Mechanical pick-up with reduced impact force by using a rotating intermediate part
AssigneeKoninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
InventorsHubertus Antonius Tilmans, Adrianus Johannes Josephus van der Horst
Life of this patent
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Abstract
When a subject is being positioned in a diagnostic imager for a diagnostic scan, a subject support (26) often picks up an accessory carriage (24) along the way without stopping or reducing velocity. To reduce stresses on the subject support (26), accessory carriage (24) and on the subject themselves, an apparatus and method are provided for gradually accelerating the accessory carriage (26) to the speed of the subject support (26). A camming surface (60) engages a pin (54b) of a snap block (52) causing translational motion to be converted into rotational motion, spreading the acceleration of the accessory carriage (24) over a distance (d-d1).
Claims15
An imaging device comprising:
- an imager defining an imaging region;
- an accessory device carriage that houses an accessory device for selective use in the imaging region, the carriage including a rotatable element;
- a subject support for supporting a subject and moving the subject into and out of the imaging region, the subject support including a first carriage pickup element for engaging the rotatable element of the accessory device carriage and gradually accelerating the accessory device carriage to the speed of the subject support.
A method of diagnostic imaging comprising:
- translating a subject support into an imaging region of an imaging device;
- and
- accelerating an accessory carriage to a velocity of the subject support by engaging a snap block attached to the accessory carriage with a first carriage pickup element attached to the subject support such that as the first carriage pickup element engages the snap block, translational motion of the first subject support is converted into rotational motion.
A pickup mechanism by which a linearly translating subject support picks up an accessory carriage so as to transfer the accessory carriage with the subject support into an imaging system, the pickup mechanism comprising:
- a first structure connected with the subject support;
- and
- a second structure connected with the accessory carriage;
- one of the first and second structures being a rotatable element, the first and second structures engaging together responsive to linear translation of the subject support into the imaging system, the rotatable element rotating during the engagement so as to gradually accelerate the accessory carriage up to the linear translation speed of the linearly translating subject support.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.