System for Recovering from Collision of Components of an X-ray Imaging Unit

A collision recovery system enabling a user to recover from a collision or near collision of movable components of an X-ray imaging system including a movable patient support table and a movable C-arm hosting an X-ray emitter and detector, comprising:

• a C-arm position tracking processor for automatically recording C-arm position data indicating a valid stationary position of a C-arm and a path from the valid stationary position to an invalid position of the C-arm enabling retracement of the C-arm along the path to the valid stationary position;
• a patient support table position tracking processor for automatically recording table data indicating a valid stationary position of the table and a path from the valid stationary position of the table to an invalid position of the table enabling retracement of the table along the path to the valid stationary table position.
• a user interface enabling a user to initiate retracement of at least one of, (a) the C-arm along the C-arm path to the valid stationary position and (b) the table along the table path to the valid stationary position;
• a C-arm movable to retrace the C-arm path to the valid stationary position in response to recorded C-arm data in response to user command;
• and
• a patient support table movable to retrace the table path to the valid stationary position using the recorded table data in response to user command.

A method enabling a user to recover from a collision or near collision of movable components of an X-ray imaging system including a movable C-arm hosting an X-ray emitter and detector, comprising the activities of

• automatically recording C-arm position data indicating a valid stationary position of a C-arm and a path from the valid stationary position to an invalid position of the C-arm enabling retracement of the C-arm along the path to the valid stationary position;
• enabling a user to initiate retracement of the C-arm along the path to the valid stationary position;
• and
• moving a C-arm to retrace the path to the valid stationary position using the recorded C-arm data in response to user command to initiate retracement.