AR Gantry Visualization for Collision Avoidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Medical imaging scanner systems require precise positioning of movable components, which can be challenging due to the complexity of the operating room environment, leading to potential collisions with patients or equipment, and existing methods for avoiding collisions are time-consuming and resource-intensive.
Innovation Solution
An augmented reality (AR) system that uses a processor and memory to generate graphical objects indicating the range of motion of movable C-arms and detect potential collisions, providing a user interface to prevent collisions by displaying overlays and animations of the scanner components' motion, and enabling predictive visualization of the imaging process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual positioning methods are used to position movable imaging components, then operator skill and attention are required, but the risk of collision with patient or equipment increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the physical imaging components and operating environment in a simulated reality interface. This virtual model allows operators to visualize and plan component movements without physically moving the actual equipment, thereby avoiding collisions while reducing operational complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary positioning planning in a virtual environment before actual physical movement occurs. Operators can simulate and validate movement paths in advance, ensuring collision-free operation while simplifying the actual positioning task during real procedures.
2Measurement precision
If calibration operations are performed to position movable imaging components, then imaging accuracy is improved, but the time required for setup increases
Solution Approach 1:
The virtual reality interface creates a digital replica of the imaging system and patient anatomy, allowing calibration and positioning to be performed in the virtual model. This eliminates the need for time-consuming physical trial-and-error calibration while maintaining imaging accuracy through precise virtual positioning that can be transferred to the physical system.
Solution Approach 2:
All calibration and positioning operations are completed preliminarily in the virtual environment before actual imaging begins. The system pre-calculates optimal positions and validates imaging parameters in the simulated reality, reducing setup time while ensuring imaging precision is achieved before the patient procedure starts.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the imaging system is designed with movable C-arms for flexibility, then adaptability to different patient positions is improved, but the risk of collision with operating room equipment increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a comprehensive virtual model that includes not only the imaging components but also all surrounding operating room equipment and the patient. This complete virtual representation allows the system to simulate and identify potential collision paths while maintaining the flexibility of movable C-arms, as operators can visualize the full spatial relationships before moving any components.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary collision detection and prevention by simulating component movements in the virtual environment before actual physical movement. The virtual model identifies potential harmful interactions with patient or equipment in advance, allowing operators to adjust paths beforehand and prevent collisions before they occur in the physical operating room.
Data Source
AI summary
An augmented reality system is provided for use with a medical imaging scanner. The AR system obtains a digital image from a camera, and identifies a pose of a gantry of the medical imaging scanner based on content of the digital image. The gantry includes a movable C-arm supporting an imaging signal transmitter and a detector panel that are movable along an arc relative to a station. A range of motion of the movable C-arm along the arc is determined based on the pose. A graphical object is generated based on the range of motion and the pose, and is provided to a display device for display as an overlay relative to the medical imaging scanner.