Automatic detection of patient body profile and intelligent positioning of patient

1. An imaging system, comprising:

a scan support member shifting apparatus configured to shift the scan support member in at least one axis with respect to a bore of the imaging system, the shifting apparatus comprising:

an a hand-held identification device configured to:

identify a machine identifiable code on the scan support member, the machine identifiable code representing a distance from a position of the machine identifiable code to one of the scan support member;

at least one transmitter disposed on one side of a bore of the imaging system, the at least one transmitter configured to transmit a beam incapable of effectively penetrating a scan object; and

a receiver disposed on the other side of the bore of the imaging system, the receiver configured to receive the beam transmitted by the at least one transmitter; and

a processing device configured to:

receive the distance measure from the identification device;

determine a distance from an interested location of the scan object to a scanning plane of the imaging system according to the distance represented by the machine identifiable code;

move the scan support member along a first axis to position the interested location at a desired point within the bore; and

determine a position of the scan object based on which of the beams associated with the at least one transmitter is detected by the receiver; and

move the scan support member along a second axis perpendicular to the first axis to position the interested location to a desired position within the bore.

2. The imaging system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the processing device determines the position of the scan object according to one or both of a position of a first transmitter whose transmitted beam is not blocked by the scan object, and a position of a second transmitter adjacent to the first transmitter and whose transmitted beam is blocked by the scan object.

3. The imaging system as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a guide member along which the at least one transmitter and the receiver can move in a direction perpendicular to the beam transmitted by the at least one transmitter.

4. The imaging system as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the processing device determines the position of the scan object according to one or both of a position of the at least one transmitter at which the transmitted beam is not blocked by the scan object, and a next or a preceding position of the at least one transmitter at which the transmitted beam is blocked by the scan object.

5. The imaging system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the processing device is further configured to determine a distance from a center of an interested location of the scan object to a center of the bore.

6. The imaging system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a distance between neighboring transmitters is 3 mm to 5 mm, and a distance between neighboring receivers is 3 mm to 5 mm.

7. The imaging system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the beam transmitted by the at least one transmitter is a laser, an invisible light, or an ultrasonic wave.

8. The imaging system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the imaging system is a CT system, a PET system or an MRI system, and the at least one transmitter is a LED, a LD or a semiconductor laser.

9. The imaging system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:

the scan support member is one of: a scan support table, and

a scan support cradle located on a scan support table, wherein the scan support member shifting apparatus is configured to shift at least one of: the scan support table and the scan support cradle.

10. A method of positioning a scan object with respect to a bore of an imaging system, the method comprising:

identifying a first location of the scan object, said identifying comprising:

receiving a machine identifiable code on a scan support member, the machine identifiable code representing a distance from a position of the machine identifiable code to one end of the scan support member;

identifying a second location of the scan object said identifying comprising:

transmitting a beam incapable of effectively penetrating the scan object using at least one transmitter disposed on one side of a bore of the imaging system;

receiving the beam transmitted by the at least one transmitter and generating a received signal with a receiver disposed on the other side of the bore of the imaging system; and

and

positioning the scan object within the imaging system, said positioning comprising:

receiving the distance measure of the first location;

determining a distance from an interested location of the scan object to a scanning plane of the imaging system according to the distance represented by the machine identifiable code;

moving the scan support member along a first axis to position the interested location at a desired point within the bore of the imaging system; and

determining a position of the scan object based on which of the beams associated with the at least one transmitter is detected by the receiver; and

moving the scan support member along a second axis perpendicular to the first axis to position the interested location to a desired position within the bore of the imaging system.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the position of the scan object is determined according to one or both of a position of a first transmitter whose transmitted beam is not blocked by the scan object, and a position of a second transmitter adjacent to the first transmitter and whose transmitted beam is blocked by the scan object.

12. The method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the at least one transmitter and the receiver can move in a direction perpendicular to the beams transmitted by the at least one transmitter.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the position of the scan object is determined according to one or both of a position of the at least one transmitter at which the transmitted beam is not blocked by the scan object, and a next or a preceding position of the at least one transmitter at which the transmitted beam is blocked by the scan object.

14. The method as claimed in claim 10 , further comprising:

determining a distance from a center of the interested location of the scan object to a center of the bore.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14 , further comprising:

shifting the scan object according to the determined distance.

16. The method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein a distance between neighboring transmitters is 3 mm to 5 mm, and a distance between neighboring receivers is 3 mm to 5 mm.

17. The method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the beam transmitted by the at least one transmitter is a laser, an invisible light, or an ultrasonic waves.

18. The method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the imaging system is a CT system, a PET system, or an MRI system and the at least one transmitter is a LED, a LD, or a semiconductor laser.