IMU-Enabled Head Holder for Medical Imaging Motion Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for tracking patient head motion during medical imaging, such as PET/CT scans, are inadequate in terms of accuracy, reliability, and user-friendliness, often resulting in image blurring due to movement artifacts and mismatches in attenuation maps.
Innovation Solution
A head holder equipped with inertial measurement units (IMUs) that move with the patient's head to track motion in real-time, communicating with a computer system to record and analyze motion parameters, allowing for precise monitoring and correction of head movement during imaging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional depth camera methods are used to track patient movement, then movement detection capability is provided, but hardware complexity and software algorithm complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex optical depth camera systems with simple mechanical markers (reflective balls) attached to the patient's head. These markers are tracked by the scanner's existing detection systems, eliminating the need for complex depth camera hardware and software algorithms while maintaining reliable movement detection capability.
2Measurement precision
If complex tracking algorithms are implemented, then measurement precision improves, but computational requirements and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses simple reflective markers that create easily detectable signal copies or reflections. Instead of processing complex depth camera data, the system tracks the positions of these simple reflective markers, significantly reducing computational requirements and processing time while maintaining adequate measurement precision for clinical purposes.
3Manufacturing precision
If patient movement is restricted to prevent artifacts, then image quality improves, but patient comfort and ease of operation deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback system where reflective markers on the patient's head continuously provide movement information to the scanner. This real-time feedback allows the system to detect and compensate for head movements, enabling patients to move more comfortably during scanning while maintaining image quality through active correction rather than passive restriction.
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 solution provides accurate, reliable, and user-friendly head motion tracking, minimizing image artifacts and enabling the generation of new attenuation maps for improved image quality and reduced blurring in medical imaging.
Implementation Method 1
One or more inertial measurement units (IMUs) are attached to the movable component to measure motion data
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for tracking head motion during medical imaging. In accordance to one aspect, a head holder for a medical scanner is provided. The head holder includes at least one movable component that moves with patient's head while the head is placed on the movable component during brain imaging. The head holder further includes one or more inertial measurement units (IMUs) attached to the movable component that measure motion data, wherein any change in orientation of the movable component indicated by the motion data represents movement of the head. The one or more IMUs may communicate with a computer system during brain imaging in substantially real time to record motion parameters.