Medical vehicle and method for operating a medical vehicle

Abstract

The present invention relates to a medical vehicle comprising a base vehicle and a compartment equipped with a medical imaging system. The compartment is part of the base vehicle or the compartment is attached to the base vehicle. The base vehicle comprises at least one base vehicle sensor, and the medical vehicle is configured to obtain sensor readings from the at least one base vehicle sensor during movement of the medical vehicle and to perform a medical scan of a patient during movement of the medical vehicle based on the obtained sensor readings. The present invention further relates to a corresponding method for operating the medical vehicle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a medical vehicle comprising a base vehicle and a compartment equipped with a medical imaging system, the medical vehicle being configured to perform a medical scan during movement of the medical vehicle. The present invention further relates to a method for operating a medical vehicle, including performing a medical scan during movement of the medical vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] A medical vehicle equipped with a medical imaging system can be used for medical scans during transportation. In some cases, performing a medical scan during transportation, such as in a mobile clinic on a ship, is a common usage of the medical imaging system. Also, an ambulance equipped with a medical imaging system can already perform a medical scan of a patient to save precious time. For example, a planar CT scan can be performed for stroke evaluation, or a heart scan can be performed for heart attack evaluation.

[0003] However, during transportation, the medical imaging system is exposed to adverse conditions such as the impact force caused by the movement of the medical vehicle, which may cause scan errors. The errors may be caused by the movement of the patient due to the impact force that may require recalibration of the medical imaging system and / or by damage and / or movement of the medical imaging system.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a medical vehicle having an improved ability to perform a medical scan during movement of the medical vehicle. A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved method for operating a medical vehicle, including performing a medical scan during movement of the medical vehicle.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The object of the present invention is solved by the subject matter of the independent claims, and further embodiments are incorporated in the dependent claims.

[0006] In one aspect of the present invention, a medical vehicle is provided that includes a base vehicle and a compartment equipped with a medical imaging system. The main purpose of the medical vehicle may be medical imaging, i.e., performing a medical scan using the medical imaging system. Here, the medical vehicle may be optimized to perform a medical scan during movement of the medical vehicle, and / or may be optimized to perform a medical scan when the medical vehicle is stopped while being configured to perform a medical scan during movement of the medical vehicle. Alternatively, or additionally, the main purpose of the medical vehicle may be non-medical, such as a cruise ship having a medical imaging system as part of medical equipment.

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

[0008] The compartment is part of the base vehicle or is attached to the base vehicle. In other words, the compartment may be a virtual compartment defined by the volume of an existing compartment of the base vehicle or may have a physical wall. In the latter case, the compartment may be permanently attached to the base vehicle or may be removable so as to be arranged separately from the base vehicle. The compartment may be just large enough to fit a medical imaging system, or may provide extra space next to the medical imaging system, for example, for medical staff.

[0009] The base vehicle comprises at least one base vehicle sensor. The base vehicle sensor may 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 movement of the medical vehicle. In this context, movement may also include a medical vehicle that is temporarily stationary during general movement of the vehicle, for example, when the vehicle is stopped at a traffic light, at a railroad crossing, or in traffic congestion. If the base vehicle sensor already exists within the base vehicle, there is no need to add additional sensors, and as a result, significant costs can be saved.

[0011] The medical vehicle is further configured to perform a medical scan of a patient during movement of the medical vehicle based on the acquired sensor readings. In particular, the medical imaging system can receive sensor readings obtained from the base vehicle in order to perform a medical scan based on the acquired sensor readings. For this purpose, the base vehicle can provide a data link, which can be a wired and / or wireless link. The patient can be a human or an animal. By performing a medical scan during movement of the medical vehicle, valuable time can be saved, for example, for a patient after a stroke or a heart attack. In the case of a ship, performing a medical scan during movement of the medical vehicle is the only reasonable option for performing the medical scan. By performing a medical scan in response to the acquired sensor readings, the quality and / or importance of the medical scan is improved, thus resulting in a better and / or faster diagnosis, and in turn, 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 radiogrammetry (DXR), single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), positron emission tomography (PET), dark field x-ray imaging, small dedicated medical imaging, and / or an ultrasonic system. Each of these systems is very sensitive to adverse conditions such as the impact force acting on it, and thus it is very beneficial to improve performing a medical scan during movement of the medical vehicle depending on the acquired sensor readings.

[0013] According to one embodiment, at least one base vehicle sensor is connected to the electronic system of the base vehicle. The connection between the at least one base vehicle sensor and the electronic system of the base vehicle can be a wired and / or wireless connection. The electronic system may comprise at least one vehicle computer and / or a Controller Area Network (CAN bus). Sensor readings obtained from the at least one base vehicle sensor can be transmitted, for example, via the CAN bus to the at least one vehicle computer. 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 can be operated based on sensor readings from a radar, lidar, and / or a vehicle navigation system. As another example, an engine management system of the vehicle can be operated based on sensor readings from a vibration sensor to adapt the engine settings so that vibrations are reduced. As yet another example, the environmental adjustment settings of the vehicle can be operated based on sensor readings from a temperature and / or humidity sensor.

[0014] According to one embodiment, at least one base vehicle sensor is a vehicle navigation system, an autonomous driving system, a board 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 movement control sensor, an engine control sensor, a vibration sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, and / or an electromagnetic field sensor. As an example, the vehicle navigation system can provide information about the road conditions ahead, such as curves, slopes, or even road bumps, and this information can be used, for example, for a driver assistance system and / or autonomous driving. Further, the vehicle navigation system can provide information about the traffic conditions ahead, such as traffic jams. The autonomous driving system can further provide information about actuator data, planned or predicted, for example, regarding acceleration, deceleration, and curves. Cameras, radars, and / or lidars can also detect the road conditions ahead of a land vehicle or the water conditions of a marine vehicle. The engine control sensor can provide information about the engine's r.p.m., which can be used, for example, to predict resonant vibrations. The vibration sensor can detect the vibrations of the base vehicle and / or the compartment. Further, the temperature sensor, the humidity sensor, and / or the electromagnetic field sensor can measure the temperature, humidity, and / or electromagnetic field outside and / or inside the vehicle, and inside a specific compartment, respectively.

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

[0016] In this context, the adverse conditions of the medical imaging system can be the impact force on the compartment and the adverse environmental conditions within the compartment. The impact force may be a force other than the gravitational force acting in a predetermined downward direction. In particular, the impact force can be a force resulting from the acceleration of the compartment that houses the medical imaging system. As an example, the impact force may be a force caused by a road bump, a centrifugal force when the medical vehicle changes direction, or may be caused by tilting the compartment so that the direction of gravity changes. The environmental conditions may be, for example, temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, and / or electromagnetic field, and become adverse environmental conditions when the said parameters are outside a predetermined range.

[0017] The said adverse conditions are predicted based on the acquired sensor readings. For example, a vehicle navigation system can provide information regarding the road conditions ahead, including curves and / or even bumps. In combination with the vehicle speed obtained from either the vehicle navigation system or the speedometer, the impact force on the medical vehicle and the compartment can be predicted. In the autonomous driving mode, the autonomous driving system can further provide planned actuator data, i.e., information regarding planned acceleration, deceleration, and / or curves, which can be used to further improve the prediction of the impact force. Additionally, or alternatively, the road conditions ahead may be evaluated by a camera, radar, and / or lidar, leading to the prediction of the impact force on the medical vehicle and the compartment. As another example, a temperature map may be provided by the vehicle navigation system, thus giving a prediction of the outside air temperature that can also affect the indoor temperature.

[0018] Then, the medical scan is performed based on the predicted adverse conditions so that the highest quality and / or importance of the medical scan can be achieved.

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

[0020] For example, determining current adverse conditions can be performed by evaluating readings from an acceleration sensor or an inertial measurement unit for impact force, or by evaluating readings from a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, and / or an electromagnetic field sensor for adverse environmental conditions. Also, determining current adverse conditions may be performed by analyzing information provided by a board computer. For example, an activated hazard warning light and / or an engaged parking brake may indicate that the medical vehicle is stationary and thus impact force is negligible. Also, an engaged cruise control, speed limiter, lane guidance assistant, and / or r.p.m. control may indicate that the vehicle is traveling rather smoothly and thus the impact force is less than a predetermined value. Further, the board computer may indicate that the accelerator or brake is being used, the steering wheel is being turned, and / or the driver assistance system is disabled, which indicates the presence of a substantial impact force exceeding a predetermined value.

[0021] The medical scan is then performed based on the determined current adverse conditions such that the highest quality and / or importance of the medical scan can be achieved. Additionally, or alternatively, the medical scan is dynamically adapted based on the determined current adverse condition. As an example, the adaptation may be a variation in exposure time such that the higher the impact force, the shorter the exposure time for generating a still-clear medical image. As another example, the adaptation may be a change in resolution such that the higher the impact force, the coarser the resolution of the medical image.

[0022] According to one embodiment, the scheduling and / or execution of a medical scan is performed such that the medical scan that is most sensitive to adverse conditions is executed when the minimum adverse conditions are predicted and / or determined. For this purpose, the sensitivity of the medical scan to adverse conditions is predetermined. In particular, there may be scans with different resolutions having different sensitivities to adverse conditions, and / or even scans from one scan sequence may have different sensitivities to adverse conditions. As an example, for instance, when it is determined and / or predicted that the medical vehicle is stopped or will stop, based on information provided by, for example, information that the parking brake is engaged or by a navigation system indicating that there is traffic congestion ahead, the medical scan that is most sensitive to impact force will be executed at that time and / or scheduled for that time. As another example, when a medium level of impact is determined and / or predicted, a scan having a lower sensitivity to the impact will be executed at that time and / or scheduled for that time. And when a substantial impact is determined and / or predicted, the medical scan may be interrupted during the duration of the substantial impact. Thus, an optimal match between the medical scan and the adverse conditions is found, and an optimal quality of the medical scan is achieved.

[0023] According to one embodiment, the scheduling and / or execution of medical scans is performed such that, among the remaining medical scans, particularly the medical scans of the scan sequence that are predicted and / or determined to be acceptable under adverse conditions, it is performed to have the highest sensitivity to adverse conditions. In other words, based on the determined and / or predicted adverse conditions, it is determined which of the remaining scans of the medical scans are allowed to be executed, and among these medical scans, those with the highest sensitivity to adverse conditions are selected. In this context, "allowed" to be executed may mean that the medical scan can be executed without losing quality compared to the same medical scan under ideal conditions, i.e., without adverse conditions. Thus, all of the executed medical scans have the highest possible quality, but some of the medical scans of the scan sequence may not be executed at all. However, these scans may be executed, for example, at a hospital so that the scan sequence is completed.

[0024] According to one embodiment, the scheduling and / or execution of medical scans is performed such that the bad state is most similar to the bad state of the previous scan. In particular, the new medical scan is an updated scan or a comparison scan for evaluating possible changes that may have occurred since the previous scan. When the most similar adverse conditions are selected for the updated scan, the influence of the adverse conditions on the medical scan is similar so that the updated scan can be most easily compared with the previous scan.

[0025] According to one embodiment, performing a medical scan during the movement of a medical vehicle based on the acquired sensor readings includes adapting the settings of the medical vehicle based on the acquired sensor readings. As an example, the vibration compensator can be activated when a specific vibration is detected, or when the engine r.p.m. is within a range known to cause resonant vibrations. As another example, the vehicle speed can be limited so that road bumps or curves result in less impact force. As yet another example, the vehicle route may be changed so that the vehicle travels on a smoother and / or more curved road. As yet another example, the settings of the vehicle suspension system may be adjusted to reduce the impact force caused by road bumps. As yet another example, the settings of the fixing system that fixes the medical imaging system to the compartment can be adjusted. The fixing system can be, for example, a lock mode in which the medical imaging system is locked to the compartment, a suspension mode with a suspension such as a spring suspension that allows limited movement of the medical imaging system and absorbs part of the impact force acting on the compartment, or a damping mode in which the suspension is complemented by a damping system such as a shock absorber to prevent vibrations. When both the vehicle suspension system and the anchor system are adjusted, a control unit can be used to adjust the adjustment of these systems, especially to avoid overcompensation and avoid resonant vibrations of the medical imaging system. As yet another example, the environmental adjustment settings of the vehicle, such as the air conditioning settings, can be adjusted when the temperature and / or humidity is determined to be outside a predetermined range.

[0026] According to one embodiment, the medical vehicle is further configured to prevent changes in vehicle settings while an additional high-sensitivity scan is being performed. In this context, an ultra-high-sensitivity scan is a medical scan that has been confirmed to be very susceptible to adverse conditions. In the case of such ultra-high-sensitivity scans, changes in vehicle settings such as suspension stiffening while the scan is being performed are most likely to lead to unusable scan results. In particular, if impact forces are not tolerated during such ultra-high-sensitivity scans, the ultra-high-sensitivity scan is only initiated when the vehicle is stationary, and resuming driving leads to unusable scan results. Therefore, in that case, a change from the resting state of the vehicle to the driving state is prevented. The prevention of changes in vehicle settings can be carried out, for example, by transmitting from the medical imaging system to the vehicle control unit a first message indicating that an additional confidential scan has been initiated and that the vehicle settings must not be changed, and by transmitting from the medical imaging system to the vehicle control unit another message indicating that the additional confidential scan has been completed and that the vehicle settings can be changed again.

[0027] According to one embodiment, performing a medical scan during movement of the medical vehicle based on the acquired sensor readings includes determining, based on the acquired sensor readings, the movement of a compartment, a medical imaging system, a part of the medical imaging system, and / or a patient. In particular, the determination of movement may be performed by an accelerometer and / or an inertial measurement device. Then, the determined acceleration can be used to calculate the movement of the compartment, and an inference can be made based on the movement of the compartment, the movement of the medical imaging system, the components of the medical imaging system, and / or the movement of the patient. The movement of the patient with respect to the medical imaging system naturally affects the medical scan, but the movement of the components of the medical imaging system can also lead to deformation of the medical imaging system and thus, for example, a shift in focus.

[0028] According to one embodiment, the medical vehicle is further configured to dynamically adapt medical image formation based on a compartment, a medical imaging system, a part of the medical imaging system, and / or a determined movement of a patient. As an example, the dynamic adaptation can include a compensation calculation based on the determined movement. In this example, the movement can be, for example, the movement of the patient, a decrease in the spatial resolution of the medical imaging system, and / or vibrations of the medical imaging system leading to bending of a part of the medical imaging system, resulting in, for example, a shift of the focus. As another example, the dynamic adaptation can include an active shift of the patient to cancel out the determined movement.

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

[0030] When two or more of the above embodiments are implemented in a medical vehicle, there may be a case where it is necessary to select which embodiment to apply or which embodiment to apply when available. Such a selection may be made manually, i.e., by an operator of the medical vehicle or the medical imaging system, using a predetermined priority sequence and / or an algorithm, particularly an algorithm optimized by artificial intelligence. The selection method may further depend on the patient, the patient's medical condition, and / or the details of the medical images taken of the patient.

[0031] In another aspect of the present invention, a method for 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 movement of the medical vehicle, and performing a medical scan of a patient during movement of the medical vehicle based on the obtained sensor readings. By performing the medical scan according to the obtained sensor readings, the quality and / or importance of the medical scan is improved, thus resulting in better and / or faster diagnosis, and ultimately better and / or faster treatment of the patient. Further details, examples and advantages are provided in the above description.

[0032] It should be understood that preferred embodiments of the present invention can also be any combination of dependent claims with their respective independent claims.

[0033] These and other aspects of the present invention will be apparent from, and will be described with reference to, the embodiments described hereinafter.

[0034] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described by way of example only, with reference to the drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0035]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0036] FIG. 1 shows a schematic side view of a medical vehicle 1. Although the medical vehicle 1 is depicted as a truck, it may also be a train, an airplane, a helicopter, an autonomous flying object or a ship.

[0037] The medical vehicle 1 includes a base vehicle 2 and a compartment 3 equipped with a medical imaging system 4. The compartment 3 may be part of the base vehicle 2 or may be attached to the base vehicle 2. The medical imaging system 4 may be a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), digital x-ray radiography (DXR), single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), positron emission tomography (PET), dark field x-ray imaging, small dedicated medical imaging, and / or an ultrasonic system.

[0038] The base vehicle 2 includes a plurality of base vehicle sensors 5, for example, 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 autonomous driving system, a board computer, a compass, a radar, a lidar, a speedometer, a wind sensor, a wave sensor, an acceleration sensor, a movement 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.

[0039] FIG. 2 shows a schematic side view of another embodiment of the medical vehicle 1. In addition to the features of the embodiment of FIG. 1, the base vehicle 2 of FIG. 2 further includes a vehicle management system 6 configured to adapt and / or control the vehicle settings. Further, the base vehicle 2 includes an active suspension 7 of the vehicle and a fixing system 8 for fixing the medical imaging system 4 to the compartment 3.

[0040] FIG. 3 shows a schematic side view of yet another embodiment of the medical vehicle 1. In addition to the features of the embodiment of FIG. 1, the connection 21 between the base vehicle sensors 5 and the medical imaging system 4 is explicitly shown. These connections 21 may be wired connections as shown in FIG. 3, but may also be wireless connections. In particular, the base vehicle 2 can provide a data link to the medical imaging system 4, and the data link provides sensor readings from the base vehicle sensors 5.

[0041] Figure 4 shows a flowchart of a method 9 for operating the medical vehicle 1. Although several options are shown in Figure 4, all options have in common that a sensor reading from at least one base vehicle sensor 5 is obtained (10) and a medical scan of the patient (not shown here) is performed during the movement of the medical vehicle 1 depending on the obtained sensor readings (11). Since the medical scan is performed according to the obtained sensor readings, the quality and / or importance of the medical scan is improved, thus resulting in a better and / or faster diagnosis and, consequently, a better and / or faster treatment of the patient.

[0042] According to one option, the adverse conditions on compartment 3 are predicted (12) based on the acquired sensor readings. Here, the adverse conditions of the medical imaging system 4 can be the impact force on compartment 3 and the adverse environmental conditions within compartment 3. The impact force may be a force other than the gravitational force acting in a predetermined downward direction. In particular, the impact force can be a force resulting from the acceleration of compartment 3 that houses the medical imaging system 4. By way of example, the impact force may be a force caused by a road bump, may be a centrifugal force when the medical vehicle 1 changes direction, or may be caused by tilting compartment 3 such that the direction of gravity changes. The environmental conditions may be, for example, temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, and / or electromagnetic field, and adverse environmental conditions occur when the parameters are outside a predetermined range. The adverse conditions are predicted based on the acquired sensor readings. For example, a vehicle navigation system can provide information regarding the road conditions ahead, including curves and / or bumps. In combination with the vehicle speed obtained from either the vehicle navigation system or the speedometer, the impact force on the medical vehicle and the compartment can be predicted. In the autonomous driving mode, the autonomous driving system can further provide planned actuator data, i.e., information regarding planned acceleration, deceleration, and / or curves, which can be used to further improve the prediction of the impact force. Additionally, or alternatively, the road conditions ahead may be evaluated by a camera, radar, and / or lidar, leading to a prediction of the impact force on the medical vehicle and the compartment. As another example, a temperature map may be provided by the vehicle navigation system, thus giving a prediction of the outside air temperature that can also affect the temperature inside the compartment.

[0043] According to another option, based on the acquired sensor readings, the current adverse conditions on compartment 3 are determined (13). For example, the current adverse conditions can be determined by evaluating the readings from an acceleration sensor or an inertial measurement unit 5.2 for impact force, or by evaluating the readings from a temperature sensor 5.3, a humidity sensor, and / or an electromagnetic field sensor for harmful environmental conditions. Also, determining the current adverse conditions may be performed by analyzing the information provided by the board computer. For example, an activated hazard warning light and / or an engaged parking brake may indicate that the medical vehicle is stationary and thus the impact force can be ignored. Also, an engaged cruise control, speed limiter, lane guidance assistant, and / or r.p.m. control may indicate that the vehicle is running rather smoothly and thus the impact force is below a predetermined value. Furthermore, the board computer may indicate that the accelerator or brake is being used, the steering wheel is being turned, and / or the driver assistance system is deactivated, which indicates the presence of a substantial impact force exceeding a predetermined value.

[0044] Based on the predicted 12 and / or determined 13 adverse conditions, three options are presented for scheduling and / or executing a medical scan. According to the first option 14, the scheduling and / or execution of the medical scan is performed such that the medical scan most sensitive to adverse conditions is executed when the least adverse conditions are predicted and / or determined. For this purpose, the sensitivity of the medical scan to adverse conditions is pre-determined. In particular, there may be scans with different resolutions having different sensitivities to adverse conditions, and / or even scans from one scan sequence may have different sensitivities to adverse conditions. As an example, for instance, when it is determined and / or predicted that the medical vehicle is stopped or will stop, based on information such as the parking brake being engaged or information provided by a navigation system indicating traffic congestion ahead, the medical scan most sensitive to impact force is executed at that time and / or scheduled for that time. As another example, when a medium level of influence is determined and / or predicted, a scan having a lower sensitivity to the influence is executed at that time and / or scheduled for that time. And when a substantial influence is determined and / or predicted, the medical scan may be interrupted during the duration of the substantial influence. Thus, an optimal match between the medical scan and the adverse conditions is found and an optimal quality of the medical scan is achieved.

[0045] According to the second option 15, the scheduling and / or execution of the medical scans are carried out such that they are executed to have the highest sensitivity to adverse conditions among the remaining medical scans, particularly the medical scans of the scan sequence that are predicted and / or determined to be tolerable under adverse conditions. In other words, based on the determined and / or predicted adverse conditions, it is determined which of the remaining scans' medical scans are allowed to be executed, and among these medical scans, those with the highest sensitivity to adverse conditions are selected. In this context, being "allowed" to be executed can mean that the medical scan can be executed without losing quality compared to the same medical scan under ideal conditions, i.e., without adverse conditions. Thus, all of the executed medical scans have the highest possible quality, but some of the medical scans of the scan sequence may not be executed at all. However, these scans may be executed, for example, at the hospital so that the scan sequence is completed.

[0046] According to the third option 16, the scheduling and / or execution of the medical scans are carried out such that the bad state is most similar to the bad state of the previous scan. In particular, the new medical scan is an updated scan or a comparison scan for evaluating possible changes that may have occurred since the previous scan. When the most similar adverse conditions are selected for the updated scan, the influence of the adverse conditions on the medical scan is similar so that the updated scan can be most easily compared with the previous scan.

[0047] According to another option for operating the medical vehicle 1, the settings of the medical vehicle 1 are adapted according to the acquired sensor readings (17). As an example, the vibration compensator can be activated when a specific vibration is detected or when the engine r.p.m. is within a range known to cause resonant vibrations. As another example, the vehicle speed can be limited so that road bumps or curves result in less impact force. As yet another example, the vehicle path may be changed so that the vehicle travels on a smoother and / or more curved road. As yet another example, the settings of the vehicle suspension system 7 may be adjusted to reduce the impact force caused by road bumps. As yet another example, the settings of the fixing system 8 that fixes the medical imaging system 4 to the compartment 3 can be adjusted. The fixing system 8 may be, for example, a locking mode in which the medical imaging system 4 is locked to the compartment 3, a suspension mode with a suspension device such as a spring suspension device that allows limited movement of the medical imaging system 4 and absorbs part of the impact force acting on the compartment 3, or a damping mode in which the suspension device is complemented by a damping system such as a shock absorber to prevent vibrations. When both the vehicle suspension system 7 and the anchor system 8 are adjusted, a control unit can be used to adjust the adjustment of these systems, particularly to avoid overcompensation and avoid resonant vibrations of the medical imaging system 4. As yet another example, the environmental adjustment settings of the vehicle, such as the air conditioning settings, can be adjusted when the temperature and / or humidity is determined to be outside a predetermined range.

[0048] According to yet another option for operating the medical vehicle, the movement of the compartment 3, the medical imaging system 4, a part of the medical imaging system, and / or the patient is determined based on the acquired sensor readings (18). In particular, the determination of the movement may be performed by an accelerometer and / or an inertial measurement unit 5.2. Then, 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 part of the medical imaging system, and / or the patient can be inferred. The movement of the patient with respect to the medical imaging system 4 naturally affects the medical scan, but the movement of the components of the medical imaging system can also lead to deformation of the medical imaging system 4 and thus, for example, a shift of the focus.

[0049] Then, the determined movement of the compartment, the medical imaging system, a part of the medical imaging system, and / or the patient can be used to dynamically adapt the medical imaging formation (19). As an example, the dynamic adaptation can include a compensation calculation based on the determined movement. As another example, the dynamic adaptation can include an active shift of the patient to cancel out the determined movement.

[0050] Alternatively, or additionally, the determined movement of the compartment 3, the medical imaging system 4, a part of the medical imaging system, and / or the patient can be stored for use in compensating for movement in the post - processing of medical images (20). Thus, the determined movement can be compensated retroactively.

[0051] Manually, i.e., by an operator of the medical vehicle 1 or the medical imaging system 4, a selection can be made as to which of the steps of method 9 to apply using a predetermined priority sequence and / or an algorithm, in particular an algorithm optimized by artificial intelligence. The selection method may further depend on the patient, the patient's medical condition, and / or the details of the medical images being performed on the patient.

[0052] Although the present invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and the foregoing description, such illustration and description should be considered as illustrative or exemplary and not restrictive, and the present invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. In particular, several embodiments can be combined to provide an optimal limitation of the gyroscopic force.

[0053] Other variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and achieved by those skilled in the art when implementing the claimed invention from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality. A single processor or other unit can fulfill the functions of several items recited in the claims. The mere fact that certain means are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these means cannot be used advantageously. Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope.

Explanation of Reference Signs

[0054] 1 Medical vehicle 2 Base vehicle 3 Compartment 4 Medical imaging system 5 Base vehicle sensor 5.1 Camera 5.2 Inertial measurement unit 5.3 Temperature sensor 6 Vehicle management system 7 Active suspension 8 Anchor system 9 Method 10 Acquisition of sensor readings 11 Execution of medical scan 12 Prediction of adverse conditions 13 Judgment of adverse conditions 14 First option for scheduling a medical scan 15 Second option for scheduling a medical scan 16 Third option for scheduling a medical scan 17 Adaptive settings of a medical vehicle 18 Determination of movement 19 Dynamically adapt medical imaging 20 Remember the determined movement 21 Connection part

Claims

1. A medical vehicle comprising a base vehicle and a compartment having a medical imaging system, wherein the compartment is part of the base vehicle or the compartment is attached to the base vehicle, the base vehicle is equipped with at least one base vehicle sensor, the at least one base vehicle sensor is connected to the electronic system of the base vehicle, and the medical vehicle is, While the medical vehicle is in motion, sensor readings are acquired from at least one base vehicle sensor. Depending on the acquired sensor readings, a medical scan of the patient is performed while the medical vehicle is in motion. A medical vehicle configured in such a way.

2. The medical vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the medical imaging system is magnetic resonance imaging, MRI, computed tomography, CT, digital X-ray imaging, DXR, single-photon emission computed tomography, SPECT, positron emission tomography, PET, dark-field X-ray imaging, compact dedicated medical imaging, and / or ultrasound system.

3. The medical vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the base vehicle is configured to be operated based on sensor readings obtained from at least one base vehicle sensor.

4. The medical vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one base vehicle sensor is at least one of the group including a vehicle navigation system, an autonomous driving system, a board computer, a compass, a camera, a radar, a lidar, a speedometer, a wind sensor, a wave sensor, an acceleration sensor, an inertial measuring device, a motion control sensor, an engine control sensor, a vibration sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, and / or an electromagnetic field sensor.

5. The step of performing a medical scan while the medical vehicle is moving, depending on the sensor readings, A step of predicting adverse conditions for the compartment based on the acquired sensor readings, Based on the aforementioned predicted adverse conditions, the steps include scheduling a medical scan and A medical vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, having the following:

6. The step of performing a medical scan while the medical vehicle is moving, depending on the sensor readings, The steps include determining the current adverse conditions for the compartment based on the acquired sensor readings, Based on the current adverse conditions determined above, the steps include performing and / or dynamically adapting a medical scan. A medical vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, having the following:

7. The medical vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the step of scheduling and / or performing the medical scan is performed such that the medical scan that is most sensitive to adverse conditions is performed when the least adverse conditions are predicted and / or determined.

8. The medical vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the step of scheduling and / or performing the medical scans is performed such that the remaining medical scans, in particular from the scan sequence, are performed among the medical scans that are permissible under the predicted and / or determined adverse conditions and have the highest sensitivity to adverse conditions.

9. The medical vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the step of scheduling and / or performing the medical scan is performed such that the adverse conditions are most similar to the adverse conditions of a previous scan.

10. The medical vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the step of performing a medical scan while the medical vehicle is moving, depending on the acquired sensor readings, comprises the step of adapting the settings of the medical vehicle, depending on the acquired sensor readings.

11. The medical vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, further configured to prevent changes in the vehicle settings while an ultra-high sensitivity scan is being performed.

12. The medical vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the step of performing a medical scan while the medical vehicle is moving, depending on the acquired sensor readings, comprises the step of determining the movement of the compartment, the medical imaging system, a portion of the medical imaging system, and / or the patient, based on the acquired sensor readings.

13. The medical vehicle according to claim 12, further configured to dynamically adapt medical image formation based on the compartment, the medical imaging system, a portion of the medical imaging system, and / or the determined movement of the patient.

14. The medical vehicle according to claim 12, further configured to store the compartment, the medical imaging system, a portion of the medical imaging system, and / or the determined movements of the patient for use in compensating for motion in post-processing of the medical images.

15. The steps include acquiring sensor readings from at least one base vehicle sensor while the medical vehicle is in motion, The steps include: performing a medical scan of the patient while the medical vehicle is moving, depending on the acquired sensor readings; A method for operating the medical vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, comprising:

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