JP7202832B2 - MRI bed and MRI wheelchair - Google Patents

Description

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a mobile bed for MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) and a wheelchair for MRI.

An MRI system includes an MRI apparatus and a bed. An MRI apparatus generates magnetic resonance signals, i.e., MR ( Magnetic Resonance) signal is received by a receiving coil, for example a local coil. Then, the MRI apparatus generates image data regarding the imaging region based on the MR signals.

In the case of an MRI system in which a fixed bed is installed as a bed, the patient moves to the examination room and lies down on the fixed bed. In addition, in the case of an MRI system in which a fixed bed is installed as a bed, the technician must move the wheelchair on which the patient is placed into the examination room, and transfer the patient from the wheelchair attached to the side of the fixed bed to the fixed bed. There is On the other hand, in the case of an MRI system in which a movable bed is installed as a bed, the technician can move the bed on which the patient is placed into the examination room. Conversion work, lifting the patient, etc. may be required.

JP 2007-190356 A

The problem to be solved by the present invention is to reduce the burden on the technician and the subject involved in the work of transferring the subject and the like.

An MRI movable bed according to an embodiment includes a placement section, a vehicle body section, a wheel section, and a slide mechanism. The placement section includes a plurality of placement elements divided in the longitudinal direction, and a deformation mechanism capable of transforming into a chair shape and a flat shape by moving each placement element. The vehicle body portion includes a plurality of vehicle body elements divided in the longitudinal direction, and a deformation mechanism capable of being transformed into a chair shape and a flat shape by moving each of the vehicle body elements. The wheel portion supports the vehicle body portion via the support portion. The slide mechanism has a configuration in which the flat mounting portion can be slid in a substantially horizontal direction with respect to the flat vehicle body portion while the wheel portion is fixed to the floor surface.

1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of an MRI system including an MRI apparatus and an MRI mobile bed according to an embodiment; FIG. FIG. 2 is a side view showing the configuration of a wheelchair for MRI, which is an example of the movable bed for MRI according to the embodiment; FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration of a mounting portion of a wheelchair for MRI, which is an example of the movable bed for MRI according to the embodiment; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of a body portion of a wheelchair for MRI, which is an example of the movable bed for MRI according to the embodiment; FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a configuration of a wheel portion and a support portion of a wheelchair for MRI, which is an example of the movable bed for MRI according to the embodiment; FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a configuration of a slide mechanism of a wheelchair for MRI, which is an example of the movable bed for MRI according to the embodiment; FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a configuration of a slide mechanism of a wheelchair for MRI, which is an example of the movable bed for MRI according to the embodiment; FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a procedure for setting an MRI wheelchair, which is an example of the MRI movable bed according to the embodiment, to the MRI apparatus; FIG. 9 is a diagram showing, as a flowchart, a procedure for releasing the setting of the MRI wheelchair, which is an example of the MRI moving bed according to the embodiment, set in the MRI apparatus. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a state of an MRI wheelchair, which is an example of the MRI movable bed according to the embodiment, with respect to the MRI apparatus; FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a state of an MRI wheelchair, which is an example of the MRI movable bed according to the embodiment, with respect to the MRI apparatus; FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining a state of an MRI wheelchair, which is an example of the MRI movable bed according to the embodiment, with respect to the MRI apparatus; FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a first modified example of a mounting portion of a wheelchair for MRI, which is an example of the movable bed for MRI according to the embodiment; FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a second modification of the rotating mechanism of the wheelchair for MRI, which is an example of the movable bed for MRI according to the embodiment; FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a second modification of the rotation mechanism of the wheelchair for MRI, which is an example of the movable bed for MRI according to the embodiment; FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a third modified example of the protrusion mechanism of the wheelchair for MRI, which is an example of the movable bed for MRI according to the embodiment;

Hereinafter, embodiments of the MRI movable bed will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of an MRI system including an MRI apparatus and an MRI mobile bed according to an embodiment.

FIG. 1 shows an MRI system 1 . The MRI system 1 includes an MRI apparatus 10 and an MRI mobile bed (hereinafter simply referred to as “mobile bed”) 50 . The MRI apparatus 10 includes a gantry device 11 , a control cabinet 12 and a console 13 . The pedestal device 11 and the control cabinet 12 are generally provided in an examination room. The examination room is also called an imaging room. A console 13 is provided in the control room. A control room is also called an operating room.

The gantry device 11 accommodates a static magnetic field magnet 21, a gradient magnetic field coil 22, and a WB coil 23 inside.

The control cabinet 12 includes a gradient magnetic field power supply 31 (X-axis 31x, Y-axis 31y, Z-axis 31z), an RF transmitter 32, an RF receiver 33, and a sequence controller .

The static magnetic field magnet 21 of the gantry device 11 is a superconducting magnet. The static magnetic field magnet 21 has a substantially cylindrical shape and generates a static magnetic field in a bore through which a subject, eg, a patient U is transported. A bore is a space inside the cylinder of the gantry device 11 .

The static magnetic field magnet 21 generates a static magnetic field by a current supplied from a static magnetic field power supply in an excitation mode. After that, when shifting to the persistent current mode, the static magnetic field power supply is cut off. Once transferred to the persistent current mode, the static magnetic field magnet 21 continues to generate a static magnetic field for a long time, for example, over several years.

The gradient magnetic field coil 22 has a substantially cylindrical shape like the static magnetic field magnet 21 and is installed inside the static magnetic field magnet 21 . The gradient magnetic field coil 22 forms a gradient magnetic field with current (power) supplied from the gradient magnetic field power source 31 . The gradient magnetic field coil 22 includes an Xch coil that generates a gradient magnetic field in the X-axis direction, a Ych coil that generates a gradient magnetic field in the Y-axis direction, and a Zch coil that generates a gradient magnetic field in the Z-axis direction.

The WB coil 23 is also called a whole-body coil, and is installed in a substantially cylindrical shape so as to surround the patient U inside the gradient magnetic field coil 22 . The WB coil 23 functions as a transmission coil. That is, the WB coil 23 transmits RF pulses toward the patient U according to the RF pulse signal transmitted from the RF transmitter 32 . On the other hand, the WB coil 23 may have a function as a receiving coil in addition to a function as a transmitting coil for transmitting RF pulses. In that case, the WB coil 23, as a receiving coil, receives MR signals emitted from the patient U due to nuclear excitation.

The MRI apparatus 10 may also include a local coil 20 in addition to the WB coil 23 . The local coil 20 is arranged close to the patient's U body surface. The local coil 20 may comprise multiple coil elements. Since these multiple coil elements are arranged in an array inside the local coil 20, they are sometimes called a PAC (Phased Array Coil).

There are several types of local coils 20 . For example, the local coils 20 include a body coil installed on the chest, abdomen, or legs of the patient U as shown in FIG. 1, and a spine coil installed on the back of the patient U. ). In addition, the local coil 20 includes types such as a head coil (Head Coil) for imaging the head of the patient U and a foot coil (Foot Coil) for imaging the foot. The local coil 20 also includes types such as a wrist coil for imaging the wrist, a knee coil for imaging the knee, and a shoulder coil for imaging the shoulder.

Local coil 20 functions as a receiving coil. That is, the local coil 20 receives the aforementioned MR signal. However, the local coil 20 may be a transmission/reception coil that functions as a transmission coil that transmits RF pulses in addition to the function as a reception coil that receives MR signals. For example, among the head coil and knee coil as the local coils 20, there are also transmission and reception coils. In other words, the type of the local coil 20 does not matter whether it is dedicated to transmission, dedicated to reception, or used for both transmission and reception.

The gradient magnetic field power supply 31 includes gradient magnetic field power supplies 31x, 31y, and 31z for respective channels that drive coils that generate gradient magnetic fields in the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions, respectively. The gradient magnetic field power sources 31x, 31y, and 31z output required currents independently for each channel according to a command from the sequence controller . Gradient magnetic field coils 22 can thereby apply gradient magnetic fields (also called “gradient magnetic fields”) to patient U in the directions of the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis.

The RF transmitter 32 generates RF pulse signals based on instructions from the sequence controller 34 . The RF transmitter 32 transmits the generated RF pulse signal to the WB coil 23 .

MR signals received by the local coil 20 , more specifically, MR signals received by each coil element in the local coil 20 are transmitted to the RF receiver 33 . The transmission line of each coil element and the transmission line of the WB coil 23 are called channels. Therefore, each MR signal output from each coil element or WB coil 23 is sometimes called a channel signal. A channel signal received by the WB coil 23 is also transmitted to the RF receiver 33 .

The RF receiver 33 AD (Analog to Digital) converts the channel signal from the local coil 20 and the WB coil 23 , that is, the MR signal, and outputs it to the sequence controller 34 . MR signals converted to digital are sometimes called raw data.

The sequence controller 34 images the patient U by driving the gradient magnetic field power supply 31 , the RF transmitter 32 , and the RF receiver 33 under the control of the console 13 . Upon receiving raw data from the RF receiver 33 by imaging, the sequence controller 34 transmits the raw data to the console 13 .

The sequence controller 34 comprises processing circuitry (not shown). This processing circuit is composed of, for example, a processor that executes a predetermined program, and hardware such as FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) and ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit).

Console 13 comprises processing circuitry 41 , memory 42 , display 43 and input interface 44 . The console 13 functions as a host computer.

The processing circuit 41 means a processing circuit such as a dedicated or general-purpose CPU (Central Processing Unit) or MPU (Micro Processor Unit), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and a programmable logic device. Programmable logic devices include circuits such as, for example, Simple Programmable Logic Devices (SPLDs), Complex Programmable Logic Devices (CPLDs), and Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs).

Also, the processing circuit 41 may be composed of a single circuit element, or may be composed of a combination of a plurality of independent circuit elements. In the latter case, a plurality of memories 42 may each store programs corresponding to functions of a plurality of circuit elements, or a single memory 42 may store programs corresponding to functions of a plurality of circuit elements. can be anything.

The processing circuit 41 reads and executes a program stored in the memory 42 or directly incorporated in the processing circuit 41 to perform imaging according to the pulse sequence. The processing circuit 41 collects the MR signals transmitted from the sequence controller 34 and stores the collected MR signals in the memory 42 . The processing circuit 41 generates a desired MR image of the inside of the patient U by performing post-processing, that is, reconstruction processing such as Fourier transform, on the MR signals stored in the memory 42 . The processing circuit 41 then stores the generated various MR images in the memory 42 . Note that the processing circuit 41 is an example of a processing unit.

The memory 42 includes a RAM (Random Access Memory), a semiconductor memory device such as a flash memory, a hard disk, an optical disk, and the like. The memory 42 may include portable media such as USB (Universal Serial bus) memory and DVD (Digital Video Disk). The memory 42 stores various processing programs (including not only application programs but also an OS (Operating System), etc.) used in the processing circuit 41, data necessary for executing the programs, and the like. Also, the OS may include a GUI (Graphical User Interface) that uses graphics extensively to display information on the display 43 for the operator and allows basic operations to be performed through the input interface 44 . Note that the memory 42 is an example of a storage unit.

The display 43 displays various information. For example, the display 43 outputs an MR image generated by the processing circuit 41, a GUI for accepting various operations from the user, and the like. For example, the display 43 is a liquid crystal display, a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) display, an OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) display, or the like. The display 43 may be of a desktop type, or may be configured by a tablet terminal or the like capable of wireless communication with the main body of the console 13 . Note that the display 43 is an example of a display unit.

The input interface 44 includes an input device operable by an operator and an input circuit for inputting signals from the input device. Input devices include mice, keyboards, trackballs, switches, buttons, joysticks, touchpads that perform input operations by touching the operation surface, touchscreens that integrate the display screen and touchpad, and non-optical sensors. It is implemented by a contact input circuit, a voice input circuit, or the like. When the input device receives an input operation from the operator, the input circuit generates an electric signal according to the input operation and outputs it to the processing circuit 41 .

Further, when the input device receives an input operation related to the movement of the movable bed from the operator (elevating movement, deformation movement, sliding movement, rotating movement, and projecting movement, which will be described later), the input circuit outputs an electric signal corresponding to the input operation. can be generated and output to the moving bed 50 . The input interface 44 may be composed of a tablet terminal or the like capable of wireless communication with the main body of the console 13 . Note that the input interface 44 is an example of an input unit.

The movable bed 50 is a movable device that can place the patient U in the imaging area within the bore of the gantry device 11 . The movable bed 50 includes a mounting portion 51, a vehicle body portion 52, a wheel portion 53, and a slide mechanism 55 (illustrated in FIG. 6 and the like).

The placement section 51 includes a plurality of placement elements divided in the longitudinal direction, and a deformation mechanism capable of transforming into a chair shape and a flat shape by moving each placement element. The placing section 51 functions as a so-called reclining bed on which the patient U can be placed. That is, the placement section 51 can function as a legless chair for holding the patient U in a sitting position by transforming into a chair shape, and can function as a legless chair for holding the patient U in a sitting position by transforming into a flat shape. It can also function as a holding bed top plate.

The vehicle body portion 52 includes a plurality of vehicle body elements divided in the longitudinal direction, and a deformation mechanism capable of being transformed into a chair shape and a flat shape by moving each vehicle body element.

The wheel portion 53 supports the vehicle body portion 52 via the support portion 54 .

The slide mechanism 55 is configured to allow the flat mounting portion 51 to slide relative to the flat vehicle body portion 52 while the wheel portion 53 is fixed to the floor surface.

The configuration and operation of the mounting portion 51, the vehicle body portion 52, the wheel portion 53, the support portion 54, the slide mechanism 55, etc. will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 16. FIG. Also, the configuration and operation of the movable bed 50 will be described using an MRI wheelchair (hereinafter simply referred to as “wheelchair”), which is an example of the movable bed 50 . However, the movable bed 50 is not limited to a wheelchair. The movable bed 50 may include a configuration in which the placement section 51 can be transformed into a chair type and a flat type. Hereinafter, the "wheelchair" will also be described with the same reference numeral 50 as the "movable bed".

FIG. 2 is a side view showing the configuration of a wheelchair, which is an example of the movable bed 50. As shown in FIG. FIG. 2(A) shows the state of a chair-shaped wheelchair, while FIG. 2(B) shows the state of a chair-shaped wheelchair.

As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the wheelchair 50 includes a placement portion 51, a vehicle body portion 52, wheel portions 53, a support portion 54, and a slide mechanism 55 (illustrated in FIG. 6, etc.).

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of the placing portion 51 of the wheelchair 50. As shown in FIG. FIG. 3A is a diagram showing a side surface (field of view in the negative direction of the X-axis) of the mounting portion 51 in a chair-shaped state. FIG. 3B is a diagram showing a side surface (field of view in the negative direction of the X-axis) of the mounting portion 51 in a flat state. FIG. 3C is a diagram showing the rear surface of the mounting portion 51 in the flat state (view in the positive direction of the Y-axis). FIG. 3D is a diagram showing the front surface of the mounting portion 51 in the flat state (view in the positive Z-axis direction).

As shown in FIGS. 3A to 3D, the mounting section 51 has a plurality of mounting elements divided in the longitudinal direction, and the mounting section 51 can be placed in a chair by moving each of the plurality of mounting elements. It has a mold and a deformation mechanism capable of being deformed into a flat shape. For example, the placement section 51 includes a plurality of placement elements such as a backrest 51A that supports the patient's back in a chair shape, a bottom 51B that supports the patient's buttocks, and a leg rest 51C that supports the patient's legs. Prepare. The flat type means a so-called full-flat bed state. The deformation mechanism has a configuration capable of deforming (for example, folding) the backrest 51A with respect to the bottom 51B. For example, the deformation mechanism includes a hinge mechanism 51P provided between the backrest 51A and the bottom 51B, and the hinge mechanism 51P can deform the backrest 51A with respect to the bottom 51B. Similarly, the deformation mechanism includes a hinge mechanism 51Q provided between the bottom 51B and the leg rest 51C, and the hinge mechanism 51Q can deform the leg rest 51C with respect to the bottom 51B. Note that the deformation operation of the placing section 51 may be electrically performed by driving a motor (not shown) or the like by operating the input interface 44 by the engineer, or may be manually performed by the engineer.

The mounting portion 51 also includes a port unit 51S and a lower groove H. As shown in FIG. The port unit 51S is arranged on the head side of the backrest 51A and has a plurality of ports P to which RF cables of a plurality of types of local coils 20 (shown in FIG. 1) can be detachably attached. The lower groove H is provided for extending the cable C on the output side of the port unit 51S from the head side to the foot side. MR signals received by the local coil 20 attached to the port P of the port unit 51S are output to the MRI apparatus 10 via the port unit 51S and the cable C. FIG.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of the vehicle body portion 52 of the wheelchair 50. As shown in FIG. FIG. 4A is a diagram showing a side view of the vehicle body 52 in a chair-like state (view in the negative direction of the X-axis). FIG. 4B is a diagram showing a side surface of the vehicle body portion 52 in a flat state (field of view in the negative direction of the X axis). FIG. 4C is a view showing the surface of the vehicle body portion 52 in the flat state (view in the Y-axis negative direction). FIG. 4D is a diagram showing the front surface of the vehicle body portion 52 in the flat state (view in the positive Z-axis direction).

As shown in FIGS. 4(A) to 4(D), the vehicle body portion 52 includes a plurality of vehicle body elements divided in the longitudinal direction, and by moving each of the plurality of vehicle body elements, the vehicle body portion 52 is formed into a chair shape and a flat shape. , and side guards 52S, 52T, 52U for preventing the patient U placed on the placing portion 51 from being left or right. For example, the vehicle body portion 52 includes a backrest support portion 52A that supports the backrest 51A in a chair shape, a bottom support portion 52B that supports the bottom 51B, and a legrest support portion 52C that supports the legrest 51C. The deformation mechanism has a configuration capable of deforming (for example, folding) the backrest support portion 52A with respect to the bottom support portion 52B. For example, the deformation mechanism includes a hinge mechanism 52P provided between the backrest support portion 52A and the bottom support portion 52B, and the backrest support portion 52A can be deformed with respect to the bottom support portion 52B by the hinge mechanism 52P. Similarly, the deformation mechanism includes a hinge mechanism 52Q provided between the bottom support portion 52B and the leg rest support portion 52C, and the leg rest support portion 52C can be deformed with respect to the bottom support portion 52B by the hinge mechanism 52Q. Note that the deformation operation of the body portion 52 may be electrically performed by the engineer operating the input interface 44 via driving a motor (not shown) or the like, or may be manually performed by the engineer.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the configuration of the wheel portion 53 and the support portion 54 of the wheelchair 50. As shown in FIG. FIG. 5A is a diagram showing a side view of the wheel portion 53 and the support portion 54 in the lowered state (field of view in the negative direction of the X-axis). FIG. 5B is a diagram showing a side view of the wheel portion 53 and the support portion 54 in the raised state (field of view in the negative direction of the X-axis). FIG. 5C is a diagram showing the front surface of the wheel portion 53 and the support portion 54 in the lowered state (field of view in the positive Z-axis direction).

As shown in FIGS. 5A to 5C, the wheel portion 53 includes rear wheels 53A and front wheels 53B. The support portion 54 includes an elevating mechanism capable of elevating the vehicle body portion 52 with respect to the wheel portion 53 . For example, the lifting mechanism includes a lift 54A, a drive section 54B, and a lifting platform 54C. The drive unit 54B is, for example, an actuator. The elevating mechanism can elevate the vehicle body section 52 with respect to the wheel section 53 by elevating the elevating table 54C by deforming the lift 54A by driving the drive section 54B.

From the state shown in FIG. 5A, the lift 54A is deformed by driving the driving portion 54B, so that the platform 54C is lifted with respect to the wheel portion 53. As shown in FIG. As a result, the vehicle body portion 52 provided above the platform 54C is lifted (illustrated in FIG. 5B). The up-and-down operation of the vehicle body 52 may be performed electrically by driving a motor (not shown) or the like by operating the input interface 44 by the engineer, or may be manually performed by the engineer.

6 and 7 are diagrams showing the configuration of the slide mechanism 55 of the wheelchair 50. FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a side view of the slide mechanism 55 (field of view in the negative direction of the X-axis) when the mounting portion 51 is in the shape of a chair. FIG. 7A is a diagram showing a side surface (field of view in the negative direction of the X-axis) of the slide mechanism 55 when the mounting section 51 is in a flat state and the mounting section 51 is in a state before the sliding operation. be. FIG. 7B is a diagram showing a side surface of the slide mechanism 55 (field of view in the negative direction of the X-axis) when the mounting section 51 is in a flat state and the mounting section 51 is in a sliding motion. be. FIG. 7C is a diagram showing the front surface of the slide mechanism 55 (field of view in the positive direction of the Z-axis) when the mounting section 51 is flat.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7A to 7C, the slide mechanism 55 has a structure that allows the mounting portion 51 to slide in a substantially horizontal direction with respect to the vehicle body portion 52 . For example, the slide mechanism 55 has a rack and pinion mechanism. The slide mechanism 55 equips the backrest 51A with the rack 55A, the bottom 51B with the rack 55B, and the legrest 51C with the rack 55C. Further, the slide mechanism 55 includes a plurality of pinions 55P to 55S in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body portion 52. As shown in FIG. A plurality of pinions 55P-55S are provided so as to be engageable with the three racks 55A-55C. The slide mechanism 55 also includes a motor 55T and a gear 55U above the rotation mechanism 56 (shown in FIG. 14). A gear 55U rotated by rotation of a motor 55T is connected to pinions 55P to 55S via a belt 55V.

When the motor 55T rotates the gear 55U counterclockwise from the state shown in FIG. 7A, the shafts of the pinions 55P to 55S rotate counterclockwise via the belt 55V. The rack 55A engaged with the teeth of the pinion 55P is pushed out to the left side (that is, to the gantry device 11 side) together with the backrest 51A by the counterclockwise rotating pinion 55P. On the other hand, when the motor 55T rotates the gear 55U clockwise from the state shown in FIG. 7B, the shafts of the pinions 55P to 55S rotate clockwise via the belt 55V. The rack 55A engaged with the teeth of the pinion 55P is pushed out to the right together with the backrest 51A by the clockwise rotating pinion 55P. Note that the slide operation of the placing section 51 is described as being electrically performed by the technician operating the input interface 44 through the driving of the motor 55T or the like, but the present invention is not limited to this case. For example, the sliding operation of the placing section 51 may be manually performed by a technician.

When the backrest 51A, the bottom 51B, and the legrest 51C of the placed portion 51 in the reclining state are slid together in a substantially horizontal direction, a locking mechanism such as a claw is provided so that the connection between them does not come off. Further provision is preferred. Alternatively, the slide mechanism 55 may be a mechanism in which a motor is installed above the rotating mechanism 56 (shown in FIG. 14) and power is transmitted through gears and belts.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a procedure for setting a wheelchair on the MRI apparatus 10. As shown in FIG. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a procedure for releasing the wheelchair from the MRI apparatus 10. As shown in FIG. 10 to 12 are diagrams for explaining the state of the wheelchair 50 with respect to the MRI apparatus 10. FIG.

An operator, for example, a technician, moves the wheelchair 50 on which the patient is placed to a predetermined position in front of the gantry 11 of the MRI apparatus 10 (step ST1). FIG. 10(A) shows a state in which the wheelchair 50 has been moved to a predetermined position in step ST1. The predetermined position is a position in front of the gantry device 11 in the X-axis direction and a position away from the gantry device 11 by a predetermined distance in the Z-axis direction. The predetermined distance is a distance at which the chair-shaped mounting portion 51 fixed to the floor surface can be connected to the gantry device 11 in a flat shape. By providing a mark or the like on the floor surface corresponding to the predetermined position, the technician can fix the wheelchair 50 at an appropriate position on the floor.

After step ST1, the engineer fixes the wheel portion 53 of the wheelchair 50 (step ST2). For example, the position of the wheel portion 53 of the wheelchair 50 is fixed by operating the locking mechanism of the rear wheel 53A of the wheel portion 53 by the technician.

Following step ST2, the engineer connects the cable C extending from the port cable 51S to the gantry device 11 (step ST3). FIG. 10B shows a state in which the cable C of the wheelchair 50 is connected to the gantry device 11 in step ST3. By connecting the cable C to the gantry device 11 , the RF signal obtained from the local coil 20 can be transmitted to the RF receiver 33 of the gantry device 11 . The connection of the cable C to the gantry device 11 may be performed via a connector provided in advance under the floor as shown in FIG. not shown).

Further, in step ST3, an operation control cable (not shown) may be connected to the gantry 11 by the engineer to supply a control signal for instructing an operation to be described later via the input interface 44. The motion is at least one of the lifting motion (steps ST4, ST12), the transforming motion (steps ST5, ST11), and the sliding motion (steps ST7, ST9). By connecting the motion control cable to the gantry device 11 and operating the input interface 44 by the engineer, the motion of the wheelchair 50 can be controlled.

Subsequent to step ST3, the operator operates the input interface 44 to raise the placing section 51 and the body section 52 of the wheelchair 50 relative to the wheel section 53 (step ST4). FIG. 10C shows a state in which the mounting section 51 is raised to a predetermined height in step ST4. As a result, the mounting portion 51 is set at a height at which it can be inserted into the bore W of the gantry device 11 .

Subsequent to step ST4, the engineer operates the input interface 44 so that the placing section 51 and the vehicle body section 52 are transformed from the chair type to the flat type (step ST5). FIG. 11A shows a state in which the mounting portion 51 is flattened in step ST5.

Following step ST5, the technician attaches the local coil 20, for example, the head coil 20 to the patient U, and connects the RF cable of the head coil 20 to the port P (shown in FIG. 3C) of the port unit 51S ( step ST6). FIG. 11B shows a state in which the head coil 20 is attached to the patient U in step ST6.

Following step ST6, the mounting section 51 is inserted into the bore W of the gantry device 11 by sliding the mounting section 51 in the substantially horizontal direction (positive direction of the Z-axis) with respect to the vehicle body section 52 (step ST7). FIG. 11(C) shows the state during the sliding operation of the placing section 51 in step ST7. FIG. 12 shows the state after the placing section 51 has been slid in step ST7.

After step ST7, imaging of the patient U on the placement section 51 inserted into the bore W of the gantry device 11 is performed (step ST8).

Subsequent to step ST8, when the imaging of the patient U is completed, the mounting section 51 is slid substantially horizontally (Z-axis negative direction) with respect to the vehicle body section 52, whereby the patient is mounted from within the bore W of the gantry device 11. The part 51 is saved (step ST9). FIG. 11(C) shows the state during the sliding operation of the placing section 51 in step ST9. FIG. 11B shows the state after the placing section 51 has been slid in step ST9.

Following step ST9, the technician disconnects the RF cable of the head coil 20 from the port unit 51S and removes the head coil 20 attached to the patient U (step ST10). FIG. 11A shows the state in which the head coil 20 is detached in step ST10.

Subsequent to step ST10, the engineer operates the input interface 44 so that the placing section 51 and the vehicle body section 52 are transformed from the flat type to the chair type (step ST11). FIG. 10C shows a state in which the placement section 51 is transformed into a chair shape in step ST11.

Following step ST11, the engineer operates the input interface 44 to lower the mounting portion 51 and the body portion 52 of the wheelchair 50 with respect to the wheel portion 53 (step ST12). FIG. 10B shows a state in which the placement section 51 is lowered to a predetermined height in step ST12. Thereby, the patient U placed on the wheelchair 50 is set to a height at which the patient can move safely.

After step ST12, the technician disconnects the cable C extending from the port cable 51S from the gantry device 11 (step ST13). FIG. 10(A) shows a state in which the connection of the wheelchair 50 to the gantry device 11 has been released in step ST13.

Also, in step ST3, if the engineer has connected the motion control cable (not shown) to the gantry device 11, the engineer disconnects the motion control cable from the gantry device 11 in step ST13.

Following step ST13, the technician releases the wheels of the wheelchair (step ST14), and the technician safely moves the wheelchair 50 from the MRI apparatus 50 (step ST15).

As described above, according to the wheelchair 50, the placing portion 51 and the like can be deformed into a flat shape and connected to the MRI apparatus 10, and the flat placing portion 51 can be used while the patient U is placed thereon. It can be slid and inserted into the bore W of the gantry device 11 . Further, by electrically connecting the MRI apparatus 10 and the wheelchair 50, the MRI apparatus 10 can operate the placing section 51 to lift, deform, and slide. Incidentally, the lifting operation, deformation operation, and sliding operation of the placing section 51 may be performed electrically or pneumatically by the operation on the MRI apparatus 10 side, or may be manually performed by the technician. good too.

As described above, according to the wheelchair 50, not only does it become unnecessary for the technician to transfer the patient U to the placement section 51, but the patient U placed on the placement section 51 is lifted up. A deformation of the placing portion 51, that is, a reclining function can be used. Thereby, according to the wheelchair 50, the burden on the technician and the patient U involved in the transfer work of the patient U can be reduced.

1. First Modification The placing portion 51 of the wheelchair 50 may have a local coil 20 such as a spine coil installed therein.

13A and 13B are diagrams showing the configuration of the placing portion 51 of the wheelchair 50. FIG. FIG. 13A is a diagram showing a side surface (field of view in the negative direction of the X-axis) of the mounting portion 51 in a chair-shaped state. FIG. 13B is a diagram showing a side surface (field of view in the negative direction of the X-axis) of the mounting portion 51 in a flat state. FIG. 13C is a diagram showing the rear surface of the mounting portion 51 in the flat state (view in the positive direction of the Y-axis). FIG. 13D is a diagram showing the front surface of the mounting section 51 in the flat state (view in the positive Z-axis direction).

As shown in FIGS. 13A to 13D, the mounting section 51 has a local coil 20, for example, a spine coil 51T. The RF cable 51U of the spine coil 51T extends to the port P of the port unit 51S through the lower groove for cable C (illustrated in FIG. 13(C)). The MR signal received by spine coil 51T is output via port P and cable C to RF receiver 33 (shown in FIG. 1). Also, since the spine coil 51T is composed of a plurality of coil elements, the RF cable 51U of each coil element is connected to one port P (shown in FIG. 13(C)).

As described above, according to the first modification of the wheelchair 50, in addition to the above-described effects of the wheelchair 50, as in the case of the top plate of the fixed bed, the patient U is locally placed on the placing portion. A coil 20 may be provided therein.

2. Second Modification The placing portion 51 and the vehicle body portion 52 of the wheelchair 50 may be provided with a rotation mechanism that rotates with respect to the support portion 54 .

14 and 15 are diagrams showing the configuration of the rotation mechanism 56 of the wheelchair 50. FIG. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a side surface (field of view in the negative direction of the X-axis) of the mounting portion 51 in the case of a chair type. FIG. 15A is a diagram showing the back surface of the placement section 51 (field of view in the positive direction of the Y-axis) in the case of the flat type and the Head_First posture. FIG. 15B is a diagram showing the back surface of the placement section 51 (field of view in the positive direction of the Y-axis) in the case of the flat type and the Foot_First posture.

As shown in FIGS. 14 and 15 , the rotation mechanism 56 has a mechanism for rotating the mounting portion 51 and the vehicle body portion 52 with respect to the support portion 54 . The rotating mechanism 56 allows the mounting portion 51 and the vehicle body portion 52 fixed to the rotating portion of the rotating mechanism 56 to rotate about the Y-axis with respect to the supporting portion 54 .

Thereafter, the patient U can be inserted into the MRI apparatus 10 from the leg side of the patient U. In other words, the posture of inserting the gantry device 11 into the bore can be changed from Head_First (shown in FIG. 11(C)) to Foot_First. Note that the rotating operation by the rotating mechanism 56 may be electrically performed by driving a motor (not shown) or the like by operating the input interface 44 by the engineer, or may be manually performed by the engineer.

As described above, according to the second modification of the wheelchair 50, in addition to the effects of the wheelchair 50 described above, it is possible to reduce the burden on the technician and the patient U involved in the postural change work of the patient U.

3. Third Modification The placing portion 51 of the wheelchair 50 is divided not only in the longitudinal direction but also in the lateral direction, and has a configuration in which the left and right placing elements divided in the lateral direction are moved independently. good too.

16A and 16B are diagrams showing the configuration of the protrusion mechanism 57 of the wheelchair 50. FIG. FIG. 16A is a diagram showing the rear surface of the mounting portion 51 in the flat state (view in the positive direction of the Y-axis). FIG. 16B is a view showing the rear surface (field of view in the positive direction of the Z-axis) of the mounting portion 51 in the flat state.

As shown in FIGS. 16A and 16B, the mounting portion 51 is divided in the longitudinal direction and has a plurality of mounting elements divided in the lateral direction (horizontal direction). For example, the placement section 51 includes a plurality of placement elements, such as a left backrest 51AL that supports the patient's left back in a chair shape, a right backrest 51AR that supports the patient's right back, and a patient's buttocks. It comprises a supporting bottom 51B and a leg rest 51C supporting the patient's leg. Further, a projecting mechanism 57 capable of projecting one of the left and right backrests 51AL and 51AR is provided by moving the one.

From the state shown in FIG. 16(A), the right backrest 51AR of the left and right backrests 51AL and 51AR is projected relative to the left backrest 51AL by driving the projection mechanism 57 (shown in FIG. 16(B)). . As a result, the upper body of the patient U is twisted so that the right shoulder side of the patient U who is held in the sitting position on the placement part 51 is higher than the left shoulder side, so that the technician standing on the left side of the patient U can move the patient U. can be easily held. Note that the projection operation by the projection mechanism 57 may be electrically performed by driving a motor (not shown) or the like by operating the input interface 44 by the engineer, or may be manually performed by the engineer.

As described above, according to the third modified example of the wheelchair 50, in addition to the effects of the wheelchair 50 described above, the burden on the technician and the patient U involved in lifting the patient U up can be reduced.

According to at least one embodiment described above, the burden on the technician and the patient U involved in lifting the patient U up and the like can be reduced.

Although several embodiments of the invention have been described above, these embodiments are presented by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention described in the claims and its equivalents.

1 MRI system 10 MRI apparatus 50 MRI mobile bed (MRI wheelchair)
51 Mounting portion 52 Body portion 53 Wheel portion 54 Support portion 55 Slide mechanism 56 Rotation mechanism 57 Projection mechanism

Claims (10)

a placement section having a plurality of placement elements divided in the longitudinal direction and a deformation mechanism capable of transforming into a chair shape and a flat shape by moving each placement element;
a vehicle body section including a plurality of vehicle body elements divided in the longitudinal direction and a deformation mechanism capable of transforming into a chair shape and a flat shape by moving each vehicle body element;
a wheel portion that supports the vehicle body portion via a support portion;
a slide mechanism having a structure capable of sliding the flat mounting portion in a substantially horizontal direction with respect to the flat vehicle body portion while the wheel portion is fixed to the floor;
with
The slide mechanism includes a plurality of racks provided for each of the mounting elements and a plurality of pinions provided in the longitudinal direction,
each of the plurality of pinions is provided to be engageable with one of the plurality of racks,
The plurality of racks are pushed out in the substantially horizontal direction by rotating the plurality of pinions.
MRI mobile bed. The placement unit is for placing a subject ,
Among the plurality of placement elements divided in the longitudinal direction, the placement element for supporting the back of the subject is divided into two placement elements further divided in the width direction. Further comprising a projection mechanism capable of projecting one of the mounting elements by moving,
The mobile bed for MRI according to claim 1. The support section includes a lifting mechanism that lifts and lowers the vehicle body section in a vertical direction with respect to the wheel section,
The movable bed for MRI according to claim 1 or 2. The deformation operation by the deformation mechanism, the slide operation by the slide mechanism, and the elevation operation by the elevation mechanism are controlled by the control of the MRI apparatus,
The mobile bed for MRI according to claim 3 . A port unit for connecting an RF cable is further provided on the head side of the mounting part,
The mounting portion has a groove for extending the cable from the port unit to the foot portion side,
The mobile bed for MRI according to claim 4 . The placing section has an RF coil therein,
the RF cable of the RF coil is connected to the port unit through the groove;
The mobile bed for MRI according to claim 5 . The RF coil is a spine coil,
The mobile bed for MRI according to claim 6 . further comprising a rotation mechanism capable of rotating the mounting portion with respect to the support portion about a vertical axis;
The mobile bed for MRI according to claim 7 . a placement section having a plurality of placement elements divided in the longitudinal direction and a deformation mechanism capable of transforming into a chair shape and a flat shape by moving each placement element;
a vehicle body section including a plurality of vehicle body elements divided in the longitudinal direction and a deformation mechanism capable of transforming into a chair shape and a flat shape by moving each vehicle body element;
a wheel portion that supports the vehicle body portion via a support portion;
a slide mechanism having a structure capable of sliding the flat mounting portion with respect to the flat vehicle body portion in a state where the wheel portion is fixed to a floor surface;
with
The slide mechanism includes a plurality of racks provided for each of the mounting elements and a plurality of pinions provided in the longitudinal direction,
each of the plurality of pinions is provided to be engageable with one of the plurality of racks,
The plurality of racks are pushed out substantially horizontally by the rotation of the plurality of pinions.
Wheelchair for MRI. The placement unit is for placing a subject ,
Among the plurality of placement elements divided in the longitudinal direction, the placement element for supporting the back of the subject is divided into two placement elements further divided in the width direction. Further comprising a projection mechanism capable of projecting one of the mounting elements by moving,
10. The MRI wheelchair of claim 9, comprising:

Images