Portable medical imaging system
Medical imaging devices, systems, and methods thereof. The medical imaging system may include a movable station and a gantry. The movable station includes a gantry mount rotatably attached to the gantry. The gantry includes an outer C-arm slidably mounted to and operable to slide relative to the gantry mount, an inner C-arm slidably coupled to the outer C-arm and, an imaging signal transmitter and sensor attached to the C-arms. The two C-arms work together to provide a full 360 degree rotation of the imaging signal transmitter. The movable station may include a motion control system and an imaging control system. In embodiments, the motion control system includes omni-directional wheels for precision controlled-movement of the movable station.
1. A portable medical imaging system comprising:
a movable station having a front, a back, a first side disposed between the front and the back, and a second side opposite the first side disposed between the front and the back;
a gantry mount attached to the movable station;
a gantry rotatably attached to the gantry mount and including a first C-arm slidably mounted to and operable to slide relative to the gantry mount;
a second C-arm slidably coupled to the first C-arm;
an imaging signal transmitter attached to the second C-arm;
an imaging sensor attached to the second C-arm and operably connected with the imaging signal transmitter, the first and second C-arms together providing a 360 degree rotation of the imaging signal transmitter;
a plurality of omni-directional wheels allowing multiple-axis movement of the portable imaging system;
a first handle attached to the first side of the movable station and a second handle attached to the second side of the movable station;
a plurality of sensors including at least one first sensor attached to the first handle and at least one second sensor attached to the second handle for detecting a desired movement of the movable station; and
a control system responsive to the plurality of sensors for controlling the multiple-axis movement of the portable imaging system by actuating each of the plurality of omni-directional wheels, wherein a motion applied by each of the omni-directional wheels is in a direction and proportional to a force applied to the plurality of sensors,
wherein the control system is adapted to place the movable station in a transport mode when the first handle and the second handle are actuated and is adapted to place the movable station in a fine-tune mode when only one of the first handle or the second handle is actuated,
wherein each one of the plurality of omni-directional wheels includes a rotatory encoder to provide positional feedback to the control system,
wherein feedback from the rotary encoders from each of the omni-directional wheels is stored for later use in restoring the movable station to a desired location.
2. The portable medical imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the multiple axis movement is selected from the group consisting of: movement in a plane; movement in a 2-D coordinate system; and three axis movement in a forward-backward direction, movement in a side direction and rotation about a defined axis perpendicular to the forward-backward and side directions.
3. The portable medical imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sensors for detecting a desired movement are selected from the group consisting of a strain gauge, force-sensing resistor, a piezoelectric sensor, a piezo capacitive pressure sensor, a piezo resistor and a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) micro-scale strain gauge.
4. The portable medical imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the control system places the movable station in the fine-tune mode when the sensor in only one of the first and second handles is actuated.
5. The portable medical imaging system of claim 1 , wherein some of the plurality of sensors for detecting a desired movement are mounted in a joystick of the movable station, and wherein the desired movement is indicated by a movement of the joystick in addition to movement of the first and second handles.
6. The portable medical imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sensors are operable to sense a desired front left wheel force in a forward/backward direction, a desired rear left wheel force in the forward/backward direction, a desired rear left wheel force in a side direction, a desired front right wheel force in a forward/backward direction, a rear right wheel force in a side direction and a rear right wheel force in a backward/forward direction.
7. The portable medical imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sensors comprises a sensor array mounted in a planar configuration selected from the group consisting of a circular array, an elliptical array, a rectangular array and a square array.
8. The portable medical imaging system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first motor that provides a sliding movement of the first C-arm relative to the gantry mount; and
a second motor that provides a sliding movement of the second C-arm relative to the first C-arm.
9. The medical imaging system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one motor under control of the control system for providing power to each of the plurality of omni-directional wheels.
10. The medical imaging system of claim 8 , further comprising:
a cable carrier containing a plurality of electrical cables; and
a first cable router having a through-hole and mounted to an outer surface of the first C-arm, the cable carrier extending from the gantry mount over the outer surface of the first C-arm, through the through-hole of the first cable router and over an outer surface of the second C-arm.
11. A portable medical imaging system comprising:
a movable station, having a front, a back, a first side disposed between the front and the back, and a second side opposite the first side disposed between the front and the back, the movable station comprising an imaging signal transmitter and an imaging sensor mounted on the movable station;
a plurality of omni-directional wheels allowing three-axis movement of the portable imaging system in a general area of a plane;
a first handle attached to the first side of the movable station and a second handle attached to the second side of the movable station;
a plurality of sensors including at least one first sensor attached to the first handle and at least one second sensor attached to the second handle for detecting a desired movement of the movable station; and
a control system responsive to the plurality of sensors for controlling the three-axis movement of the portable imaging system by actuating two or more of the plurality of omni-directional wheels, wherein a motion applied by each of the omni-directional wheels is in a direction and proportional to a force applied to the plurality of sensors,
wherein the control system is adapted to place the movable station in a transport mode when the first handle and the second handle are actuated and is adapted to place the movable station in a fine-tune mode when only one of the first handle or the second handle is actuated.
12. The portable medical imaging system of claim 11 , further comprising:
a gantry mount attached to the movable station; and
a gantry rotatably attached to the gantry mount and including a first C-arm slidably mounted to and operable to slide relative to the gantry mount; and
a second C-arm slidably coupled to the first C-arm, the first and second C-arms together providing a 360 degree rotation of the imaging signal transmitter;
wherein the imaging signal transmitter and the imaging sensor are attached to the second C-arm.
13. The portable medical imaging system of claim 11 , wherein the control system places the movable station in the fine-tune mode when the sensor in only one of the first and second handles is actuated.
14. The portable medical imaging system of claim 11 , wherein the control system is adapted to rotate the movable station along a vertical axis perpendicular to the ground using the omni-directional wheels.
15. The portable medical imaging system of claim 11 , wherein some of the plurality of sensors for detecting a desired movement are mounted in a joystick of the movable station, and wherein the desired movement is indicated by a movement of the joystick.
16. The portable medical imaging system of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of sensors are operable to sense a desired front left wheel force in a forward/backward direction, a desired rear left wheel force in the forward/backward direction, a desired rear left wheel force in a side direction, a desired front right wheel force in a forward/backward direction, a rear right wheel force in a side direction and a rear right wheel force in a backward/forward direction.
17. The portable medical imaging system of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of sensors comprises a sensor array mounted in a planar configuration selected from the group consisting of a circular array, an elliptical array, a rectangular array and a square array.
18. The portable medical imaging system of claim 12 , further comprising
a first motor that provides a sliding movement of the first C-arm relative to the gantry mount; and
a second motor that provides a sliding movement of the second C-arm relative to the first C-arm.
19. The medical imaging system of claim 12 , further comprising:
a cable carrier containing a plurality of electrical cables;
a first cable router having a through-hole and mounted to an outer surface of the first C-arm, the cable carrier extending from the gantry mount over the outer surface of the first C-arm, through the through-hole of the first cable router and over an outer surface of the second C-arm.
20. The medical imaging system of claim 19 , further comprising:
a second cable router having a through-hole and mounted to an outer surface of the second C-arm, the cable carrier extending through the through-hole of the second cable router;
wherein the cable carrier extends in a first circumferential direction and enters the first cable router in a second circumferential direction opposite to the first circumferential direction to create a 180 degree service loop over the outer surface of the first C-arm; and
wherein the cable carrier extends in the first circumferential direction and enters the second cable router in the second circumferential direction to create a second 180 degree service loop over the outer surface of the second C-arm.