MOTION CONTROLLERS FOR MOBILE X-RAY DEVICES

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a mobile X-ray device having an equipment cart that is movable on wheels and has a lifting device on which a support assembly is arranged. A C-arm is mounted to the support assembly so as to be displaceable along the circumference of the support assembly, wherein the C-arm has an X-ray source and an X-ray receiver arranged opposite the X-ray source. In order to simplify the handling of a mechanical zoom on mobile X-ray devices, a motion controller is provided by which, in any given pose of the C-arm, a movement of the C-arm is controlled in such a way that the central axis extending between X-ray source and X-ray receiver is fixed in space.

Claims

1. A mobile X-ray device comprising: an equipment cart that is movable on wheels and having a lifting device; a support assembly arranged on the lifting device; a C-arm mounted on the support assembly so as to be displaceable along a circumference of the support assembly, wherein the C-arm has an X-ray source and an X-ray receiver arranged opposite the X-ray source; and a motion controller configured to control, in any given pose of the C-arm, a movement of the C-arm such that a central axis extending between the X-ray source and the X-ray receiver is fixed in space.

2. The mobile X-ray device of claim 1, wherein, in the case of a movement of the X-ray receiver toward a subject or away from the subject, the movement of the C-arm is controlled in such a way that a position of the central axis is maintained in space.

3. The mobile X-ray device of claim 2, wherein the movement of the C-arm is a vertical positioning movement, a horizontal positioning movement, or both the vertical positioning movement and the horizontal positioning movement of the C-arm.

4. The mobile X-ray device of claim 3, wherein the motion controller comprises a first drive controller configured to control a motorized drive of the lifting device to generate the vertical positioning movement of the C-arm, and a second drive controller configured to control a motorized drive of the wheels to generate the horizontal positioning movement of the C-arm.

5. The mobile X-ray device of claim 4, wherein the first drive controller actuates the motorized drive of the lifting device automatically while maintaining the space-fixed central axis, and/or wherein the second drive controller actuates the motorized drive of the wheels automatically while maintaining the space-fixed central axis.

6. The mobile X-ray device of claim 1, wherein the movement of the C-arm is a vertical positioning movement, a horizontal positioning movement, or both the vertical positioning movement and the horizontal positioning movement of the C-arm.

7. The mobile X-ray device of claim 6, wherein the motion controller comprises a first drive controller configured to control a motorized drive of the lifting device to generate the vertical positioning movement of the C-arm, and a second drive controller configured to control a motorized drive of the wheels to generate the horizontal positioning movement of the C-arm.

8. The mobile X-ray device of claim 7, wherein the first drive controller actuates the motorized drive of the lifting device automatically while maintaining the space-fixed central axis, and/or wherein the second drive controller actuates the motorized drive of the wheels automatically while maintaining the space-fixed central axis.

9. The mobile X-ray device of claim 1, wherein the motion controller comprises a first drive controller configured to control a motorized drive of the lifting device to generate a vertical positioning movement of the C-arm, and a second drive controller configured to control a motorized drive of the wheels to generate a horizontal positioning movement of the C-arm.

10. The mobile X-ray device of claim 9, wherein the first drive controller actuates the motorized drive of the lifting device automatically while maintaining the space-fixed central axis, and/or wherein the second drive controller actuates the motorized drive of the wheels automatically while maintaining the space-fixed central axis.

11. The mobile X-ray device of claim 1, wherein the motion controller comprises a drive controller configured to control a motorized drive of the lifting device to generate a vertical positioning movement of the C-arm, wherein the drive controller actuates the motorized drive of the lifting device automatically while maintaining the space-fixed central axis.

12. The mobile X-ray device of claim 1, wherein the motion controller comprises a drive controller configured to control a motorized drive of the wheels to generate a horizontal positioning movement of the C-arm, wherein the drive controller actuates the motorized drive of the wheels automatically while maintaining the space-fixed central axis.

13. A method for moving a mobile X-ray device, the method comprising: providing the mobile X-ray device having: (1) an equipment cart that has wheels and a lifting device, (2) a support assembly arranged on the lifting device, (3) a C-arm mounted on the support assembly so as to be displaceable along a circumference of the support assembly, wherein the C-arm has an X-ray source and an X-ray receiver arranged opposite the X-ray source, and (4) a motion controller; controlling a movement of the C-arm, by the motion controller, such that a central axis extending between the X-ray source and the X-ray receiver is fixed in space for any given pose of the C-arm.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the motion controller generates a vertical positioning movement of the C-arm by controlling a motorized drive of the lifting device, wherein the motion controller actuates the motorized drive of the lifting device automatically while maintaining the space-fixed central axis.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the motion controller generates a horizontal positioning movement of the C-arm by controlling a motorized drive of the wheels, wherein the motion controller actuates the motorized drive of the wheels automatically while maintaining the space-fixed central axis.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the motion controller generates a horizontal positioning movement of the C-arm by controlling a motorized drive of the wheels, wherein the motion controller actuates the motorized drive of the wheels automatically while maintaining the space-fixed central axis.

17. A non-transitory electronically readable storage medium including a computer program that when executed, the non-transitory electronically readable storage medium and computer program configured to cause a computing device to perform: control a movement of a C-arm of a mobile X-ray device having (1) an equipment cart that has wheels and a lifting device, (2) a support assembly arranged on the lifting device, and (3) the C-arm mounted on the support assembly so as to be displaceable along a circumference of the support assembly, wherein the C-arm has an X-ray source and an X-ray receiver arranged opposite the X-ray source, such that a central axis extending between the X-ray source and the X-ray receiver is fixed in space for any given pose of the C-arm.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] The above-described characteristics, features, and advantages of the present disclosure, as well as the manner in which these are achieved, will become clearer and more readily understandable in connection with the following description of the exemplary embodiments, which are explained in more detail with reference to the drawings, in which:

[0031] FIG. 1 depicts a mechanical zoom in the case of an X-ray device with C-arm according to the prior art.

[0032] FIG. 2 depicts an example of a mechanical zoom in the case of an X-ray device with C-arm.

[0033] All the figures illustrate the embodiments merely schematically. Like reference signs correspond therein to elements of like or comparable function.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] FIGS. 1 and 2 depict a mobile X-ray device 1 having an equipment cart 3 that is movable on wheels 2. The equipment cart 3 has a lifting device in the form of a lifting column 4 on which a support assembly 5 is arranged. A multiaxially adjustable C-arm 6 that is rotatable about a center of rotation (e.g., orbital angle 7) is mounted on the support assembly 5 so as to be displaceable along its circumference (e.g., angulation angle 8). The C-arm 6 has an X-ray source 9 at one of its ends and an X-ray receiver 10 arranged opposite the X-ray source 9. The C-arm 6 is placed close to a subject 11 that is to be examined, the examination subject 11 being, for example, a part of a patient's body. The subject 11 is placed on an examination table 12. The C-arm 6 is set at an angle. The orbital angle 7 and the angulation angle 8 are nonzero and consequently define the initial pose of the C-arm 6 relative to the support assembly 5.

[0035] In the present exemplary case, a zoom-out is to be performed. Starting from a great distance between the subject 11 and X-ray receiver 10, when a mechanical zoom is performed, this being realized by a motorized vertical lowering of the C-arm 6 with the aid of the lifting column 4, the distance between the X-ray receiver 10 and the subject 11 is reduced. Such a vertical movement 13 is labeled with an arrow. The starting position, where there is a great subject distance, is represented by solid lines, and the end position following termination of the mechanical zoom, where there is a small subject distance, is represented by broken lines. In the solution illustrated in FIG. 1, such as is known from the prior art, the position of the subject 11 in the image changes. The central axis 14 moves outward out of the subject 11.

[0036] This is not the case in the solution illustrated in FIG. 2, because the wheels 2 are drivable by motor and controllable in terms of their direction of travel, and a synchronous compensating movement of the C-arm 6 takes place using a corresponding motion controller 15, such that the central axis 14 is and remains stationary. The subject 11 is therefore kept in the central axis 14. The zoom movement 16 of the C-arm 6 takes place along the central axis 14.

[0037] The compensating movement of the C-arm 6 is accomplished by way of a horizontal displacement of the equipment cart 3, symbolized by arrow 17 in FIG. 2. The positioning movement 17 of the equipment cart 3 is executed in this case as a function of the length of the vertical lift during the mechanical zoom in respect of the path to be traversed, and as a function of the lifting direction (e.g., raising or lowering) and the pose of the C-arm (e.g., orbital angle 7 and angulation angle 8) in respect of the direction in which the equipment cart 3 is to be displaced.

[0038] Both the lifting column 4 and the wheels 2, which are alignable in respect of their direction of travel, possess electric motor drives in the form of servo motors that are connected to a motion controller. The motion controller 15 is realized as a computer program executed in a computing device 20, the computing device 20 may be part of the central control unit of the X-ray device 1. The required information is merged in the motion controller 15. The corresponding control signals for the drives are also generated in the motion controller 15. For this purpose, the motion controller 15 includes a first drive controller 18 for controlling the motorized drive (not shown) of the lifting column 4 and a second drive controller 19, cooperating with the first drive controller 18, for controlling the motorized drive (not shown) of the wheels 2. The drive control function is accomplished here in each case while maintaining the space-fixed central axis 14, the two drive controllers 18, 19 exchanging the information necessary for this.

[0039] One concept outlined here is to provide a compensating movement of the C-arm 6 in the case of a mechanical zoom, e.g., an increase or decrease in the size of the image field of view by a raising or lowering of the C-arm 6 by the lifting column 4, in such a way that the central axis 14 remains fixed in space, such that the subject 11 is not shifted in the image. To that end, motor-driven wheels 2 are used, with the aid of which the equipment cart 3 is repositioned in accordance with the required compensating movement. It applies that the subject 11 may be maintained in the central axis 14 at all times. This is accomplished by moving the associated axes of the C-arm 6 as a function of its initial pose.

[0040] It is to be understood that the elements and features recited in the appended claims may be combined in different ways to produce new claims that likewise fall within the scope of the present disclosure. Thus, whereas the dependent claims appended below depend from only a single independent or dependent claim, it is to be understood that these dependent claims may, alternatively, be made to depend in the alternative from any preceding or following claim, whether independent or dependent, and that such new combinations are to be understood as forming a part of the present specification.

[0041] While the present disclosure has been described above by reference to various embodiments, it may be understood that many changes and modifications may be made to the described embodiments. It is therefore intended that the foregoing description be regarded as illustrative rather than limiting, and that it be understood that all equivalents and/or combinations of embodiments are intended to be included in this description.