET / CT system 16 having a CT portion 15 and a PET portion 17. The CT portion 15 comprises a recording unit including an X-ray source 18 and an X-ray detector 20. The recording unit rotates around a longitudinal axis 22 during recording of a tomographic image, and the X-ray source 18 emits X-rays 24 during helical recording. The patient 14 lies on a bed 26 when an image is being recorded. The bed 26 is connected to a table base 28 so that it supports the bed 26 carrying the patient 14. The bed 26 is designed to move the patient 14 along a recording direction through the bore 12 of a gantry 30 of the system 16. The table base 28 comprises a control unit 32 connected to a computer 34 for exchanging data. In the example shown here, a medical diagnostic or treatment unit is designed in the form of the system 16 by a determination unit 36 in the form of a stored computer program that can be executed on the computer 34. The computer 34 is connected to an output unit 38 and an input unit 40. The output unit 40 is, for example, one (or more) liquid crystal display (LCD) or (one or more) plasma screen. The output 42 on the output unit 38 comprises, for example, a graphical user interface for actuating the individual units of the system 16 and the control unit 32. In addition, different views of the recorded data can be displayed on the output unit 38. The input unit 40 is, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, a touch screen, or a microphone for voice input.

[0013] The bore 12 of the system 10, 16 is defined by an inner bore surface 44 which can comprise at least one bore cover. The bore 12 extends through the system 16 to form an elongated bore tunnel 46 (indicated by the arrow) for the patient 14 to lie in during recording of an image. Figure 2), which can be imposing or intimidating to a young person or adult suffering from claustrophobia. There are design aesthetics that can be used to reduce the appearance of the depth of the bore 12. These include tapering both the bore tunnel 46 and the housing as the eye progresses back along the gantry 30. However, this is only efficient from certain vantage points and is ineffective for the patient 14 inside the bore tunnel 46. Devices such as colored lights located on the medical imaging system can be used to provide a calming effect for the patient 14. In this regard, the entire disclosure of U.S. Patent Publication No. 2013 / 0345543 Al to Steibel, JR. et al., published December 26, 2013, is incorporated herein by reference. In addition, music, air flow, clothing draped over the patient's eyes, thematic gantry wraps used to distract the patient 14, and other soothing measures or devices can have a calming effect on the patient 14, but provide limited effectiveness. Furthermore, attempts have been made to address the need to stimulate the patient 14 in the bore 12, such as using mirrors on the face mask to allow the patient 14 to see projections, screens, light emitting diode (LED) screens on headgear, or technicians stationed outside the scanner. However, such approaches are cumbersome and can result in patient discomfort, setup difficulties, and problems with attenuation correction.

[0014] Reference is made to Figure 2 , showing a front view of an alternative configuration for the system 16, in which the table base 28 is offset relative to the bore 12. In accordance with an aspect of the present application, a digital display 48 is attached to an upper portion 50 of the bore inner surface 44, such that the display 48 is visible to the patient 14. The display 48 can be a light emitting diode (LED) display 48 made of an array of LEDs or an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display 48 made of an array of OLEDs. It will be appreciated that other types of digital displays can be used. The display 48 can be used to generate both images and text that augment the auditory cues in order to provide an enhanced patient experience.

[0015] Reference is made to Figure 3The diagram illustrates a configuration for display 48. Display 48 may have a curved or arcuate shape corresponding to the shape of the inner surface 44 of the aperture. In one aspect of the invention, display 48 has a substantially semi-circular shape (i.e., a central angle of approximately 180 degrees) and extends in an axial direction corresponding to the longitudinal axis 22. This makes display 48 visible along the longitudinal axial segment in aperture 12. Alternatively, display 48 may have a substantially circular shape (i.e., a central angle of approximately 360 degrees), such that display 48 substantially covers the entire inner surface 44 of the aperture and has an annular shape. According to one aspect of the invention, other curved or arcuate configurations with a central angle greater than or less than 180 degrees may be used. In embodiments of the invention, the range of the central angle may be between approximately 10 degrees and 180 degrees.

[0016] Display 48 can be laminated onto the inner surface 44 of the aperture. Alternatively, display 48 can be directly printed onto the inner surface 44 of the aperture using, for example, known cylindrical coordinate robotics and / or additive manufacturing techniques. Printing display 48 directly onto the inner surface 44 of the aperture, such as directly onto an aperture cap forming part of the inner surface 44, allows display 48 to withstand lower stress levels, thereby improving the durability of display 48. Advantageously, OLED display 48 provides low degradation, so the operation of system 16 and the quality of scanning or images are substantially unaffected by the use of OLED display 48.

[0017] The PET portion 17 of system 16 includes at least one PET detector ring 52 (see Figure 4 Each PET detector ring 52 includes a plurality of known PET detectors 54 arranged in a ring configuration on a base plate 56. (Reference) Figure 5 It shows along Figure 3 A side view of display 48 at line of sight 5-5. For illustrative purposes, a cross-sectional side view of the first PET detector ring 58, the second PET detector ring 60, and the third PET detector ring 62, as well as the system 16, is also shown. Figure 5 As shown in the diagram. It should be understood that more or fewer than three PET detector rings 58, 60, and 62 may be used. A longitudinal axis 22 extends through the PET detector rings 58, 60, and 62. A PET detector 56 defines an axial field of view (aFoV) 64, which extends in the same direction as the longitudinal axis 22. During known operation of the PET portion 17 of system 16, an annihilation event occurs in aFoV 64, where electrons interact with positrons to generate gamma radiation, which is then detected by the PET detector 56. The detection of gamma radiation is used to generate a PET image, which is then combined with a CT image generated by the CT portion 15 of system 16 to provide an image of the patient or a portion of the patient's anatomy.

[0018] Electronic components associated with conventional displays, such as OLED displays, can be distributed throughout display 48. According to one aspect of the invention, electronic components associated with display 48 that may affect the image quality generated by system 16—such as capacitors, transistors, inductors, integrated circuits, and other components—are located outside the aFoV 64 in the electronic component region 66 of display 48. By way of example, the electronic component region can be located at the rear 68 of display 48. The location of the electronic components outside the aFoV 64 ensures that the portion of display 48 within the aFoV 64 provides relatively low attenuation characteristics that do not affect image quality. Alternatively, known image artifact correction techniques can be used to correct image artifacts generated due to the electronic components located within the aFoV 64.

[0019] In another embodiment, a portion of the display 48 may extend outside the aperture 12 and onto the outer surface of the gantry 30, or a separate display may be located outside the aperture 12, allowing the patient 14 to view the display 48 during imaging as the patient 14 is moved into the aperture 12. This provides a substantially seamless patient experience as the patient 14 moves from outside to inside the aperture 12 on the bed 26.

[0020] Alternatively, the display 48 can be made from a known flexible OLED array to form the flexible OLED display 48. This facilitates mounting the flexible OLED display 48 into the aperture 12 and ensures that the shape of the display 48 substantially conforms to the shape of the inner surface 44 of the aperture. Furthermore, providing the flexible display 48 facilitates the retrofitting of existing imaging systems currently used with the flexible display 48.

[0021] According to one aspect of the invention, the display 48 can be used to display visual content and can be personalized by the patient 14 or a clinician. In embodiments, the display 48 can be used to sedate the patient 14 or for patient instructions. The display 48 can also be used as an apparatus for stimulation, decoration, or clinic advertising. Regarding sedation, the display 48 can be used to display a virtual ceiling such that when the patient 14 moves along the longitudinal axis 22 on the bed 26 from outside the system 16 into the aperture 12, it appears to the patient 14 as if they are looking up unobstructed at the ceiling of the room where the patient 14 is located. Furthermore, colors and images pre-selected by the patient 14 (possibly via a software application) can be displayed during scanning and can be used in conjunction with auditory cues. In embodiments, the display 48 can be configured to wirelessly communicate with a mobile computing device such as a smartphone. The system 16 may also include a communication interface 70, such as a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port, to enable the downloading or uploading of software applications.

[0022] Display 48 can also be used as a focusing agent or to entertain patient 14. For example, animation or cartoons can be used to attract a child's attention by flowing across display 48 and then suddenly stopping, subconsciously enticing the child to perform certain tasks. This activity can be part of a game available in a software application before the scan begins to familiarize the child with the scanning procedure, making the scan a continuation of the game. Alternatively, display 48 can display images that are simply for entertainment or a live video feed of a trusted person or pet with which patient 14 can interact during the scan. For deaf patients, visual cues replace auditory cues, and researchers will have a new set of tools at their disposal to study how the brain works.

[0023] While specific embodiments of this disclosure have been illustrated and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. Therefore, it is intended that all such changes and modifications be covered within the scope of this disclosure by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A medical imaging system for imaging a patient, comprising: a gantry having an inner bore surface defining a bore for receiving a patient, wherein the gantry includes an imaging device for imaging a patient positioned in the bore; a couch for moving a patient into the bore; and a digital display attached to the inner bore surface of the bore, wherein the display includes light-emitting elements that generate visual content, and wherein the display extends outside the bore and onto an outer surface of the gantry. The display is located in an upper portion of the inner bore surface to enable the patient to view the display along a longitudinal axis of the system.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein, The display covers approximately 360 degrees of the inner bore surface.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein, The imaging device defines a field of view, and electronic components associated with the display are located within the display and outside the field of view.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein, The system is a positron emission tomography / x-ray computed tomography (PET / CT) system.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein, 6. A method of displaying visual content to a patient positioned in a medical imaging system for imaging a patient, comprising: providing a gantry having an inner bore surface defining a bore for receiving a patient, wherein the gantry includes an imaging device for imaging a patient positioned in the bore; providing a couch for moving a patient into the bore; providing a digital display attached to the inner bore surface of the bore; and displaying visual content to the patient that has a calming effect on the patient, wherein the display includes light-emitting elements that generate visual content, and wherein the display extends outside the bore and onto an outer surface of the gantry. The visual content includes displaying a virtual ceiling on the display so that when the patient is inside the bore, the patient feels as though they are looking up at the ceiling of the room.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein, The visual content includes displaying colors and images selected by the patient prior to imaging and in conjunction with auditory cues during imaging.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein, The visual content further includes engaging the patient by displaying a game on the display that familiarizes the patient with the scanning procedure.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein, The display is located in an upper portion of the inner bore surface to enable the patient to view the display along a longitudinal axis of the system.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein, The display has a substantially semi-circular shape.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein, The system is a positron emission tomography / x-ray computed tomography (PET / CT) system.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein, 13. A medical imaging system for imaging a patient, comprising: a gantry having an inner bore surface defining a bore for receiving a patient, wherein the gantry includes an imaging device for imaging a patient positioned in the bore; a couch for moving a patient into the bore; and a digital display attached to an upper portion of the inner bore surface of the bore to enable the patient to view the display along a longitudinal axis of the system, wherein the display includes light-emitting elements that generate visual content, and wherein the display extends outside the bore and onto an outer surface of the gantry. The display covers approximately 360 degrees of the inner bore surface. The imaging device defines a field of view, and electronic components associated with the display are located within the display and outside the field of view.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein, ​ 15. The system of claim 14, wherein, ​ 16. The system of claim 13, wherein, The system is a positron emission tomography / x-ray computed tomography (PET / CT) system.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein, Visual content having a calming effect on a patient is displayed.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein, The visual content includes displaying a virtual ceiling on the display such that when the patient is inside the bore, the patient feels as though they are looking up at the ceiling of the room.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein, The visual content includes displaying colors and images selected by the patient prior to imaging and displayed in conjunction with an auditory cue during imaging.

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