Supplementary collision detection and prevention system for a medical imager
AssigneeRadiaction Ltd.
InventorsJonathan Yifat, Yossi Bar, Amir Belson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention relates to a collision detection and prevention system for medical X-ray equipment, in particular a supplementary system that augments an existing safety system, which is useful when the X-ray equipment includes an auxiliary apparatus, such as a radiation shield, which may interfere with the existing collision detection and prevention system.
Claims30
A supplementary collision detection and prevention system for use in combination with medical imaging equipment which includes a native anti-collision mechanism having native sensors and an add-on system that limits a functionality of the native anti-collision mechanism, the supplementary collision detection and prevention system comprising:
- a plurality of supplemental sensors incorporated into the add-on system and being any one of a proximity sensor and/or contact sensor, and/or an inertial motion sensor, and/or an operator detection sensor, and/or an electrical current sensor configured to facilitate prevention or protection from collision with an entity;
- and
- an interface configured to receive communication from at least one of the plurality of supplemental sensors and to transmit a signal to the native anti-collision mechanism to actuate an anti-collision operation of the medical imaging equipment to avoid or mitigate a collision.
A radiation shielding system comprising:
- (a) at least one radiation blocking shield configured to be positioned around an X-ray source or an X-ray detector of a medical imaging equipment;
- wherein the medical imaging equipment includes a native anti-collision detection mechanism including at least one native sensor;
- (b) a supplementary collision detection and prevention system configured to avoid collision of an entity with the X-ray source and/or X-ray detector of the medical imaging equipment, the supplementary collision detection and prevention system including a plurality of supplemental sensors being any one of a proximity sensor and/or contact sensor, and/or an inertial motion sensor, and/or an operator detection sensor, and/or an electrical current sensor configured to facilitate prevention or protection from collision with said entity;
- and
- (c) a command controller configured to receive communication from the supplemental sensors and mechanically and/or electrically actuate an anti-collision operation of the medical imaging equipment to avoid or mitigate a collision;
- and
- a mechanical trigger configured to actuate at least one of the native sensors in response to said mechanical and/or electrical operation, thereby activating the native anti-collision mechanism of the medical imaging equipment.
A method of detecting and/or avoiding a collision between (a) a moveable portion of a piece of medical imaging equipment and (b) an entity, wherein the medical imaging equipment includes a native anti-collision mechanism, the method comprising:
- placing a radiation blocking shield over at least a portion of the medical imaging equipment, wherein the native anti-collision mechanism includes native anti-collision sensors and wherein the radiation blocking shield limits a functionality of the native anti-collision sensors of the native anti-collision mechanism;
- arranging of a plurality of supplemental sensors on the radiation blocking shield;
- sensing with the plurality of supplemental sensors proximity and/or contact between the entity and the moveable portion of a piece of medical imaging equipment;
- communicating the sensing of such proximity and/or contact between the entity and the moveable portion to a command controller of the radiation blocking shield;
- and
- mechanically and/or electrically actuating an anti-collision operation of the medical imaging equipment to avoid or mitigate a collision between the entity and the moveable portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.