Mirror system for relaying video content to a scanner patient, and patient support, medical scanner, and patient entertainment system using the mirror system

Abstract

A mirror system is provided for relaying video content to a patient on a patient support of a medical scanner. The mirror system includes at least one flexible support arm having first and second opposing ends, and a mirror attached to the support arm. The mirror system also includes at least first and second support elements, each support element being attached at a fixed position relative to the patient support, and each support element having an end. The first end and the second end of the support arm are each detachably and rotatably connectable to one of the ends of the support element, and when the support arm is coupled to the end, the support arm forms an arch.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to a system for delivering entertainment to a patient within a medical scanner, and more particularly to a system for relaying video content to a patient within a medical scanner via a mirror.

Background Art

[0002] Medical scanners are important in clinical situations for diagnosis, treatment planning, and treatment monitoring. Generally, a patient needs to lie on a scanner bed, which is placed within the bore of the scanner before image acquisition is performed. These scans can be long and noisy, and patients are often required to be relatively stationary within the scanner bore. Additionally, the scanner bore can be quite narrow so that there is little separation between the patient's body and the inner surface of the scanner bore.

[0003] Not surprisingly, patients are often troubled by feelings of claustrophobia and anxiety when undergoing tests with these scanners. Providing entertainment to a patient within the scanner can help distract and relax the patient. This can help improve the patient's experience during a medical procedure and potentially improve scan quality by reducing the patient's restlessness and thereby reducing patient movement. Therefore, there is a need to provide a system for entertaining patients within a medical scanner.

[0004] In addition, it is difficult for a clinician to perform physiological measurements on a patient located within the scanner bore. In particular, a clinician may be interested in reading a patient's vital signs while the patient is being scanned. For example, remote photoplethysmography imaging is a recent new technology that can measure vital signs by monitoring skin perfusion. Remote photoplethysmography uses an off-the-shelf camera and light source to remotely detect dynamic changes in the blood volume under the skin and enables the extraction of blood pulsation signals. It is desirable to provide a system for entertaining a patient within a scanner while also enabling a clinician to perform remote measurements using a technique for monitoring vital signs.

[0005] Systems already exist that use a mirror to relay video content to a patient within a medical scanner.

[0006] For example, US5825563 describes an apparatus for reducing claustrophobia in a patient in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner. The apparatus described in US5825563 includes a mirror attached to a support arm that can be attached to a patient bed of the MRI scanner.

[0007] WO2019068185 describes an apparatus for reducing anxiety in a patient in a medical scanner. The apparatus described in WO2019068185 includes a mirror attached to a support that can be attached to a patient bed.

[0008] Pamphlet of International Publication No. 2021 / 102587 discloses a mirror system for displaying an image to a patient from a display device (permanently) connected to a patient support, and means for handling a collision of this device.

[0009] US11185293B2 discloses a screen for a patient within an imaging device attached to a movable frame.

[0010] JP2003190112 and US2019 / 277927A1 each disclose a display device attached to a head coil.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

[0011] The mirror and its support can get in the way of the patient when moving above and below the patient's bed, and their presence can increase the feeling of claustrophobia. Furthermore, different mirror system designs are required for different types of scanners and their associated patient supports, and as a result, the mirror system becomes an expensive option. Therefore, there are still problems with the current mirror system design.

MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEMS

[0012] This invention is defined by the claims.

[0013] According to an embodiment according to one aspect of the present invention, a mirror system for relaying video content to a patient on a patient support of a medical scanner, the mirror system comprising: a flexible support arm having first and second opposing ends; a mirror attached to the support arm; first and second support elements, each for attachment at a fixed position relative to the patient support, each having an end; and having the first and second ends of the support arm are each removably and rotatably connectable to one of each of the ends, and when the support arm is coupled to the ends, the support arm forms an arch. A mirror system is provided.

[0014] This mirror system is for attachment to a patient support of a medical scanner, such as a patient bed.

[0015] The support arm that holds the mirror is flexible so that it can be attached to the support element at different intervals. This means that the same support arm may be used with different patient supports and different support elements.

[0016] The support arm forms an arch on the patient support, for example, on the area where the patient's head is located. The arch may be arranged to follow the inner contour of the bore of the medical scanner so that the mirror system occupies a minimum amount of space within the bore. This means that the patient can get on and off the patient support without the mirror system getting in the way.

[0017] It means that the mirror position can be adjusted to give the best view of the video content (e.g., provided on a screen away from the medical scanner) and can be adjusted to make it easiest for the patient to get on and off the patient support.

[0018] The first end of the support arm and the end of the first support element may define a first hinge joint, and the second end of the support arm and the end of the second support element may define a second hinge joint. The two hinge joints provide a firm connection to the support element on both sides of the patient support, and the support arm is easy to grip and adjust.

[0019] The position of the mirror on the flexible support arm may also be adjustable. In combination with the pivot of the support arm, this makes it possible to move the mirror to a position that gives the patient an optimal view of the video content.

[0020] Furthermore, the support arm may comprise a channel, and the mirror may comprise an interface configured to cooperate with the channel. Thereby, the position of the mirror can be adjusted by sliding the mirror along the channel of the flexible support arm.

[0021] The system can further comprise a second mirror attached to a support arm for vital sign monitoring.

[0022] Thereby, the first mirror can be used to provide entertainment to the patient, and the second mirror can be for reading vital signs. For example, there may be a vital sign camera away from the scanner, for example on a room wall, and the second mirror may be directed towards the patient's cheek or forehead to collect a remote PPG (rPPG) signal that can extract the respiratory rate and / or heart rate.

[0023] The first and second support elements may be for attachment to a patient support. However, the first and second support elements may also be suitable for attachment to a patient coil. That is, the first and second support elements may be for attachment to a patient coil fixed to the patient support. In all cases, the support elements move with the patient support.

[0024] The present invention also provides a patient support system comprising a patient support and any of the above-described mirror systems, wherein the first and second support elements of the mirror system are fixed to the patient support.

[0025] Furthermore, the present invention provides a medical scanner comprising a scan system having a bore and the above-described patient support system, wherein the patient support of the patient support system extends through the bore.

[0026] The flexible support arm of the mirror system of the medical scanner forms an arch that can follow the inner contour of the bore when the support arm is rotated to a fully open position.

[0027] The medical scanner may further comprise a screen for displaying video content, and the mirror system is for providing a line of sight path between the patient and the screen.

[0028] The medical scanner may further comprise a second mirror attached to a support arm for vital sign monitoring, and the medical scanner also comprises a vital sign monitoring unit for monitoring a patient using the second mirror. The vital sign monitoring unit may comprise a remote PPG camera for monitoring heart rate and / or respiratory rate.

[0029] The present invention also provides a patient entertainment system for use during a medical scan, comprising a patient on a patient support of a medical scanner, wherein the entertainment system comprises a screen for displaying video content, and any one of the mirror systems described above for providing a line of sight path between the patient and the screen. A patient entertainment system is provided.

[0030] These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from and will be elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter.

[0031] In order to better understand the present invention and to more clearly show how it may be carried out, reference is now made, by way of example only, to the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0032]

Figure 1

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Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0033] The present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0034] It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples show exemplary embodiments of the apparatus, system, and method, but are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the apparatus, system, and method of the present invention will be better understood from the following description, the appended claims, and the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the figures are merely schematic and not drawn to scale. Also, it should be understood that the same reference numbers are used throughout the drawings to indicate the same or similar parts.

[0035] The present invention provides a mirror system, a patient support, a medical scanner, and a patient entertainment system for relaying video content to a scanner patient. Each of the patient support, the medical scanner, and the patient entertainment system uses the mirror system. The mirror system includes a flexible support arm that is reversibly detachable and rotatably attachable to first and second support elements.

[0036] FIG. 1 shows a mirror system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The mirror system includes a flexible support arm 10 having first and second opposite ends 12a, 12b. The flexible support arm 10 is attached to a mirror 20 disposed between the first end 12a and the second end 12b. The mirror system further includes first and second support elements 14a, 14b, each of which is attached at a fixed position relative to the patient support. Each of the support elements includes ends 16a, 16b.

[0037] FIG. 1 shows the first and second ends 12a, 12b of the support arm 10 coupled to respective ones of the ends 16a, 16b. As shown in FIG. 1, when the support arm 10 is coupled to the ends 16a, 16b, it forms an arch.

[0038] Mirror systems already exist for directing video content to a patient on a patient support of a medical scanner. However, the inventors of the present invention recognized that by providing a system with a flexible support arm removably and rotatably attachable to two support elements, the same mirror can be used on different patient supports. That is, the mirror system can be coupled to one patient support, for example, a patient treatment table of a medical scanner, and then moved to a different patient support having a different design than the first patient support. Therefore, it can be removed and reattached whenever time is required. Thereby, the inventors of the present invention have devised a more economical mirror system that can be used on several different scanners. The scanner need only include support elements having a suitable design that allows the support arm ends 12a, 12b to be connected thereto. The design of the flexible support arm allows for some degree of freedom at the exact spacing between the support elements.

[0039] The flexible support arm 10 can be easily locked onto the support elements 14a, 14b. The flexible support arm 10 and the support elements 14a, 14b may be configured to move the support arm to different states (i.e., an open position, a closed position, and an intermediate position). Any suitable locking and unlocking couplings can be used. For example, additional fixings may be provided to couple end to end. Alternatively, the support arm may be connectable to the support element in one angular orientation (e.g., with the support arm flat against the patient support) and releasable from the support element, but once rotated to an active position (e.g., with the support arm lifted over the patient's head on the patient support), the support arm is locked to the support element. Preferably, the connection between the support arm and the support element does not require the use of any tools.

[0040] Figure 2 shows a patient support system 110 comprising the mirror system 100 of FIG. 1 and a patient support 30. The mirror system 100 of FIG. 1 is attached to the patient support 30 via first and second support elements 14a, 14b. In this example, the first and second support elements 14a, 14b are attached directly to the patient support. However, in other embodiments, intermediate components between the first and second support elements 14a, 14b and the patient support 30 can be provided. Since the arm support 10 is flexible, minor variations in the spacing or positioning of the first and second support elements 14a, 14b on the patient support 30 do not prevent the arm support from being coupled to the first and second support elements 14a, 14b as described above. This provides the advantage that slightly different types of support elements 14a, 14b and / or patient supports 30, and / or positioning of the support elements 14a, 14b on the patient support 30 can be used with the same support arm. This provides a more versatile system for use in a clinical environment. Although the support arm 10 is flexible, it is designed to be robust enough to hold the mirror 20 in place to withstand vibrations introduced by the patient or a medical scanner.

[0041] Figure 2 also shows how a patient can be positioned on the patient support 30 such that the mirrors 20 of the patient support system 110 are positioned within their line of sight. This enables video content to be reflected from a remote video source and directed towards a patient lying on the patient support 30.

[0042] Figure 2 also shows a second mirror 40. This is used to provide a line of sight between a vital sign camera (remote from the scanner) and the patient, for example the patient's cheek or forehead. The vital sign camera is, for example, a remote PPG (rPPG) system that can extract a respiration rate and / or a heart rate.

[0043] Figure 3 shows a flexible support arm 10 of a mirror system manually connected to first and second support elements 14a, 14b. The support arm 10 is sized such that an operator standing next to the patient support can easily connect the support arm 10 to the support elements 14a, 14b.

[0044] Figure 4 shows a patient support system 120 in which first and second support elements 14a, 14b are attached to a patient coil 50. The present invention is of interest to all imaging modalities, but is of particular interest to medical resonance imaging (MRI) due to the associated long scan times. Magnetic resonance imaging is a medical imaging that uses a strong magnetic field to generate images inside the body. Those skilled in the art will understand that an MRI system comprises several different types of coils. In particular, an MRI system includes a superconducting coil for generating a static magnetic field, a set of gradient coils for generating magnetic field gradients, and a radio frequency (RF) coil for transmitting and receiving RF pulses.

[0045] In addition, local coils may be applied to the patient within the bore of the scanner, and these local coils are referred to as "patient coils". The patient coil 50 can include a plurality of individual coil elements, and the term "patient coil" should be understood accordingly.

[0046] Therefore, it should be understood that the first and second support elements 14a, 14b can be directly attached to the patient support 30 or attached to the patient coil 50 fixed to the patient support 30, as shown in FIG. 4.

[0047] The support arm 10 can include, for example, a channel for adjusting the position of the mirror 20. In some embodiments, the position of the second mirror 40 can also be adjusted. Either or both of the mirrors 20, 40 can include an interface (not shown) configured to cooperate with the channel. Thereby, the mirror position can be adjusted by sliding the mirrors 20, 40 along the channel.

[0048] FIG. 5 shows a medical scanner 1000 comprising a scan system 200 having a bore 210 and a patient support system 110. The patient support system 110 is mostly shown outside the bore in FIG. 6. However, those skilled in the art will understand that, typically, while the patient is outside the bore, the patient is positioned on the patient support 30 and then the patient support 30 is slowly moved into the bore 30 so that the patient support system 110 extends through the bore 30. In all embodiments, the patient support system comprises a mirror system 100.

[0049] FIG. 6 shows a medical scanner 1000 comprising a scan system 200 and a screen 60 for displaying video content. The screen 60 is arranged relative to the mirror 20 such that video content can be relayed to a patient positioned on the patient support 30.

[0050] The mirror system preferably occupies a minimum amount of space within the bore in order to avoid causing unnecessary patient claustrophobia. As shown in FIG. 7, the flexible support arm 10 forms an arch over the patient. When the support arm is in a fully open position, it may be positioned to follow the inner contour of the bore. Preferably, it can fit substantially flush against the inner surface of the bore of the scanner so that the support arm occupies a minimum amount of space within the scanner. This means that the patient can get on and off the patient support 30 without being obstructed by the mirror system. Additionally, this has the advantage that the desired distance between the patient's eyes and the mirror is maintained. The loop may be sized to fit a bore diameter of about 60 cm or a bore diameter of about 70 cm.

[0051] FIG. 7 also shows a medical scanner 1000 comprising a scan system 200 and a screen 60 for displaying video content. Additionally, the medical scanner 1000 further comprises a second mirror 40 and a vital sign monitoring unit 70. The vital sign monitoring unit 70 may be arranged on the wall of the scanner room and the second mirror 40 may be directed towards the patient's cheek or forehead. The vital sign monitoring unit 70 can comprise an rPPG camera for collecting rPPG signals from the patient. This enables the clinician to determine the patient's heart rate and / or respiratory rate. It should be understood that other means of vital sign monitoring than rPPG monitoring may be used.

[0052] FIG. 8 shows a patient entertainment system comprising a screen 60 for displaying video content and a mirror system 100. FIG. 8 also shows (in hidden detail) a channel 11 along which the mirror can be slid to adjust its position.

[0053] Variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by those skilled in the art in practicing 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.

[0054] The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used advantageously.

[0055] It should be noted that when the term "adapted to" is used in the claims or description, the term "adapted to" is intended to be equivalent to the term "configured to". When the term "apparatus" is used in the claims or description, the term "apparatus" is intended to be equivalent to the term "system" and vice versa.

[0056] Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope.

Claims

1. A mirror system for relaying video content to a patient on a patient support of a medical scanner, wherein the mirror system is A flexible support arm having first and second opposing ends, A mirror attached to the aforementioned support arm, First and second support elements, each being mounted in a fixed position relative to the patient support, each having an end portion, and It has, The first and second ends of the support arm are each detachably and rotatably connected to the respective end portions of the first and second support elements, and when the support arm is connected to the end portions, the support arm forms an arch. The support arm is flexible so that it can be attached to the first and second support elements which are arranged at different intervals. Mirror system.

2. The mirror system according to claim 1, wherein the first end of the support arm and the end portion of the first support element define a first hinge connection, and the second end of the support arm and the end portion of the second support element define a second hinge connection.

3. The mirror system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the position of the mirror on the support arm is adjustable.

4. The mirror system according to claim 3, wherein the support arm comprises a channel, and the mirror further comprises an interface configured to cooperate with the channel.

5. The mirror system according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a second mirror mounted on the support arm for monitoring vital signs.

6. The mirror system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first and second support elements are for attachment to the patient support.

7. The mirror system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first and second support elements are for attachment to a patient coil.

8. It is a patient support system, Patient support and The mirror system according to claim 1 or 2 and It has, The first and second support elements of the mirror system are fixed to the patient support. Patient support system.

9. It is a medical scanner, A scanning system having a bore, The patient support system according to claim 8 and It has, The patient support of the patient support system extends through the bore. Medical scanner.

10. The medical scanner according to claim 9, wherein the support arm of the mirror system forms an arch that conforms to the inner contour of the bore when the support arm is rotated to a fully open position.

11. The medical scanner according to claim 9, further comprising a screen for displaying video content, wherein the mirror system is for providing a line of sight path between the patient and the screen.

12. The medical scanner according to claim 9, wherein the mirror system comprises a second mirror mounted on the support arm for monitoring vital signs, and the medical scanner comprises a vital signs monitoring unit for monitoring the patient using the second mirror.

13. The medical scanner according to claim 12, wherein the vital signs monitoring unit comprises a remote PPG camera for monitoring heart rate and / or respiratory rate.

14. A patient entertainment system for use during a medical scan, wherein the patient is placed on a patient support of a medical scanner, and the entertainment system is: A screen for displaying video content, A mirror system according to claim 1 or 2 for providing a line of sight between the patient and the screen, A patient entertainment system.

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