Gantry for Mobilizing MRI Device Toward Static Patients
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current MRI devices are impractical for imaging non-movable patients, such as premature babies in incubators, as they require the patient to be transferred to a remote location, which is risky and inconvenient, and existing solutions do not provide integrated, in-situ imaging capabilities within the patient's room.
Innovation Solution
A portable open-bore MRI device with a gantry system that allows the MRI to be maneuvered in multiple degrees of freedom, equipped with a maneuverable member to direct the aperture towards the patient, enabling in-situ imaging without moving the patient, using a system that includes a transporting mechanism, patient accommodating means, and navigation and orientation mechanisms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a traditional MRI device is used, then imaging capability is provided, but the patient must be transferred to a remote location which is risky and inconvenient for non-movable patients
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of moving the patient to the MRI device, the MRI device is moved to the patient's location. The gantry system enables the MRI scanner to travel along tracks installed in the patient's room, reversing the traditional workflow where the patient is transported to the imaging equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
A gantry system with transporting mechanism serves as an intermediary between the MRI device and the patient. The gantry carries the MRI scanner along predefined tracks, enabling controlled movement of the heavy imaging equipment without requiring patient relocation.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the MRI device is made portable and maneuverable, then in-situ imaging is enabled, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The MRI system is divided into separable components: the MRI scanner itself and the gantry transporting mechanism. This segmentation allows the scanner to be moved independently along tracks, providing flexibility while keeping each component's design relatively simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The gantry system provides dynamic positioning capabilities, allowing the MRI device to move along tracks and adjust its location and orientation. This dynamic capability enables imaging at multiple positions within the patient's room while using standardized MRI hardware.
3Speed
If the MRI device is permanently connected to a displacement system, then imaging mobility is provided, but the system occupies needed space and cannot be an integral part of the patient's room
Solution Approach 1:
The gantry travels along thin track structures that can be mounted on walls or ceilings, occupying minimal space. These track systems serve as flexible pathways that guide the MRI gantry without requiring large dedicated imaging rooms or permanent complex infrastructure.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the MRI device is made maneuverable with multiple degrees of freedom, then flexible positioning is achieved, but the device complexity and control difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The gantry system serves multiple functions: it transports the MRI scanner along tracks, positions it at different locations, and orients it for various imaging angles. This multi-functional design consolidates positioning, transportation, and orientation capabilities into a single integrated system, reducing overall complexity despite the multiple degrees of freedom provided.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention discloses methods, gantry, and room's infrastructure for maneuvering a portable open-bore magnetic resonance device with no fringing of its magnetic field (MRD) from at least one first location towards at least one static patient placed at at least one second remote location. The gantry comprises a transporting mechanism; and, an open-bore MRD, interconnected to the gantry by at least one maneuverable member. The MRD, by means of the gantry, is transportable from the first location to the second remote location adjacent the static patient. The aperture of the MRD's open-bore, by means of said maneuverable member, is directable towards a defined spatially orientation facing the static patient.