Mobile Medical Imaging Positioning with Dual-Resolution Sensors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manual alignment of mobile medical imaging systems, such as C-arm stands, is time-consuming and lacks precision, making it difficult to overlay pre-op CT/MR images with live 2D fluoro images due to high variance in measurements.
Innovation Solution
A positioning arrangement using a combination of first and second positioning sensors with different spatial resolutions, where the first sensor operates at a higher resolution for coarse positioning and the second sensor operates at a higher resolution for fine positioning, with automatic switching based on distance thresholds, enabling precise and efficient alignment of the mobile medical imaging system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual alignment is used to position the mobile medical imaging system, then the system can be positioned without complex sensors, but the positioning is time-consuming and lacks precision
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical alignment with an automated optical positioning system. The system uses optical sensors to detect the position of the mobile imaging system and automatically calculates alignment corrections, eliminating the need for manual trial-and-error positioning by surgeons.
Solution Approach 2:
The positioning system performs self-alignment by automatically detecting its own position relative to the patient and calculating the necessary corrections. The system uses onboard sensors and processors to autonomously determine positioning errors and guide corrections without requiring continuous manual intervention.
2Measurement precision
If high-resolution sensors are used for precise positioning, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning system is divided into functional modules: detection modules (optical sensors), calculation modules (processors), and display modules. Each module performs a specific function, allowing the complex system to be managed through modular design where each segment can be independently optimized and maintained.
Solution Approach 2:
The optical sensors serve multiple functions: they detect the position of the mobile imaging system, track movement in real-time, and provide data for automated alignment calculations. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate specialized sensors for each task, thereby reducing overall system complexity.
3Measurement precision
If multiple X-ray exposures are used for manual alignment, then positioning accuracy can be improved through comparison, but radiation exposure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces radiation-based alignment verification with optical sensing. The system uses optical detectors to track the position of the mobile imaging system and calculate alignment accuracy without requiring additional X-ray exposures, thereby eliminating the harmful radiation effect while maintaining positioning precision.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to mobile imaging. In order to provide a mobile medical imaging system (100) with improved positioning characteristics, A positioning arrangement (126) is provided. The positioning arrangement comprises at least one positioning sensor (128). The at least one positioning sensor determines a current distance between a mobile structure of a mobile medical imaging system and at least one object in an environment of the mobile medical imaging system. The at least one positioning sensor operates in a first mode if a current distance is greater than a predetermined threshold, and/or in a second mode, if the current distance is smaller than the predetermined threshold. In the first mode, the at least one positioning sensor operates at a first spatial resolution, and, in the second mode, the at least one positioning sensor operates at a second spatial resolution, which second spatial resolution differs from the first spatial resolution.