A mini C-arm with a movable X-ray source is disclosed. The mini C-arm including a moveable base, a C-arm assembly, and an arm assembly for coupling the C-arm assembly and the base. The C-arm assembly includes a first end, a second end, and a curved intermediate body portion defining an arc length. The source is positioned adjacent to the first end. A detector is positioned at the second end. The source is moveable along the arc length and relative to the detector to enable a plurality of images of the patient's anatomy to be acquired including a first image when the X-ray source is at a first position and a second image when the X-ray source is at a second position. The images being taken without moving the patient's anatomy. The C-arm assembly may include a motor and a belt drive system for moving the source relative to the detector.

A collision monitoring apparatus can include a camera to acquire a video image of surroundings of at least one target protection component on the C-arm X-ray machine system; an image processor to determine a scene of the surroundings of the at least one target protection component according to the video image; and a controller to control a C-arm X-ray machine system to stop moving or slow down when it is determined that a possible collision exists according to the scene of the surroundings of the at least one target protection component. Advantageously the apparatus effectively prevents patients, operators, patient examination beds and other obstacles from suffering a serious collision with the C-arm itself.

An augmented reality system is provided for use with a medical imaging scanner. The AR system obtains a digital image from a camera, and identifies a pose of a gantry of the medical imaging scanner based on content of the digital image. The gantry includes a movable C-arm supporting an imaging signal transmitter and a detector panel that are movable along an arc relative to a station. A range of motion of the movable C-arm along the arc is determined based on the pose. A graphical object is generated based on the range of motion and the pose, and is provided to a display device for display as an overlay relative to the medical imaging scanner.

Systems and methods are provided for managing and reducing the severity or impact of a collision involving an apparatus secured to a table associated with a medical imaging and/or therapeutic gantry. Example systems are provided in which an apparatus is secured to the table such that a distal region of the apparatus extends beyond a longitudinal end of the table. A pivot joint associated with the apparatus is provided such that when a collision between the distal region of the apparatus and an object occurs due to motion of the table, the resulting force causes the apparatus to rotate relative to the pivot joint, thus passively accommodating the applied force and preventing, or reducing the likelihood of, mechanical buckling of the apparatus in the presence of the force. In some example embodiments, the apparatus is configured to rotate and/or translate as a result of the force applied during the collision.

A method is provided for running a collision protection system for a medical operating device, which has a patient bed for a patient to be operated on, an image recording device having at least one movable image recording component for recording image data of the patient during the operation, and an assistance robot having a movable assistance component which during the operation is situated at least temporarily inside the patient and/or is coupled in terms of movement to an instrument situated inside the patient. In the method, an item of criticality information is determined which describes the criticality of possible collisions of components of the operating device and/or movements of the patient with regard to the interaction of the assistance robot with the patient. Depending upon the criticality information, when a criticality criterion indicating a raised criticality, (e.g., a criticality exceeding a threshold value), is met, a safe mode of operation of the collision protection system is activated, which meets higher safety requirements than a normal mode of operation.

A radiological apparatus including: a gantry encapsulated within a cover, a patient platform, and two radiation sources with imaging directions orthogonal to each other, sliding vertically to perform vertical scanning of a patient standing on the platform. The gantry cover top view is L shaped, each radiation source being located outside the gantry cover, inside the angular sector of the L, and is encapsulated within a cover sliding vertically with the radiation source it encapsulates. The radiological apparatus also includes: a first security device stopping the vertical scanning, when it detects a patient body part going outside a first predetermined area, to avoid collision with the vertically sliding radiation sources covers, and a second security device stopping the vertical scanning, when it detects an object or a person external to the radiological apparatus within a second predetermined area, to avoid collision with the vertically sliding radiation sources covers.

A method is for providing collision information. In an embodiment, the method includes acquiring first position data relating to an outer contour of an object, via at least one measuring device arranged on a gantry of a medical imaging device; receiving second position data relating to an inner contour of an opening of the gantry and/or an outer contour of the gantry; receiving movement data relating to relative movement between the gantry and the object; calculating the collision information relating to a collision of the object and the gantry, based on the first position data, the second position data and the movement data; and providing the collision information.

A method is provided for the automatic control of a drivable, mobile medical device having a collision control system that has at least one LiDAR sensor. The method includes: locomotion of the device at a first speed, periodic joint scanning of at least one part of the surroundings of the device; using the at least one LiDAR sensor during the locomotion of the device; evaluating the scan data of the surroundings that has been recorded by the LiDAR sensor; and evaluating the scan data of the specified device section, the scan data being recorded by the LiDAR sensor in such a manner that a functional capability of the LiDAR sensor is tested and the speed of the device is controlled in a closed-loop manner depending on the result of the evaluations.

An imaging apparatus for use with an imaging device in order to image a subject. The imaging device includes an annular gantry having an opening and a table to accommodate the subject or a portion thereof for imaging. The imaging apparatus includes a platform and a positioning device. The imaging device is mounted to the platform. The annular gantry is in a fixed position relative to the platform. The table is horizontally displaceable relative to the annular gantry. The positioning device supports the platform and is configured to horizontally displace the platform relative to a supporting surface for the subject. The positioning device is configured to position the platform with the imaging device in at least one operational state in such a way that, during a relative movement of the table with respect to the annular gantry, the table remains stationary relative to the supporting surface.

A multi-axis imaging system comprising an imaging gantry with an imaging axis extending through a bore of the imaging gantry, a support column that supports the imaging gantry on one side of the gantry in a cantilevered manner, and a base that supports the imaging gantry and the support column. The imaging system including a first drive mechanism that translates the gantry in a vertical direction relative to the support column and the base, a second drive mechanism that rotates the gantry with respect to the support column between a first orientation where the imaging axis of the imaging gantry extends in a vertical direction parallel to the support column and a second orientation where the imaging axis of the gantry extends in a horizontal direction parallel with the base, and a third drive mechanism that translates the support column and the gantry in a horizontal direction along the base.