Medical Imaging Lifting Column for Precise Source-Detector Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medical imaging systems face challenges in accurately positioning the radiation source, patient body part, and radiation detector in a collinear arrangement along the radiation direction, which is crucial for successful imaging.
Innovation Solution
The image recording facility incorporates a lifting column with a lifting carriage that moves along a longitudinal direction, allowing the radiation source or patient table to be attached and adjusted via a traction mechanism, guide pulley, and actuator, ensuring precise positioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional bearing apparatuses are used for the radiation source and patient table, then the system structure is simple, but the positioning precision and alignment accuracy between radiation source, patient body part, and radiation detector deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The bearing apparatus is divided into a lifting column and a lifting carriage that moves along the lifting column. This segmentation allows independent control of vertical positioning (lifting column) and horizontal positioning (lifting carriage), thereby improving positioning precision without excessively complicating the overall system structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The lifting carriage acts as an intermediary component between the lifting column and the radiation source/patient table. It transfers and coordinates the motion from the lifting column to the attached components, enabling precise alignment while maintaining structural simplicity through functional decomposition.
2Reliability
If the radiation source, patient body part, and radiation detector are positioned collinearly for successful imaging, then the imaging effectiveness is improved, but the complexity of positioning and alignment control increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs dynamic positioning capabilities where the lifting carriage can move along the lifting column to adjust the horizontal position, while the lifting column itself can move vertically. This dynamic coordination enables the radiation source, patient body part, and radiation detector to be precisely aligned collinearly, improving imaging effectiveness without requiring overly complex static alignment mechanisms.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration enables precise and adjustable positioning of the radiation source and patient table, enhancing the accuracy and effectiveness of medical imaging by ensuring the radiation source, patient body part, and radiation detector are correctly aligned.
Implementation Method 1
a guide pulley, which can move along the longitudinal direction of the lifting column by means of an actuator and by means of a guide pulley linear guide
Implementation Method 2
the actuator is an electromechanical spindle drive or a hydraulic cylinder drive
Implementation Method 3
the actuator is an electromechanical spindle drive or a hydraulic cylinder drive
Implementation Method 4
a lifting carriage moveable along a longitudinal direction of the lifting column by a column linear guide
Data Source
AI summary
One or more example embodiments relates to an image recording facility for a medical imaging system including a radiation source configured to emit radiation; a patient table having a tabletop for supporting a patient during image recording; a radiation detector configured to detect the radiation, the radiation detector being in or under the tabletop; a first bearing apparatus of bearing apparatuses bearing the radiation source; and a second bearing apparatus of the bearing apparatuses bearing the patient table.