Novel moving arm structure for X-ray imaging equipment

Abstract

The invention discloses a novel moving arm structure for X-ray imaging equipment, and aims at solving the problems that in the prior art, a slip ring is high in cost, a drag chain is prone to being stuck, and the equipment complexity is large. The structure comprises a composite rotating frame and a dynamic drag chain protection system, the combined type rotating frame is composed of a movable arm outer ring body and a movable arm inner ring body which are coaxially arranged, the outer ring body and the inner ring body form a closed O-shaped structure through a C-shaped fixed plate and a detachable movable plate, and multi-degree-of-freedom movement is achieved. According to the dynamic drag chain protection system, an O-shaped drag chain limiting protection groove is formed by a U-shaped fixed drag chain groove and a telescopic U-shaped movable drag chain groove, a gear and rack transmission mechanism and a sealed guide channel are matched, and it is ensured that the drag chain moves stably and is not extruded. According to the invention, the drag chain is adopted to replace a slip ring, so that the cost is obviously reduced, the reliability is improved by optimizing the protection system, and 360-degree image acquisition can be completed only by a single set of ray equipment; in addition, the design of the movable plate facilitates opening, closing and maintenance of equipment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of medical devices, and particularly to a novel moving arm structure for X-ray imaging devices. Background Art

[0002] Currently, the O-arm structure is widely used in radiotherapy and medical imaging devices, and its multi-degree-of-freedom motion ability can meet the needs of precise positioning and imaging.

[0003] The Chinese patent "Five-degree-of-freedom O-arm radiotherapy system" (CN104307114B) discloses an O-arm system with rotation, flipping and translation functions, but its energy transmission depends on the slip ring assembly. The slip ring (especially the fiber optic ring) has high processing precision, high cost, accounting for 20% - 30% of the total equipment cost, and complex maintenance.

[0004] The Chinese patent "An O-arm structure of an openable dual-source CT device", application publication number CN 111166369 A, discloses an openable O-arm. After opening, the O-arm becomes a C-arm, and two sets of ray generating and receiving devices are also arranged on the O-arm. This structural design can reduce the rotation angle of the rotating body of the O-arm. Each of the two sets of ray generating and receiving devices collects a range of 180°, and the entire 360° image acquisition can be completed. However, the patent does not mention the energy transmission method of the rotating components inside the O-arm. For this opening and closing structure, it is highly likely to choose the drag chain method as the slip ring cannot be used. Since there are two sets of ray generating and receiving devices in this structure and the rotation angle is not large, the length of a single drag chain will be short, but the number of drag chains will increase. Although the drag chain is short and the attitude change during operation is small, if not properly protected, there is a high possibility that the drag chain will get stuck, deviate, be squeezed and other adverse phenomena will occur. In addition, using two sets of ray generating and receiving devices in this structure greatly increases the overall cost of the machine.

[0005] Therefore, in view of the deficiencies of the existing technology, it is necessary to design a novel moving arm structure for X-ray imaging devices to solve the above problems.

[0006] It should be noted that the above introduction of the technical background is only for the convenience of clearly and completely explaining the technical solution of the present invention and facilitating the understanding of those skilled in the art. It cannot be considered that the above content is well-known to those skilled in the art just because these contents are described in the background art of the present invention. Summary of the Invention

[0007] To overcome the above deficiencies in the prior art, the purpose of the present invention is to disclose a novel moving arm structure for X-ray imaging devices, which can not only achieve multi-degree-of-freedom motion, but also reduce the complexity of energy transmission, while taking into account the economy and long-term reliability of the device.

[0008] The present invention discloses a novel mobile arm structure for an X-ray imaging device, which is liftable and rotatable and is arranged on the base of the X-ray imaging device, and includes: Compound rotating frame: It is composed of a mobile arm outer ring main body and a mobile arm inner ring main body arranged coaxially. The outer ring main body includes two C-shaped outer ring fixing plates that are parallel to each other and connected by an outer ring support plate and a detachable outer ring movable plate. The C-shaped outer ring fixing plate and the outer ring movable plate can form a closed O-shaped outer plate; the inner ring main body includes two C-shaped inner ring fixing plates that are parallel to each other and connected by an inner ring support plate and a detachable inner ring movable plate. The C-shaped inner ring fixing plate and the inner ring movable plate can form a closed O-shaped inner plate; the O-shaped outer plate and the O-shaped inner plate are slidably connected along the circumference. Dynamic drag chain protection system: It includes a U-shaped fixed drag chain groove fixed on the outer ring support plate. The open end of the U-shaped fixed drag chain groove is provided with a U-shaped movable drag chain groove that can stretch along the groove body. The two ends of the U-shaped movable drag chain groove are butted with the U-shaped fixed drag chain groove to form an O-shaped drag chain limit protection groove; the U-shaped movable drag chain groove and the output gear of the driving motor form a gear-rack transmission mechanism through a rack structure, and the driving motor is fixed on the U-shaped fixed drag chain groove: the U-shaped fixed drag chain groove and the C-shaped sealing plate fixed on the inner ring fixing plate surround to form a sealed guiding channel for the drag chain to pass through, preventing the drag chain from running off or being squeezed. A sealing movable plate that can move synchronously with the inner ring movable plate is movably connected to the C-shaped sealing plate to ensure that the drag chain is always protected during the opening and closing process.

[0009] Preferred technical solution: The inner wall of the U-shaped fixed drag chain groove is provided with a chute along its circumference, and the outer wall of the U-shaped movable drag chain groove is provided with a slide rail matching the chute to enhance the movement stability.

[0010] Preferred technical solution: The C-shaped sealing plate is also provided with a guiding plate for guiding the drag chain to further optimize the drag chain guiding.

[0011] Preferred technical solution: The driving motor is a stepping motor to ensure the movement accuracy.

[0012] Preferred technical solution: The outer ring movable plate, the inner ring movable plate and the sealing movable plate are synchronously opened and closed through a linkage locking mechanism.

[0013] Preferred technical solution: The novel mobile arm structure can be positioned at any angle of 360°.

[0014] Preferred technical solution: Quick locking devices are provided at the C-shaped open ends of the outer ring main body and the inner ring main body to facilitate synchronous opening and closing.

[0015] Due to the application of the above technical solutions, the beneficial effects of the present invention compared with the prior art are: 1) Traditional O-arm relies on high-precision slip rings (such as fiber optic rings) to transmit energy and signals, and its cost accounts for 20% - 30% of the total equipment cost. The present invention uses a drag chain system to replace the slip ring, significantly reducing the manufacturing cost.

[0016] 2) By optimizing the drag chain protection system, the inner ring can rotate 360°, and only a single set of ray generation and reception equipment is required to complete full-range image acquisition, avoiding the high cost of double sets of equipment.

[0017] 3) A sealable guiding channel that can be opened and closed is formed to ensure that the drag chain is always in a controlled state during movement, completely solving the problems of traditional drag chains such as easy jamming, deviation, and extrusion.

[0018] 4) Through the cooperation of the drive motor and the rack structure, the telescopic movement of the drag chain is smoother, reducing mechanical wear and extending the service life.

[0019] 5) Guide plates and slide rail structures are added to further restrict the movement trajectory of the drag chain and avoid distortion or derailment.

[0020] 6) The outer ring and the inner ring movable plate can be opened synchronously, the O-arm is instantly converted into a C-arm, and at the same time the dynamic drag chain protection system can be opened synchronously; it is convenient for patients to enter and exit or for equipment maintenance.

[0021] 7) The C-type fixed plate and the movable plate are detachably connected, facilitating the quick replacement or repair of components. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] In order to more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for use in the description of the specific embodiments or the prior art. Obviously, the following drawings are some embodiments of the present invention. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative efforts.

[0023] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of the new moving arm structure for X-ray imaging equipment of the present invention in a horizontal closed state; Figure 2 It is a schematic structural diagram of the new moving arm structure for X-ray imaging equipment of the present invention in a horizontal open state; Figure 3 It is a schematic structural diagram of the new moving arm structure for X-ray imaging equipment of the present invention in a vertical closed state; Figure 4 It is a schematic structural diagram of the new moving arm structure for X-ray imaging equipment of the present invention in a vertical open state; Figure 5 It is a schematic structural diagram of the composite rotating frame of the present invention in a closed state; Figure 6 This is a schematic structural diagram of the composite rotating frame in the open state in the present invention; Figure 7 This is a schematic structural diagram of the dynamic cable carrier protection system in the closed state in the present invention; Figure 8 This is a schematic structural diagram of the dynamic cable carrier protection system in the open state in the present invention.

[0024] In the above drawings, 100 is the base of the X-ray imaging device; 1 is the outer ring main body of the moving arm; 11 is the C-shaped outer ring fixing plate; 12 is the outer ring support plate; 13 is the outer ring movable plate; 2 is the inner ring main body of the moving arm; 21 is the C-shaped inner ring fixing plate; 22 is the inner ring support plate; 23 is the inner ring movable plate; 3 is the dynamic cable carrier protection system; 31 is the U-shaped fixed cable carrier groove; 31a is the chute; 32 is the C-shaped sealing plate; 33 is the U-shaped movable cable carrier groove; 33a is the rack structure; 33b is the slide rail; 34 is the driving motor; 35 is the output gear; 36 is the sealing movable plate; 37 is the guide plate. Detailed implementation manners

[0025] The following specific embodiments illustrate the implementation manners of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the content disclosed in this specification.

[0026] It should be noted that the terms "first", "second", etc. in the description, claims and drawings of this application are used to distinguish similar objects, and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged under appropriate circumstances so as to describe the embodiments of this application here. In addition, the terms "include" and "have" and their synonyms are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product or device that includes a series of steps or units does not necessarily have to be limited to those steps or units clearly listed, but may include other steps or units not clearly listed or inherent to these processes, methods, products or devices.

[0027] In this application, the orientation or positional relationship indicated by the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "front", "rear", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "middle", "vertical", "horizontal", "lateral", "longitudinal", etc. is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings. These terms are mainly used to better describe the present invention and its embodiments, and are not used to limit that the indicated devices, elements or components must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation.

[0028] Moreover, in addition to being used to represent orientation or positional relationships, some of the above terms may also be used to represent other meanings. For example, the term "upper" may also be used to represent a certain attachment relationship or connection relationship in some cases. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of these terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0029] In addition, the terms "installed", "set", "provided with", "connected", "linked", "socketed", "fitted" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, "connected" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral structure; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be directly connected, or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or there can be internal communication between two devices, components or parts. Another example is that "fitted" can be completely close-fitting or partially close-fitting. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0030] It should be noted that, without conflict, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of the present application can be combined with each other. The present application will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings and in conjunction with the embodiments.

[0031] Embodiment: As Figure 1 、 Figure 2 、 Figure 3 and Figure 4 shown, the present invention discloses a novel mobile arm structure for an X-ray imaging device, which is arranged on the base 100 of the X-ray imaging device in a liftable and rotatable manner, and includes a composite rotating frame and a dynamic cable chain protection system 3. The main components of the above-mentioned present invention will be specifically described below: As Figure 1 、 Figure 2 、 Figure 3 、 Figure 4 、 Figure 5 and Figure 6 shown, the composite rotating frame is composed of a mobile arm outer ring main body 1 and a mobile arm inner ring main body 2 arranged coaxially.

[0032] The outer ring main body 1 includes a C-shaped outer ring fixing plate 11, an outer ring support plate 12 and an outer ring movable plate 13; the two C-shaped outer ring fixing plates 11 are arranged in parallel and the C-shaped openings correspond to each other, and both ends of the outer ring support plate 12 are fixedly connected to the two C-shaped outer ring fixing plates 11; the outer ring movable plate 13 is docked with the C-shaped opening of the C-shaped outer ring fixing plate 11 to form a closed O-shaped outer plate; when the outer ring movable plate 13 is misaligned with the C-shaped opening of the C-shaped outer ring fixing plate 11, its overall structure is C-shaped, which is convenient for equipment maintenance or for patients to enter and exit quickly.

[0033] The inner ring body 2 includes a C-shaped inner ring fixed plate 21, an inner ring support plate 22 and an inner ring movable plate 23; the two C-shaped inner ring fixed plates 21 are arranged in parallel and the C-shaped openings correspond to each other, and the two ends of the inner ring support plate 22 are fixedly connected to the two C-shaped inner ring fixed plates 21; the inner ring movable plate 23 is connected with the C-shaped opening of the C-shaped inner ring fixed plate 21 to form a closed O-shaped inner plate, and the O-shaped inner plate and the O-shaped outer plate of the outer ring body 1 are connected by a circumferential sliding connection to achieve relative 360° rotation; if the inner ring movable plate 23 is misaligned with the C-shaped opening of the C-shaped inner ring fixed plate 21, the whole structure is a C-shaped structure, which is convenient for equipment maintenance or quick opening when patients enter and exit.

[0034] The above design uses an openable C-shaped design, and the O-shaped arm can be quickly converted into a C-shaped arm, which is convenient for patient positioning or emergency operation. The sliding connection between the inner and outer rings supports 360° continuous rotation, and only a single set of radiation generating and receiving equipment is required to meet multi-angle imaging needs.

[0035] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 , Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, the dynamic drag chain protection system 3 includes a U-shaped fixed drag chain groove 31, a C-shaped sealing plate 32 and a U-shaped movable drag chain groove 33, wherein: The U-shaped fixed drag chain groove 31 is fixed on the outer ring support plate 12, and a sliding groove 31a is provided on its inner wall along the circumferential direction; There are two U-shaped movable drag chain slots 33, which are respectively arranged at the two open ends of the U-shaped fixed drag chain slot 31 through the matching of the slide rails 33b and the slide slots 31a to achieve telescopic movement. The driving motor 34 is fixed on the U-shaped fixed drag chain slot 31, and the movable drag chain slot 33 is meshed with the output gear 35 of the driving motor 34 through the rack structure 33a to form a gear rack transmission mechanism. The driving motor 34 is used to drive the movable drag chain slot 33 to move. When the two movable drag chain slots 33 extend from the two open ends of the U-shaped fixed drag chain slot 31 and dock, the U-shaped fixed drag chain slot 31 and the two movable drag chain slots 33 are surrounded to form an O-shaped structure; when the two movable drag chain slots 33 are retracted from the two open ends of the U-shaped fixed drag chain slot 31, the U-shaped fixed drag chain slot 31 and the two movable drag chain slots 33 still form a C-shaped structure. The U-shaped fixed drag chain groove 31 and the C-shaped sealing plate 32 fixed on the inner ring fixed plate 21 together form a sealed guide channel for the drag chain to pass through. The drag chain passes through the channel to avoid deviation or extrusion; the sealing movable plate 36 moves synchronously with the inner ring movable plate 23 to ensure that the drag chain is always protected during the opening and closing process.

[0036] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown, when the composite rotary frame is in the closed state, the dynamic drag chain protection system 3 is also in the closed state. At this time, the drag chain moves synchronously along the circumferential direction in the sealed guiding channel following the inner ring body 2. When the composite rotary frame is in the open state, the dynamic drag chain protection system 3 is also in the open state. At this time, the drag chain stops and remains stationary at the preset position.

[0037] The above design realizes the smooth telescoping of the drag chain through the gear-rack drive, and achieves the synchronous opening and closing of the dynamic drag chain protection system and the composite rotary frame. The sealed design completely solves the problems of easy jamming and derailment of the traditional drag chain.

[0038] As Figure 7 and Figure 8 shown, a guiding plate 37 for guiding the drag chain is also provided on the C-shaped sealing plate 32, further restricting the movement trajectory of the drag chain.

[0039] As Figure 7 and Figure 8 shown, the driving motor 34 is a stepping motor, which has high precision and is easy to control.

[0040] As Figure 5 , Figure 6 , Figure 7 and Figure 8 shown, the outer ring movable plate 13, the inner ring movable plate 23 and the sealing movable plate 36 achieve synchronous opening and closing through the linkage locking mechanism.

[0041] As Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 shown, the new mobile arm structure can perform 360° arbitrary angle positioning. Cooperating with the control system, it can be accurately positioned at any angle.

[0042] As Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 shown, quick locking devices are provided at the C-shaped open ends of the outer ring body 1 and the inner ring body 2, improving the opening and closing efficiency of the composite rotary frame.

[0043] The new mobile arm structure for X-ray imaging equipment of the present invention provides a more flexible and economical motion solution for the X-ray imaging equipment through the innovative composite rotary frame and the dynamic drag chain protection system.

[0044] Finally, it should be noted that the above are only the preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art can still modify the technical solutions recorded in the foregoing embodiments or perform equivalent replacements on some of the technical features. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present invention shall be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A novel movable arm structure for an X-ray imaging device, which is arranged on a base (100) of the X-ray imaging device and can be raised and lowered and flipped, and is characterized in that: include: The composite rotating frame is composed of a coaxially arranged outer ring main body (1) of a movable arm and an inner ring main body (2), wherein the outer ring main body (1) comprises two C-shaped outer ring fixed plates (11) and a detachable outer ring movable plate (13) which are parallel to each other and connected via an outer ring support plate (12), and the C-shaped outer ring fixed plates (11) and the outer ring movable plates (13) can form a closed O-shaped outer plate; the inner ring main body (2) comprises two C-shaped inner ring fixed plates (21) and a detachable inner ring movable plate (23) which are parallel to each other and connected via an inner ring support plate (22), and the C-shaped inner ring fixed plates (21) and the inner ring movable plates (23) can form a closed O-shaped inner plate; the O-shaped outer plate and the O-shaped inner plate are slidably connected along the circumferential direction; A dynamic drag chain protection system (3): comprising a U-shaped fixed drag chain groove (31) fixed on the outer ring support plate (12), the open end of which is provided with a U-shaped movable drag chain groove (33) that can be extended and retracted along the groove body, and the U-shaped movable drag chain grooves (33) at both ends are connected to the U-shaped fixed drag chain groove (31) to form an O-shaped drag chain limit protection groove; the U-shaped movable drag chain groove (33) forms a gear rack transmission mechanism through a rack structure (33a) and an output gear (35) of a drive motor (34), and the drive motor (34) is fixed on the U-shaped fixed drag chain groove (31); the U-shaped fixed drag chain groove (31) and a C-shaped sealing plate (32) fixed on the inner ring fixed plate (21) are enclosed to form a sealed guide channel for the drag chain to pass through, and the C-shaped sealing plate (32) is movably connected to a sealing movable plate (36) that can move synchronously with the inner ring movable plate (23).

2. The novel movable arm structure for X-ray imaging equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner wall of the U-shaped fixed drag chain groove (31) is provided with a slide groove (31a) along its circumference, and the outer wall of the U-shaped movable drag chain groove (33) is provided with a slide rail (33b) matching the slide groove (31a).

3. The novel movable arm structure for X-ray imaging equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The C-shaped sealing plate (32) is also provided with a guide plate (37) for guiding the drag chain.

4. The novel movable arm structure for X-ray imaging equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The driving motor (34) is a stepping motor.

5. The novel movable arm structure for X-ray imaging equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer ring movable plate (13), the inner ring movable plate (23) and the sealing movable plate (36) are opened and closed synchronously via a linkage locking mechanism.

6. The novel movable arm structure for X-ray imaging equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The novel movable arm structure can be positioned at any angle of 360°.

7. The novel movable arm structure for X-ray imaging equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The C-shaped opening ends of the outer ring body (1) and the inner ring body (2) are both provided with quick locking devices.

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