Apparatus and method for use in medical imaging

An apparatus imaging a shoulder joint of a patient, said apparatus comprising:

• a magnetic resonance imaging unit having a primary coil;
• a table slidable into and out of the primary coil, said table having a head end portion which is adjacent to the patient's head when the patient is on the table and a foot end portion which is adjacent to the patient's foot when the patient is on the table;
• an index mechanism having an index member lockable in any selected one of a plurality of sequential index locations;
• table attachment means connected with said index mechanism for attaching said index mechanism to the foot end portion of said table at a location adjacent the patient's foot when the patient is on the table;
• a cuff support member connected with said index member for movement with said index member;
• and
• a cuff supported on said cuff support member for movement with said cuff support member and for clamping onto the patient's arm at a location between the foot end portion and head end portion of the table and remote from said index member;
• said index member being movable between successive index locations in response to movement of the patient's arm, said cuff support member transmitting the force of movement of the patient's arm from said cuff to said index member to move said index member between index locations;
• said cuff support member being an elongate member extending between said index member at the foot end portion of the table and said cuff clamped to the patient's arm at a location between the foot end portion and head end portion of the table.

Apparatus for controlling movement of a joint of a patient during imaging of the joint, said apparatus comprising:

• an imaging unit having a primary coil;
• cuff means positioned within the primary coil for connection with an extremity portion of the patient's body which is adjacent the joint being imaged;
• and
• indexer means, connected with said cull means and having a plurality of discrete repeatable index locations and responsive to forces applied to said cuff means by the patient being imaged, for supporting said cuff means and thereby the joint for movement in only one degree of freedom during movement of the joint between successive index locations under the influence of said forces applied by the patient.

Apparatus for controlling movement of a joint of a patient during imaging of the joint, said apparatus comprising:

• an imaging unit;
• a support block fixed in position relative to the imaging unit;
• an index block supported for rotation about an axis in a single plane relative to and parallel to said support block;
• rotation control means connected in force-transmitting relationship between said support block and said index block for contacting a portion of said index block spaced radially outward of said axis to block rotation of said index block in the plane parallel to said support block at any selected one of a plurality of discrete repeatable index locations;
• a cuff for connection with an extremity portion of the patient's body which is adjacent the joint being imaged;
• and
• a rigid cuff support interconnecting said index block and said cuff and fixing said cuff for rotation with said index block between the plurality of index locations.

An apparatus for imaging a shoulder joint of a patient, said apparatus comprising:

• a magnetic resonance imaging unit having a primary imaging coil;
• an imaging table having a foot end and a head end and being slidable into and out of the primary imaging coil of said magnetic resonance imaging unit;
• an indexer base for attachment to the foot end of the table;
• an indexer body supported on said indexer base;
• an index block rotatable on said indexer body about an axis extending generally parallel to the length of the imaging table;
• an elongate cuff support member extending from said indexer block in a direction axially along the table from the foot end for a substantial distance toward the head end of the table through an opening in said indexer body;
• a cuff for clamping onto the patient's arm when the patient is lying on the table with the patient's feet at the foot end of the table and the patient's head at the head end of the table, said cuff being supported on said cuff support member at an end of said cuff support member remote from said index block for rotational movement with said support member and with said index block about said axis;
• and
• index locking means extensible between said indexer base and said index block and movable between a first condition blocking rotation of said index block relative to said indexer base and a second condition enabling rotation of said index block relative to said indexer base.

An imaging apparatus comprising:

• a magnetic resonance imaging unit having a primary coil for taking a series of magnetic resonance images of a joint of a patient which joint can assume a series of successive imaging positions within its range of motion within said primary coil;
• and
• an indexer positioned within said primary coil of said magnetic resonance imaging unit for controlling movement of the joint during imaging of the joint at successive imaging positions within said primary coil of said magnetic resonance imaging unit, said indexer including:
• cuff means for connection within said primary coil with a portion of the patient's body which is adjacent the joint being imaged;
• and
• means responsive to forces applied to said cuff means by the patient being imaged for supporting said cuff means and thereby the joint for movement between successive imaging positions within said primary coil in only one degree of freedom during movement of the joint between successive imaging positions;
• wherein said means responsive includes (1) a base fixable in position relative to the primary coil, (2) means connected with said base and with said cuff means for supporting said cuff means for movement relative to said base in only one degree of freedom in response to forces applied to said cuff means by the patient being imaged, and (3) surfaces on said cuff means for receiving forces from the portion of the patient's body which is adjacent the joint being imaged;
• and
• wherein said means for supporting said cuff means for movement relative to said base in only one degree of freedom includes a block supported for rotation relative to said base about a single axis and constrained for movement in one plane only, and a member connected intermediate said block and said cuff means and fixing said block for rotation with said cuff means, said member transmitting forces received by said cuff means from the portion of the patient's body to said block to rotate said block about the single axis and in the one plane only.

Apparatus for magnetic resonance imaging a joint of a patient, comprising:

• a magnetic resonance imaging unit having a primary coil for taking magnetic resonance images of the patient's joint when the joint is disposed within said primary coil of said magnetic resonance imaging unit;
• means connected with said magnetic resonance imaging unit for positioning the joint of the patient to be imaged within said magnetic resonance imaging unit;
• means positioned within said primary coil for moving the joint of the patient between a series of successive imaging positions inside said primary coil within the range of motion of the joint under the influence of forces applied to the joint by the patient being imaged;
• said magnetic resonance imaging unit having means for taking a series of magnetic resonance images one at each successive imaging position of the patient's joint within said primary coil;
• and
• said means for moving including means for limiting movement of the joint during imaging to movement in a single selected degree of freedom.

An imaging apparatus comprising:

• a magnetic resonance imaging unit having a primary coil for taking a series of magnetic resonance images of a joint of a patient;
• and
• an indexer positioned within said primary coil of said magnetic resonance imaging unit for controlling movement of a joint of a patient during imaging of the joint at successive imaging positions within said primary coil of said magnetic resonance imaging unit;
• said indexer including cuff for connection with a portion of the patient's body which is adjacent the joint being imaged;
• said indexer being movable within said primary coil between a first condition in which the joint is in a first repeatable incremental imaging position relative to and within said primary coil and a second condition in which the joint is in a second repeatable incremental imaging position relative to and within said primary coil and different from said first imaging position;
• said indexer and said cuff being made of non-ferromagnetic material to prevent interference with the magnetic resonance imaging.