Medical vehicle and method of operating a medical vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a medical vehicle (1) comprising a base vehicle (2) and a compartment (3) with a medical imaging system (4). The compartment (3) is part of the base carrier (2), or the compartment (3) is attached to the base carrier (2). The base carrier (2) comprises at least one base carrier sensor (5), and the medical carrier (1) is configured to acquire sensor readings from the at least one base carrier sensor (5) during travel of the medical carrier (1) and to perform a medical scan on a patient as a function of the acquired sensor readings during travel of the medical carrier (1). The invention also relates to a corresponding method of operating a medical vehicle (1).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a medical vehicle, comprising a base vehicle and a compartment with a medical imaging system, the medical vehicle being configured to perform a medical scan while the medical vehicle is in motion. The present invention also relates to a method of operating a medical vehicle, comprising performing a medical scan while the medical vehicle is in motion. Background Art

[0002] Medical vehicles that include medical imaging systems can be used to perform medical scans during transport. In some cases, such as a mobile clinic on a ship, performing medical scans during transport is a common use of medical imaging systems. In addition, an ambulance equipped with a medical imaging system may have already performed a medical scan on the patient to save valuable time, for example, a planar CT scan may be performed to evaluate for a stroke, or a cardiac scan may be performed to evaluate for a heart attack.

[0003] However, during transportation, the medical imaging system may be subject to adverse conditions, such as impact forces caused by the movement of the medical carrier, which may cause scanning errors. The errors may be caused by patient movement caused by the impact forces, which may require recalibration of the medical imaging system, and / or may also be caused by damage and / or movement of the medical imaging system. Summary of the invention

[0004] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a medical vehicle having an improved ability to perform medical scans during travel. It is also an object of the present invention to provide an improved method of operating a medical vehicle, the method comprising performing medical scans during travel of the medical vehicle.

[0005] The objects of the invention are solved by the subject-matter of the independent claims, wherein further embodiments are contained in the dependent claims.

[0006] In one aspect of the present invention, a medical vehicle is provided, comprising a base vehicle and a compartment (carriage) with a medical imaging system. The primary purpose of the medical vehicle may be medical imaging, i.e., performing medical scans using the medical imaging system. Here, the medical vehicle may be optimized to perform medical scans while the medical vehicle is traveling, and / or may be optimized to perform medical scans when the medical vehicle is stopped, while being configured to perform medical scans while the medical vehicle is traveling. Alternatively or in addition, the primary purpose of the medical vehicle may also be non-medical, such as installing a medical imaging system on a cruise ship as part of its medical equipment.

[0007] A base vehicle is a vehicle that transports a compartment with a medical imaging system, i.e., a base vehicle is a medical vehicle that does not have a compartment with a medical imaging system. As described above, the base vehicle may be specifically configured for use with a medical imaging system, such as a truck with a medical imaging system, and / or the primary purpose of the base vehicle may be non-medical, such as a cruise ship. In particular, the base vehicle may be a truck, a train, an airplane, a helicopter, an autonomous aerial vehicle and / or a ship. In all of the vehicles described, the medical imaging system may be installed, transported and used during travel of the medical vehicle. Adverse conditions may arise from potholes, corners, hills, turbulence, waves or environmental conditions, etc., and may be evaluated using sensor readings of at least one base vehicle sensor.

[0008] The bay is part of the base vehicle or is attached to the base vehicle. In other words, the bay can be a virtual bay defined by the volume of an existing bay of the base vehicle or it can consist of solid walls. In the case where the bay consists of solid walls, the bay can be permanently attached to the base vehicle or it can be removable so that it can be placed separately from the base vehicle. The bay can be large enough to house a medical imaging system but can also provide additional space next to the medical imaging system, such as for use by medical personnel.

[0009] The base carrier includes at least one base carrier sensor. The base carrier sensor can be used to evaluate adverse conditions of the medical imaging system.

[0010] The medical vehicle is configured to obtain sensor readings from at least one base vehicle sensor during travel of the medical vehicle. In this case, travel may also include temporary stationary periods of the medical vehicle during normal travel of the vehicle, such as when the vehicle is stopped at a traffic light, a railroad crossing, or in a traffic jam. If the base vehicle sensors are already present on the base vehicle, there is no need to add additional sensors, which can significantly save costs.

[0011] The medical vehicle is also configured to perform a medical scan on the patient based on the acquired sensor readings during the travel of the medical vehicle. In particular, the medical imaging system may receive the acquired sensor readings from the base vehicle so as to perform the medical scan based on the acquired sensor readings. To this end, the base vehicle may provide a data link, wherein the data link may be a wired and / or wireless link. The patient may be a human or an animal. By performing a medical scan while the medical vehicle is in motion, valuable time may be saved for the patient, for example after a stroke or a heart attack. In the case of a ship, performing a medical scan while the medical vehicle is in motion is the only reasonable option for performing a medical scan. By performing a medical scan based on the acquired sensor readings, the quality and / or significance of the medical scan may be improved, resulting in a better and / or faster diagnosis, and thus a better and / or faster treatment of the patient.

[0012] According to one embodiment, the medical imaging system is a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), digital x-ray radiometry (DXR), single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), positron emission tomography (PET), dark field x-ray imaging, small dedicated medical imaging and / or ultrasound system. Each of these systems is very sensitive to adverse conditions (e.g., impact forces acting thereon), and therefore, it is very valuable to improve the performance of medical scans based on sensor readings obtained during the travel of the medical vehicle.

[0013] According to one embodiment, at least one base vehicle sensor is connected to an electronic system of the base vehicle. The connection between the at least one base vehicle sensor and the electronic system of the base vehicle may be a wired connection and / or a wireless connection. The electronic system may include at least one vehicle computer and / or a controller area network (CAN bus). Sensor readings obtained from the at least one base vehicle sensor may be sent to the at least one vehicle computer, for example, via a CAN bus. In particular, the base vehicle is configured to operate based on sensor readings obtained from the at least one base vehicle sensor. For example, a driver assistance system or an autonomous driving system of the vehicle may operate based on sensor readings of a radar, a lidar, and / or a navigation system of the vehicle. For another example, an engine management system of the vehicle may operate based on sensor readings of a vibration sensor to adjust engine settings to reduce vibrations. For another example, environmental conditioning settings of the vehicle may operate based on sensor readings of a temperature and / or humidity sensor.

[0014] According to one embodiment, at least one base vehicle sensor is a vehicle navigation system, an autopilot system, an onboard computer, a compass, a camera, a radar, a lidar, a speedometer, a wind sensor, a wave sensor, an acceleration sensor, an inertial measurement unit (IMU), a motion control sensor, an engine control sensor, a vibration sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor and / or an electromagnetic field sensor. For example, a vehicle navigation system may provide information about the road conditions ahead (such as bends, inclinations, and even road bumps), wherein the information may also be used, for example, for a driver assistance system and / or autopilot. In addition, the vehicle navigation system may also provide information about the traffic conditions ahead (such as traffic jams). The autopilot system may further provide information about planned or predicted actuator data (such as acceleration, deceleration, and turning). The camera, radar, and / or lidar may also detect the road conditions ahead for a land vehicle or the water conditions for a sea vehicle. The engine control sensor may provide information, for example, about the engine speed, which may be used to predict resonant vibrations. The vibration sensor may detect vibrations of the base vehicle and / or the compartment. Furthermore, the temperature sensor, humidity sensor and / or electromagnetic field sensor may respectively measure the temperature, humidity and / or electromagnetic field outside the vehicle and / or inside the vehicle (particularly inside the compartment).

[0015] According to one embodiment, performing a medical scan based on sensor readings during travel of the medical vehicle includes predicting adverse conditions of the bay based on the acquired sensor readings, and planning the medical scan based on the predicted adverse conditions.

[0016] In this case, the adverse conditions of the medical imaging system may be impact forces on the compartment and adverse environmental conditions in the compartment. The impact force may be any force other than gravity acting in a predetermined downward direction. In particular, the impact force may be a force generated by the acceleration of the compartment housing the medical imaging system. For example, the impact force may be a force caused by a bump in the road, a centrifugal force when the medical vehicle changes direction, or a force caused by the compartment tilting so that the direction of gravity changes. The environmental conditions may be, for example, temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure and / or electromagnetic fields, and when the parameters exceed a predetermined range, the environmental conditions become adverse environmental conditions.

[0017] The adverse condition is predicted based on the sensor readings obtained. For example, the vehicle navigation system may provide information about the road conditions ahead, including curves and / or even bumps. In combination with the vehicle speed obtained from the vehicle navigation system or speedometer, the impact force to which the medical vehicle and the compartment are subjected may be predicted. In the autonomous driving mode, the autonomous driving system may further provide information about planned actuator data (i.e., planned acceleration, deceleration and / or turning), which may be used to further improve the prediction of the impact force. In addition or alternatively, the road conditions ahead may also be evaluated by means of cameras, radars and / or lidars to predict the impact force to which the medical vehicle and the compartment are subjected. For another example, the vehicle navigation system may provide a temperature map, thereby enabling the prediction of the external temperature, which may affect the temperature within the compartment.

[0018] The medical scan is then performed based on the predicted adverse conditions to achieve the highest quality and / or significance of the medical scan.

[0019] According to one embodiment, performing a medical scan based on sensor readings during travel of the medical vehicle includes determining a current adverse condition of the bay based on the acquired sensor readings, and performing and / or dynamically adjusting the medical scan based on the determined current adverse condition.

[0020] For example, for impact forces, the current adverse conditions can be determined by evaluating the readings of an acceleration sensor or an inertial measurement unit, or for adverse environmental conditions, by evaluating the readings of a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor and / or an electromagnetic field sensor. The current adverse conditions can also be determined by analyzing the information provided by the onboard computer: for example, the hazard warning lights being turned on and / or the parking brake being activated can indicate that the medical vehicle is stationary, so the impact forces are negligible. In addition, the activation of the cruise control, the speed limiter, the lane guidance assistant and / or the speed control can indicate that the vehicle is driving quite smoothly, so the impact forces are below a predetermined value. In addition, the onboard computer can indicate that the accelerator or brake is used, the steering wheel is turned and / or the driver assistance system is turned off, which indicates that a large impact force exceeding a predetermined value will occur.

[0021] Then, the medical scan is performed based on the determined current adverse conditions, so as to achieve the highest quality and / or significance of the medical scan. In addition or alternatively, the medical scan can also be dynamically adjusted based on the determined current adverse conditions. For example, the adjustment can be a change in exposure time, that is, the greater the impact force, the shorter the exposure time, so that a clear medical image can still be produced. For another example, the adjustment can be a change in resolution, that is, the greater the impact force, the coarser the resolution of the medical image.

[0022] According to one embodiment, the planning and / or execution of the medical scan is performed in the following manner: when the least (smallest) adverse condition is predicted and / or determined, the medical scan that is most sensitive to the adverse condition is executed. To this end, the sensitivity of the medical scan to the adverse condition has been determined in advance. In particular, the sensitivity of scans of different resolutions to the adverse condition may be different, and / or even the sensitivity of scans of a scan sequence to the adverse condition may be different. For example, when it is determined and / or predicted that the medical vehicle has stopped or will stop, for example, it is determined by the information provided that the parking brake has been activated, or it is determined by the information provided by the navigation system that there is a traffic jam ahead, the medical scan with the greatest (highest) sensitivity to the impact force will be executed at this time and / or will be planned at this time. For another example, when a medium impact force is determined and / or predicted, a scan with a lower sensitivity to the impact force will be executed at this time and / or will be planned at this time. When a large impact force is determined and / or predicted, the medical scan may be suspended during the duration of the large impact force. Therefore, the best match between the medical scan and the adverse condition is found, and the best quality of the medical scan is achieved.

[0023] According to one embodiment, the planning and / or execution of a medical scan is completed in the following manner: among the remaining medical scans, in particular in a scan sequence, the medical scan with the highest sensitivity to the adverse condition is executed among the medical scans allowed by the predicted and / or determined adverse condition. In other words, based on the determined and / or predicted adverse condition, it is determined which of the remaining scans are allowed to be executed, and the medical scan with the highest sensitivity to the adverse condition is selected among these medical scans. In this case, "allowed" execution means that the medical scan can be executed without a loss in quality compared to the same medical scan under ideal conditions (i.e., without the adverse condition). Therefore, all executed medical scans have the highest possible quality, but some medical scans in the scan sequence may not be executed at all. However, these scans can be performed, for example, in a hospital, so that the scan sequence is completed.

[0024] According to one embodiment, planning and / or execution of a medical scan is done in such a way that the adverse conditions are most similar to the adverse conditions of a previous scan. In particular, the new medical scan is an update scan or a comparison scan to assess possible changes since the previous scan. When the most similar adverse conditions are selected for the update scan, the effect of the adverse conditions on the medical scan is similar, so that it is easiest to compare the update scan to the previous scan.

[0025] According to one embodiment, performing a medical scan based on the acquired sensor readings during the travel of the medical vehicle includes adjusting the settings of the medical vehicle based on the acquired sensor readings. For example, a vibration compensator may be activated when certain vibrations are detected or when the engine speed is within a range known to cause resonant vibrations. For another example, the vehicle speed may be limited so that the impact force caused by road bumps or curves is smaller. For another example, the vehicle travel route may be changed so that the vehicle travels on a smoother and / or less curved road. For another example, the settings of the vehicle suspension system may be adjusted to reduce the impact force caused by road bumps. For another example, the settings of the anchoring system that anchors the medical imaging system to the compartment may be adjusted. For example, the anchoring system may be in a locking mode in which the medical imaging system is locked to the compartment; in a suspension mode in which a suspension such as a spring suspension allows limited movement of the medical imaging system and absorbs part of the impact force acting on the compartment; and in a damping mode in which the suspension is supplemented by a damping system such as a shock absorber to prevent oscillation. If both the vehicle suspension system and the anchoring system are adjusted, the control unit may be used to coordinate the adjustments of these systems, in particular to avoid overcompensation and to avoid resonant oscillations of the medical imaging system. For another example, environmental conditioning settings of the vehicle, such as air conditioning settings, may be adjusted when temperature and / or humidity are determined to be outside of a predetermined range.

[0026] According to one embodiment, the medical carrier is further configured to prevent changes to the carrier settings while an ultra-sensitive scan is being performed. In this case, an ultra-sensitive scan is a medical scan that has been determined to be highly susceptible to adverse conditions. For such an ultra-sensitive scan, changing the carrier settings (e.g., stiffening the suspension) while the scan is being performed is likely to result in unusable scan results. In particular, if no impact forces are allowed during such an ultra-sensitive scan, the ultra-sensitive scan will only start when the carrier is stationary, and starting the vehicle to move again will result in unusable scan results. Therefore, in this case, the vehicle should be prevented from changing from a stationary state to a moving state. For example, changes to the carrier settings can be prevented by sending a first message from the medical imaging system to the carrier control unit indicating that the ultra-sensitive scan has started and the carrier settings must not be changed, and sending another message from the medical imaging system to the carrier control unit indicating that the ultra-sensitive scan has been completed and the carrier settings can be changed again.

[0027] According to one embodiment, performing a medical scan based on acquired sensor readings during travel of the medical vehicle comprises determining the movement of a compartment, a medical imaging system, components of a medical imaging system and / or a patient based on the acquired sensor readings. In particular, the determination of the movement may be performed by an accelerometer and / or an inertial measurement unit. The determined acceleration may be used to calculate the movement of the compartment and to infer the movement of the medical imaging system, components of the medical imaging system and / or the patient based on the movement of the compartment. The movement of the patient relative to the medical imaging system naturally affects the medical scan, but the movement of components of the medical imaging system may also cause deformations of the medical imaging system, thereby, for example, causing a focus shift.

[0028] According to one embodiment, the medical carrier is further configured to dynamically adjust the medical image formation based on the determined movement of the compartment, the medical imaging system, the components of the medical imaging system and / or the patient. For example, the dynamic adjustment may include performing compensation calculations based on the determined movement. In this example, the movement may be, for example, movement of the patient, vibration of the medical imaging system resulting in reduced spatial resolution, and / or bending of components of the medical imaging system resulting in, for example, a focus shift. For another example, the dynamic adjustment may include an active shift of the patient to offset the determined movement.

[0029] According to one embodiment, the medical carrier is further configured to store the determined movement of the compartment, the medical imaging system, components of the medical imaging system and / or the patient for compensating for the movement in post-processing of the medical images. Thus, the determined movement can be compensated retroactively. As described above, the determined movement can be, for example, movement of the patient, vibrations of the medical imaging system resulting in reduced spatial resolution and / or bending of components of the medical imaging system resulting in, for example, a focus shift.

[0030] If a plurality of the above-described embodiments are implemented in a medical carrier, it is necessary to select which one or which of them are to be applied in the current situation. This selection can be made manually, i.e., by an operator of the medical carrier or the medical imaging system using a predefined order of preference and / or using an algorithm, in particular an artificial intelligence optimized algorithm. The selection method may also depend on the patient, the patient's medical condition and / or the details of the medical imaging to be performed on the patient.

[0031] In another aspect of the present invention, a method of operating a medical vehicle according to the above description is provided. The method includes obtaining sensor readings from at least one base vehicle sensor during travel of the medical vehicle, and performing a medical scan on a patient based on the obtained sensor readings during travel of the medical vehicle. By performing a medical scan based on the obtained sensor readings, the quality and / or significance of the medical scan may be improved, thereby providing a better and / or faster diagnosis, and thus a better and / or faster treatment of the patient. See the above description for more details, examples, and advantages.

[0032] It can be understood that a preferred embodiment of the present invention can also be any combination of the dependent claims and the independent claims.

[0033] These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0035] Figure 1 A schematic side view of a medical carrier is shown;

[0036] Figure 2 A schematic side view of another embodiment of a medical carrier is shown;

[0037] Figure 3 A schematic side view of yet another embodiment of a medical carrier is shown; and

[0038] Figure 4 A flow chart of a method of operating a medical carrier is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] Figure 1 A schematic side view of a medical vehicle 1 is shown. The medical vehicle 1 in the figure is a truck, but it can also be a train, an airplane, a helicopter, an autonomous flying vehicle or a ship.

[0040] The medical carrier 1 includes a base carrier 2 and a compartment 3 with a medical imaging system 4. The compartment 3 can be a part of the base carrier 2 or can be attached to the base carrier 2. The medical imaging system 4 can be a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), digital X-ray radiometry (DXR), single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), positron emission tomography (PET), dark field X-ray imaging, a small dedicated medical imaging and / or ultrasound system.

[0041] The base vehicle 2 comprises a plurality of base vehicle sensors 5, such as a camera 5.1, an inertial measurement unit 5.2 and a temperature sensor 5.3. Other base vehicle sensors 5 may be a vehicle navigation system, an autopilot system, an onboard computer, a compass, a radar, a lidar, a speedometer, a wind sensor, a wave sensor, an acceleration sensor, a motion control sensor, an engine control sensor, a vibration sensor, a humidity sensor and an electromagnetic field sensor. The base vehicle sensors 5 may be connected to the electronic system of the base vehicle 2, in particular, the base vehicle 2 may be configured to operate based on sensor readings obtained from the base vehicle sensors 5.

[0042] Figure 2 A schematic side view of another embodiment of a medical carrier 1 is shown. Figure 1 In addition to the features of the embodiment, Figure 2 The base vehicle 2 also includes a vehicle management system 6, which is configured to adjust and / or control vehicle settings. In addition, the base vehicle 2 also includes a vehicle active suspension 7 and an anchoring system 8 that anchors the medical imaging system 4 to the compartment 3.

[0043] Figure 3 A schematic side view of another embodiment of the medical carrier 1 is shown. Figure 1 In addition to the features of the embodiment, the connections 21 between the base carrier sensor 5 and the medical imaging system 4 are also explicitly shown. These connections 21 can be Figure 3 The wired connection shown may also be a wireless connection. In particular, the base carrier 2 may provide a data link to the medical imaging system 4, wherein the data link provides sensor readings from the base carrier sensor 5.

[0044] Figure 4 A flow chart of a method 9 of operating a medical carrier 1 is shown. Figure 4Several approaches are shown, but all have in common that sensor readings are acquired 10 from at least one base vehicle sensor 5 and a medical scan is performed 11 on a patient (not shown here) based on the acquired sensor readings during travel of the medical vehicle 1. Because the medical scan is performed based on the acquired sensor readings, the quality and / or significance of the medical scan is improved, allowing for a better and / or faster diagnosis, which in turn allows for a better and / or faster treatment of the patient.

[0045] According to one solution, an adverse condition on the compartment 3 is predicted 12 based on the obtained sensor readings. Here, the adverse condition of the medical imaging system 4 can be an impact force on the compartment 3 and an adverse environmental condition in the compartment 3. The impact force can be any force other than gravity acting in a predetermined downward direction. In particular, the impact force can be a force generated by the acceleration of the compartment 3 containing the medical imaging system 4. For example, the impact force can be a force caused by road bumps, a centrifugal force when the medical vehicle 1 changes direction, or a force caused by the compartment 3 tilting so that the direction of gravity changes. The environmental conditions can be temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure and / or electromagnetic fields, etc., and when the parameters exceed a predetermined range, the environmental conditions become adverse environmental conditions. The adverse conditions are predicted based on the obtained sensor readings. For example, the vehicle navigation system can provide information on the road conditions ahead, including curves and / or even bumps. In combination with the vehicle speed obtained from the vehicle navigation system or the speedometer, the impact force on the medical vehicle and the compartment can be predicted. In autonomous driving mode, the autonomous driving system may also provide information about planned actuator data (i.e., planned acceleration, deceleration, and / or turning) that may be used to further improve the prediction of impact forces. Additionally or alternatively, the road conditions ahead may be estimated by cameras, radars, and / or lidars to predict the impact forces on the medical vehicle and compartment. For another example, the vehicle navigation system may provide a temperature map to predict the external temperature, which may affect the temperature within the compartment.

[0046] According to another solution, the current adverse conditions of the compartment 3 are determined 13 based on the acquired sensor readings. For example, the determination of the current adverse conditions can be performed for impact forces by evaluating the readings of the acceleration sensor or the inertial measurement unit 5.2, or for adverse environmental conditions by evaluating the readings of the temperature sensor 5.3, the humidity sensor and / or the electromagnetic field sensor. The determination of the current adverse conditions can also be performed by analyzing the information provided by the onboard computer: for example, the hazard warning lights are turned on and / or the parking brake is activated, which can indicate that the medical vehicle is at rest, so the impact forces are negligible. In addition, the activation of the cruise control, the speed limiter, the lane guidance assistant and / or the speed control can indicate that the vehicle is driving quite smoothly, so the impact forces are below the predetermined value. In addition, the onboard computer may indicate that the accelerator or the brake is used, the steering wheel is turned and / or the driver assistance system is turned off, which indicates that a large impact force exceeding the predetermined value will occur.

[0047] Based on the prediction 12 and / or determination 13 of the adverse conditions, three schemes for planning and / or executing the medical scan are proposed. According to the first scheme 14, the planning and / or execution of the medical scan is completed in the following manner: when the adverse conditions are predicted and / or determined to be the least (smallest), the medical scan that is most sensitive to the adverse conditions is executed. To this end, the sensitivity of the medical scan to the adverse conditions has been determined in advance. In particular, scans of different resolutions may have different sensitivities to the adverse conditions, and / or, even the sensitivity of scans of a scan sequence to the adverse conditions may be different. For example, when it is determined and / or predicted that the medical vehicle has stopped or will stop, for example, it is known through the information provided that the parking brake has been activated, or it is known through the information provided by the navigation system that there is a traffic jam ahead, the medical scan with the greatest sensitivity to the impact force will be executed at that time and / or will be planned at that time. For another example, when it is determined and / or predicted that the impact force is medium, the scan with a lower sensitivity to the impact force will be executed at that time and / or will be planned at that time. When the impact force is determined and / or predicted to be large, the medical scan may be suspended during the duration of the large impact force. Thus, the best match between the medical scan and the adverse conditions is found and the best quality of the medical scan is achieved.

[0048] According to the second scheme 15, the planning and / or execution of the medical scans is completed in the following manner: among the remaining medical scans (particularly the scan sequence), the medical scan with the highest sensitivity to the adverse condition is executed among the medical scans allowed by the predicted and / or determined adverse condition. In other words, based on the determined and / or predicted adverse condition, it is determined which of the remaining scans are allowed to be executed, and the medical scan with the highest sensitivity to the adverse condition is selected from these medical scans. In this case, "allowed" execution means that the medical scan can be executed without quality loss compared to the same medical scan under ideal conditions (i.e., without the adverse condition). Therefore, all executed medical scans have the highest possible quality, but some medical scans in the scan sequence may not be executed at all. However, these scans can be performed, for example, in a hospital, so that the scan sequence is completed.

[0049] According to a third approach 16, planning and / or execution of a medical scan is done in such a way that the adverse conditions are most similar to the adverse conditions of a previous scan. In particular, the new medical scan is an update scan or a comparison scan to assess possible changes since the previous scan. When the most similar adverse conditions are selected for the update scan, the effect of the adverse conditions on the medical scan is similar, so that it is easiest to compare the update scan with the previous scan.

[0050] According to another approach to operating the medical vehicle 1, the settings of the medical vehicle 1 can be adjusted based on the sensor readings obtained 17. For example, a vibration compensator can be activated when certain vibrations are detected or the engine speed is within a range known to cause resonant vibrations. For another example, the vehicle speed can be limited so that the impact caused by road bumps or curves is smaller. For another example, the vehicle driving route can be changed so that the vehicle drives on a smoother and / or less curved road. For another example, the settings of the vehicle suspension system 7 can be adjusted to reduce the impact caused by road bumps. For another example, the settings of the anchoring system 8 that anchors the medical imaging system 4 to the compartment 3 can be adjusted. For example, the anchoring system 8 can be in a locking mode, in which the medical imaging system 4 is locked to the compartment 3; in a suspension mode, in which a suspension such as a spring suspension allows limited movement of the medical imaging system 4 and absorbs part of the impact acting on the compartment 3; or in a damping mode, in which the suspension is supplemented by a damping system such as a shock absorber to prevent oscillation. If both the vehicle suspension system 7 and the anchoring system 8 are adjusted, a control unit may be used to coordinate the adjustments of these systems, in particular to avoid overcompensation and to avoid resonant oscillations of the medical imaging system 4. As another example, environmental conditioning settings of the vehicle, such as air conditioning settings, may be adjusted when temperature and / or humidity are determined to be outside of a predetermined range.

[0051] According to another approach for operating the medical carrier, a movement of the compartment 3, the medical imaging system 4, a component of the medical imaging system and / or a patient is determined 18 based on the acquired sensor readings. In particular, the determination of the movement can be performed by an accelerometer and / or an inertial measurement unit 5.2. The determined acceleration can be used to calculate the movement of the compartment 3, and based on the movement of the compartment 3, the movement of the medical imaging system 4, a component of the medical imaging system and / or the patient can be inferred. The movement of the patient relative to the medical imaging system 4 naturally affects the medical scan, but the movement of the components of the medical imaging system may also cause deformations of the medical imaging system 4, resulting in a focus shift, etc.

[0052] The determined movement of the compartment, the medical imaging system, a component of the medical imaging system and / or the patient can be used to dynamically adjust 19 the medical image formation. For example, the dynamic adjustment can include a compensation calculation based on the determined movement. For another example, the dynamic adjustment can include an active shift of the patient to offset the determined movement.

[0053] Additionally or alternatively, the determined movement of the compartment 3, the medical imaging system 4, components of the medical imaging system and / or the patient may also be stored 20 for compensating the movement in a later processing of the medical images. Thus, the determined movement may be compensated retroactively.

[0054] The selection of the steps of method 9 to be applied in the present case can be performed manually, i.e., by an operator of the medical carrier 1 or the medical imaging system 4 using a predefined order of priority and / or manually using an algorithm, in particular an algorithm optimized by artificial intelligence. The selection method can also depend on the patient, the patient's medical condition and / or the details of the medical imaging to be performed on the patient.

[0055] Although the invention has been described in detail in the drawings and the foregoing description, such description and illustration should be considered illustrative or exemplary rather than restrictive; the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. In particular, several embodiments may be combined to provide optimal gyroscopic force limitation.

[0056] Other variations of the disclosed embodiments may be understood and implemented by those skilled in the art in practicing the claimed invention by studying the drawings, the disclosure and the appended claims. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, nor does the indefinite article "a" or "an" exclude a plurality. A single processor or other unit may perform the functions of multiple items recited in a claim. The fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage. Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope.

[0057] List of reference numerals:

[0058] 1 Medical Vehicle

[0059] 2 Base Carrier

[0060] 3 Compartments

[0061] 4 Medical Imaging Systems

[0062] 5 Base Carrier Sensor

[0063] 5.1 Camera

[0064] 5.2 Inertial Measurement Unit

[0065] 5.3 Temperature Sensor

[0066] 6 Vehicle Management System

[0067] 7 Active suspension

[0068] 8 Anchoring system

[0069] 9 Methods

[0070] 10. Get sensor readings

[0071] 11 Performing a medical scan

[0072] 12 Anticipate adverse conditions

[0073] 13 Identify disadvantages

[0074] 14. Planning the First Approach to Medical Scanning

[0075] 15 Second option for planning medical scans

[0076] 16 A third approach to planning medical scans

[0077] 17 Adjust the settings of medical vehicles

[0078] 18 Confirm Move

[0079] 19 Dynamically adjust medical image formation

[0080] 20 Store confirmed moves

[0081] 21 Connect

Claims

1. A medical carrier (1), comprising a base carrier (2) and a compartment (3) with a medical imaging system (4), wherein: The compartment (3) is part of the base carrier (2) or the compartment (3) is attached to the base carrier (2), wherein the base carrier (2) comprises at least one base carrier sensor (5), and wherein the medical carrier (1) is configured to: Acquiring sensor readings from the at least one base carrier sensor (5) during travel of the medical carrier (1); and Based on the acquired sensor readings, a medical scan is performed on the patient while the medical vehicle (1) is traveling.

2. The medical carrier (1) according to claim 1, wherein: The medical imaging system (4) is a magnetic resonance imaging MRI, a computer tomography CT, a digital X-ray radiometry DXR, a single photon emission computer tomography SPECT, a positron emission tomography PET, a dark field X-ray imaging, a small dedicated medical imaging and / or an ultrasound system.

3. The medical carrier (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The at least one base carrier sensor (5) is connected to the electronic system of the base carrier (2), and in particular, the base carrier (2) is configured to operate based on sensor readings obtained from the at least one base carrier sensor (5).

4. The medical carrier (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The at least one base vehicle sensor (5) is at least one of a group including a vehicle navigation system, an autopilot system, an onboard computer, a compass, a camera (5.1), a radar, a lidar, a speedometer, a wind sensor, a wave sensor, an acceleration sensor, an inertial measurement unit (5.2), a motion control sensor, an engine control sensor, a vibration sensor, a temperature sensor (5.3), a humidity sensor and / or an electromagnetic field sensor.

5. The medical carrier (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: Performing a medical scan based on the sensor readings while the medical vehicle (1) is traveling comprises: predicting adverse conditions in the compartment (3) based on the acquired sensor readings; and Plan medical scans based on predicted adverse conditions.

6. The medical carrier (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: Performing a medical scan based on the sensor readings while the medical vehicle (1) is traveling comprises: Determining the current adverse conditions of the compartment (3) based on the acquired sensor readings; and A medical scan is performed and / or dynamically adjusted based on the determined current adverse conditions.

7. The medical carrier (1) according to claim 5 or 6, wherein: Planning and / or execution of medical scans is accomplished in such a way that the medical scans that are most sensitive to adverse conditions are executed when the adverse conditions are predicted and / or determined to be the least.

8. The medical carrier (1) according to claim 5 or 6, wherein: Planning and / or execution of the medical scans is done in such a way that among the remaining medical scans, in particular in the scan sequence, the medical scan with the highest sensitivity to adverse conditions is executed among the medical scans allowed by the predicted and / or determined adverse conditions.

9. The medical carrier (1) according to claim 5 or 6, wherein: Planning and / or execution of a medical scan is done in such a way that the adverse conditions are most similar to those of a previous scan.

10. The medical carrier (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein: Performing a medical scan based on acquired sensor readings while the medical vehicle (1) is traveling includes adjusting settings of the medical vehicle (1) based on the acquired sensor readings.

11. The medical carrier (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein: The medical carrier (1) is also configured to prevent changes to carrier settings when performing an ultra-sensitive scan.

12. The medical carrier (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein: Performing a medical scan based on acquired sensor readings during travel of the medical vehicle (1) includes determining the movement of the compartment (3), the medical imaging system (4), components of the medical imaging system (4) and / or the patient based on the acquired sensor readings.

13. The medical carrier (1) according to claim 12, wherein: The medical carrier (1) is also configured to dynamically adjust medical image formation based on determined movement of the compartment (3), the medical imaging system (4), components of the medical imaging system (4) and / or the patient.

14. The medical carrier (1) according to claim 12 or 13, wherein: The medical carrier (1) is also configured to store determined movements of the compartment (3), the medical imaging system (4), components of the medical imaging system (4) and / or the patient for compensating for the movements in post-processing of medical images.

15. A method of operating a medical carrier (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 14, the method comprising: Acquiring sensor readings from the at least one base carrier sensor (5) during travel of the medical carrier (1); as well as Based on the acquired sensor readings, a medical scan is performed on the patient while the medical vehicle (1) is traveling.

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