# US 10,368,816 B2 · Mobile medical imaging robot > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,368,816 B2 - Document ID: US10368816B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/179,937 - Filed: 2016-06-10 - Published: 2017-01-26 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2013-12-12 - Assignees: General Electric Company - Applicants: General Electric Company - Inventors: Bernard Bouvier - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10368816B2 ## CPC - A61B 6/4405: {the apparatus being movable or portable, e.g. handheld or mounted on a trolley} - A61B 6/10: Safety means specially adapted therefor - A61B 6/4441: {the rigid structure being a C-arm or U-arm} - A61B 6/4464: {the source unit or the detector unit being mounted to ceiling} - A61B 6/46: Arrangements for interfacing with the operator or the patient - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) ## Abstract A mobile medical imaging robot is disclosed. The robot comprises a medical imaging device, and a vehicle configured to carry the medical imaging device. The vehicle is motorized so as to move on a surface, such the floor of an examination room. The robot further comprises a cable designed to link said vehicle to a wall of a room, such as a medical examination room. In at least one non-limiting embodiment, motorized robot movements along the surface are controlled manually by a user. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A mobile medical imaging robot comprising: a medical imaging device; a motorized vehicle comprising at least one motor and configured to carry and move the medical imaging device along a surface; a cable configured to link the vehicle to the surface or a wall extending from the surface, wherein the cable is flexible and is disposed within and surrounded by a flexible chain; and a cable security system configured to detect when cable tension exceeds a predetermined acceptable value and prevent further movement of the motorized vehicle leading to still higher cable tension; wherein the motorized vehicle is driven manually by a user. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The mobile medical imaging robot of claim 1, wherein said motorized vehicle is driven by a user from a location away from where the mobile medical imaging robot is located. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The mobile medical imaging robot of claim 1, further comprising a human machine interface configured to perform said manual driving. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The mobile medical imaging robot of claim 3, wherein the human machine interface comprises an input device, said input device comprising one or more of a joystick, pushbutton, rotating knob, and track ball. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The mobile medical imaging robot of claim 4, wherein the human machine interface is configured to provide tactile feedback to the user. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The mobile medical imaging robot of claim 4, wherein the human machine interface is power assisted. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The mobile medical imaging robot of claim 4, wherein the human machine interface is configured so that input device movements generated by the user effectuate corresponding similar movements performed by the motorized vehicle. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The mobile medical imaging robot of claim 7, wherein the device movements comprise planar translational and/or rotational movements thereof which correspond to similar translational and/or rotational movements by the motorized vehicle. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The mobile medical imaging robot of claim 7, wherein a number of movements can be performed by said vehicle, wherein said number of movements include rotational movements about a vertical axis, and at least two translational movements orthogonal to each other. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The mobile medical imaging robot of claim 9, wherein the vertical axis contains the isocenter of the medical imaging device. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The mobile medical imaging robot of claim 1, wherein the cable transmits at least one of: power to the motorized vehicle, power to the medical imaging device, movement signals from the human machine interface, cooling for the medical imaging device, patient data, and imaging data from said medical imaging device. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The mobile medical imaging robot of claim 1, further comprising a rotation security system configured to detect vehicle rotation in a direction beyond a predetermined acceptable value and prevent further rotation of the vehicle in the direction. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The mobile medical imaging robot of claim 12, wherein the cable security system comprises a sensor configured to mechanically detect excessive cable tension and the rotation security system comprises a sensor configured to mechanically detect excessive rotation of the vehicle in any direction. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The mobile medical imaging robot of claim 1, wherein the medical imaging device is an x-ray c-arm. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The mobile medical imaging robot of claim 1, wherein the medical imaging device, under user control, is configured to move away from an examination table to allow access to a patient, and to move toward and about the examination table to a desirable location for taking images of the patient corresponding to an area of interest. ### Claim 16 A mobile medical imaging robot comprising: a medical imaging device; a motorized vehicle comprising at least one motor and configured to carry and move the medical imaging device along a surface; and a cable configured to link the vehicle to a surface; at least one movement monitoring system comprising at least one sensor, said movement monitoring system configured to prevent any movement beyond a corresponding acceptable movement threshold; and a cable security system configured to detect when cable tension exceeds a predetermined acceptable value and prevent further movement of the motorized vehicle leading to still higher cable tension, wherein the cable is flexible and is disposed within a flexible chain; wherein the medical imaging device, under user control, is configured to move away from an examination table to allow access to a patient, and to move toward and about the examination table to a desirable location for taking images of the patient corresponding to an area of interest. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The mobile medical imaging robot of claim 16, wherein the medical imaging device comprises an x-ray c-arm.