Portable X-ray Positioner for Small Animal Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing X-ray positioning equipment is cumbersome and not suitable for transport to remote locations, making it difficult for solo veterinarians or veterinary technicians to position X-ray generators effectively for imaging small animal patients.
Innovation Solution
A portable X-ray positioning stand with a base, pivotable extension arms, and an adjustable support rod, equipped with a locking mechanism and a gas spring assist mechanism, allowing for stable and adjustable positioning of the X-ray generator above the subject, with a handle for easy transport and the ability to hold the generator at various angles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional X-ray table is used, then the X-ray generator can be positioned stably, but the equipment becomes cumbersome and difficult to transport to remote locations
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning system is divided into separate components: a portable base unit with extension arms and a separate support rod assembly. This segmentation allows the equipment to be transported in manageable parts while assembling into a stable configuration during use, resolving the contradiction between portability and stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The extension arms incorporate telescopic sections that can extend and retract, and the support rod is adjustable in length. These dynamic elements allow the equipment to transform from a compact portable state during transport to an extended stable state during operation, simultaneously achieving ease of transport and reliable positioning.
2Reliability
If the extension arms are extended to provide stable support, then the X-ray generator can be positioned correctly, but the device occupies more space and becomes harder to store
Solution Approach 1:
The telescopic extension arms and adjustable support rod are designed to nest within each other when retracted, similar to nested dolls. This nesting mechanism allows the positioning structure to collapse into a compact form for storage while maintaining full extension capability for stable positioning during use, resolving the space occupation contradiction.
3Ease of manufacture
If the support rod is made fixed length for simplicity, then the structure is easier to manufacture, but it cannot adapt to different imaging requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The support rod incorporates a telescopic mechanism with extendable sections and a locking system, transforming it from a fixed static component to a dynamic adjustable one. This allows the rod to be manufactured in standardized segments while providing continuous length adjustment capability to accommodate various imaging requirements, balancing manufacturing feasibility with adaptability.
4Manufacturing precision
If the extension arms are made rigid for stability, then the positioning is more precise, but the arms cannot be folded for transport
Solution Approach 1:
The extension arms are divided into rigid telescopic sections connected by pivot joints. The rigid sections maintain positioning precision when extended, while the pivot connections enable folding and reconfiguration for transport. This segmentation allows the arms to function as rigid precision positioning elements during use while becoming flexible and foldable during transport.
Solution Approach 2:
The extension arms transition from a static rigid structure to a dynamic articulated mechanism with pivot joints and telescopic sections. This dynamic design allows the arms to maintain rigidity and precision when extended for positioning, while enabling folding and compact configuration when retracted for transport, resolving the contradiction between positioning precision and transportability.
Data Source
AI summary
An x-ray positioning stand, for holding an x-ray generator, includes a base having a primary base member, a first extension arm, and a second extension arm. The primary base member extends in a longitudinal direction along the length from a first end to a second end, and extends in a transverse direction along the width from a front side to a rear side. The first extension arm is pivotably connected to the primary base member proximate the first end and the second extension arm is pivotably connected to the primary base member proximate the second end. The stand also includes a support rod having a lower end connected to a central portion of the primary base member and an upper end having an attachment head connectable to the x-ray generator, and configured for supporting the x-ray generator over a subject to be imaged. Each of the first extension arm and the second extension arm are pivotable from a stored position to a deployed position. The free ends of the first extension arm and the second extension arm are closer to each other in the stored position than in the deployed position.