Patient positioning device and medical workstation

Abstract

Patient positioning device comprising a patient bed (2) having a lying surface (2a) and a robot arm (3) comprising several segments arranged one behind the other and rotatably mounted with respect to axes, and a mounting device (4) to which the patient bed (2) is attached, wherein the segments of the robot arm (3) comprise a robot hand (8), the hand segments (8a, 8b, 8c) and the mounting device (4), and wherein a first segment (9) of the segments of the robot arm (3) is rotatably mounted in the region of one of its two ends with respect to a vertically extending axis (A2), and a second segment (10) of the segments of the robot arm (3) is rotatably mounted in the region of one of its two ends with respect to a horizontally extending axis (A3) relative to the first segment (9).and the robot hand (8) is rotatably mounted at the other end of the second link (10) with respect to a further horizontal axis (A4) relative to the second link (10), wherein the horizontal axis (A3) is aligned parallel to the further horizontal axis (A4) at a distance (a), and wherein the robot hand (8) comprises, as links of the robot arm (3), a first hand link (8a) rotatably mounted with respect to the further horizontal axis (A4) relative to the second link (10), a second hand link (8b) rotatably mounted with respect to a hand axis (A5) relative to the first hand link (8a), and a third hand link (8c) rotatably mounted with respect to a further hand axis (A6) relative to the second hand link (8b), which includes the fastening device (4), wherein the hand axis (A5), the further hand axis (A6), and the further horizontal axis (A4) intersect at a common point.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a patient positioning device comprising a robot arm and a patient bed, and a medical workstation comprising the patient positioning device.

[0002] DE 10 2010 043 421 B4 discloses a medical workstation comprising a device for generating ionizing, high-energy radiation for irradiating an area of ​​a living being, a storage device for holding a living being, and a robotic arm. The robotic arm is part of a robot and includes a mounting device to which the storage device is attached.

[0003] EP 2 944 259 A1 describes a patient positioning device with a motion device for moving a patient receptacle, wherein the motion device enables translational movements of the patient receptacle in all three spatial directions and rotational movements about all three spatial axes. The patient receptacle is connected to the motion device via a pivoting mechanism, which enables a pivoting movement of the patient receptacle relative to the motion device about a horizontal pivoting axis.

[0004] One object of the invention is to provide a patient positioning device with an improved robot arm.

[0005] Another object of the invention is to specify a medical workplace with such a patient positioning device.

[0006] The object of the invention is achieved by a patient positioning device comprising a patient bed having a lying surface and a robot arm having several segments arranged one behind the other, rotatably mounted with respect to axes, and a mounting device to which the patient bed is attached, wherein the segments of the robot arm comprise a robot hand, hand segments, and the mounting device, and a first segment of the robot arm is rotatably mounted with respect to a vertical axis in the region of one of its two ends, a second segment of the robot arm is rotatably mounted with respect to a horizontal axis relative to the first segment in the region of one of its two ends, and the robot hand is rotatably mounted with respect to a further horizontal axis relative to the second segment in the region of the other end of the first segment.wherein the horizontally extending axis is aligned at a distance parallel to the further horizontally extending axis and wherein the robot hand, as a component of the robot arm, comprises a first hand component rotatably mounted relative to the second component with respect to the further horizontally extending axis, a second hand component rotatably mounted relative to the first hand component with respect to a hand axis, and a third hand component rotatably mounted relative to the second hand component with respect to a further hand axis, which includes the fastening device, wherein the hand axis, the further hand axis, and the further horizontally extending axis intersect at a common point.

[0007] The further object of the invention is solved by a medical workplace comprising a medical device and the patient positioning device according to the invention.

[0008] The medical workstation according to the invention is particularly intended for radiotherapy. The medical device is therefore preferably a device for generating ionizing, high-energy radiation, such as gamma radiation, X-rays, or accelerated electrons, neutrons, protons, or heavy ions. The device for generating ionizing, high-energy radiation comprises, for example, a radiation source that generates the ionizing, high-energy radiation.

[0009] The robot arm can be part of a robot that, in addition to the robot arm, includes an electronic control device for controlling the movement of the robot arm. According to one embodiment of the patient positioning device according to the invention, this device includes this robot.

[0010] The robot arm can include motors, especially electric motors, which, at least indirectly controlled by the electronic control device, enable movement of the robot arm.

[0011] It is also possible for the robot arm to be manually movable. For this purpose, an input device connected to the electronic control unit can be provided, allowing a person to make inputs that the electronic control unit then uses to move the robot arm accordingly. This aligns the position and orientation of the mounting device, and thus the patient table, within the room.

[0012] The medical device may have its own electronic control unit, which controls the intended operation of the medical device. The electronic control unit of the medical device and the electronic control unit of the robot may be configured to communicate with each other.

[0013] It may also be provided that the medical workplace has a common electronic control device that not only controls the robot arm or is set up to control the robot arm, but also controls the intended operation of the medical device or is set up to control the intended operation of the medical device.

[0014] The robot arm according to the invention, which preferably has exactly six axes, comprises, in addition to the robot hand, the first segment and the second segment. The first segment and the second segment each have two ends. The first segment is rotatably mounted at one of its ends with respect to the vertical axis. Thus, the first segment extends, in particular, horizontally.

[0015] At the far end of the first link, the second link is rotatably mounted relative to the first link at one end of its segment, with respect to the horizontal axis. At the far end of the second link, the robot hand is rotatably mounted with respect to the other horizontal axis. Furthermore, the two horizontal axes are aligned parallel to each other at a distance. This allows the robot hand to extend at a distance from the longitudinal axis of the first link, thus enabling it to pivot relative to the first link.

[0016] The distance between the horizontal axis and the other horizontal axis is, for example, between 20 cm and 60 cm, in particular between 30 cm and 50 cm, preferably between 35 cm and 45 cm.

[0017] The second link makes it possible to adjust the height of the patient bed, i.e., its distance from the floor.

[0018] The robot hand comprises three segments of its arm: a first hand segment, a second hand segment, and a third hand segment. The first hand segment is rotatably mounted relative to the second segment along the horizontal axis; that is, the robot hand is rotatably mounted relative to the second segment via its first hand segment. This vertical axis is therefore, in particular, a hand axis of the robot hand.

[0019] The second hand segment is rotatably mounted relative to the first hand segment with respect to a hand axis, and the third hand segment is mounted with respect to a further

[0020] The hand axis is rotatably mounted relative to the second hand segment. The third hand segment includes the mounting device. The two hand axes and the other horizontally extending axis intersect at a common point, i.e., all three hand axes do so. Preferably, the hand axis and the other hand axis are oriented at right angles to each other. The hand axis and the other hand axis are axes of the robot arm.

[0021] The patient bed is attached to the fastening device, particularly at one of its ends.

[0022] Preferably, the robot arm of the patient positioning device according to the invention is dimensioned such that when the robot hand is located below the first segment and the lying surface of the patient bed is facing upwards, the lying surface of the patient bed has a further distance to the floor of at least 45 cm and at most 60 cm. This allows, for example, a living being that is to lie on the lying surface to be positioned more easily.

[0023] The robot arm of the patient positioning device according to the invention can have a third link as one of its components, which is rotatably mounted at one end relative to the first link about the vertical axis. The third link is preferably rotatably mounted at its other end relative to a further vertical axis, particularly relative to a fourth link of the robot arm. The third link and the first link thus extend horizontally. The third link allows the robot to move the patient table more flexibly and, if necessary, further in the horizontal plane. The fourth link is, for example, a base with which the robot arm is preferably fixed to the floor.

[0024] The first link is preferably arranged directly above the third link.

[0025] According to a preferred embodiment of the patient positioning device according to the invention, the first link overlaps the third link with its end facing the second link to such an extent that when the first link and the third link are aligned exactly one above the other, the second link can be positioned exactly below the first link with respect to the first link.

[0026] An exemplary embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying schematic drawings. These show: Fig. 1. a medical workplace with a patient positioning device and a medical device, Fig. 2 a perspective view of the patient positioning device, and Fig. 3 - 5 different side views of the patient positioning device.

[0027] The Fig. Figure 1 shows a medical workstation with a patient positioning device 1 and a medical device 20 in a perspective view. The medical workstation is intended specifically for radiotherapy.

[0028] Another perspective view of the patient positioning device 1 is shown in the Fig. 2 and various side views of the patient positioning device 1 are shown in the Fig. Shown 3 to 5.

[0029] In the present embodiment, the medical device 20 is a device known in principle to those skilled in the art for generating ionizing, high-energy radiation, such as gamma radiation, X-rays, or accelerated electrons, neutrons, protons, or heavy ions. The device for generating ionizing, high-energy radiation comprises, for example, a radiation source that generates the ionizing, high-energy radiation.

[0030] The patient positioning device 1 includes in particular a patient bed 2 which is designed so that a living being (not shown) can lie on it.

[0031] The patient positioning device 1 comprises a robot arm 3, which has a mounting device 4 and several segments arranged one behind the other, which are rotatably mounted relative to each other axes, e.g., by means of joints. The patient bed 2 is attached to the mounting device 4 so that it can be moved by the robot arm 3. In particular, the patient bed 2 is attached to the mounting device 4 at one of its ends.

[0032] The robot arm 3 includes motors 5, in particular electric motors, with which the individual links of the robot arm 3 can be moved automatically, e.g.

[0033] The electric motors 5 are, in particular, each part of an electric drive whose actuators or power electronics can be arranged, for example, in or on the robot arm 3. In the present embodiment, the actuators or power electronics are arranged in a control cabinet 6.

[0034] In particular, the robot arm 3 is part of a robot which, in addition to the robot arm 3, has an electronic control device 7, which is arranged, for example, inside the control cabinet 6.

[0035] The electronic control device 7 is connected to the electric drives in a manner not shown.

[0036] The electronic control device 7 runs, for example, a computer program, enabling it to control the drives in such a way as to align the position and orientation of the mounting device 4, and thus the patient bed 2, in space. The electronic control device 7 may optionally be configured to regulate the robot's drives, so that in this case the term "control" should also include the term "regulate". The electric drives may be regulated electric drives.

[0037] It is also possible for the robot arm 3 to be manually movable. For this purpose, an input device (not shown) connected to the electronic control device 7 may be provided, allowing a person to make inputs that the electronic control device 7 then uses to move the robot arm 3 accordingly. This aligns the position and orientation of the mounting device 4, and thus the patient bed 2, within the room.

[0038] The medical device 20 may have its own electronic control unit (not shown in detail) which controls the intended operation of the medical device 20. The electronic control unit of the medical device 20 and the electronic control unit 7 of the robot may be configured to communicate with each other.

[0039] It may also be provided that the medical workplace has a common electronic control device, so that the electronic control device 7 not only controls the robot arm 3, but also controls the intended operation of the medical device 20.

[0040] In the present embodiment, the elements of the robot arm 3 comprise a robot hand 8 or hand elements of the robot hand 8. The robot hand 8 preferably comprises three axes, which in the case of the robot hand 8 are also referred to as hand axes.

[0041] The robot hand 8 preferably comprises three hand segments, in particular a first hand segment 8a, a second hand segment 8b rotatably mounted relative to the first hand segment 8a with respect to a hand axis A5, and a third hand segment 8c rotatably mounted relative to the second hand segment 8b with respect to an axis or further hand axis A6, which includes the mounting device 4. The hand axis A5 and the further hand axis A6 are preferably oriented at right angles to each other and preferably intersect.

[0042] In the present embodiment, the robot arm 3 comprises as further links a first link 9, a second link 10, a third link 11 and a fourth link 12.

[0043] The fourth element 12 is in particular a base or frame of the robot arm 3 and is firmly attached to the ground in the case of the present embodiment.

[0044] The first link 9 and the third link 11 each extend horizontally.

[0045] The first link 9, the second link 10 and the third link 11 each comprise two ends.

[0046] In the region of one of its ends, the first link 9 is rotatably mounted relative to the second link 10 with respect to a horizontally extending axis A3 in the region of one of the ends of the second link.

[0047] At the other end of the second segment 10, the robot hand 8, in particular its first hand segment 8a, is rotatably mounted relative to the second segment 10 with respect to a further horizontal axis A4. This further horizontal axis A4 is also one of the three hand axes.

[0048] The horizontal axis A3 and the further horizontal axis A4 are thus parallel and spaced apart by a distance a. The distance a is selected to be between 20 cm and 60 cm, preferably between 30 cm and 50 cm, and preferably between 35 cm and 45 cm.

[0049] In the region of its other end, the first link 9 is rotatably mounted in a region of one of the ends of the third link 11 relative to the third link 11 with respect to a vertically extending axis A2.

[0050] In the present embodiment, the third member 11 is rotatably mounted relative to the fourth member 12 or to the base with respect to a further vertically extending axis A1.

[0051] In particular, the first link 9 is arranged above the third link 11. Preferably, the first link 9 overlaps the third link 11 with its end facing the second link 10 to such an extent that, when the first link 9 and the third link 11 are positioned exactly one above the other, the second link 10 can be positioned exactly below the first link 9 with respect to the first link 9. This configuration of the robot arm 3 is described in the Fig. 2 and Fig. 4 shown.

[0052] In the present embodiment, the robot arm 3 is dimensioned such that when the second link 10 is positioned exactly below the first link 9 with respect to the first link 9, and the robot hand 8 is aligned such that the patient bed 2, or the area 2a of the patient bed 2 intended for the living being, has a distance b from the floor of at least 45 cm and at most 60 cm.

[0053] Preferably, the two hand axes A5, A6 and the further horizontally running axis A4 intersect, i.e., the three hand axes intersect at a common point.

[0054] In the present embodiment, the robot arm 3 has exactly six degrees of freedom, thus comprising exactly six axes.

Claims

[1] Patient positioning device comprising a patient bed (2) having a lying surface (2a) and a robot arm (3) comprising several segments arranged one behind the other and rotatably mounted with respect to axes, and a mounting device (4) to which the patient bed (2) is attached, wherein the segments of the robot arm (3) comprise a robot hand (8), the hand segments (8a, 8b, 8c) and the mounting device (4), and wherein a first segment (9) of the segments of the robot arm (3) is rotatably mounted in the region of one of its two ends with respect to a vertically extending axis (A2), and a second segment (10) of the segments of the robot arm (3) is rotatably mounted in the region of one of its two ends with respect to a horizontally extending axis (A3) relative to the first segment (9) with respect to a horizontally extending axis (A3),and the robot hand (8) is rotatably mounted at the other end of the second link (10) with respect to a further horizontal axis (A4) relative to the second link (10), wherein the horizontal axis (A3) is aligned parallel to the further horizontal axis (A4) at a distance (a), and wherein the robot hand (8) comprises, as links of the robot arm (3), a first hand link (8a) rotatably mounted with respect to the further horizontal axis (A4) relative to the second link (10), a second hand link (8b) rotatably mounted with respect to a hand axis (A5) relative to the first hand link (8a), and a third hand link (8c) rotatably mounted with respect to a further hand axis (A6) relative to the second hand link (8b), which includes the fastening device (4), wherein the hand axis (A5), the further hand axis (A6), and the further horizontal axis (A4) intersect at a common point. [2] Patient positioning device according to claim 1, characterized by , that the distance (a) is between 20 cm and 60 cm, in particular between 30 cm and 50 cm, preferably between 35 cm and 45 cm. [3] Patient positioning device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by , that the robot arm (3) is dimensioned such that when the robot hand (8) is located below the first segment (9) and the lying surface (2a) of the patient bed (2) is facing upwards, the lying surface (2a) of the patient bed (2) has a further distance (b) from a floor of at least 45 cm and at most 60 cm. [4] Patient positioning device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by, that the robot arm (3) has as one of its links a third link (11) which is rotatably mounted in the region of one of its ends with respect to the vertically extending axis (A2) relative to the first link (10), and the third link (11) is rotatably mounted with respect to a further vertically extending axis (A1) in the region of its other end, in particular rotatably mounted relative to a fourth link (12) of the robot arm (3). [5] Patient positioning device according to claim 4, characterized by , that the first member (9) is arranged directly above the third member (11). [6] Patient positioning device according to claim 5, characterized by, that the first member (9) overlaps the third member (11) with its end facing the second member (10) to such an extent that when the first member (9) and the third member (11) are aligned exactly one above the other, the second member (10) can be positioned exactly below the first member (9) with respect to the first member (9). [7] Patient positioning device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized by , that the patient bed (2) is attached to the fastening device (4) in the area of ​​one of its ends. [8] Patient positioning device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized by a robot comprising the robot arm (3) and an electronic control device (7) configured to control a movement of the robot arm (3). [9] Medical workstation comprising a medical device (20) and the patient positioning device according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

Images