NEONATE'S INCUBATOR AND MRI DOCKING-STATION

1 . A docking-station 100 useful for providing a neonate 300 a predefined, continuous, stabilized and non-interrupted, life-support environmental conditions, comprising of:

a) a neonate incubator 110 , having at least one first opening 170 and a life support system 180 and

b) an imaging-device 210 , having a scanning chamber 220 with at least one second opening 230 ;

wherein said docking-station 100 is configured such that said neonate incubator first opening 170 and said scanning chamber 220 second opening 230 are juxtapose-able so as to reversibly hermetically communicate, thereby providing said neonate 300 said predefined, continuous, stabilized, non-interrupted life-support environmental conditions, during the entire process of scanning.

2 . The docking-station 100 according to claim 1 , wherein said neonate incubator 110 comprises:

a) a movable bed 130 , configured for accommodating said neonate 300 ;

b) mechanical-means 140 for conveying said movable bed 130 accommodating said neonate 300 from said incubator 110 into said scanning chamber 220 of said imaging-device 210 , and conveying said movable bed 130 accommodating said neonate 300 out of said scanning chamber 220 back into said neonate incubator 110 ;

c) a front door 150 , for opening and closing said neonate incubator first opening 170 , configured to allow said translating of said movable bed 130 accommodating said neonate 300 ; and

d) sealing-means 160 surrounding said neonate incubator first opening 170 of said neonate incubator 110 , configured to be reversibly and hermetically connected around said second opening 230 of said scanning chamber 220 of said imaging-device 210 and adapted to hermetically seal said scanning chamber 220 of said imaging-device 210 , while said incubator door 150 is closed; and seal said scanning chamber 220 to said connected neonate incubator 110 , while said neonate incubator door 150 is open.

3 . The docking-station 100 according to claim 1 , wherein said scanning chamber 220 of said imaging-device 210 comprises a sealable aperture 240 configured for adjusting said environment of said scanning chamber 220 .

4 . The docking-station 100 according to claim 1 , wherein said imaging-device 210 is a scanning device selected from the group consisting of: MRI, NMR, ESR, NQR, CT, US and M2™.

5 . The docking-station 100 according to claim 1 , wherein said closed circuit life support system 180 of said neonate incubator 110 is mounted or mountable on said neonate incubator 110 .

6 . The docking-station 100 according to claim 1 , wherein said closed circuit life support system of said incubator 110 is replaced by a central life support system.

7 . The docking-station 100 according to claim 3 , wherein said environment characteristics of said scanning chamber 220 of said imaging-device 210 are supplied by said neonate incubator's mounted closed circuit life support system 180 .

8 . The docking-station 100 according to claim 3 , wherein said environment characteristics of said scanning chamber 220 of said imaging-device 210 are supplied by a central life support system.

9 . The docking-station 100 according to claim 1 , wherein the characteristics of said Life Support Environment are selected from the group consisting at least one of: oxygen, temperature, humidity, gas and fluid exchange, drug delivery, perfusions, waste removal transfusions, anesthetic gas and any combination thereof.

10 . The docking-station 100 according to claim 2 , wherein said sealing-means 160 is a gasket or a plurality of gaskets.

11 . The docking-station 100 according to claim 2 , wherein said front door 150 is selected from a group consisting of: sliding door, axis door, concertina door and gas-tight flaps.

12 . The docking-station 100 according to claim 2 , wherein said neonate 300 is fastened to said movable bed 130 by fasteners made of any material invisible to magnetic fields.

13 . The docking-station 100 according to claim 2 , wherein said neonate incubator 110 is mounted on a movable cart 190 .

14 . The docking-station 100 according to claim 5 , wherein said neonate incubator 110 and its life support system 180 are mounted or mountable on a movable cart 190 .

15 . The docking-station 100 according to claim 2 , wherein said imaging device 210 and said neonate incubator 110 are connectable by a communicating passage selected from a group consisting of: a manifold, flexible passage, connecting sleeve, flexible sleeve, concertina like sleeve and any combination thereof.

16 . A method for providing a neonate 300 a predefined, continuous, stabilized, non-interrupted life support environmental conditions, within an imaging-device 210 , during the entire process of scanning; said method comprising the steps of:

a) obtaining: (i) a neonate incubator 110 , having: at least one first opening 170 configured with a door 150 , a movable bed 130 , and (ii) an imaging-device 210 , having a scanning chamber 220 with at least one second opening 230 ;

b) hermetically connecting said at least one first opening 170 of said neonate containing incubator 110 to said second opening 230 of ID 210 via said neonate containing incubator closed door 150 ;

c) adjusting the environmental characteristics of said ID's 210 scanning chamber 220 to that of said neonate containing incubator 110 ;

d) opening said door 150 of said neonate containing incubator 110 ;

e) translating said neonate's movable bed 130 into said ID's 210 scanning chamber 220 ; and

f) scanning said neonate 300 ;

thereby providing said neonate 300 a predefined, continuous, stabilized, non-interrupted life support environment, within an imaging-device 210 , during the entire process of scanning.

17 . The method according to claim 16 , further comprising steps of:

a) opening said front door 150 of said incubator 110 ;

b) translating said neonate's movable bed 130 out of said ID's 210 scanning chamber 220 and back to said incubator 110 ; and

c) closing said front door 150 of said incubator 110 .

18 . The method according to claim 17 , further comprising step of detaching said incubator 110 from said imaging-device 210 .

19 . The method according to claim 16 , wherein said incubator 110 further comprising:

a) a life support system 180 ;

b) mechanical-means 140 for conveying said movable bed 130 accommodating said neonate 300 from said incubator 110 into said scanning chamber 220 of said imaging-device 210 , and conveying said movable bed 130 accommodating said neonate 300 out of said scanning chamber 220 back into said incubator 110 ; and

c) sealing-means 160 surrounding said incubator first opening 170 of said incubator 110 , configured to be reversibly and hermetically connected around the second opening 230 of said scanning chamber 220 of said imaging-device 210 and adapted to seal said scanning chamber 220 of said imaging-device 210 , while said incubator door 150 is closed and seal said scanning chamber 220 to said connected incubator 110 , while said incubator door 150 is open.

20 . The method according to claim 16 , wherein said scanning chamber 220 of said imaging-device 210 further comprising a sealable aperture 240 configured for adjusting said environment of said scanning chamber 220 .

21 . The method according to claim 20 , further comprising step of equalizing the environment of said sealed scanning chamber 220 of said imaging-device 210 , via said aperture 240 in said scanning chamber 220 , to ambience with the predetermined life support environment of said incubator 110 , while said incubator's front door 150 remains closed.

22 . The docking-station 100 according to claim 5 , wherein said environment characteristics of said scanning chamber 220 of said imaging-device 210 are supplied by said neonate incubator's mounted closed circuit life support system 180 .