System for exchanging and storing collimators for medical imaging devices
AssigneeKoninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
InventorsPaul Hug, Rizwan Hassan, Moataz Karmalawy
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for exchanging and storing collimators for medical imaging devices includes a first frame having a first receptacle and a second frame having a first docking member. A collimator can be attached to and removed from the first receptacle. The first docking member can be positioned adjacent to the first receptacle such that the first docking member can contact the collimator to remove the collimator from the first receptacle. The collimator is coupled to the first docking member while the collimator is removed from the first receptacle.
Claims28
A collimator exchange system comprising:
- a first frame having a plurality of co-planar receptacles, a collimator mateable to at least one of said plurality of co-planar receptacles;
- and
- a second frame having a first docking member, said first docking member positionable adjacent to said at least one of said plurality of co-planar receptacles such that said first docking member can contact said collimator to unmate said collimator from said at least one of said plurality of co-planar receptacles.
An apparatus for transferring collimators, said apparatus comprising:
- a housing;
- a first transfer member movably coupled to said housing;
- a second transfer member movably coupled to said housing;
- and
- a rotatable delivery arm having a first side and a second side, a first collimator of a first plurality of collimators being coupled in a co-planar arrangement to said first side, a second collimator of a second plurality of collimators being coupled in a co-planar arrangement to said second side.
A method for transferring collimators, said method comprising:
- moving a gate containing a plurality of collimator carriers from a first position to a second position;
- positioning a docking arm adjacent to a predetermined one of said plurality of collimator carriers;
- unloading a collimator from said predetermined one of said plurality of collimator carriers to said docking arm;
- and
- removing said gate from said second position to said first position.
A method for transferring collimators, said method comprising:
- moving a collimator carrier from a first position to a second position;
- positioning a docking arm adjacent to said collimator carrier;
- unloading a collimator from said collimator carrier to said docking arm;
- and removing said collimator carrier from said second position to said first position;
- wherein said collimator carrier moves concurrently through a translational path and a rotational path.
An apparatus for exchanging a collimator in a nuclear medicine imaging system, said apparatus comprising:
- delivery means for moving a plurality of collimator carriers from a first position to a second position, the plurality of collimator carriers being co-planar;
- positioning means for moving a docking arm adjacent to a predetermined one of said collimator carriers;
- and
- transferring means for unloading a collimator from said predetermined one of said collimator carriers to said docking arm.
A collimator exchange system comprising:
- a first frame having a plurality of co-planar receptacles, a collimator mateable to at least one of said plurality of co-planar receptacles;
- a second frame having a first docking member, said first docking member positionable adjacent to said at least one of said plurality of co-planar receptacles such that said first docking member can contact said collimator to unmate said collimator from said at least one of said plurality of co-planar receptacles;
- and
- a plurality of sensors disposed within the receptacles and collimators.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.