Head fixing device for nuclear medicine image examination

Abstract

The present invention relates to a head fixture for nuclear medicine image examination, comprising: a head holder which has a head seating part on which the head of a patient is seated and a neck seating part on which the neck of the patient is seated, and which supports the head of the patient; and a holder holder which has a holder accommodating part for detachably accommodating the head holders and is placed on an examination table, in which the plurality of head holders are provided, each of the plurality of head holders has a head mounting part having a different diameter, and each of the plurality of head holders has a head mounting part having a different diameter. And a head support, which is selected according to the size of the head of the patient, is selectively mounted on the support holder.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a head fixing device for nuclear medicine image inspection, which is used for improving the quality of images during nuclear medicine image inspection. Background Art

[0002] Nuclear medicine imaging is a process in which radioactive isotopes or radioactive drugs are injected into the patient, and the gamma rays released from the body are measured using the detector of a gamma camera. The signals are then converted into electrical signals and visualized, thereby evaluating the morphology, physiological or pathological conditions of various organs and diagnosing diseases.

[0003] In nuclear medicine imaging, in order to reduce image distortion and the disappearance rate of gamma counts, the examination is performed as close as possible between the examination site and the gamma camera, and various fixation devices are used for the purpose of controlling the movement of the patient according to the examination site.

[0004] At this time, depending on the material and thickness of the fixture, the transmitted dose released from the inspection site may be attenuated before reaching the detector of the gamma camera, which may cause a decrease in image quality.

[0005] Nuclear medicine imaging examinations require auxiliary devices due to the characteristics of the examination, but there are some shortcomings. In particular, there are no auxiliary devices that support the head. The reason is that it is difficult to uniformly produce auxiliary devices due to the indifference of production companies or the anatomical characteristics of the head.

[0006] Therefore, as a head fixing device for a patient used for nuclear medicine imaging examination, a general pillow is currently used.

[0007] As described above, if an ordinary pillow is used to support the patient's head to perform an image examination, the patient is likely to move his head during the image examination, so that an accurate image cannot be obtained, and the obtained image is severely distorted, resulting in a problem of reduced image accuracy.

[0008] Furthermore, there are many cases where the diagnosis of the lesion site is inaccurate and re-examination is required, which causes inconvenience not only to the examiner but also to the patient. Summary of the invention

[0009] The present invention is used to solve the problems mentioned above. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a head fixation device for nuclear medicine image examination that can be easily replaced according to the size of the patient's head during nuclear medicine image examination, can stably fix the patient's head for examination, and can reduce the distortion of the acquired image to improve the image quality, thereby accurately diagnosing and treating the lesion site.

[0010] The technical problems that the present invention intends to solve are not limited to the technical problems mentioned above, and those skilled in the art can clearly understand other technical problems not mentioned through the following description.

[0011] The object of the present invention can be achieved by the following head fixing device for nuclear medicine image examination, which includes: a head bracket, which has a head resting portion for placing the patient's head and a neck resting portion for placing the patient's neck, and supports the patient's head; and a bracket support, which has a bracket accommodating portion that can detachably accommodate the head bracket and is placed on an examination table, wherein the head bracket is equipped with a plurality of head resting portions, each of which has a different diameter, and a head bracket selected corresponding to the patient's head size is selectively installed on the bracket support.

[0012] Here, the head fixing device for nuclear medicine image examination may further include: a neck support provided on one side of the support bracket adjacent to the neck seating portion of the support bracket, so as to support the neck of the patient seated on the neck seating portion.

[0013] Furthermore, the head fixing device for nuclear medicine image examination may further include: an auxiliary bracket provided on the bottom surface of the support bracket and supporting the support bracket obliquely on the examination table in accordance with the inclination of the patient's head and body.

[0014] The auxiliary bracket may further include an inclined portion formed so that a region in contact with the support bracket is inclined.

[0015] The head support may include: a support body, which is detachably mounted on a disassembly portion of the support bracket; a head seating portion, which has a circular cross-sectional shape from a side panel of the support body and is recessed at a predetermined depth so as to accommodate the patient's head; a back of the head seating portion, which is recessed at a predetermined depth in the center of the head seating portion so as to accommodate the patient's back of the head; and a neck seating portion, which is cut on the support body with a predetermined width and depth so as to be connected to the head seating portion so as to accommodate the patient's neck.

[0016] The head support and the support bracket may include memory foam material.

[0017] The thickness from the outer side surface of the support bracket to the head seating portion of the head support may be 2 to 3 cm.

[0018] According to the present invention, during nuclear medicine image examination, it can be easily replaced according to the patient's head size, the patient's head can be stably fixed for examination, and the distortion of the acquired image can be reduced to improve the image quality, thereby accurately diagnosing and treating the lesion site.

[0019] The effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and those skilled in the art can clearly understand other effects not mentioned through the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a head fixing device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Exploded three-dimensional diagram.

[0022] Figure 3 is along Figure 1 Cross-sectional view taken along line AA.

[0023] Figure 4 is along Figure 2 Cross-sectional view taken along line BB.

[0024] Description of Reference Numerals

[0025] 1: Head fixing device 10a, 10b: Head support

[0026] 11: Bracket body 15: Head placement part

[0027] 21: Back of head placement 25: Neck placement

[0028] 40: bracket support 41: bracket receiving part

[0029] 50: Neck support 60: Auxiliary bracket

[0030] 61: Inclined part DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] The advantages, features and methods for achieving the advantages, features and methods of the present invention can be clearly understood by referring to the embodiments described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, and can be implemented in various forms that are different from each other. The present embodiments are provided only to complete the disclosure of the present invention and to fully inform the ordinary technicians in the technical field to which the present invention belongs. The present invention is only defined by the scope of the claims.

[0032] The terms used in this specification are for the purpose of illustrating embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. Unless otherwise specifically mentioned in the text, the singular form in this specification also includes the plural form. The "comprises" and / or "comprising" used in the specification do not exclude the existence or addition of one or more other constituent elements other than the mentioned constituent elements. Throughout the entire specification, the same figure mark refers to the same constituent element, and "and / or" includes each of the mentioned constituent elements and all combinations of more than one. Although "first", "second" and the like are used to describe a variety of constituent elements, these constituent elements are obviously not limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one constituent element from other constituent elements. Therefore, the first constituent element mentioned below can obviously be a second constituent element within the technical idea of ​​the present invention.

[0033] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used in this specification may be used with the meanings commonly understood by those skilled in the art in the art to which the present invention belongs. In addition, for terms defined in commonly used dictionaries, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined, they should not be idealized or over-interpreted.

[0034] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0035] Figures 1 to 4 A head fixing device for nuclear medicine image examination according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0036] As shown in these drawings, a head fixture 1 for nuclear medicine imaging according to an embodiment of the present invention includes head supports 10 a and 10 b and a support bracket 40 .

[0037] The head supports 10a, 10b have a hexahedral block shape.

[0038] The head supports 10 a and 10 b include a support body 11 , a head rest portion 15 , a back of the head rest portion 21 , and a neck rest portion 25 .

[0039] The holder body 11 forms the entire outer shell of the head holders 10 a and 10 b and is detachably received in the holder receiving portion 41 of the holder bracket 40 .

[0040] The head rest portion 15 has a circular cross-sectional shape from one side surface of the support body 11 (eg, the upper surface of the support body 11 ) and is recessed at a predetermined depth. Therefore, the head of the patient is rested on the head rest portion 15 .

[0041] The back of the head resting portion 21 is provided in the central area of ​​the head resting portion 15 for resting the back of the patient's head. The back of the head resting portion 21 has a diameter that gradually decreases toward the bottom of the support body 11 and is recessed at a predetermined depth.

[0042] The neck seating portion 25 is cut and formed at a side surface of the support body 11 with a predetermined width and depth so as to communicate with the head seating portion 15. Therefore, the neck seating portion 25 is for seating the patient's neck.

[0043] In addition, if Figure 2 As shown, the head fixing device 1 for nuclear medicine image examination according to one embodiment of the present invention is equipped with head supports 10a and 10b of different specifications, so that they can be selectively detached from the support bracket 40. For example, one of a pair of head supports 10a and 10b having head seating portions 15 of different diameters is detached from the support bracket 40.

[0044] In this embodiment, a pair of head supports 10a, 10b having head seating portions 15 of different diameters corresponding to different head sizes of patients are shown, but this is not limited to this, and multiple head supports having head seating portions of various diameters corresponding to various head sizes of patients may be provided.

[0045] Thus, a head holder corresponding to the patient's head size is selected from a plurality of head holders, and the selected head holder is mounted on the head seating portion, so that an image examination of the patient's head can be performed while the patient is seated on the head seating portion of the head holder.

[0046] The support bracket 40 has a hexahedral block shape. A support receiving portion 41 is formed on the support bracket 40, which has an upper surface and a side surface open and can receive the head support 10a, 10b in a detachable manner. The support receiving portion 41 has the same size and cross-sectional shape as the support body 11, so as to be able to receive the support body 11 of the head support 10a, 10b.

[0047] In a state where the head stands 10 a and 10 b are accommodated in the stand accommodating portion 41 , the stand bracket 40 is placed on a workbench where image inspection is performed.

[0048] Thus, among a plurality of head holders 10a, 10b having various sizes of head resting parts 15, head holders 10a, 10b corresponding to the age group of patients who need to undergo image examination and the head size of the patients are installed in the holder accommodating part 41 of the holder bracket 40, so that image examination can be performed while stably fixing the patient's head.

[0049] In addition, the head fixing device 1 for nuclear medicine image examination according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a neck support 50 .

[0050] The neck support 50 has a rod shape with a triangular cross-sectional shape. Here, one side of the neck support 50 that contacts the patient's neck may also have an arc shape.

[0051] The neck support 50 is provided on one side of the support bracket 40 adjacent to the neck seating portion 25 of the support bracket 40 .

[0052] The neck support 50 is provided at one side of the support bracket 40 to support the neck of the patient seated in the neck seating portion 25 in accordance with the bending state of the neck relative to the head of the patient seated in the head support 10 a , 10 b .

[0053] Therefore, the head fixing device 1 for nuclear medicine image examination also includes a neck support 50 together with the head support 10a, 10b and the support bracket 40, so that the patient's neck can be placed more stably, thereby reducing the inconvenience of the patient during image examination and minimizing the movement of the patient's head, so that accurate images can be obtained.

[0054] Furthermore, the head fixing device 1 for nuclear medicine imaging according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include an auxiliary bracket 60 .

[0055] The auxiliary bracket 60 has a plate shape, and a plate surface in contact with the holder bracket 40 has an inclined portion 61 inclined at a predetermined inclination relative to an opposite plate surface, whereby the auxiliary bracket 60 has a wedge shape as a whole.

[0056] The auxiliary bracket 60 is provided on the bottom surface of the support bracket 40 to support the support bracket 40 on the examination table at an angle corresponding to different patient body structures, for example, corresponding to the inclination of the patient's head and body.

[0057] Therefore, the head fixing device 1 for nuclear medicine image examination also includes an auxiliary bracket 60 together with the head bracket 10a, 10b and the bracket bracket 40, so as to compensate for the inclination of the patient's head and body and can place the patient's body, head and neck more stably, thereby reducing the inconvenience of the patient during image examination and minimizing the movement of the patient's head, so as to obtain accurate images.

[0058] Here, as another embodiment, although not shown, the auxiliary bracket 60 may also have a plate shape of a predetermined thickness, thereby supporting the support bracket 40 on the examination table, thereby also being able to adjust the height from the workbench to the patient's head supported by the head bracket 10a, 10b.

[0059] In addition, the head supports 10 a and 10 b , the support bracket 40 , the neck support 50 and the auxiliary bracket 60 constituting the head fixing device for nuclear medicine imaging examination 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include memory foam material.

[0060] The memory foam material has the property of not being distorted by the patient's body shape and physique and expanding and contracting directly, so image distortion can be minimized during image examinations.

[0061] In the following, a medical phantom injected with radioactive isotopes was placed on a test piece made of memory foam of various thicknesses, and an experiment was conducted to measure the contrast to noise ratio (CNR) and signal to noise ratio (SNR) values, which serve as criteria for judging image distortion and image quality.

[0062] When measuring the CNR value and the SNR value, each test piece including a 2 cm thick medium-density memory foam, a 4.5 cm thick high-density memory foam, and a 6 cm thick medium-density memory foam material is measured.

[0063] The following [Table 1] records the contrast to noise ratio (CNR: Contrast to Noise Ratio) values ​​measured for each test piece, and [Table 2] records the signal to noise ratio (SNR: Signal to Noise Ratio) values.

[0064]

Table 1

[0065]

[0066]

Table 2

[0067]

[0068]

[0069] In the [Table 1], N is the number of samples, Mean is the mean, SD is the standard deviation, F is the F ratio (F Ratio), which is the ratio of the variance between the analyzed objects to the variance within the objects, the significance is determined by the F ratio and the degrees of freedom, and P refers to significance.

[0070] Furthermore, in the [Table 2], N is the number of samples, Mean is the mean, SD is the standard deviation, F is the F ratio, which is the ratio of the variance between the analyzed objects - the variance within the objects, significance is determined by the F ratio and the degrees of freedom, and P refers to significance.

[0071] Furthermore, radioactive isotopes used in nuclear medicine have a characteristic that their radioactivity decreases over time. Therefore, each measurement value recorded in [Table 1] and [Table 2] is calculated by correcting the decreased radioactivity based on the first measurement value.

[0072] In addition, as shown in [Table 1] and [Table 2], there is no significant difference between the 6cm thick medium-density memory foam and the 4.5cm thick high-density memory foam. The CNR value of the 2cm thick memory foam sample is about 21% higher than that of other memory foam samples. In addition, the SNR value of the 2cm thick memory foam sample is also about 12% higher than that of other memory foam samples (p<0.05).

[0073] Based on the above test results, the head fixing device 1 is suitable to be made of memory foam material, and the CNR value and SNR value may be affected by the thickness, so it can be inferred that the thickness is preferably within 2 to 3 cm.

[0074] Therefore, in the head fixation device 1 for nuclear medicine image examination according to one embodiment of the present invention, when the thickness from the outer side surface of the support bracket 40 made of memory foam material that transmits radiation to the head seating portion 15 of the head support 10a, 10b is 2 to 3 cm, an optimal image without image distortion can be obtained.

[0075] As described above, according to the present invention, during nuclear medicine image examination, it is possible to easily replace the image sensor according to the patient's age group and the patient's head size, and the patient's head can be stably fixed and examined, and the distortion of the acquired image can be reduced and the image quality can be improved, thereby accurately diagnosing and treating the lesion site.

[0076] The embodiments of the present invention are described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, but it is understood by those with ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention belongs that the present invention can be implemented in other specific forms without changing the technical ideas or essential features of the present invention. Therefore, the embodiments described above should be understood to be exemplary in all aspects, rather than restrictive.

Claims

1. A head fixation device for nuclear medicine image examination, comprising: A head support having a head resting portion for resting the patient's head and a neck resting portion for resting the patient's neck, and supporting the patient's head; as well as The support bracket has a support receiving portion for receiving the head support in a detachable manner and is placed on the inspection table. The head support is equipped with a plurality of head supports, each of which has a head placement portion with a different diameter, and the head support selected corresponding to the patient's head size is selectively installed on the support bracket.

2. The head fixing device for nuclear medicine image examination according to claim 1, further comprising: A neck support is provided on one side of the support bracket adjacent to the neck seating portion of the support bracket so as to support the neck of a patient seated on the neck seating portion.

3. The head fixing device for nuclear medicine image examination according to claim 1, further comprising: The auxiliary bracket is provided on the bottom surface of the support bracket and supports the support bracket on the examination table at an inclination corresponding to the inclination of the patient's head and body.

4. The head fixing device for nuclear medicine image examination according to claim 3, wherein: The auxiliary bracket also includes: The inclined portion is formed so that a region in contact with the bracket bracket is inclined.

5. The head fixing device for nuclear medicine image examination according to claim 1, wherein: The head support comprises: A bracket body, which is detachably mounted on a disassembly portion of the bracket support; A head placement portion, which has a circular cross-sectional shape from one side plate surface of the support body and is recessed at a predetermined depth so as to accommodate the patient's head; a back-of-the-head seating portion, which is recessed at a predetermined depth in the center of the head seating portion so as to seat the back of the patient's head; and The neck seating portion is cut in the support body with a predetermined width and depth to communicate with the head seating portion so as to be seated on the patient's neck.

6. The head fixing device for nuclear medicine image examination according to claim 1, wherein: The head support and the support bracket include memory foam material.

7. The head fixing device for nuclear medicine image examination according to claim 6, wherein: The thickness from the outer side surface of the support bracket to the head seating portion of the head support is 2 to 3 cm.

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