JP4034874B2 - Sleeper and medical diagnostic imaging apparatus using the same - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a bed of a medical diagnostic imaging apparatus, and more particularly to a bed suitable for a diagnostic apparatus in which an operator hardly confirms an imaging region.
[0002]
[Prior art]
There are many medical diagnostic imaging apparatuses in which an image measurement unit and a bed are configured separately. For example, a cardiovascular X-ray apparatus, gamma camera apparatus, X-ray CT apparatus, MRI apparatus, and the like. Of these devices, many of the diagnostic devices in which the image measurement unit is called a gantry are difficult to visually position the subject to the imaging center. The reason is that when the subject is positioned in the opening of the gantry, the image measuring unit covers the portion immediately above the subject. For this reason, in the X-ray CT apparatus and the MRI apparatus, in order to position the subject, a projector is provided at the end of the gantry on the bed side, and the imaging region of the subject is temporarily moved to the projector. After that, the table top is moved by a fixed distance between the projector and the imaging center in the gantry by the electric drive mechanism, and the imaging part of the subject is aligned with the imaging center of the apparatus. The positioning method is adopted.
[0003]
The bed combined with the device having the gantry structure is provided with a mechanism for manually retracting the top plate from the gantry in addition to the electric drive mechanism in order to cope with changes in the physical condition of the subject. .
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
As a bed for an image diagnostic apparatus, functionally, it is required that a subject can be quickly and accurately positioned at an imaging position of the apparatus. And it is desired that a couch having the above functions is provided at low cost.
[0005]
However, the conventional couch not only cannot be moved as desired by the operator because the top plate is moved electrically, but also a ceiling for moving a certain distance between the projector and the photographing center in the gantry. Since a plate movement amount detection mechanism is added and a manual retraction mechanism is provided, it is inevitably expensive.
Furthermore, since the positioning becomes inaccurate when the aging of the drive mechanism occurs, adjustments must be made so as to eliminate the backlash of the chain and gears of the drive mechanism as frequently as once a few years.
[0006]
The present invention has been made in view of the above, and it is a first object of the present invention to provide an inexpensive bed that allows an operator to move a subject to an imaging position in a gantry at will. .
[0007]
Another object of the present invention is to provide a medical diagnostic imaging apparatus with excellent operability.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
A first object of the present invention is a bed for an image diagnosis apparatus in which a top plate on which a subject is placed is movably provided by a table support portion, and a light beam of a projector installed in a gantry of the image diagnosis apparatus. A marker scale having two markers arranged at the same distance as the distance between the positioning point by the center of the measurement space in the gantry, and slide means for sliding the marker scale in the moving direction of the top plate This is achieved by providing the top plate support .
[0009]
Further, another object of the present invention includes a gantry having a shooting area for photographing a subject in the opening, attached to the end of the subject insertion direction of the opening of the gantry, at the outside of the gantry In a bed for a diagnostic imaging apparatus in which a projector that points to an imaging region of a subject and a top plate on which the subject is placed are movably provided by a top plate support unit, a positioning point by a light beam of the projector and the inside of the gantry A marker scale having two markers arranged at the same distance as the distance from the center of the measurement space, and a slide means for sliding the marker scale in the moving direction of the top plate. To be achieved.
[0010]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of an MRI apparatus as a medical image diagnostic apparatus embodying the present invention. In FIG. 1, 10 is a bed, 20 is a gantry of an MRI apparatus, and 30 is a projector that positions an imaging region of a subject. The MRI apparatus includes a console, an image processing apparatus, a power source, and a transmission / reception coil in addition to the gantry 20 and the bed 10 as a system configuration, but they are not shown because they are not related to the present invention. Yes.
[0011]
The bed 10 includes a support base 11 installed on the floor surface of the examination room and a top plate 12 provided above the support base 11. The support base 11 has a frame member for placing the bed 10 on the floor and a moving mechanism for moving the support base 11 in the vertical direction, but these are not shown because they can use known techniques. . The top plate portion 12 is fixed to the support base 11 and has a top plate support portion 14 that supports the top plate 13 and serves as a guide for movement in the longitudinal direction of the top plate 13 and in a direction orthogonal thereto.
[0012]
In this embodiment, the gantry 20 of the MRI apparatus is of a vertical magnetic field type in which a static magnetic field is formed in the vertical direction, and generates a uniform magnetic field region serving as a measurement space on the longitudinal extension of the top plate 13 of the bed 10. In order to do this, a pair of upper and lower magnets are provided, and the pair of magnets are supported by two pillars.
[0013]
A projector 30 is provided on the outer periphery of the gantry 20 on the upper magnet side. As shown in FIG. 1, the projector 30 irradiates the top plate 13 with cross rays in which one side is along the longitudinal direction of the top plate and the other side is orthogonal to the top plate 13.
[0014]
The above is a known configuration of a conventional MRI apparatus.
Next, features of the present invention will be described. In FIG. 1, the top plate support portion 14 is provided with a scale mechanism 40 that allows the operator to recognize that the top plate 13 has been moved by a certain distance. The scale mechanism 40 is provided with two triangular markers 41 and 42. The distance between the markers 41 and 42 is fixed, and the distance between the markers 41 and 42 is the center of the measurement space of the cross beam (positioning point) 31 of the projector 30 and the gantry 20 of the MRI apparatus in the plan view of FIG. It is the distance between the centers of the areas. Therefore, when the top plate 13 is moved to the gantry side by the distance between the two markers, the point at the cross point of the projector 30 is moved to the center of the measurement space of the gantry 20.
[0015]
The scale mechanism 40 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 43 denotes a scale fixed to the top plate 13, and a scale in millimeters and centimeters is engraved on the surface. A marker scale 44 is attached to the top support 14 so as to be movable in parallel with the scale 43. The marker scale 44 has the two markers 41 and 42 crossed by the cross beam 31 of the projector 30 as described above. A knob 47 is provided so as to be spaced from the point and the center of the measurement space of the gantry 20 and to be hooked on the operator's finger when moving. The marker scale 44 is supported by guides 45 and 46 so that the operator can manually slide it.
[0016]
Next, how to use the scale mechanism 40 of the present invention will be described. First, the operator determines an imaging region of the subject who lies on the top plate of the bed 10. After the imaging region is determined, the top board 13 is moved in the direction of the gantry 20 and is aligned with the cross point of the cross beam 31 of the projector 30 to the imaging region. When this alignment is completed, the operator moves the marker scale 44 and sets the tip of the triangle of the marker 41 of the marker scale 44 as a reference position on the top board 13, for example, the end face of the top board 13 or the reference of the scale 43. Align to the scale that can be. Next, the operator pushes and moves the top plate 13 in the gantry direction so that the reference scale of the scale 43 coincides with the triangular tip of the marker 42 of the scale marker 44. With the above operation, the imaging region of the subject is aligned with the center of the measurement space of the gantry 20. Thereafter, the operator starts imaging with the MRI apparatus.
[0017]
In the present invention, when the cross point of the cross beam 31 of the projector 30 is set to the imaging part of the subject, the scale 43 is essential because the marker scale 44 can be set to a position serving as a mark on the top board. Although it is not necessary for this, it is necessary to finely adjust the position of the top plate, or to manually feed the top plate 13 when this bed is used for an X-ray CT apparatus other than the MRI apparatus. It becomes effective.
[0018]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, since the operator performs all the alignment manually, the operator can perform the alignment as he wishes. In addition, since an electric top plate moving mechanism is not required, an inexpensive bed is provided.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the appearance of a medical image diagnostic apparatus embodying the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of a bed scale mechanism according to the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Bed 13 Top plate 14 Top plate support part 20 MRI apparatus gantry 30 Projector 40 Scale mechanism 41, 42 Marker 43 Scale 44 Marker scale

Claims (2)

In a bed for an image diagnostic apparatus in which a top plate on which a subject is placed is movably provided by a top plate support unit, a positioning point by a light beam of a projector installed in the gantry of the image diagnostic apparatus and measurement in the gantry A marker scale having two markers arranged at the same interval as the distance from the center of the space, and a slide means for sliding the marker scale in the moving direction of the top board are provided in the top board support part. A bed that features. A gantry having a shooting area for photographing a subject in the opening, attached to the end of the subject insertion direction of the opening of the gantry, and searchlights pointing to imaging site of the subject at the outside of the gantry In a bed for an image diagnostic apparatus in which a top plate on which a subject is placed is movably provided by a top plate support section, the distance between the positioning point by the light beam of the projector and the center of the measurement space in the gantry is the same A medical image diagnosis comprising: a marker scale having two markers arranged at intervals; and a slide means for sliding the marker scale in a moving direction of the top board. apparatus.

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