Patient Bed Light Strips for Precise Scan Range Indication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current imaging patient beds lack the ability to accurately show and adjust the scan range prior to an imaging acquisition, leading to potential inefficiencies such as wasted scan time or the need for additional scans, and they do not provide attention-grabbing alerts for clinical users or calming visualizations for patients.
Innovation Solution
A visual indicator system for patient beds, incorporating light strips, a distance meter, and a microcontroller to allow for precise scan range planning through finger gestures, provide status alerts, and offer interactive animations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a visual indicator system with light strips and distance meter is added to the patient bed, then scan range planning precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions into the patient bed structure: light strips are integrated into the bed frame, the distance meter is mounted on the bed, and the microcontroller coordinates both components along with the medical imaging system. This merging approach enables precise scan range planning through finger gesture interaction while avoiding the complexity of separate standalone devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The microcontroller serves as an intermediary component that receives distance measurements from the distance meter, processes finger gesture inputs, controls the light strip illumination to indicate scan ranges, and communicates with the medical imaging system. This intermediary enables coordinated operation between the simple physical components (light strips, distance meter) and the complex imaging system.
2Loss of information
If light strips are added to indicate scan range, then information visibility is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses flexible light strips that can be attached to the patient bed structure. These thin film-like light strips conform to the bed's geometry and can be positioned along the longitudinal axis to indicate scan ranges. This approach provides excellent information visibility while maintaining ease of manufacture through simple attachment rather than complex integration.
3Loss of time
If the scan range is determined without direct visual correlation, then setup time is reduced, but scan range accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The light strips are pre-configured to extend along the longitudinal axis of the patient bed, establishing a visual reference framework before the imaging procedure begins. This preliminary visual structure enables rapid and accurate scan range determination by providing immediate visual correlation between the indicated range and the actual patient anatomy, eliminating the need for time-consuming manual measurements.
Solution Approach 2:
The light strips can change illumination patterns to indicate different scan range states. By illuminating specific segments of the light strip corresponding to the upper and lower limits of the scan range, the system provides intuitive visual feedback that enables rapid setup while ensuring accurate range selection through direct visual correlation with the patient bed.
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
Enables accurate scan range planning, reduces unnecessary scans, informs clinical users of session status, and alleviates patient anxiety through interactive visualizations.
Implementation Method 1
a distance meter, attachable to one end of the medical imaging patient bed and configured to determine a distance value indicative of a distance between a receiver of the distance meter and a finger of a user
Implementation Method 2
one or more light strips, each light strip comprising a plurality of lights
Data Source
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AI summary
Embodiments can provide a visual indicator system, attachable to a medical imaging patient bed. The visual indicator system comprising: one or more light strips, each light strip comprising a plurality of lights; a distance meter, attachable to one end of the medical imaging patient bed; a storage device, configured to store one or more preconfigured finger gestures; and a microcontroller. The one or more light strips are attachable to the medical imaging patient bed; wherein the microcontroller is configured to illuminate the one or more light strips after the one or more preconfigured finger gestures are made with respect to the one or more light strips. A position of the illumination of the light strip corresponds to a position of performing the one or more preconfigured finger gestures and one or more distance measurements received from the distance meter.