Method and system for providing dual-axis motion using single drive

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and system for providing biaxial motion using a single drive. A system includes a drive system including a single motor, a transmission configured to transmit power from the single motor to a first ball screw via a first clutch, and a second clutch configured to transmit power from the first ball screw to a second ball screw. The system also includes a brake configured to apply a braking force to at least a portion of the drive system. The system also includes a control module configured to control operation of one or more of the single motor, the first clutch, the second clutch, and the brake, where the control module is configured to move the scissor arm in a horizontal direction in a first configuration and to adjust a vertical height of the scissor arm in a second configuration.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the invention patent application with application number 202011118497.9 and invention name “Method and system for providing dual-axis motion using a single drive”. Technical Field

[0002] Certain embodiments relate to moving an object in two dimensions. More specifically, certain embodiments relate to methods and systems for providing dual-axis motion using a single drive. Background Art

[0003] As part of the diagnostic process, a medical imager is sometimes used to image at least a portion of a patient's body. The imager can be, for example, a computer axial tomography (CAT) scanner, a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner, a positron emission tomography (PET) scanner, single photon emission tomography, etc., as well as hybrid imagers of the above technologies. The patient can be placed on a bed on a table (gantry), and the table can be moved to an appropriate position so that the imager can make appropriate images of the patient. The table can also be raised to a suitable height for the imager to begin imaging the patient, and lowered after the imager has completed imaging the patient.

[0004] Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches will become apparent to those skilled in the art by comparing such systems with certain aspects of the present disclosure as set forth in the remainder of this application with reference to the accompanying figures. Summary of the invention

[0005] There is provided a system and / or method for providing dual axis motion using a single drive, substantially as shown and / or described in connection with at least one of the accompanying drawings.

[0006] These and other advantages, aspects and novel features of the present disclosure, as well as details of illustrated embodiments thereof, will be more fully understood from the following description and drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] Figure 1 is an illustration of an exemplary dual-axis movement system for moving a patient bed according to various embodiments.

[0008] Figure 2 For moving a patient bed in a vertical direction according to various embodiments Figure 1 Illustration of an exemplary system.

[0009] Figure 3 For moving a patient bed in a horizontal direction according to various embodiments Figure 1 Illustration of an exemplary system.

[0010] Figure 4For moving a patient bed in standby mode according to various embodiments Figure 1 Illustration of an exemplary system.

[0011] Figure 5A For holding a patient bed in a locked position according to various embodiments Figure 1 Illustration of an exemplary system.

[0012] Figure 5B Another method for maintaining a patient bed in a locked position according to various embodiments Figure 1 Illustration of an exemplary system.

[0013] Figure 6 is a block diagram of an imaging system including a system for moving a patient bed according to various embodiments.

[0014] Figure 7 For use according to various embodiments Figure 1 Flowchart of an exemplary system for capturing patient images. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] Certain embodiments may be found in methods and systems for facilitating movement of a patient couch in both horizontal and vertical directions using a single drive.

[0016] The foregoing Summary of the Invention and the following Detailed Description of certain embodiments will be better understood when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. To the extent that the drawings illustrate diagrams of functional blocks of various embodiments, the functional blocks do not necessarily represent divisions between mechanical parts and / or hardware circuits. Electrical and / or mechanical parts (such as a drive that provides power for moving a patient bed horizontally and / or vertically) can be, for example, an electric motor driving a mechanical device, a fluid pump driving a mechanical device, etc. The fluid pump can use hydraulic fluid or gas.

[0017] In addition, one or more of the functional blocks (e.g., a processor or memory) may be implemented in a single piece of hardware (e.g., a general purpose signal processor or random access memory block, a hard disk, etc.) or in multiple pieces of hardware. Similarly, a program may be a stand-alone program, may be included as a subroutine in an operating system, may be a function in an installed software package, etc.

[0018] It should be understood that the various embodiments are not limited to the arrangements and tools shown in the drawings. It should also be understood that the embodiments may be combined, or other embodiments may be utilized, and structural, logical, and electrical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the various embodiments. Therefore, the following detailed description should not be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present disclosure is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0019] As used herein, elements or steps listed in the singular and beginning with the word "one" or "an" should be understood not to exclude a plurality of said elements or steps, unless such exclusion is explicitly stated. In addition, references to "exemplary embodiments," "various embodiments," "certain embodiments," "representative embodiments," etc. are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the presence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the features of the narration. In addition, unless explicitly stated to the contrary, embodiments that "comprise," "include," or "have" an element or multiple elements having a particular property may include additional elements that do not have that property.

[0020] Also as used herein, the term "imager" refers broadly to CAT scanners, MRI scanners, and any other medical imager capable of scanning at least a portion of a patient.

[0021] Furthermore, as used herein, the term processor or processing unit refers to any type of processing unit, whether single-core or multi-core: CPU, accelerated processing unit (APU), graphics board, DSP, FPGA, ASIC, or a combination thereof, that can perform the required computations required by various implementations.

[0022] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a patient bed positioning system operable to move a patient bed using a dual-axis movement system according to various embodiments. Figure 1 , shows a patient bed positioning system 100, which includes a patient bed (or platform) 102, a table base 104, a control module 120, linear rails 106a and 106b, and a scissor arm 108. The patient bed positioning system 100 may also include a motor 122, a worm gear 126, a normally open clutch 128, a normally closed clutch 130, a drive shaft 132, a ball screw 134, a ball screw 136, and a normally open brake 138.

[0023] The scissor arm 108 may have a first upper end rotatably coupled to the patient bed 102 at a rotatable coupling with a linear bearing 103a on a linear track 106a, and a second upper end rotatably coupled to a fixed coupling point 103b of the patient bed 102. The scissor arm 108 may also have a first lower end rotatably coupled to the linear track 106b at a rotatable coupling with a linear bearing 103c, and a second lower end rotatably coupled to the linear track 106b at a rotatable coupling with a linear bearing 103d. The rotatable couplings with the linear bearings 103c and 103d have corresponding ball nuts 103e and 103f. When the scissor arm 108 cuts in or out, the rotatable couplings with the linear bearings 103a, 103c and / or 103d may slide along the corresponding linear tracks 106a and 106b. Thus, the patient bed 102 may move horizontally or vertically. Relative to Figure 2 and Figure 3 Explain this in more detail.

[0024] Although embodiments of the present disclosure describe the scissor arm 108 as being coupled to a rotatable coupling having linear bearings 103a, 103c, and 103d, various embodiments of the present disclosure may utilize one or more other rotatable couplings that allow for linear motion.

[0025] Power for moving the patient bed 102 is provided by the motor 122, and the power is transmitted to the ball screws 134 and 136 via the worm gear 126 and the drive shaft 132. For purposes of this disclosure, the worm gear 126 and the drive shaft 132 may be referred to as a transmission.

[0026] The normally open clutch 128 is used to transmit power to the ball screw 134, and the normally closed clutch 130 is used to transmit power to the ball screw 136. The normally open clutch 128 in its normal state does not transmit power from the drive shaft 132 to the ball screw 134. It needs to be activated to close (engage) so that it can transmit power from the drive shaft 132 to the ball screw 134. The normally closed clutch 130 in its normal state is configured to transmit power from the ball screw 134 to the ball screw 136. It needs to be deactivated to open (disengage) so that it does not transmit power from the ball screw 134 to the ball screw 136.

[0027] It should be noted that embodiments of the present invention transmit power from motor 122 to worm gear 126 to normally open clutch 128 which is activated to transmit power to ball screw 134 to normally closed clutch 130 to ball screw 136 .

[0028] When the normally open clutch 128 is closed, the ball screw 134 will rotate according to the rotation of the motor 122. Therefore, this will force the rotatable coupling with the linear bearing 103c to move horizontally on the linear track 106b.

[0029] When the normally closed clutch 130 is closed, the ball screw 136 will rotate in the direction in which the ball screw 134 rotates. This will force the rotatable coupling with linear bearing 103d to move horizontally on the linear track 106b.

[0030] The normally open brake 138 in the normal position does not apply a braking force on the ball screw 136 to prevent it from rotating. Therefore, the normally open brake 138 needs to be activated to the closed position to apply a braking force to hold the ball screw 136 in a fixed position to provide stability to the patient bed positioning system 100 as required. The brake 138 can be, for example, an electromagnetic brake or a mechanical brake used in the present disclosure, as well as any other type of brake to be disclosed in the future.

[0031] The control module 120 can be configured to control the motor 122 to rotate the ball screws 134 and 136. The control module 120 can use position feedback from, for example, a sensor. The sensor can be, for example, a position encoder 124, where the wire 125a can be connected to the anchor 125. In some embodiments, the position encoder 124 can be, for example, an absolute encoder. By determining the length of the wire that has been paid out or wound, the position encoder 124 can provide information about the position of the rotatable coupling with linear bearings 103c to the control module 120. Feedback can also be provided by other sensors that allow, for example, distance to be measured.

[0032] The control module 120 may also be configured to control the normally open clutch 128 , the normally closed clutch 130 , and the normally open brake 138 via commands sent over the wired line 121 .

[0033] In various embodiments of the present disclosure, communication from the control module 120 to any of the motor 122, the position encoder 124, the normally open clutch 128, the normally closed clutch 130, and the brake 138 may also be performed wirelessly using any of a variety of wireless technologies, such as, for example, Bluetooth communications, WiFi, ZigBee, proprietary protocols, etc. The control module 120 may include one or more processors, memory, and code executable by the one or more processors to perform various functions. The control module 120 may also include hardware circuits, such as glue logic, state machines, logic circuits, etc.

[0034] Since the various devices described for the patient bed positioning system 100 are well known to those skilled in the art, these devices will not be described in further detail. However, this does not preclude the use of devices that will be developed in the future and can be used to perform similar functions as described in the present disclosure.

[0035] Figure 2 For moving a patient bed in a vertical direction according to various embodiments Figure 1 See also Figure 2 , showing Figure 1 The patient bed positioning system 100 is configured to move the patient bed 102 in the vertical direction. The control module 120 may control the normally open brake 138 to be closed so as to provide a braking force to the ball screw 136 to prevent it from rotating. The control module 120 may control the normally closed clutch 130 to be opened so that the ball screw 136 does not receive any power generated by the motor 122. The control module 120 may control the normally open clutch 128 to be closed to allow power to be transmitted from the motor 122 to the ball screw 134.

[0036] Therefore, the upper right end of the scissor arm 108 cannot move because it is fixedly coupled to the fixed coupling point 103b, and the lower right end of the scissor arm 108 cannot move because the ball screw 136 has a braking force applied thereto by the normally open brake 138. Therefore, when the ball screw 134 rotates, the lower left end of the scissor arm 108 is forced to move horizontally. Since the upper right end and the lower right end of the scissor arm 108 cannot move, the scissor arm 108 moves to raise or lower the patient bed 102.

[0037] Figure 3 For moving a patient bed in a horizontal direction according to various embodiments Figure 1 See FIG. Figure 3 , showing Figure 1 The patient bed positioning system 100 is configured to move the patient bed 102 in a horizontal direction. The control module 120 may control the normally open brake 138 to open to allow the ball screw 136 to rotate. The control module 120 may control the normally closed clutch 130 to remain closed so that the ball screw 136 rotates together with the ball screw 134. The control module 120 may control the normally open clutch 128 to close to allow power to be transmitted from the motor 122 to the ball screw 134.

[0038] Therefore, since the lower right end of the scissor arm 108 moves together with the lower left end of the scissor arm 108, the scissor arm 108 maintains its shape (the scissors cannot be further opened or further closed). Instead, the scissor arm 108 as a whole is forced to move horizontally on the linear track 106b. Therefore, the patient bed 102 will also move horizontally with the scissor arm 108.

[0039] Figure 4 For placing a patient bed in standby mode according to various embodiments Figure 1 See FIG. Figure 4 , Figure 1 The patient bed positioning system 100 is in a standby or default configuration. This may be, for example, when the patient bed positioning system 100 is powered off. Therefore, the normally open clutch 128 is in an open position isolating the ball screw 134 from the motor 122. The normally closed clutch 130 is in a closed position to allow the ball screw 136 to rotate with the ball screw 134. If there is a force for rotating the ball screw 136, the normally open brake 138 is in an open position to allow the ball screw 136 to rotate.

[0040] Therefore, the ball screws 134 and 136 can rotate without strong resistance because the ball screw 134 is not coupled to the motor 122, and the ball screw 136 has no braking force applied thereto. Therefore, if a patient is on the patient bed 102, and the patient bed 102 is positioned in the imager when the power is off, the operator can pull the patient bed 102 out of the imager.

[0041] Figure 5A For holding a patient bed in a locked position according to various embodiments Figure 1 . The patient bed positioning system 100 may also be configured to prevent it from moving due to external disturbances. In this case, the clutches 128 and 130 may be set to a closed position to couple the motor 122 to the ball screws 134 and 136, and the brake 138 may be configured to apply a braking force to the ball screw 136.

[0042] Figure 5B Another method for maintaining a patient bed in a locked position according to various embodiments Figure 1 . The patient bed positioning system 100 can also be configured in another way to prevent it from moving due to external disturbances. In this case, the normally open clutch 128 remains open, and the normally closed clutch 130 remains closed to couple the ball screws 134 and 136, and the brake 138 can be configured to apply a braking force to the ball screw 136.

[0043] Figure 6 is a block diagram of an imaging system including a system for moving a patient bed according to various embodiments. Figure 6 , an imaging system 600 is shown, which includes a patient couch positioning system 610 that may be similar to the patient couch positioning system 100 , imaging hardware 620 , a processor module 630 , a user input device 640 , a display system 650 , and an archive / storage 660 .

[0044] As described above with respect to the patient bed positioning system 100, the patient bed positioning system 610 can be moved in a vertical and / or horizontal direction to move the patient bed to the imaging hardware 620 so that the imaging hardware 620 can take an image of the patient. The imaging hardware 620 can be, for example, a CAT scanner, an MRI scanner, a PET scanner, etc., wherein the bed on which the patient is located may need to be moved to a position that is conducive to image scanning.

[0045] The movement of the patient bed positioning system 610 may be controlled by, for example, a processor module 630. In this regard, the processor module 630 may be similar to the control module 120 described above. The processor module 630 may include one or more processors, central processing units, microprocessors, microcontrollers, etc. For example, the processor module 630 may be an integrated component, or may be distributed in various locations. In an exemplary embodiment, the processor module 630 may be capable of receiving input information from a user input device 640 and / or an archive / memory 660, generating output that may be displayed by a display system 650, and manipulating the output in response to the input information from the user input device 640, etc. The processor module 630 may be capable of executing, for example, any of the one or more methods and / or one or more instruction sets discussed herein according to various embodiments.

[0046] Thus, the processor module 630 may comprise suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces, and / or code that may be operable to process image data to generate images for presentation on the display system 650. Various embodiments of the present disclosure may allow the processor module 630 to include volatile and / or non-volatile memory.

[0047] The processor module 630 is operable to perform one or more processing operations according to a plurality of selectable imaging modalities on the acquired image scan data. In an exemplary embodiment, the processor module 630 is operable to perform display processing and / or control processing, among others.

[0048] The acquired image scan data may be processed in real time during the image scanning session as the image scan data is received and / or the image scan data may be stored in archive / storage 660 for processing at a later time. In various embodiments, the processed image data may be presented at display system 650 and / or may be stored at archive / storage 660. Archive / storage 660 may include a local archive, a picture archiving and communication system (PACS), or any suitable device for storing images and related information.

[0049] The archive / storage 660 may be one or more computer-readable memories, such as a picture archiving and communication system (PACS), a server, a hard disk, a floppy disk, a CD, a CD-ROM, a DVD, a compact memory, a flash memory, a random access memory, a read-only memory, an electrically erasable and programmable read-only memory, and / or any suitable memory, that are integrated with the imaging system 600 and / or communicatively coupled (e.g., via a network) to the imaging system 600. The archive / storage 660 may include, for example, a database, a library, a collection of information, or other storage devices that are accessed by and / or coupled to the processor module 630. For example, the archive / storage 660 may be capable of temporarily or permanently storing data. The archive / storage 660 may be capable of storing medical image data, data generated by the processor module 630, and / or instructions readable by the processor module 630, etc. In various embodiments, the archive / storage 660 stores, for example, image data, labeled images, recognition instructions, segmentation instructions, labeling instructions, and tracking instructions, etc. Archive / memory 660 may also include, for example, volatile memory such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM) and / or static random access memory (SRAM).

[0050] The user input device 640 may be used to input patient data, scan parameters, settings, select protocols and / or templates, etc. In an exemplary embodiment, the user input device 640 is operable to configure, manage, and / or control the operation of one or more components and / or modules in the imaging system 600. In this regard, the user input device 640 is operable to configure, manage, and / or control the operation of the patient couch positioning system 610, the imaging hardware 620, the processor module 630, the user input device 640, the display system 650, and / or the archive / storage 660.

[0051] The user input device 640 may include, for example, one or more buttons, one or more rotary encoders, a touch screen, motion tracking, voice recognition, a mouse device, a keyboard, a camera, and / or any other device capable of receiving user commands. In certain embodiments, for example, one or more of the user input devices 640 may be integrated into other components (such as the display system 650). For example, the user input device 640 may include a touch screen display. For another example, the user input device 640 may include an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and / or a magnetometer attached to and / or integrated with the patient bed positioning system 610 to provide, for example, position information and / or movement information.

[0052] Display system 650 may be any device capable of conveying visual information to a user. For example, display system 650 may include a liquid crystal display, a light emitting diode display, and / or any suitable display or displays. Display system 650 may be operable to present an image and / or any suitable information. For example, an image presented at display system 650 may include a tag, a tracking identifier, or any suitable information.

[0053] The components of the imaging system 600 may be implemented in the mechanical systems, hardware, software, firmware, etc. described above for the patient bed positioning system 100 using various techniques. The various components of the imaging system 600 may be communicatively connected. The components of the imaging system 600 may be implemented separately and / or integrated in various forms. For example, the display system 650 and the user input device 640 may be integrated into a touch screen display.

[0054] Figure 7 For use according to various embodiments Figure 1 Flowchart of an exemplary system for capturing images of a patient. Figure 7 , a flowchart 700 having blocks 702 to 720 is shown. In block 702, a patient is on a patient bed 102, and the patient bed positioning system 100 is configured to raise the patient bed 102. The patient bed positioning system 100 is as described above. Figure 2 In block 704, the patient bed 102 may be raised by rotating the motor 122 until the patient bed 102 reaches a predetermined desired height. The height may be stored, for example, in a memory associated with the processor module 630 and / or the archive / memory 660. Alternatively, the height may be input by an operator via the user input device 640.

[0055] In block 706, the patient couch positioning system 100 is configured to move the patient couch 102 horizontally into position to allow the patient to be scanned by the imaging hardware 620. This configuration may be described above with respect to Figure 3 In block 708, the patient bed 102 may be moved horizontally by turning the motor 122. Based on feedback from the position encoder 124, the motor 122 is turned on to move the patient bed 102 an appropriate distance. The appropriate distance may be determined based on, for example, a distance stored in a memory associated with the processor module 630 and / or the archive / memory 660. Alternatively, the distance may be input by an operator via the user input device 640.

[0056] In block 710, the Figure 5A or Figure 5BThe patient bed positioning system 100 is configured to fix the patient bed 102 in a suitable position. In box 712, the processor module 630 can control the imaging hardware 620 to obtain the desired image of the patient. After the imaging is completed, the patient bed 102 can be restored to its initial position to allow the patient to leave the patient bed.

[0057] Thus, in block 714, the patient bed positioning system 100 may be configured to horizontally move the patient bed. If block 710 is not performed to secure the patient bed, block 714 may not be performed because the patient bed positioning system 100 is still in a configuration to horizontally move the patient bed 102. In block 716, the motor 122 may be appropriately turned on to move the patient bed 102 to a position in which the patient bed 102 may be lowered.

[0058] In block 718 , the patient couch positioning system 100 is configured to lower the patient couch 102 , and in block 720 , the motor 122 is turned on to lower the patient couch 102 .

[0059] Various embodiments of the present disclosure may automatically configure the patient bed positioning system 100 at various blocks as needed. Various embodiments of the present disclosure may provide an operator override to further raise / lower the patient bed 102 and / or horizontally move the patient bed 102. The operator input may be via, for example, a user input device 640.

[0060] Thus, although the dual-axis motion system is described as being used to move a patient couch in a medical scanning system, the dual-axis motion system can be used for any other purpose requiring movement of an object along two axes. The dual-axis motion system can also be used as part of a system requiring motion along three axes, for example.

[0061] like Figures 1 to 5B As shown, the scissor arm 108 shows a side view from one side of the patient bed positioning system 100. Some embodiments may use other structures to stabilize the patient bed positioning system 100. For example, there may be a crossbar on the linear rails 106a and / or 106b to provide lateral stability to the patient bed positioning system 100.

[0062] Some embodiments may have two scissor arms 108 that are parallel to each other, for example when the load to be moved is heavy. In some embodiments, the lower left ends of the parallel scissor arms 108 may be coupled together, and the lower right ends of the parallel scissor arms 108 may be coupled together. Thus, only two ball screws 134 and 136, two clutches 128 and 130, a single brake 138, a single motor 122, a single worm gear 126, a single drive shaft 132, etc. are still required.

[0063] In some embodiments, the second of the two scissor arms 108 may not be coupled to a drive system, but rather exists only to impart stability to the patient bed positioning system 100. Generally speaking, a drive system may refer to a power source (e.g., motor 122) and the parts that transmit power from the power source (worm gear 126, drive shaft 132, ball screws 134 and 136) to the scissor arms 108.

[0064] However, various embodiments of the present disclosure may have completely parallel sets of parts. Some embodiments may have the two scissor arms 108 tilted toward each other at the top or bottom. It can be seen that there are many variations for using a single drive to allow dual-axis motion. Using a single drive (motor) can save money because the parts of a second drive system are not required. Generally speaking, the drive system can refer to a power source (e.g., motor 122) and the parts that transmit power from the power source (worm gear 126, drive shaft 132, ball screws 134 and 136, and clutches 128 and 130) to the scissor arms 108.

[0065] Additionally, while a feedback system is described with respect to some embodiments, other embodiments of the present disclosure may use open loop control of the motor 122. Thus, the sensor, anchor 125, and wire 125a may not be required.

[0066] Therefore, it can be seen that the present disclosure provides a system including a drive system, the drive system including a single motor, a transmission device configured to transmit power from the single motor to a first ball screw via a first clutch, and a second clutch configured to transmit power from the first ball screw to a second ball screw. The system also includes a brake configured to apply a braking force to at least a portion of the drive system. The braking force is applied to the second clutch. The system may also include a control module configured to control the operation of one or more of the single motor, the first clutch, the second clutch, and the brake, wherein the control module is configured to move the scissor arm in a horizontal direction in a first configuration and adjust the vertical height of the scissor arm in a second configuration. The first clutch may be, for example, a normally open clutch, and the second clutch may be a normally closed clutch.

[0067] In a first configuration, the first clutch is configured to engage the transmission to the first ball screw, the second clutch is configured to engage the first ball screw to the second ball screw, and the brake is configured to not apply a braking force to at least a portion of the transmission.

[0068] In a second configuration, the first clutch is configured to engage the transmission to the first ball screw, the second clutch is configured not to engage the first ball screw to the second ball screw, and the brake is configured to apply a braking force to at least a portion of the transmission, such as the second ball screw. The brake can be, for example, an electromagnetic brake.

[0069] The scissor arm includes a first top end and a second top end and a first bottom end and a second bottom end. The first bottom end may be rotatably coupled to a first linear bearing, and the second bottom end may be rotatably coupled to a second linear bearing. The first linear bearing and the second linear bearing may be coupled to a linear track. The system may include a sensor configured to provide feedback information about a position of a portion of the scissor arm.

[0070] The present disclosure may also provide a method for adjusting the position of a device along two axes, the method comprising configuring a drive system into a first configuration by a control module, in which a single motor provides power to move a load on the device along a horizontal axis in the first configuration of the drive system, configuring the drive system into a second configuration by the control module, and a single motor provides power to move a load on the device along a vertical axis in the second configuration of the drive system.

[0071] The first configuration may include configuring the drive system so that the first ball screw receives power from the single motor, configuring the drive system so that the second ball screw receives power from the first ball screw, and controlling the brake to not apply a braking force to the second ball screw.

[0072] The second configuration includes configuring the drive system so that the first ball screw receives power from a single motor, configuring the drive system so that the second ball screw does not receive power from the first ball screw, and controlling the brake to apply a braking force to the second ball screw. The brake can be an electromagnetic brake. The method can also include using position feedback of the device to control the movement of a load on the device along the horizontal axis.

[0073] The present disclosure may also provide a system for adjusting the position of a bed along two axes of a medical imaging device, the system including a single motor, a transmission device configured to transmit power from the single motor to a first ball screw via a first clutch, a second clutch configured to transmit power from the first ball screw to a second ball screw, a brake configured to apply a braking force to the second ball screw, a scissor arm configured to move by rotation of one or both of the first ball screw and the second ball screw, a bed connected to the top end of the scissor arm, and a control module configured to control the operation of the single motor, the first clutch, the second clutch, and the brake.

[0074] The control module may be configured to set the system to a first configuration or a second configuration. In the first configuration, the single motor is configured to move the bed in a horizontal direction, and in the second configuration, the single motor is configured to move the bed in a vertical direction.

[0075] More specifically, in a first configuration, the first clutch is configured to engage the transmission to the first ball screw, the second clutch is configured to engage the first ball screw to the second ball screw, and the brake is configured to apply no braking force to the second ball screw.

[0076] And in a second configuration, the first clutch is configured to engage the transmission to the first ball screw, the second clutch is configured to not engage the first ball screw to the second ball screw, and the brake is configured to apply a braking force to the second ball screw.

[0077] The first clutch is a normally disengaged clutch, the second clutch is a normally engaged clutch, and the brake is a normally open brake that does not apply a braking force to the second ball screw in an open state.

[0078] As used herein, the term "circuit" refers to physical electronic components (i.e., hardware) and any software and / or firmware ("code") that can configure hardware, is executed by hardware, and / or is otherwise associated with hardware. For example, as used herein, when executing one or more first codes, a specific processor and memory may include a first "circuit", and when executing one or more second codes, a specific processor and memory may include a second "circuit". As used herein, "and / or" represents any one or more of the items in the list connected by "and / or". As an example, "x and / or y" represents any element in the three-element set {(x), (y), (x, y)}. As another example, "x, y, and / or z" represents any element in the seven-element set {(x), (y), (z), (x, y), (x, z), (y, z), (x, y, z)}. As used herein, the term "exemplary" means used as a non-limiting example, instance, or illustration. As used herein, the terms "eg" and "for example" introduce a list of one or more non-limiting examples, instances, or illustrations. As used herein, a circuit is "operable to" and / or "configured to" perform a function whenever the circuit includes the necessary hardware and code (if necessary) to perform the function, regardless of whether the performance of the function is disabled or not enabled by some user-configurable setting.

[0079] Other embodiments may provide a computer-readable device and / or a non-transitory computer-readable medium, and / or a machine-readable device and / or a non-transitory machine-readable medium, on which the computer-readable device and / or the non-transitory computer-readable medium and / or the machine-readable device and / or the non-transitory machine-readable medium store machine code and / or a computer program having at least one code segment executable by a machine and / or a computer, so that the machine and / or the computer performs the steps as described herein for facilitating the interaction of an ultrasound operator with an artificial intelligence segmentation module configured to identify and track biological and / or artificial structures in ultrasound images.

[0080] Therefore, the present disclosure may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software. The present disclosure may be implemented in a centralized manner in at least one computer system, or in a distributed manner, where different elements are distributed across several interconnected computer systems. Any type of computer system or other device suitable for executing the methods described herein is suitable.

[0081] The various embodiments may also be embedded in a computer program product, which comprises all the features enabling the implementation of the methods described herein and which, when loaded into a computer system, is capable of carrying out these methods. A computer program herein refers to any expression of a set of instructions in any language, code or notation, which is intended to cause a system with information processing capabilities to perform specific functions directly or after either or both of the following: a) conversion into another language, code or notation; b) reproduction in a different material form.

[0082] Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to certain embodiments, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt specific circumstances or materials to the teachings of the present disclosure without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, but the present disclosure will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A system comprising: A drive system, the drive system comprising: a single motor (122); a transmission (126, 132) configured to transmit power from the single motor to a first ball screw (134) via a first clutch (128); and a second clutch (130) configured to transmit power from the first ball screw (134) to a second ball screw (136); and A control module (120) is configured to control the operation of one or more of the single motor (122), the first clutch (128), and the second clutch (130), wherein the control module (120) is configured to control both the first clutch and the second clutch to be closed in a first configuration to move the scissor arm (108) in a horizontal direction, and to control the first clutch to be closed and the second clutch to be opened in a second configuration to adjust the vertical height of the scissor arm (108).

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The first clutch (128) is a normally open clutch, and the second clutch (130) is a normally closed clutch.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The drive system also includes a brake (138) configured to apply a braking force to at least a portion of the drive system.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein: In the first configuration: The first clutch (128) is configured to engage the transmission to the first ball screw (134), The second clutch (130) is configured to engage the first ball screw (134) to the second ball screw (136), and The brake (138) is configured to apply no braking force to the at least a portion of the transmission.

5. The system according to claim 3, wherein: In the second configuration: The first clutch (128) is configured to engage the transmission to the first ball screw (134), The second clutch (130) is configured to disengage the first ball screw (134) from the second ball screw (136), and The brake (138) is configured to apply a braking force to the at least a portion of the transmission.

6. The system according to claim 3, wherein: The at least one portion of the drive system is the second ball screw (136).

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein: The brake (138) is an electromagnetic brake.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein: A first linear bearing (103C) is mounted to the first ball screw (134), and the first bottom end of the scissor arm (108) is rotatably connected to the first linear bearing (103C).

9. The system according to claim 7, wherein: A second linear bearing (103D) is mounted to the second ball screw (136), and the second bottom end of the scissor arm (108) is rotatably coupled to the second linear bearing (103D).

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein: The first linear bearing (103C) and the second linear bearing (103D) are coupled to a linear rail (106B).

11. The system of claim 1, comprising a sensor (124) configured to provide feedback information regarding a position of a portion of the scissor arm (108).

12. A method of adjusting the position of a device (102) along two axes using the system of any one of claims 1 to 11, comprising: configuring, by a control module, a drive system into a first configuration (706) wherein power is provided by the single motor (122) to move a load on the device (102) along a horizontal axis; The drive system is configured by the control module into a second configuration (702) in which the single motor (122) provides power to move the load on the device (102) along a vertical axis.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein: In the first configuration of the drive system: The drive system is configured such that the first ball screw (134) receives power from the single motor (122); The drive system is configured such that the second ball screw (136) receives power from the first ball screw (134).

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein: In the second configuration of the drive system: The drive system is configured such that the first ball screw (134) receives power from the single motor (122); The drive system is configured such that the second ball screw (136) does not receive power from the first ball screw (134).

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