Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B5/00—Measuring for diagnostic purposes; Identification of persons
  • A61B5/70—Means for positioning the patient in relation to the detecting, measuring or recording means
  • A61B5/704—Tables
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B5/00—Measuring for diagnostic purposes; Identification of persons
  • A61B5/74—Details of notification to user or communication with user or patient; User input means
  • A61B5/742—Details of notification to user or communication with user or patient; User input means using visual displays
  • A61B5/7445—Display arrangements, e.g. multiple display units
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01R—MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES
  • G01R33/00—Arrangements or instruments for measuring magnetic variables
  • G01R33/20—Arrangements or instruments for measuring magnetic variables involving magnetic resonance
  • G01R33/28—Details of apparatus provided for in groups G01R33/44 - G01R33/64
  • G01R33/283—Intercom or optical viewing arrangements, structurally associated with NMR apparatus
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B5/00—Measuring for diagnostic purposes; Identification of persons
  • A61B5/05—Detecting, measuring or recording for diagnosis by means of electric currents or magnetic fields; Measuring using microwaves or radio waves
  • A61B5/055—Detecting, measuring or recording for diagnosis by means of electric currents or magnetic fields; Measuring using microwaves or radio waves involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B6/00—Apparatus or devices for radiation diagnosis; Apparatus or devices for radiation diagnosis combined with radiation therapy equipment
  • A61B6/04—Positioning of patients; Tiltable beds or the like
  • A61B6/0407—Supports, e.g. tables or beds, for the body or parts of the body

Definitions

• the present disclosure relates generally to systems for delivering entertainment to patients in a medical scanner and, in particular, to systems for relaying video content to patients within a medical scanner via a mirror.
• Medical scanners are important in clinical settings for diagnosis, treatment planning and treatment monitoring. Generally, a patient is required to he on a scanner bed, which is then positioned within a bore of the scanner before image acquisition is performed. These scans can be lengthy and noisy, with patients often required to he relatively still within the scanner bore. In addition, scanner bores may be fairly narrow such that there is little separation between the patient’s body and the inner surface of the scanner bore.
• remote photoplethysmography imaging is a recent emerging technology capable of measuring vital signs by monitoring skin perfusion.
• Remote photoplethysmography utilizes an off-the-shelf camera and a light source to remotely detect the dynamic changes in blood volume beneath the skin and allows the extraction of blood pulsation signals. It would be desirable to provide a system for entertaining patients within a scanner whilst also allowing clinicians to take remote measurements using techniques for monitoring vital signs.
• US5825563 describes a device to reduce patient claustrophobia in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner.
• the device described in US5825563 includes a mirror mounted on a support arm, wherein the support arm can be mounted on the patient bed of an MRI scanner.
• WO2019068185 describes a device for reducing patient anxiety in medical scanners.
• the device described in WO2019068185 includes a mirror mounted to a support that can be attached to a patient bed.
• US 11185293B2 discloses a screen for a patient in an imaging device that is mounted to a movable frame.
• the mirror and its support can get in the way of the patient when moving on and off the patient bed, and its presence can increase a feeling of claustrophobia.
• different mirror system designs are needed for different types of scanner and their associated patient supports, so that the mirror system becomes an expensive option. Thus, there remain problems with current mirror system designs.
• a mirror system for relaying video content to a patient on a patient support of a medical scanner, the mirror system comprising: a flexible support arm having first and second opposite ends; a mirror attached to the support arm; and first and second support members, each for mounting in a position which is fixed relative to the patient support, and each comprising an end portion, wherein the first and second ends of the support arm are each detachably and rotatably couplable to a respective one of the end portions, and when the support arm is coupled to the end portions it forms an arch.
• This mirror system is for mounting to a patient support, e.g. a patient couch, of a medical scanner.
• the support arm which holds the mirror is flexible so that it can be fitted to support members at different spacings. This means that the same support arm may be used with different patient supports and different support members.
• the support arm forms an arch over the patient support, e.g. over the area where the patient's head will be located. The arch may be positioned to follow the inner contour of a bore of the medical scanner so that the mirror system takes up a minimal amount of space within the bore. This means that the patient can get on and off the patient support without the mirror system getting in their way.
• the rotatable coupling means that the mirror position can be adjusted to give the best view of the video content (which is, for example, provided on a screen remote from the medical scanner), as well as being adjustable to make it easiest for the patient to get on and off the patient support.
• the support arm may comprise a channel and the mirror may comprise an interface configured to co-operate with the channel. This enables the position of the mirror to be adjusted by sliding it along the channel of the flexible support arm.
• the system may further comprise a second mirror attached to the support arm for vital signs monitoring.
• the first mirror is used for providing entertainment to the patient and a second mirror can be for reading vital signs.
• a vital signs camera remote from the scanner e.g. on the room wall
• the second mirror may directed to the cheek or forehead of the patient for collecting a remote PPG (rPPG) signal - from which respiration rate and/or heart rate can be extracted.
• rPPG remote PPG
• the invention also provides a medical scanner comprising: a scanning system having a bore; and the patient support system described above, wherein the patient support of the patient support system extends through the bore.
• the flexible support arm of the mirror system of the medical scanner forms an arch, which may follow the inner contour of the bore when the support arm is rotated to a fully open position.
• the invention also provides a patient entertainment system for using during medical scanning, with the patient on a patient support of a medical scanner, the entertainment system comprising: a screen for displaying video content; and any of the mirror systems described above for providing a viewing path between the patient and the screen.
• Fig. 2 shows a patient support system
• Fig. 3 shows the flexible support arm of a mirror system being manually connected to the first and second support members
• Fig. 4 shows a patient support system, wherein the first and second support members are mounted to a patient coil
• Fig. 1 shows the first and second ends 12a, 12b of the support arm 10 coupled to a respective one of the end portions 16a, 16b. As shown in Fig. 1, when the support arm 10 is coupled to the end portions 16a, 16b it forms an arch.
• the flexible support arm 10 may be easily locked onto the support members 14a, 14b.
• the flexible support arm 10 and support members 14a, 14b may be configured so that the support arm can be moved to different states (i.e. open, closed and intermediate positions). Any suitable locking and unlocking coupling may be used. For example there may be additional fastenings which are applied to couple the end portions and the ends.
• the support arm may be connectable to, and releasable from, the support members in one angular orientation (e.g. with the support arm flat against the patient support) but once rotated into an active positions (e.g. with the support arm raised over the patient support, and over head of the patient) the support arm is locked to the support members.
• the coupling between the support arm and the support members does not require use of any tools.
• support arm 10 is flexible, it is also designed to be sufficiently robust to keep the mirror 20 in place to withstand vibration introduced by the patient or a medical scanner.
• Fig. 2 also shows a second mirror 40. This is used to provide a line of sight between a vital signs camera (which is remote from the scanner) and the patient, for example the cheek or forehead of the patient.
• the vital signs camera is for example a remote PPG (rPPG) system from which respiration rate and/or heart rate can be extracted.
• rPPG remote PPG
• first and second support members 14a, 14b can be mounted directly to the patient support 30 or they can be mounted to a patient coil 50 that is fixed relative to the patient support 30 - as shown in Fig. 4.
• the support arm 10 may for example comprises a channel for adjusting the position of the mirror 20.
• the position of the second mirror 40 may also be adjusted.
• Either or both mirrors 20, 40 may comprise an interface (not shown) configured to co-operate with the channel. Thereby, the mirror positions can be adjusted by sliding the mirrors 20, 40 along the channel.
• Fig. 5 shows a medical scanner 1000 comprising a scanning system 200 with a bore 210, and a patient support system 110.
• the patient support system 110 is shown mostly outside the bore in Fig. 6. However, the skilled person will understand that normally the patient will be positioned on the patient support 30 whilst it is outside the bore, and then the patient support 30 will be slowly moved into the bore 30 so that the patient support system 110 extends through the bore 30.
• the patient support system comprises a mirror system 100.
• Fig. 6 shows a medical scanner 1000 comprising a seaming system 200 and a screen 60 for displaying video content.
• the screen 60 is arranged with respect to the mirror 20 so that video content can be relayed to a patient positioned on the patient support 30.

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• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Biomedical Technology (AREA)
• Medical Informatics (AREA)
• Biophysics (AREA)
• Pathology (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
• Heart & Thoracic Surgery (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Molecular Biology (AREA)
• Surgery (AREA)
• Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Condensed Matter Physics & Semiconductors (AREA)
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging Apparatus (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

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• 2023
  • 2023-05-30 JP JP2024570510A patent/JP2025519186A/ja active Pending
  • 2023-05-30 WO PCT/EP2023/064347 patent/WO2023237375A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2023-05-30 EP EP23729728.8A patent/EP4536062A1/de active Pending
  • 2023-05-30 CN CN202380045079.7A patent/CN119317389A/zh active Pending

Patent Citations (2)

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