Multi-axis medical imaging
Provided herein is technology relating to radiology and radiotherapy and particularly, but not exclusively, to apparatuses, methods, and systems for multi-axis medical imaging of patients in vertical and horizontal positions.
1. A multi-axis medical imaging apparatus comprising:
a stanchion assembly;
a gantry coupled to the stanchion assembly; and
a scanner ring translatably coupled to the gantry,
wherein said scanner ring is structured to translate 0.20-2.00 m relative to said gantry.
2. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said scanner ring comprises an imaging source and a detector.
3. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said gantry is rotatably coupled to said stanchion assembly.
4. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 3 , wherein said gantry is structured to rotate from 0-200 degrees relative to said stanchion assembly.
5. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a counterbalanced assembly comprises said gantry and said scanner ring.
6. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a force of 50 N or less rotates a counterbalanced assembly comprising said gantry and said scanner ring relative to said stanchion assembly; and/or wherein a force of 50 N or less translates said scanner ring relative to said gantry.
7. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said stanchion assembly comprises a motor operatively engaged with said gantry.
8. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said gantry comprises a motor operatively engaged with said stanchion assembly.
9. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said gantry comprises a motor operatively engaged with said scanner ring.
10. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 9 , wherein said motor is coupled to a ball screw, a belt, or a chain.
11. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said gantry comprises a supplemental mass component providing a counterweight for said scanner ring.
12. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 11 , wherein said multi-axis imaging apparatus comprises a motor structured to move said supplemental mass component and said scanner ring.
13. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said multi-axis medical imaging apparatus is structured to record a medical image of a subject in a vertical or substantially vertical position.
14. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 13 , wherein said scanner ring is structured to move from a first position over the head of said subject to a second position around said subject.
15. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said scanner ring has an inner diameter of 20 cm or more.
16. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 10 , wherein said ball screw comprises a threaded shaft having a diameter of 15-100 mm.
17. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 16 , wherein said motor is structured to translate said scanner ring 5-100 mm per revolution of said threaded shaft.
18. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said scanner ring comprises an X-ray generator and an X-ray detector.
19. A multi-axis medical imaging apparatus comprising:
a stanchion assembly;
a gantry coupled to the stanchion assembly; and
a scanner ring coupled to the gantry,
wherein a force of 50 N or less rotates a counterbalanced assembly comprising said gantry and said scanner ring relative to said stanchion assembly; and/or
wherein a force of 50 N or less translates said scanner ring relative to said gantry.
20. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 19 , wherein said scanner ring comprises an imaging source and a detector.
21. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 19 , wherein said gantry is rotatably coupled to said stanchion assembly.
22. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 21 , wherein said gantry is structured to rotate from 0-200 degrees relative to said stanchion assembly.
23. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 19 , wherein said scanner ring is translatably coupled to said gantry.
24. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 23 , wherein said scanner ring is structured to translate 0.20-2.00 m relative to said gantry.
25. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 19 , wherein a counterbalanced assembly comprises said gantry and said scanner ring.
26. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 19 , wherein said stanchion assembly comprises a motor operatively engaged with said gantry.
27. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 19 , wherein said gantry comprises a motor operatively engaged with said stanchion assembly.
28. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 19 , wherein said gantry comprises a motor operatively engaged with said scanner ring.
29. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 28 , wherein said motor is coupled to a ball screw, a belt, or a chain.
30. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 19 , wherein said gantry comprises a supplemental mass component providing a counterweight for said scanner ring.
31. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 30 , wherein said multi-axis imaging apparatus comprises a motor structured to move said supplemental mass component and said scanner ring.
32. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 19 , wherein said multi-axis medical imaging apparatus is structured to record a medical image of a subject in a vertical or substantially vertical position.
33. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 32 , wherein said scanner ring is structured to move from a first position over the head of said subject to a second position around said subject.
34. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 19 , wherein said scanner ring has an inner diameter of 20 cm or more.
35. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 29 , wherein said ball screw comprises a threaded shaft having a diameter of 15-100 mm.
36. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 35 , wherein said motor is structured to translate said scanner ring 5-100 mm per revolution of said threaded shaft.
37. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 19 , wherein said scanner ring comprises an X-ray generator and an X-ray detector.
38. A multi-axis medical imaging apparatus comprising:
a stanchion assembly comprising a motor;
a gantry operatively engaged with the motor; and
a scanner ring coupled to the gantry.
39. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 38 , wherein said scanner ring comprises an imaging source and a detector.
40. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 38 , wherein said gantry is rotatably coupled to said stanchion assembly.
41. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 40 , wherein said gantry is structured to rotate from 0-200 degrees relative to said stanchion assembly.
42. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 38 , wherein said scanner ring is translatably coupled to said gantry.
43. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 42 , wherein said scanner ring is structured to translate 0.20-2.00 m relative to said gantry.
44. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 38 , wherein a counterbalanced assembly comprises said gantry and said scanner ring.
45. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 38 , wherein a force of 50 N or less rotates a counterbalanced assembly comprising said gantry and said scanner ring relative to said stanchion assembly; and/or wherein a force of 50 N or less translates said scanner ring relative to said gantry.
46. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 38 , wherein said gantry comprises a motor operatively engaged with said stanchion assembly.
47. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 38 , wherein said gantry comprises a motor operatively engaged with said scanner ring.
48. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 47 , wherein said motor is coupled to a ball screw, a belt, or a chain.
49. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 38 , wherein said gantry comprises a supplemental mass component providing a counterweight for said scanner ring.
50. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 49 , wherein said multi-axis imaging apparatus comprises a motor structured to move said supplemental mass component and said scanner ring.
51. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 38 , wherein said multi-axis medical imaging apparatus is structured to record a medical image of a subject in a vertical or substantially vertical position.
52. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 51 , wherein said scanner ring is structured to move from a first position over the head of said subject to a second position around said subject.
53. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 38 , wherein said scanner ring has an inner diameter of 20 cm or more.
54. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 48 , wherein said ball screw comprises a threaded shaft having a diameter of 15-100 mm.
55. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 54 , wherein said motor is structured to translate said scanner ring 5-100 mm per revolution of said threaded shaft.
56. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 38 , wherein said scanner ring comprises an X-ray generator and an X-ray detector.
57. A multi-axis medical imaging apparatus comprising:
a stanchion assembly;
a gantry coupled to the stanchion assembly; and
a scanner ring coupled to the gantry,
wherein said gantry comprises a supplemental mass component providing a counterweight for said scanner ring.
58. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 57 , wherein said scanner ring comprises an imaging source and a detector.
59. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 57 , wherein said gantry is rotatably coupled to said stanchion assembly.
60. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 59 , wherein said gantry is structured to rotate from 0-200 degrees relative to said stanchion assembly.
61. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 57 , wherein said scanner ring is translatably coupled to said gantry.
62. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 61 , wherein said scanner ring is structured to translate 0.20-2.00 m relative to said gantry.
63. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 57 , wherein a counterbalanced assembly comprises said gantry and said scanner ring.
64. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 57 , wherein a force of 50 N or less rotates a counterbalanced assembly comprising said gantry and said scanner ring relative to said stanchion assembly; and/or wherein a force of 50 N or less translates said scanner ring relative to said gantry.
65. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 57 , wherein said stanchion assembly comprises a motor operatively engaged with said gantry.
66. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 57 , wherein said gantry comprises a motor operatively engaged with said stanchion assembly.
67. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 57 , wherein said gantry comprises a motor operatively engaged with said scanner ring.
68. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 67 , wherein said motor is coupled to a ball screw, a belt, or a chain.
69. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 57 , wherein said multi-axis imaging apparatus comprises a motor structured to move said supplemental mass component and said scanner ring.
70. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 57 , wherein said multi-axis medical imaging apparatus is structured to record a medical image of a subject in a vertical or substantially vertical position.
71. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 70 , wherein said scanner ring is structured to move from a first position over the head of said subject to a second position around said subject.
72. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 57 , wherein said scanner ring has an inner diameter of 20 cm or more.
73. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 68 , wherein said ball screw comprises a threaded shaft having a diameter of 15-100 mm.
74. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 73 , wherein said motor is structured to translate said scanner ring 5-100 mm per revolution of said threaded shaft.
75. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 57 , wherein said scanner ring comprises an X-ray generator and an X-ray detector.
76. A multi-axis medical imaging apparatus comprising:
a stanchion assembly;
a gantry coupled to the stanchion assembly; and
a scanner ring coupled to the gantry,
wherein said multi-axis medical imaging apparatus is structured to record a medical image of a subject in a vertical or substantially vertical position; and
wherein said scanner ring is structured to move from a first position over the head of said subject to a second position around said subject.
77. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 76 , wherein said scanner ring comprises an imaging source and a detector.
78. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 76 , wherein said gantry is rotatably coupled to said stanchion assembly.
79. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 78 , wherein said gantry is structured to rotate from 0-200 degrees relative to said stanchion assembly.
80. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 76 , wherein said scanner ring is translatably coupled to said gantry.
81. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 80 , wherein said scanner ring is structured to translate 0.20-2.00 m relative to said gantry.
82. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 76 , wherein a counterbalanced assembly comprises said gantry and said scanner ring.
83. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 76 , wherein a force of 50 N or less rotates a counterbalanced assembly comprising said gantry and said scanner ring relative to said stanchion assembly; and/or wherein a force of 50 N or less translates said scanner ring relative to said gantry.
84. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 76 , wherein said stanchion assembly comprises a motor operatively engaged with said gantry.
85. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 76 , wherein said gantry comprises a motor operatively engaged with said stanchion assembly.
86. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 76 , wherein said gantry comprises a motor operatively engaged with said scanner ring.
87. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 86 , wherein said motor is coupled to a ball screw, a belt, or a chain.
88. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 76 , wherein said gantry comprises a supplemental mass component providing a counterweight for said scanner ring.
89. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 88 , wherein said multi-axis imaging apparatus comprises a motor structured to move said supplemental mass component and said scanner ring.
90. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 76 , wherein said scanner ring has an inner diameter of 20 cm or more.
91. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 87 , wherein said ball screw comprises a threaded shaft having a diameter of 15-100 mm.
92. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 91 , wherein said motor is structured to translate said scanner ring 5-100 mm per revolution of said threaded shaft.
93. The multi-axis medical imaging apparatus of claim 76 , wherein said scanner ring comprises an X-ray generator and an X-ray detector.