# US 10,478,135 B2 · Urology table with tiltable X-ray tube

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- Number: US 10,478,135 B2
- Document ID: US10478135B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/609,390
- Filed: 2017-05-31
- Published: 2017-12-07
- Granted: 2019-11-19
- Earliest claimed: 2016-06-06
- Assignees: Storz Medical AG
- Applicants: Storz Medical AG
- Inventors: Alexander Küspert
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10478135B2

## CPC

- A61B 6/0407: {Supports, e.g. tables or beds, for the body or parts of the body}
- A61B 6/0487: {Motor-assisted positioning}
- A61B 6/12: Arrangements for detecting or locating foreign bodies
- A61B 6/4208: {characterised by using a particular type of detector}
- A61B 6/4452: {the source unit and the detector unit being able to move relative to each other}
- A61B 6/4458: {the source unit or the detector unit being attached to robotic arms}
- A61B 6/447: {the source unit or the detector unit being mounted to counterpoise or springs}
- A61B 6/4482: {involving power assist circuits}
- A61B 6/5205: {involving processing of raw data to produce diagnostic data}
- A61B 6/5258: {involving detection or reduction of artifacts or noise}
- A61B 6/54: {Control of apparatus or devices for radiation diagnosis}
- A61B 6/587: {Alignment of source unit to detector unit}
- A61B 6/02: Arrangements for diagnosis sequentially in different planes; Stereoscopic radiation diagnosis
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)

## 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.

## Claims

### Claim 1

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.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The urological device according to claim 1, configured to coordinate the movements of the X-ray detector and the X-ray source to deliver the X-ray, emitted by the X-ray source, to the center of the X-ray detector at different angles to procure a three-dimensional image of a chosen location of a patient, when the patient is disposed on the patient table, from multiple images of said chosen location that have been obtained at said different angles, respectively.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The urological device according to claim 1, configured to coordinate the movements of the X-ray detector and of the X-ray source to have the center of the X-ray beam aligned with a pre-determined fixed location at the patient table for each position of the X-ray detector to form an image of the same location of a patient disposed on the patient table at each position of the X-ray detector.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The urological device according to claim 1, wherein the X-ray detector is a flat panel detector.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The urological device according to claim 1, wherein the X-ray detector is mounted to the patient table.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The urological device according to claim 1, wherein the X-ray detector is configured to be moved in one or more of the following regimes: (i) in a plane parallel to the patient table and (ii) parallel to any of the x-axis and the y-axis.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The urological device according to claim 1, wherein the X-ray source is configured to be moved in any of the following regimes: (i) in a plane parallel to the patient table and (ii) parallel to any of the x-axis and the y-axis.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The urological device according to claim 1, wherein the patient table is structured to be moved parallel to the x-axis and the y-axis and independently from a movement of the X-ray detector.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The urological device according to claim 1, wherein the patient table comprises at least one of carbon composite material, glass fiber composite material, and another X-ray transmissive material.

### Claim 10

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.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method for operating a urological device according to claim 10, further comprising:
after said moving the X-ray detector and said moving the X-ray source, and after said generating the X-ray beam, generating a second X-ray image of a second region of the patient when the patient is positioned on the patient table with the X-ray detector.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method according to claim 11, wherein said generating the second X-ray image includes generating the second X-ray image of the second region, wherein the second region is the same as the first region.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The method according to claim 10, further comprising:
creating a 3-D image from multiple X-ray images of the first region acquired at different angles of incidence of the X-ray at the first region.