Segmented Pediatric Patient Support for Medical Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cantilevered patient supports in medical imaging systems attenuate radiation, leading to excessive radiation exposure for infants and small toddlers due to their vertical thickness, which affects radiation dose efficiency and image quality.
Innovation Solution
A pediatric patient support system with a hammock-like configuration that includes a support extension, radial supports, and rods, allowing the patient support to move axially relative to the longitudinal axis, reducing the material within the gantry bore and minimizing radiation attenuation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a cantilevered patient support with large vertical thickness is used to support patients of various size and weight, then the structural strength is sufficient, but radiation attenuation increases and image quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patient support is divided into multiple thin horizontal slats rather than a single thick structure. These slats are spaced apart to create gaps that allow radiation to pass through while the collective structure still provides sufficient support for patients of various sizes and weights.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses thin, radiolucent materials with low atomic number (such as carbon fiber or plastic) to construct the support slats. These thin film-like structures provide mechanical support while being transparent to X-rays and gamma rays, minimizing radiation attenuation.
2Strength
If the vertical thickness of the patient support is increased to support heavier patients, then load-bearing capacity improves, but radiation dose efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure is segmented into multiple thin slats that collectively bear the patient's weight. The segmentation allows the structure to maintain high load-bearing capacity through distributed support while keeping individual slat thickness minimal to preserve radiation dose efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite materials with high strength-to-weight ratios and low radiodensity. These composite structures provide the necessary mechanical strength for supporting heavy patients while maintaining radiolucency to preserve radiation dose efficiency.
3Ease of operation
If a cantilevered patient support structure is used, then patient positioning is achieved, but excessive material within the gantry bore increases noise levels
Solution Approach 1:
Thin, radiolucent slat structures are used instead of bulky cantilevered supports. These thin films maintain patient positioning capability while minimizing the amount of material within the gantry bore, thereby reducing noise generation during imaging.
Solution Approach 2:
The support structure uses local quality variations where slats are positioned only where mechanical support is needed, with gaps in between. This localized approach maintains patient positioning functionality while minimizing material presence in the imaging field to reduce noise.
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 reduces the amount of radiation needed by up to 33% during imaging, while maintaining image quality by minimizing the material within the gantry bore and reducing noise levels.
Implementation Method 1
patient supports having a cantilevered configuration generally have a vertical thickness that may attenuate the radiation (e.g., X-rays and gamma radiation) and induce undesirable noise during medical imaging procedures
Data Source
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AI summary
A pediatric patient support system is provided. The system includes a support extension configured to be removably coupled to a cradle of a table, wherein the support extension includes radial supports extending in a radial direction relative to a longitudinal axis of the cradle. The system includes a pair of rods, wherein each rod is coupled to a respective radial support and extends substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis. The system includes a patient support disposed between and coupled to the rods, the patient support being configured to support a pediatric patient, wherein the patient support is configured to move axially relative to the longitudinal axis along the rods to move the pediatric patient in and out of a central bore of a medical imaging system.