Couchtop Board Overlay Tensioning for Low-Deflection Patient Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing patient positioning devices for medical imaging and irradiation face challenges in maintaining mechanical stability and minimizing deflection, which can lead to image quality degradation and inaccurate irradiation targeting due to the use of materials that either compromise signal attenuation or allow excessive deformation.
Innovation Solution
A couchtop board overlay system with a planar design and coupling interfaces at both ends, utilizing a fin-ray effect to stabilize the patient positioning device by applying tensile forces, ensuring minimal deflection and improved mechanical stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a maximally stiff mechanical construction is used for the couchtop board, then mechanical stability and deflection are improved, but material usage increases leading to signal attenuation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a composite structure consisting of a couchtop board overlay made of radiolucent material (such as carbon fiber reinforced plastic or polymethacrylimide foam) combined with the existing couchtop board. This composite construction provides the necessary mechanical stiffness and stability while maintaining radiolucency to minimize signal attenuation during X-ray imaging.
Solution Approach 2:
The couchtop board overlay is designed as a thin, planar structure with coupling interfaces at both ends. This thin-film approach minimizes material usage and signal attenuation while the coupling interfaces provide anchoring points that enable the thin structure to achieve sufficient mechanical stability through distributed support.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If the couchtop board is made maximally thin to reduce material, then signal attenuation is reduced, but mechanical stability and deflection control deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling interfaces act as intermediary elements that connect the thin couchtop board overlay to the underlying couchtop board structure. These interfaces transmit and distribute mechanical loads, enabling the thin overlay to achieve sufficient mechanical stability without increasing material thickness, thus maintaining low signal attenuation.
Solution Approach 2:
The couchtop board system is segmented into multiple components: the existing couchtop board and the additional overlay with coupling interfaces at both ends. This segmentation allows the thin overlay to be mechanically supported at discrete points while maintaining overall structural integrity and minimizing deflection without requiring increased material thickness.
3Ease of operation
If a floating overlay design is used on the couchtop board, then ease of installation is improved, but mechanical stability and deflection control deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling interfaces are pre-integrated into the design of the couchtop board overlay, allowing for straightforward attachment to the underlying structure. This preliminary integration maintains ease of installation while providing fixed connection points that significantly improve mechanical stability and reduce deflection compared to a completely floating design.
Data Source
AI summary
A couchtop board overlay for a patient couchtop board extends along a longitudinal direction from a first end section to a second end section. The couchtop board overlay includes a first countercoupling interface in the first end section, wherein, in a state coupled to the first coupling interface, the first countercoupling interface is configured to transmit an application of force in the longitudinal direction onto the couchtop board overlay. The couchtop board overlay further includes a second countercoupling interface in the second end section, wherein, in a coupled state, the second countercoupling interface is connected to the second coupling interface in at least one of a positive-locking or a force-fitted manner.