Urology table with tiltable X-ray tube
AssigneeStorz Medical AG
InventorAlexander Küspert
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A urological device include a patient table with longitudinal and broad sides, and an X-ray imaging system containing an X-ray source and an X-ray detector for detecting the X-ray radiation emitted by the X-ray source towards the patient on the patient table. A first linear drive is provided for moving the X-ray source parallel to the broad side and a second linear drive is provided for moving the X-ray detector parallel to the broad side, but in an opposite direction. A dedicated pivoting mechanism is configured to pivot the X-ray source around a first pivot axis.
Claims13
A urological device oriented with respect to a Cartesian system of coordinates defined by an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis, the device comprising:
- a patient table having a longitudinal side aligned with the x-axis, and a broad side aligned with the y-axis, wherein the z-axis extends above and below the patient table in a direction transverse to the patient table;
- an X-ray source mounted above the patient table and configured to emit a beam of X-ray radiation directed to the patient table,
- an X-ray detector mounted below the patient table and configured to detect the X-ray radiation that has been emitted by the X-ray source and that has passed through a patient on the patient table,
- an X-ray source linear drive configured to move the X-ray source parallel to the y-axis,
- a pivot mechanism configured to pivot the X-ray source about a first pivot axis and in a plane parallel to the y-axis and z-axis,
- an X-ray detector linear drive configured to move the X-ray detector parallel to the y-axis without tilting the X-ray detector,
- and
- a control unit operably connected with the X-ray detector and X-ray source and configured to coordinate
- (i) a first movement of the X-ray source in a first direction
- with
- a unidirectional second movement of the X-ray detector in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction,
- and
- (ii) pivoting of the X-ray source to position the X-ray source for directing the X-ray beam to the detector at different angles,
- such as to have a center of the X-ray beam aligned with a center of the X-ray detector at each position of the X-ray detector.
A method for operating a urological device, comprising:
- positioning an X-ray source in a first position above a patient table to direct an X-ray beam, emitted by the X-ray source in operation, to an X-ray detector disposed within or under the patient table,
- wherein the patient table has a longitudinal side aligned with an x-axis and a broad side aligned with a y-axis, a z-axis being transverse to a surface of the patient table, wherein said x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis aggregately define a chosen Cartesian coordinate system,
- generating the X-ray beam with the X-ray source, and generating a first X-ray image of a first region of a patient when the patient is positioned on the patient table with the X-ray detector,
- moving the X-ray source parallel to the y-axis with an X-ray source linear drive to a second position, and pivoting the X-ray source by a pivoting mechanism to align a center of the X-ray beam with the first region of the patient at every position of the X-ray source while
- unidirectionally moving the X-ray detector parallel to the y-axis in a direction opposite to a direction of moving the X-ray source without tilting the X-ray detector, to have a center of the X-ray detector aligned with the center of the X-ray beam at every position of the X-ray detector.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.