POSITIONING OF A PATIENT CARRIER

Abstract

A positioning control system for a patient carrier comprises a camera system to acquire image information from a detection range. An analysis module configured to access the acquired image information from the detection range and compute operator-activity within the detection range from the acquired image information. The operator-activity representing a spatio-temporal pattern of activities of an operator in the detection range. From the operator activity compute a location of a target anatomy that is selected to be imaged. The location of the target anatomy that is to be imaged can be derived from the spatio-temporal activity pattern of the operator during the preparation of the patient to be examined.

Claims

1. A positioning control system for a patient carrier, the positioning control system comprising: a camera system having a detection range to acquire image information from the detection range and an analysis module configured to access the acquired image information from the detection range compute operator-activity within the detection range from the acquired image information, the operator-activity representing a spatio-temporal pattern of activities of an operator in the detection range, said activities associated with tactile manipulation of objects and from the operator activity compute a location of a target anatomy that is selected to be imaged.

2. The positioning control system of claim 1, wherein the analysis module includes an OA-filter to filter the operator-activity from the acquired image information.

3. The positioning control system of claim 1, wherein the analysis module includes an EA-filter to filter image information indicating enhanced activity's spatial distribution from the acquired image information.

4. The positioning control system of claim 1, wherein the camera system is a 3D camera system that is enabled to acquire volumetrically resolved image information from the detection range.

5. The positioning control system of claim 1, wherein the analysis module is configured to detect a region of the body of a patient to be examined positioned on the patient carrier from the acquired image information and to filter-out operator-activity of an operator from the acquired image information using the detected region of body of the patient.

6. A diagnostic imaging system including an imaging zone, the diagnostic imaging system comprising: a patient carrier positioning control system and a positioning control system as claimed in claim 1 and wherein the analysis module is configured to compute the patient carrier's spatial position which places the target anatomy in the imaging zone by identifying a zone of enhanced activities of an operator's tactile manipulations from the spatio-temporal activity pattern.

7. A method of positioning a patient carrier with respect to a diagnostic imaging system, the method comprising: monitor an operator's activities areas said activities associated with tactile manipulation of objects of higher level where the operator's activity level is highest; and derive the location of the target anatomy that is to be imaged from the spatio-temporal activity pattern of the operator.

8. A computer program for controlling positioning a patient carrier with respect to a diagnostic imaging system, the computer program including executable instructions stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium that when executed by a processor are configured to monitor an operator's activities areas said activities associated with tactile manipulation of objects of higher level where the operator's activity level is highest and derive the location of the target anatomy that is to be imaged from the spatio-temporal activity pattern of the operator.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] FIG. 1 shows a diagrammatic representation of a diagnostic imaging system provided with a positioning control system according to the invention;

[0033] FIG. 2 shows an example of a spatio-temporal activity pattern of the preparation of magnetic resonance imaging of the patient's left hand;

[0034] FIG. 3 shows an example of a spatio-temporal activity pattern of the preparation of magnetic resonance imaging of the patient's left knee and

[0035] FIGS. 4 and 5 show to distinguish between operator activities for preparing the patient to be examined for an abdominal examination of a for a head examination, respectively.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0036] FIG. 1 shows a diagrammatic representation of a diagnostic imaging system 110 provided with a positioning control system 10 according to the invention. The positioning control system 10 includes a camera system 101 that may be mounted to the structure of the diagnostic imaging system 110. For example the diagnostic imaging system may be a magnetic resonance examination system and the camera system 101 may be mounted to e.g. to the ceiling of the room in which the magnetic resonance examination system is located or to the gantry or the outside covers of the magnetic resonance examination system's 110 main magnet. The camera system has a detection range 104 from which the camera system can pick-up image information. The diagnostic imaging system comprises a patient carrier that is moveable from a position outside the examination zone 113. The patient to be examined may be positioned on the patient carrier and moved in to the examination zone 113, such that image data may be acquired from a region-of-interest of the anatomy of the patient to be examined. When image data are acquired the patient to be examined is positioned such that the region-of-interest is in an imaging zone 112 from which data with high image quality can be acquired. For example for a magnetic resonance examination system the imaging zone 112 corresponds to a volume where there is very good spatial homogeneity of the main magnetic field and very good linearity of the gradient encoding magnetic fields. For a computed-tomography (CT) system the imaging zone 112 corresponds to a volume from which irradiation with x-radiation is done from a wide range of orientations that span at least π radians minus the angular span of the CT systems' detector array.

[0037] During preparation to the patient to be examined for the imaging procedure, the patient is placed on the patient support 111 while that is positioned such that the patient to be examined is still outside of the diagnostic imaging system (i.e. outside the bore of a MRI-system or a CT-system). The radiology staff will stand next to the table 111 engaged in various activities such as placing RF receiver coils on the patient's body and arranging that the patient's body is most properly seated on the patient support, preparing the patient for access of an instrument, applying ECG electrodes and so on. All these preparations will involve higher intensity of movement of the operators hands at the patient to be examined, e.g. at the region-of-interest or at an area at a pre-determined position relative to the region-of-interest.

[0038] The camera system 101 has a detection range 104 at the patient support when outside of the diagnostic imaging system. When the camera system is formed by a 3D camera, the detection range 104 is a volume and the 3D camera may spatially resolve that detecting range in a volumetric manner. When the operator is active, the operator's movements, notably of the operator's arms and hands are dynamically imaged by the camera system 101. The acquired image data are applied form the camera unit to the analysis module 102 which derives the spatio-temporal pattern of the operator's activities in the detection range 104. From that spatio-temporal pattern, the analysis module 102, by way of the OA-filter (OAF) and the enhanced activity filter (EAF), derives the location of the target anatomy, i.e. the region-of-interest, to be imaged. The information on the location of the region-of-interest is fed from the analysis module to a drive unit 103 for the patient support. The drive unit 103 functions the displace the patient support 111 so that the identified region-of-interest is accurately positioned in the imaging zone 112 of the diagnostic imaging system. Thus, from the spatio-temporal motion pattern of the operator's hands by the camera system, the analysis system filters image information that is pertinent of the region-of-interest or the target anatomy. In this way the location of the region-of-interest is derived from the operator's activity as monitored by the camera system. On the basis of the location of the region-of-interest the patient support is driven into the diagnostic imaging system to position the region-of-interest at the imaging zone 112. This is achieved in that the information on the location of the region-of-interest is employed to control a motor of the drive unit which displaced the patient support carrying the patient to be examined.

[0039] The OA-filter is configured to distinguish motion of the operator from other movements in the detection range 104. The OA-filter may make use of the insight that the operator is usually standing upright while the patient to be examined lies down on the patient support. In a more sophisticated implementation the OA-filter may contain artificial intelligence that is able to distinguish particular spatio-temporal activity patterns and assign them to activities of the operator and relate to a particular region-of-interest.

[0040] The EA-filter is configured to distinguish motions that pertain to the planned examination from other motion in the detection range. E.g. pre-determined patterns of a patient's tremor or free breathing motion may be separated by the EA-filter from the operators movement that relate the region-of-interest, e.g. placement of RF receiver coils at the region-of-interest. In a more sophisticated implementation the EA-filter may contain artificial intelligence that is able to distinguish particular spatio-temporal activity patterns and assign them to activities of the operator and relate to a particular region-of-interest.

[0041] FIG. 2 shows an example of a spatio-temporal activity pattern of the preparation of magnetic resonance imaging of the patient's left hand. The left part of the figures shows a still picture of the operator standing next to the patient to be examined. The right part of the figure shows the activity pattern of the operator's hand traced as time progresses. Clearly, the spatio-temporal activity pattern shows enhanced activity at the patient's left hand. Hence, the analysis module will derive that the patient left hand is the highly likely region-of-interest.

[0042] FIG. 3 shows an example of a spatio-temporal activity pattern of the preparation of magnetic resonance imaging of the patient's left knee. The left part of the figures shows a still picture of the operator standing next to the patient to be examined. The right part of the figure shows the activity pattern of the operator's hand traced as time progresses. Clearly, the spatio-temporal activity pattern shows enhanced activity at the patient's left knee. Hence, the analysis module will derive that the patient left knee is the highly likely region-of-interest.

[0043] FIGS. 4 and 5 show to distinguish between operator activities for preparing the patient to be examined for an abdominal examination of a for a head examination, respectively. FIG. 4 shows an accurate spatio-temporal motion pattern for an abdominal examination. Notably FIG. 4 shows that operator being predominantly occupied with placing an anterior coil on the patient's torso. Some secondary activity near the patient's head is attributed to placing the audio headset. FIG. 5 shows an accumulated spatio-temporal motion pattern for a head examination. FIG. 5 shows motion patterns near the patient's head not only from positioning the audio-headset, but also to closing the head coil and securing correct fit of the head coil on both sides of the patient's head. This activity pattern lead to characteristic high lateral and low head-feet head motion range. Lower overall intensity is indicative of an examination with fast setup workflow which appears to be typical for a head examination. FIGS. 4 and 5 show that motion patterns for an abdominal examination or a head examination, respectively differ. Thus, from the recognising of the motion pattern, the invention is able to derive during the preparation phase what part of the patient's anatomy to be imaged.