Patient Bed Guide Mechanism for MRI Alignment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In radiotherapy systems integrated with imaging modalities like MRI or CT scanners, precise patient alignment is critical but challenging due to the need for accurate repositioning of the patient bed from outside the confined imaging space to the treatment area, leading to potential misalignment and inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
A system with pairs of guides on both the patient support and the treatment/imaging table, featuring varying gap sizes to securely hold the bed in place during transfer, allowing for precise longitudinal movement while minimizing lateral movement, ensuring accurate alignment and smooth transition between the support and the table.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the bed is made movable between the support and the table for patient repositioning, then the patient can be transferred from outside the bore to the treatment area, but misalignment occurs during transfer requiring re-alignment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary alignment mechanism consisting of alignment features on both the patient support and treatment table that guide the bed during transfer. These features act as mediators between the movable bed and the fixed treatment area, ensuring precise alignment without requiring expensive machining of the entire system.
Solution Approach 2:
The alignment features are pre-configured on the patient support and treatment table before patient transfer. The guides and alignment markings are established in advance to predetermined positions, allowing the bed to be automatically guided into correct alignment during transfer without requiring real-time adjustment or expensive dynamic alignment systems.
2Manufacturing precision
If precise system machining is used to ensure component tolerances, then alignment accuracy is improved, but system cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of requiring precise machining of all system components, the patent uses simple alignment features as intermediaries that guide the bed position. These alignment features can be manufactured with standard tolerances using conventional machining methods, significantly reducing system cost while maintaining alignment accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The alignment features are implemented as simple, inexpensive mechanical elements rather than expensive precision-machined components. These include guide rails, alignment marks, and positioning features that can be manufactured economically and replaced if needed, avoiding the high cost of precision-machined alignment systems.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the invention thus define a system and methods for moving a patient into a medical treatment/imaging apparatus. By appropriate use of relatively narrow guides, a bed can be held securely both prior to movement onto the apparatus and while on the apparatus. By use of relatively wide guides, the bed is allowed a degree of lateral play to ensure a smooth transition on to the apparatus.