Stabilization Assembly For A Mobile Medical System

1 . A mobile medical system comprising:

a base including:

a base housing defining a contact surface,

one or more wheels, and

a base lift interposed between the base housing and the one or more wheels for moving the contact surface relative to a floor surface, the base lift operable between:

a parked mode where the contact surface abuts the floor surface to inhibit movement of the base along the floor surface, and

a transport mode where the contact surface is spaced above the floor surface and with the one or more wheels supporting the base for movement along the floor surface; and

a stabilization assembly for providing an additional point of contact with the floor surface in the parked mode, the stabilization assembly including:

a stabilization housing coupled to the base,

a foot extending between a top end and a bottom end and supported for displacement relative to the stabilization housing between a plurality of foot positions including an extended foot position where the bottom end is arranged vertically between the contact surface and the floor surface in the transport mode,

a foot biasing element operatively attached to the foot to urge the foot towards the extended foot position, and

a retainer operable between a released state to permit movement of the foot relative to the stabilization housing, and a brace state to inhibit movement of the foot away from the floor surface, the retainer being configured to change operation from the released state to the brace state in response to movement of the foot beyond a threshold displacement from the extended foot position occurring in response to abutment of the foot with the floor surface as the base lift moves from the transport mode towards the parked mode.

2 . The mobile medical system of claim 1 , wherein the retainer further comprises a chock arranged for movement between:

an engaged position where the chock abuts the top end of the foot to inhibit movement of the foot away from the floor surface when the retainer is in the brace state, and

a disengaged position where the chock is spaced from the top end of the foot to permit movement of the foot relative to the stabilization housing when the retainer is in the released state.

3 . The mobile medical system of claim 2 , wherein the top end of the foot defines a chamfer face, and the chock defines a wedge face configured to abut the chamfer face when the chock is in the engaged position to inhibit movement of the foot away from the floor surface.

4 . The mobile medical system of claim 2 , wherein the retainer further comprises:

a retainer biasing element disposed in the stabilization housing and operatively attached to the chock to urge the chock to the engaged position,

a damper configured to slow translation of the chock from the disengaged position to the engaged position, and

a finger operatively attached to the foot, the finger configured to engage the chock when the foot is in the extended foot position and configured to displace the chock toward the disengaged position as the foot displaces from the extended foot position in response to abutment of the foot with the floor surface.

5 . (canceled)

6 . (canceled)

7 . The mobile medical system of claim 4 , wherein the finger is configured to disengage from the chock as the foot reaches the threshold displacement from the extended foot position such that the retainer biasing element urges the chock to the engaged position to bring the chock into abutment with the top end of the foot to inhibit movement of the foot away from the floor surface

wherein the retainer further comprises a finger lever pivotably attached to the stabilization housing and supporting the finger, wherein the finger lever defines a slot, and the foot includes a post disposed in the slot; and

wherein movement of the post within the slot moves the finger to displace the chock toward the disengaged position as the foot displaces from the extended foot position in response to abutment of the foot with the floor surface.

8 . (canceled)

9 . The mobile medical system of claim 7 , wherein the finger is attached to the finger lever for pivoting movement relative to the finger lever between:

a deployed position where the finger is arranged to engage the chock when the foot is in the extended foot position to displace the chock toward the disengaged position as the foot displaces from the extended foot position in response to abutment of the foot with the floor surface, and

a retracted position where the finger pivots relative to the finger lever in response to the foot reaching the threshold displacement from the extended foot position such that the finger disengages from the chock and the chock translates toward the engaged position to inhibit movement of the foot away from the floor surface; and

wherein the retainer further comprises a finger biasing element disposed between the finger and the finger lever and configured to urge the finger toward the deployed position such that the finger returns to the deployed position in response to the base lift moving to the transport mode.

10 . (canceled)

11 . The mobile medical system of claim 1 , further comprising one or more casters each including one of the wheels, each of the one or more casters supported by a pivoting caster arm assembly interposed between the base and the caster,

wherein each pivoting caster arm assembly is configured to pivot relative to the base to move each caster between:

a retracted position where each caster is spaced from the base at a first offset distance when the base lift is in the parked mode to permit the contact surface to abut the floor surface to inhibit movement of the base along the floor surface, and

an extended position where each caster is spaced from the base at a second offset distance, greater than the first offset distance, when the base lift is in the transport mode to lift the base relative to the floor surface such that the contact surface is spaced above the floor surface and the one or more wheels support the base for movement along the floor surface.

12 . (canceled)

13 . The mobile medical system of claim 1 , wherein the base housing supports an imaging gantry for acquiring image data of a patient, the imaging gantry including at least one imaging component and defines an imaging bore.

14 . The mobile medical system of claim 13 , wherein the at least one imaging component includes a rotor supporting an x-ray source and a detector and disposed within a gantry housing defined by the imaging gantry for rotation around the imaging bore; and

wherein the x-ray source includes a fan-beam x-ray source, and the detector includes an array of detectors.

15 . (canceled)

16 . The mobile medical system of claim 13 , further comprising a pedestal mounted to the base and configured to support a patient support above the base and within the imaging bore.

17 . The mobile medical system of claim 13 , wherein the base defines a track extending between a first track end and a second track end.

18 . The mobile medical system of claim 17 , further comprising a gantry mount disposed between the base and the imaging gantry for supporting the imaging gantry for movement along the track between a plurality of track poses including a park pose defined with the gantry mount arranged adjacent to the first track end.

19 . The mobile medical system of claim 18 , further comprising a translation mechanism interposed between the base and the gantry mount to drive the gantry mount between the plurality of track poses in an imaging mode to acquire image data of a patient within the imaging bore.

20 . The mobile medical system of claim 19 , wherein:

the at least one imaging component includes a rotor supporting an x-ray source and a detector and disposed within a gantry housing defined by the imaging gantry for rotation around the imaging bore; and

the rotor rotates around the imaging bore as the translation mechanism drives the gantry mount along the track in the imaging mode to acquire helical scan x-ray CT images of a patient within the imaging bore.

21 . The mobile medical system of claim 19 , further comprising:

a translation motor operatively attached to the translation mechanism to drive the gantry mount between the plurality of track poses; and

a controller in communication with the translation motor to control operation of the translation motor.

22 . The mobile medical system of claim 19 , wherein the gantry mount includes:

a gantry mount base operatively attached to the base,

a gantry mount member operatively attached to the gantry mount base for rotation relative to the gantry mount base, the gantry mount member supporting the imaging gantry such that the gantry mount member and the imaging gantry are configured to rotate together about a first axis relative to the base.

23 . The mobile medical system of claim 22 , wherein:

the imaging bore defines an imaging axis that is parallel to the track where the gantry mount is in the park pose and the mobile medical system is in the imaging mode, and

the plurality of track poses of the gantry mount includes a transport pose where the gantry mount is arranged between the first track end and the second track end, and the gantry mount member and the imaging gantry are rotated such that the imaging axis is transverse to the track.

24 . The mobile medical system of claim 22 , wherein the gantry mount member includes a gimbal having a pair of arms, each arm coupled to an opposite side of the imaging gantry to support the imaging gantry above the base and the gimbal, wherein the imaging gantry is configured to tilt about a second axis relative to the gimbal.

25 . The mobile medical system of claim 22 , further comprising:

a gantry motor interposed between the gantry mount base and the gantry mount member for rotating the gantry mount member relative to the base about the first axis; and

a controller in communication with the gantry motor to control operation of the gantry motor.

26 . The mobile medical system of claim 1 , wherein the base housing supports an imaging gantry for acquiring image data of a patient; and further comprising:

a robotic arm extending between a base end operatively attached to the imaging gantry and a mount end arranged for movement relative to the base end; and

an end effector attached to the mount end of the robotic arm and configured to support a tool for engaging a target site, wherein the robotic arm is configured to maintain alignment of the tool relative to the target site.

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