WO2023020292A1

WO2023020292A1 - Systems and methods for optimizing medical imaging management

Info

Publication number: WO2023020292A1
Application number: PCT/CN2022/110269
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jiakang WANG; Xiangyu MA; Liu Liu; Xuchen ZHU
Original assignee: Shanghai United Imaging Healthcare Co., Ltd.
Priority date: 2021-08-16
Filing date: 2022-08-04
Publication date: 2023-02-23

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a system (100) and a method for optimizing medical imaging management. The system (100) may include an imaging device (210), a table module (220), and a transfer module (230). The imaging device (210) may include a bore (214) configured to accommodate a subject (400). The table module (220) may include an examination table (222) and a motion actuator (224). The motion actuator (224) may be configured to move the examination table (222) into or out of the bore (214). The transfer module (230) may include a support assembly (234) and a transfer table (232). The transfer table (232) may be movably disposed on the support assembly (234). The support assembly (234) may be configured to support the transfer table (232) and transport the transfer table (232), and the transfer table (232) may be configured to laterally connect to the examination table (222) and move with the examination table (222) into or out of the bore (214).

Description

SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR OPTIMIZING MEDICAL IMAGING MANAGEMENT

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority of Chinese Patent Application No. 202111229022.1, filed on October 21, 2021, Chinese Patent Application No. 202122030025.4, filed on August 26, 2021, and Chinese Patent Application No. 202110936528. X, filed on August 16, 2021, the contents of each of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The disclosure generally relates to the field of imaging devices, and more particularly to systems and methods for optimizing medical imaging management.

BACKGROUND

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a non-invasive medical imaging technique, which is widely used for clinical diagnosis. Intraoperative MRI (iMRI) is a procedure that creates MRI images during surgery. In order to improve the utilization rate of an MRI device, it is often necessary to share one MRI device positioned in an examination room by a number of operating rooms. Thus, in such iMRI scenarios, a subject (e.g., a patient, an animal) needs to be transferred between the examination room and his/her operating room and various subjects may need to access the MRI device smoothly and from different directions to improve efficiency. Therefore, it is desirable to provide systems and methods for optimizing medical imaging management to improve the efficiency of subject transfer and access to the MRI device.

SUMMARY

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a system for optimizing medical imaging management is provided. The system may include a medical imaging device including a bore configured to accommodate a subject; a table module including an examination table and a motion actuator, the motion actuator being configured to move the examination table into or out of the bore; and a transfer module including a support assembly and a transfer table, the transfer table being movably disposed on the support assembly. The support assembly may be configured to support the transfer table and transport the transfer table, and the transfer table may be configured to laterally connect to the examination table and move with the examination table into or out of the bore.

In some embodiments, the bore may have a first side and a second side, which are opposite to each other along an axial direction of the bore. The table module may be disposed at the first side of the bore.

In some embodiments, the transfer table may be configured to move into or out of the bore with the examination table from the second side of the bore.

In some embodiments, the bore may include a guiding rail, and the transfer table may be configured to move along the guiding rail.

In some embodiments, the system may further include a first guiding module configured to guide the transfer table to laterally connect to the examination table.

In some embodiments, the first guiding module may include a first guiding protrusion and a first guiding groove that are configured to attach to each other to guide the transfer table to approach to the examination table. One of the first guiding protrusion and the first guiding groove may be disposed at an end of the examination table, and another one of the first guiding protrusion and the first guiding groove may be disposed at an end of the transfer table.

In some embodiments, the first guiding module may further include a shock absorber. The shock absorber may be disposed between the first guiding protrusion and the transfer table or the examination table.

In some embodiments, the system may further include a second guiding module. When the transfer table moves into the bore from the first side of the bore, the motion actuator may be further configured to control the examination table to descend, and the second guiding module may be configured to guide the support assembly of the transfer module to move along a long-axis direction of the examination table.

In some embodiments, the system may further include a position detector configured to determine whether the transfer module is approaching the medical imaging device from the first side of the bore.

In some embodiments, the system may further include a third guiding module configured to guide the support assembly of the transfer module to connect to a guiding rail of the bore. The transfer table may be configured to move along the guiding rail into or out of the bore from the first side.

In some embodiments, the system may further include a computing device configured to determine, based on a region of interest (ROI) of the subject, a movement plan for moving the examination table. The movement plan may include a plurality of safety speeds of the ROI. Each of the plurality of safety speeds may correspond to one position of the ROI during movement of the examination table into the bore. The computing device may further be configured to generate a table control command based on the movement plan, and control the motion actuator to adjust an actual speed of the examination table to an adjusted speed based on the table control command, so that the adjusted speed at each position is not greater than the corresponding safety speed.

In some embodiments, a display which faces inside of the bore may be installed on a side wall of the bore, and a transparent layer may be arranged to cover the display from inside of the bore.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a method of optimizing medical imaging may be provided. The method may be implemented on a computing device having at least one processor and at least one storage device. The method may include determining an optimal side from a first side and a second side of a bore of a medical imaging device for a transfer module to approach the medical imaging device; controlling the transfer module, which is configured to transfer a subject, to move to approach the medical imaging device from the optimal side; and moving a transfer table of the transfer module into the bore of the medical imaging device from the optimal side.

In some embodiments, the moving a transfer table of the transfer module into the bore of the medical imaging device from the optimal side may include upon a determination that the optimal side is the first side: instructing a motion actuator of a table module to control an examination table of the table module to descend, guiding a support assembly of the transfer module to connect to a guiding rail of the bore, and controlling the transfer table to move along the guiding rail into the bore from the first side.

In some embodiments, the moving a transfer table of the transfer module into the bore of the medical imaging device from the optimal side may include upon a determination that the optimal side is the second side: instructing a motion actuator of a table module to control an examination table of the table module to move to the second side, connecting the examination table with the transfer table, and controlling the transfer table to move with the examination table into the bore from the second side.

According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, a transfer apparatus configured to transfer a subject to be imaged by a medical imaging device is provided. The transfer apparatus may include a transfer module including a support assembly and a transfer table. The transfer table may be movably disposed on the support assembly. The transfer apparatus may further include a connector including a connecting element and a cooperating element that cooperate with each other to connect an examination table of the medical imaging device and the transfer table. One of the connecting element and the cooperating element may be disposed at the transfer table, another one of the connecting element and the cooperating element may be disposed at the examination table. The examination table may drive the transfer table to move along an axial direction of a bore of the medical imaging device through the connector.

In some embodiments, the transfer apparatus may further include a first guiding module configured to guide the transfer table to laterally connect to the examination table.

In some embodiments, the first guiding protrusion may include a connection segment and a guiding segment. One end of the connection segment may be connected to the guiding segment and another end of the connection segment is connected to the examination table or the transfer table. An outer peripheral surface of the guiding segment may have a guiding surface for guiding the first guiding protrusion to move into the first guiding groove.

Additional features will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following and the accompanying drawings or may be learned by production or operation of the examples. The features of the present disclosure may be realized and attained by practice or use of various aspects of the methodologies, instrumentalities, and combinations set forth in the detailed examples discussed below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present disclosure is further described in terms of exemplary embodiments. These exemplary embodiments are described in detail with reference to the drawings. The drawings are not to scale. These embodiments are non-limiting exemplary embodiments, in which like reference numerals represent similar structures throughout the several views of the drawings, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary medical imaging management optimization system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a front view of an exemplary imaging system when a transfer module is located on a service side of an imaging device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 illustrates an enlarged view of part A in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a stereoscopic view of an exemplary imaging system when a transfer module is located on a service side of an imaging device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 illustrates an enlarged view of part B in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6A is a front view of an exemplary imaging system when a transfer table is outside a bore of an imaging device at a patient side of the imaging device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6B is a front view of an exemplary imaging system when a portion of a transfer table is inside a bore of an imaging device at a patient side of the imaging device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7A is a stereoscopic view of an exemplary imaging system when a transfer module is located on a patient side of an imaging device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7B illustrates an enlarged view of part C in FIG. 7A;

FIG. 7C illustrates an enlarged view of part D in FIG. 7A;

FIGs. 8A and 8B illustrate different perspective views of an exemplary imaging system when a transfer module is located on a patient side of an imaging device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 9 is a schematic block diagram illustrating an exemplary processing devices according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process for transferring a subject during surgery according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary bore according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 12 is a structural exploded view of the bore shown in FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram illustrating a cross-sectional view of the bore shown in FIG. 11;

FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram illustrating a subject in a bore of a medical device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram illustrating a connection relationship among a display, one or more cameras, and a first radio frequency shielding module according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram illustrating a connection relationship among a display, one or more cameras, and an outer shielding layer of a first radio frequency shielding module according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 17 illustrates an enlarged view of part E in FIG. 16;

FIGs. 18A and 18B are schematic block diagrams illustrating an exemplary processing devices according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 19 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process for controlling an examination table of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 20 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process for generating a movement plan according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 21 illustrates an exemplary gradient magnetic field of an MRI device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 22 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process for controlling an examination table of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description is presented to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the present disclosure and is provided in the context of a particular application and its requirements. Various modifications to the disclosed embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Thus, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments shown but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the claims.

An aspect of the present disclosure relates to systems for optimizing medical imaging management. The systems may include a medical imaging device, a table module, and a transfer module. The medical imaging device may include a bore configured to accommodate a subject. The table module may include an examination table and a motion actuator. The motion actuator may be configured to move the examination table into or out of the bore. The transfer module may include a support assembly and a transfer table. The transfer table may be movably disposed on the support assembly. The support assembly may be configured to support the transfer table and transport the transfer table, and the transfer table may be configured to laterally connect to the examination table and move with the examination table into or out of the bore.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the subject (e.g., a patient or an animal) may be transferred between an examination room and an operating room. For example, if a patient needs to be imaged during surgery, the patient may be transferred from the operating room to the examination room via the transfer module and imaged by the medical imaging device. After being imaged by the medical imaging device, the patient may further be transferred from the examination room to the operating room via the transfer module. In the process of imaging the patient, the transfer table of the transfer module may be connected to and moved with the examination table which is driven by the motion actuator. The transfer table (or the transfer module) may not need to occupy the power and connectivity socket of the examination table, which effectively solves the problem of easy wear and tear of the socket caused by the insertion and removal of the plug of the transfer table (or the transfer module) and the examination table, thereby ensuring the performance of the examination table and the reliability of the medical imaging device. Moreover, when the medical imaging device does not image the intraoperative subject, the medical imaging device may perform conventional imaging tasks, thereby improving the utilization rate of the medical imaging device.

Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to systems and methods for controlling an examination table of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device. The methods may include obtaining a movement plan corresponding to a region of interest (ROI) of a subject for moving the examination table. The movement plan may include a plurality of safety speeds of the ROI. Each of the plurality of safety speeds may correspond to one position of the ROI during movement of the examination table into the bore. The methods may further include generating, based on the movement plan, a table control command. The methods may further include controlling, based on the table control command, a motion actuator to adjust an actual speed of the examination table to an adjusted speed, so that the adjusted speed at each position is not greater than the corresponding safety speed. According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, by setting different safety speeds for the ROI at different positions in the bore of the MRI device, and controlling the actual speed of the examination table based on different safety speeds, the efficiency of moving the examination table may be improved while avoiding the discomfort of the subject (e.g., a patient) , thereby meeting clinical scanning requirements.

A further aspect of the present disclosure relates to the design of a bore of a medical device. A display which faces inside of the bore may be installed on a side wall of the bore, and a transparent layer may be arranged to cover the display from inside of the bore. Accordingly, when a subject (e.g., a child, a patient) is located in the bore for medical treatment and/or imaging, a content (e.g., a pattern, a video) may be displayed on the display. In such cases, an operator of the medical device may be enabled to interact with the subject to be imaged. In some embodiments, the side wall of the bore may be provided with a mounting groove, and the display may be installed in the mounting groove, so that a relatively large mounting space for the display along a radial direction of the bore may be provided. Therefore, an accommodation space of the subject in the bore and a distance between the display and the subject may be increased, thereby improving the visual effect of the subject viewing the content displayed on the display.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary medical imaging management optimization system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the medical imaging management optimization system 100 may include an imaging system 110, a processing device 120, a storage device 130, a terminal device 140, and a network 150.

The components in the medical imaging management optimization system 100 may be connected in one or more of various ways. Merely by way of example, the imaging system 110 may be connected to the processing device 120 through the network 150. As another example, the imaging system 110 may be connected to the processing device 120 directly as illustrated in FIG. 1. As a further example, the terminal device 140 may be connected to another component of the medical imaging management optimization system 100 (e.g., the processing device 120) via the network 150. As still a further example, the terminal device 140 may be connected to the processing device 120 directly as illustrated by the dotted arrow in FIG. 1. As still a further example, the storage device 130 may be connected to another component of the medical imaging management optimization system 100 (e.g., the processing device 120) directly as illustrated in FIG. 1, or through the network 150.

The imaging system 110 may be configured to acquire imaging data relating to at least part of a subject (e.g., an intraoperative patient) . In some embodiments, the imaging data may be a two-dimensional (2D) imaging data, a three-dimensional (3D) imaging data, a four-dimensional (4D) imaging data, or the like, or any combination thereof. The subject may be biological or non-biological. For example, the subject may include a patient, an animal, a man-made object, etc. As another example, the subject may include a specific portion, organ, and/or tissue of the patient. For example, the subject may include the head, the neck, the thorax, the heart, the stomach, a blood vessel, soft tissue, a tumor, nodules, or the like, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the imaging system 110 may include a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system, a computed tomography (CT) system, a CT-MRI system, a positron emission tomography (PET) system, a PET- CT system, a PET-MRI system, a single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) system, a digital subtraction angiography (DSA) system, or the like, or any combination thereof.

In some embodiments, the imaging system 110 may include an imaging device 210, a table module 220, and a transfer module 230. More descriptions for the imaging system 110 may be found elsewhere in the present disclosure (e.g., FIGs. 2-22 and the descriptions thereof) .

The processing device 120 may process data and/or information obtained from the imaging system 110, the terminal device 140, and/or the storage device 130. For example, the processing device 120 may obtain a transfer path for transferring the transfer module 230. The processing device 120 may control the transfer module 230 to approach the imaging device 210 according to the transfer path. As another example, the processing device 120 may obtain a movement plan corresponding to an ROI of a subject for moving an examination table of the imaging system 110. The processing device 120 may generate a table control command based on the movement plan. The processing device 120 may control a motion actuator to adjust an actual speed of the examination table to an adjusted speed based on the table control command.

In some embodiments, the processing device 120 may include a central processing unit (CPU) , a digital signal processor (DSP) , a system on a chip (SoC) , a microcontroller unit (MCU) , or the like, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the processing device 120 may be a computer, a user console, a single server or a server group, etc. The server group may be centralized or distributed. In some embodiments, the processing device 120 may be local or remote. For example, the processing device 120 may access information and/or data stored in the imaging system 110, the terminal device 140, and/or the storage device 130 via the network 150. As another example, the processing device 120 may be directly connected to the imaging system 110 (e.g., the imaging device 210) , the terminal device 140, and/or the storage device 130 to access stored information and/or data. In some embodiments, the processing device 120 may be implemented on a cloud platform. Merely by way of example, the cloud platform may include a private cloud, a public cloud, a hybrid cloud, a community cloud, a distributed cloud, an inter-cloud, a multi-cloud, or the like, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the processing device 120 may be implemented on a processing circuit (e.g., a processor, a CPU) of the terminal device 140.

The storage device 130 may store data, instructions, and/or any other information. In some embodiments, the storage device 130 may store data obtained from the terminal device 140 and/or the processing device 120. The data may include image data acquired by the imaging system 110, algorithms and/or models for processing the image data, etc. In some embodiments, the storage device 130 may store data and/or instructions that the processing device 120 may execute or use to perform exemplary methods/systems described in the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the storage device 130 may include a mass storage, removable storage, a volatile read-and-write memory, a read-only memory (ROM) , or the like, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the storage device 130 may be implemented on a cloud platform as described elsewhere in the disclosure.

In some embodiments, the storage device 130 may be connected to the network 150 to communicate with one or more other components in the medical imaging management optimization system 100 (e.g., the processing device 120, the terminal device 140, etc. ) . One or more components in the medical imaging management optimization system 100 may access the data or instructions stored in the storage device 130 via the network 150. In some embodiments, the storage device 130 may be part of the processing device 120.

The terminal device 140 may be connected to and/or communicate with the imaging system 110, the processing device 120, and/or the storage device 130. For example, the terminal device 140 may obtain a processed image from the processing device 120. As another example, the terminal device 140 may enable user interactions with the medical imaging management optimization system 100. In some embodiments, the terminal device 140 may include a mobile device 140-1, a tablet computer 140-2, a laptop computer 140-3, or the like, or any combination thereof. For example, the mobile device 140-1 may include a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA) , a gaming device, a navigation device, a point of sale (POS) device, a laptop, a tablet computer, a desktop, or the like, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the terminal device 140 may include an input device, an output device, etc. The input device may include alphanumeric and other keys that may be input via a keyboard, a touch screen (for example, with haptics or tactile feedback) , a speech input, an eye-tracking input, a brain monitoring system, or any other comparable input mechanism. The input information received through the input device may be transmitted to the processing device 120 via, for example, a bus, for further processing. Other types of input device may include a cursor control device, such as a mouse, a trackball, or cursor direction keys, etc. The output device may include a display, a speaker, a printer, or the like, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the terminal device 140 may be part of the processing device 120.

The network 150 may include any suitable network that can facilitate the exchange of information and/or data for the medical imaging management optimization system 100. In some embodiments, one or more components of the imaging system 110 (e.g., an MRI system) , the terminal device 140, the processing device 120, the storage device 130, etc., may communicate information and/or data with one or more other components of the medical imaging management optimization system 100 via the network 150. For example, the processing device 120 may obtain data from the imaging system 110 via the network 150. As another example, the processing device 120 may obtain user instructions from the terminal device 140 via the network 150. The network 150 may be and/or include a public network (e.g., the Internet) , a private network (e.g., a local area network (LAN) , a wide area network (WAN) ) , etc. ) , a wired network (e.g., an Ethernet network) , a wireless network (e.g., an 802.11 network, a Wi-Fi network, etc. ) , a cellular network (e.g., a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network) , a frame relay network, a virtual private network ( “VPN” ) , a satellite network, a telephone network, routers, hubs, switches, server computers, and/or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the network 150 may include one or more network access points. For example, the network 150 may include wired and/or wireless network access points such as base stations and/or internet exchange points through which one or more components of the medical imaging management optimization system 100 may be connected to the network 150 to exchange data and/or information.

It should be noted that the above description of the medical imaging management optimization system 100 is merely provided for the purposes of illustration, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. For persons having ordinary skills in the art, multiple variations and modifications may be made under the teachings of the present disclosure. For example, the assembly and/or function of the medical imaging management optimization system 100 may be varied or changed according to specific implementation scenarios.

FIG. 2 is a front view of an exemplary imaging system when a transfer module is located on a service side of an imaging device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 illustrates an enlarged view of part A in FIG. 2. As illustrated in FIGs. 2 and 3, the imaging system 110 may include an imaging device 210, a table module 220, and a transfer module 230.

The imaging device 210 may include a bore (e.g., a bore 214 shown in FIG. 4) configured to accommodate a subject (e.g., an intraoperative patient) . The bore 214 may have a first side and a second side, which are opposite to each other along an axial direction denoted by double arrow ZZ’ in FIG. 2 of the bore. In some embodiments, a display may be installed on a side wall of the bore 214. More descriptions about the bore may be found elsewhere in the present disclosure (e.g., FIG. 11 and the descriptions thereof) . In some embodiments, the first side of the bore 214 may also be referred to as a patient side of the imaging device 210 (i.e., to a direction (in reference to the imaging device 210) denoted by arrow Z) , and the second side of the bore 214 may also be referred to as a service side of the imaging device 210 (i.e., to a direction (in reference to the imaging device 210) denoted by arrow Z’) . In some embodiments, the imaging device 210 conducts its regular imaging tasks (non-iMRI procedures) by receiving patients from the first side (or patient side) . In some embodiments, the imaging device 210 may include an MRI device, a CT device, etc., as described in FIG. 1.

The table module 220 may be disposed at the first side of the bore 214 (i.e., the patient side of the imaging device 210) . The table module 220 may include an examination table 222 and a motion actuator 224. The examination table 222 may be configured to locate and/or support a subject. The motion actuator 224 may be configured to move the examination table 222 into or out of the bore 214. For example, a subject may be placed on the examination table 222 and driven by the motion actuator 224 to move into a detecting region (i.e., a space of the bore 214) of the imaging device 210. In some embodiments, the motion actuator 224 may control the examination table 222 according to a movement plan as described in connection with process 1900 illustrated in FIG. 19. In some embodiments, the table module 220 may be integrated into the imaging device 210. That is, the table module 220 and the imaging device 210 may be collectively referred to as an imaging device.

The transfer module 230 may include a transfer table 232 and a support assembly 234. The support assembly 234 may be configured to support the transfer table 232. The transfer table 232 may be movably disposed on the support assembly 234. For example, the support assembly 234 may include a rail, and the transfer table 232 may be movably installed on the rail. That is, the transfer table 232 may be moved along the rail. In some embodiments, the transfer module 230 may help the subject to access the imaging device 210 from either the first side or the second side, thereby shortening the time of access during operation, improving efficiency, and possibly saving lives. Specifically, in some embodiments, the transfer table 232 may move into or out of the bore 214 from the first side of the bore 214 (i.e., the patient side of the imaging device 210) or the second side of the bore 214 (i.e., the service side of the imaging device 210) .

In some embodiments, the side from which the transfer module 230 approaches the bore 214 of the imaging device 210 may be determined by a position detector (not shown) . For example, the position detector (e.g., a camera, video recorder, a radar, a GPS system, etc. ) may be disposed at an end of the imaging device 210 facing the patient side to determine whether the transfer module 230 is approaching the imaging device 210 from the patient side of the bore 214. When the transfer module 230 approaches the imaging device 210 from the patient side, the position detector may transmit the acquired signal (e.g., a position signal of the transfer module 230) to the processing device 120. The processing device 120 may control the motion actuator 224 to drive the examination table 222 to descend (i.e., reducing height) so that the examination table 222 can avoid the transfer module 230 (i.e., prevent blocking the examination table 222) . In some embodiments, the position detector may be disposed at any other suitable location, such as a side wall of the examination room, the ground, the examination table 222, the transfer module 230, etc.

In some embodiments, in response to a determination that the transfer module 230 approaches the imaging device 210 from the patient side, the processing device 120 may employ a basic intraoperative mode to scan the subject. In some embodiments, in response to triggering the basic intraoperative mode, the processing device 120 may control the motion actuator 224 to drive the examination table 222 to descend, so as to avoid the transfer table 232, thereby facilitating pushing or pulling the transfer table 232 into or out of the bore 214. More descriptions about the situation of the transfer table 232 moving into or out of the bore 214 from the patient side may be found elsewhere in the present disclosure (e.g., FIGs. 6A-6B, 7A-7C, and 8A-8B and the descriptions thereof) .

In some embodiments, in response to a determination that the transfer module 230 approaches the imaging device 210 from the service side, the processing device 120 may employ an advanced intraoperative mode to scan the subject. In some embodiments, in response to triggering the advanced intraoperative mode, the processing device 120 may control the motion actuator 224 to drive the examination table 222 to move to the service side (e.g., move to a location where an end of the examination table 222 facing the service side is flush with an edge of the imaging device at the service side) , thereby connecting the examination table 222 with the transfer table 232.

Specifically, the transfer table 232 may laterally connect (e.g., via a connector 240 shown in FIG. 5) to the examination table 222 and move with the examination table 222 into or out of the bore 214. In such cases, the transfer module 230 may be located at the service side of the imaging device 210, and one end (or a short edge) of the examination table 222 facing the service side may be connected with one end of the transfer table 232 via the connector 240. More descriptions about the connector 240 may be found elsewhere in the present disclosure (e.g., FIG. 5 and the descriptions thereof) .

The support assembly 234 may also be configured to transport the transfer table 232 (e.g., from an operating room to an examination room) . A subject may lie on the transfer table 232. The support assembly 234 may transfer the transfer table 232, as well as the subject lying on the transfer table 232. In other words, the transfer module 230 may be configured to transfer the subject lying on the transfer table 232. For example, when a subject needs to be imaged during surgery, the transfer table 232 may carry the subject (i.e., the subject may lie on the transfer table 232, and a relative position between the subject and the transfer table 232 may be fixed) , and the support assembly 234 may transfer the transfer table 232, as well as the subject, from an operating room where the surgery is performed to an examination room where the imaging is performed. After imaging the subject using the imaging device 210, the support assembly 234 may further transfer the subject from the examination room to the operating room for further surgical operation. During the transferring process between the examination room and the operating room, the subject may lie on the transfer table 232 all the time, so as to ensure that the relative position of the subject and the transfer table 232 remains unchanged, thereby ensuring that the image of the subject acquired by the imaging device 210 can accurately guide the surgical operation. In some embodiments, the operating room and the examination room may be in the same room.

In some embodiments, the support assembly 234 may include a support plate 2342, a support frame 2344, and one or more casters 2346. As shown in FIG. 2, the support plate 2342 may be provided on the top of the support frame 2344, the one or more casters 2346 may be provided on the bottom of the support frame 2344, and the transfer table 232 may be movably disposed on the support plate 2342. When the transfer module 230 transfers the subject, the support plate 2342 and/or the support frame 2344 may be pushed (e.g., by a doctor) , and the support plate 2342 and/or the support frame 2344 may drive the caster (s) 2346 to move along the ground, thereby driving the transfer table 232 and the subject on it to move synchronously, so that the subject can be transferred between the examination room and the operating room.

In some embodiments, in order to ensure that the transfer table 232 can be accurately moved into or out of the bore 214, a guiding rail 212 along the axial direction of the bore 214 may be provided in the bore 214. The examination table 222 and/or the transfer table 232 may move along the guiding rail 212. It should be noted that, the descriptions about the examination table 222 or the transfer table 232 moving into or out of the bore 214 may also be understood as that the examination table 222 or the transfer table 232 may move into or out of the bore 214 along the guiding rail 212. In some embodiments, the guiding rail 212 is present at both the patient side and the service side. In some embodiments, the guiding rail 212 is only present at the service side, not the patient side. Such a design ensures that the guiding rail 212 can help the transfer table 232 to access the bore 214 in a precise and accurate manner from the service side, which does not normally have a guiding system that can actually be provided by the table module 220 if the subject is accessing the bore 214 from the patient side.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 3, the imaging system 110 may further include a first guiding module 250 configured to guide the transfer table 232 to laterally connect to the examination table 222. In some embodiments, a process of guiding two components of the imaging system 110 to connect to each other may also be referred to as a process for docking the two components. In some embodiments, the first guiding module 250 may include a first portion and a second portion that are configured to attach to each other to guide the transfer table 232 to approach the examination table 222. The two portions of the first guiding module 250 may be respectively disposed at the transfer module 230 and the imaging device 210 (or the examination table 222) . For example, the first portion of the first guiding module 250 may be disposed at an end of the examination table 222 facing the service side of the imaging device 210, and the second portion of the first guiding module 250 may be disposed at an end of the transfer table 232. As another example, the first portion of the first guiding module 250 may be disposed at an end surface of the imaging device 210 (e.g., the guiding rail 212) facing the service side, and the second portion of the first guiding module 250 may be disposed at an end of the support assembly 234 (e.g., an end of the support plate 2342) . During the process of docking the examination table 222 and the transfer table 232, the end of the transfer module 230 provided with one portion of the first guiding module 250 may be aligned with the end of the imaging device 210 (or the examination table 222) provided with the other portion of the first guiding module 250 through the two portions of first guiding module 250. In this way, the transfer table 232 may easily be moved to be in contact with the examination table 222 for connection through the connector 240.

Merely by way of example, the two portions of the first guiding module 250 may include a first guiding protrusion 252 and a first guiding groove (not shown) . The first guiding protrusion 252 may be disposed at the end of the examination table 222 facing the service side of the imaging device 210, and the first guiding groove may be disposed at the end of the support plate 2342 of the transfer component 234. During the process of docking the examination table 222 and the transfer table 232, the first guiding groove may gradually approach the first guiding protrusion 252, and then the first guiding protrusion 252 may move into the first guiding groove. When the transfer table 232 continues to move toward the examination table 222, the first guiding protrusion 252 may cooperate with the first guiding groove to guide the transfer table 232, so that the end of the support plate 2342 can be in contact with the end of the examination table 222, thereby realizing the docking of the examination table 222 and the transfer table 232.

In some embodiments, the first guiding protrusion 252 may include a column structure, a rod structure, or other structures capable of guiding. In some embodiments, the first guiding protrusion 252 may include a connection segment and a guiding segment. One end of the connection segment may be connected to the guiding segment, and another end of the connection segment may be connected to the end of the examination table 222 facing the service side. The outer peripheral surface of the guiding segment may have a guiding surface (e.g., a conical surface, an inclined surface, etc. ) for guiding the first guiding protrusion 252 to move into the first guiding groove, that is, to make the first guiding protrusion 252 easily enter the first guiding groove. Specifically, when the transfer table 232 approaches the examination table 222, the first guiding groove on the end of the support plate 2342 may gradually approach the guiding surface of the first guiding protrusion 252, and make the guiding surface enter the first guiding groove. As the transfer table 232 continues to move toward the examination table 222, the connection segment may also enter the first guiding groove. After the first t guiding protrusion 252 completely enters the first guiding groove, the support plate 2342 may be in contact with the examination table 222. At the same time, the transfer table 232 may be in contact with the examination table 222.

In some embodiments, the connection segment and the guiding segment may be integrally formed, which may ensure the structural reliability of the fur guiding protrusion 252 and facilitate the guiding operation of the first guiding protrusion 252. In some embodiments, the connection segment and the guiding segment may be formed separately.

In some embodiments, the first guiding module 250 may further include a shock absorber 254 disposed between the first guiding protrusion 252 and the transfer table 232 or the examination table 222. The shock absorber 254 may be configured to reduce the vibration generated when the examination table 222 is in contact with the support module 230 (e.g., the support table 232) . For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the shock absorber 254 may be disposed between the connection segment of the first guiding protrusion 252 and the end of the examination table 222 facing the service side to reduce the vibration generated when the examination table 222 is in contact with the support plate 2342, thereby presenting the vibration from affecting the subject lying on the transfer table 232. In some embodiments, the shock absorber 254 may include a shock-absorbing pad or other components with shock-absorbing properties.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, by disposing the support table 232 on the support assembly 234 movably, and driving the transfer table 232, as well as the subject lying on the transfer table 232, into or out of the bore 214 for imaging by the examination table 222 which is driven by the motion actuator 224, it is possible to prevent the position of the subject from moving and affecting the later operation effect. Thus, if there are several transfer modules, the imaging device 210 may meet the needs of intraoperative examination of multiple operating rooms, thereby improving the utilization rate of the imaging device 210. Moreover, the transfer module 230 may not need to be plugged and connected to the imaging device 210, so as to avoid the socket from being worn out due to the insertion and removal of plugs of the transfer table (or the transfer module) and the examination table.

It should be noted that the above description is merely provided for the purposes of illustration, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. For persons having ordinary skills in the art, multiple variations and modifications may be made under the teachings of the present disclosure. However, those variations and modifications do not depart from the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the imaging system 110 may include two or more first guiding modules to guide the transfer table 232 laterally connected to the examination table 222 at the service side of the imaging device 210. As another example, the imaging device 210 may include a treatment device (e.g., a radiation therapy (RT) device) .

FIG. 4 is a stereoscopic view of an exemplary imaging system when a transfer module is located on a service side of an imaging device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 5 illustrates an enlarged view of part B in FIG. 4. As shown in FIGs. 4 and 5, the imaging system 110 may include the connector 240 configured to connect the examination table 222 and the transfer table 232 at the service side.

When the transfer module 230 is located at the service side of the imaging device 210, the motion actuator 224 may drive the examination table 222 to move toward the service side, and the transfer table 232 may be pushed (e.g., by a doctor) to be in contact with the examination table 222. At this time, the examination table 222 and the transfer table 232 may be connected through the connector 240. Thus, when the motion actuator 224 drives the examination table 222 to move toward the patient side along the axial direction of the bore 214, the examination table 222 may synchronously drive the transfer table 232, as well as the subject lying on the transfer table 232, to move into the bore 214, so that the subject may be scanned and imaged using the imaging device 210. When the scanning is completed, the motion actuator 224 may further drive the examination table 222 to move toward the service side, and the examination table 222 may push the transfer table 232 out of the bore 214. Then, the connector 240 may be disassembled to disconnect the connection between the examination table 222 and the transfer table 232. The transfer table 232, as well as the subject, may be transported to the operating room for surgical operation.

In some embodiments, the connector 240 may include a connecting element 242 and a cooperating element 244 that cooperate with each other to connect the examination table 222 and the transfer table 232. The two portions of the connector 240 may be respectively disposed at the transfer table 232 and the examination table 222. Merely by way of example, as shown in FIG. 3, the connecting element 242 may be disposed on an end of the transfer table 232, and the cooperating element 244 may be disposed on an end of the examination table 222 facing the service side of the imaging device 210. The connecting element 242 and the cooperating element 244 may be matched and connected to each other so as to connect the transfer table 232 and the examination table 222.

In some embodiments, one end of the connecting element 242 may be rotationally disposed on the transfer table 232, and another end of the connecting element 242 may include a hook. When the transfer module 230 is in contact with the examination table 222, the connecting element 242 may be rotated to allow the hook to hook into the cooperating element 244. The cooperating element 244 may be matched with the hook at the end of the connecting element 242. In this way, when the motion actuator 224 drives the examination table 222 to move in the axial direction of the bore 214, the examination table 222 may drive/push the transfer table 232 to move synchronously through the cooperation between the cooperating element 244 and the hook of the connecting element 242.

In some embodiments, the connector 240 may include a connecting element and two cooperating elements that cooperate with each other to connect the examination table 222 and the transfer table 232. The connecting element may be independent of the transfer table 232 and the examination table 222, and the two cooperating elements of the connector 240 may be respectively disposed at the transfer table 232 and the examination table 222. For example, two ends of the connecting element may include hooks respectively, and each of the two cooperating elements may include a restriction groove. The two hooks of the connecting element may be respectively locked in the two restriction grooves, so as to limit the position of the connecting element, therapy connecting the transfer module 230 and the examination table 222. It should be noted that in some embodiments, the cooperating element may be other structures capable of matching with the hook of the connecting element. In some embodiments, the connecting of two components (e.g., the transfer table 232 and the examination table 222) may be automatic or manual. For example, the connector 240 may be connected to an actuator and in response to determining that a distance between the examination table 222 and the transfer table 232 is less than a distance threshold, the actuator may rotate the connecting element 242 to allow a hook of the connecting element 242 to hook into the cooperating element 244. As another example, when the examination table 222 attaches the transfer table 232, a user may connect the connecting element 242 and the cooperating element 244 manually.

FIG. 6A is a front view of an exemplary imaging system when a transfer table is outside a bore of an imaging device at a patient side of the imaging device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 6B is a front view of an exemplary imaging system when a portion of a transfer table is inside a bore of an imaging device at a patient side of the imaging device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 7A is a stereoscopic view of an exemplary imaging system when a transfer module is located on a patient side of an imaging device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 7B illustrates an enlarged view of part C in FIG. 7A. FIG. 7C illustrates an enlarged view of part D in FIG. 7A. FIGs. 8A and 8B illustrate different perspective views of an exemplary imaging system when a transfer module is located on a patient side of an imaging device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

As shown in FIGs. 6A, 6B, and 7A, in some embodiments, the transfer table 232 may move into or out of the bore 214 from the patient side of the imaging device 210. In such cases, the transfer module 230 may approach the imaging device 210 from the patient side of the imaging device 210. In response to a determination that the transfer module 230 approaches the imaging device 210 from the patient side, the motion actuator 224 may control the examination table 222 to descend so that the examination table 222 is no longer aligned with the guiding rail 212 in the bore 214. As used herein, the alignment of the transfer table 232 (or the examination table 222) with the guiding rail 212 may refer that the transfer table 232 (or the examination table 222) is in a position where the transfer table 232 (or the examination table 222) can move onto the guiding rail 212 if the transfer table 232 (or the examination table 222) is pushed, and if the transfer table 232 (or the examination table 222) is pushed further, the transfer table 232 (or the examination table 222) may move along the guiding rail 212. Specifically, the support frame 2344 may support two sides of the support plate 2342 along the long-axis of the support plate 2342, thus the support frame 2344 and the support plate 2342 may enclose an accommodating space for accommodating the examination table 222 and/or the motion actuator 224. The support plate 2342 and the support frame 2344 of the transfer module 230 may be allowed to move above the examination table 222. Then, the transfer module 230 may be moved (e.g., be pushed by a doctor) to be suspended on the examination table 222. The transfer table 232, as well as the subject lying on the transfer table 232, may be pushed by an operator into the bore 214 for imaging. After the subject is imaged, the transfer table 232 may further be pulled out of the bore 214 by the operator and the transfer module 230 may be moved from the examination room to the operating room.

In some embodiments, during the process of transferring the subject from the examination room to the operating room, when the transfer module 230 is far away (e.g., at a distance) from the imaging device 210 (or the table module 220) , the motion actuator 224 may drive the examination table 222 to ascend, so that the examination table 222 can move into or out of the bore 214 along the guiding rail 212. In such cases, the imaging device 210 may image non-surgical subjects. Alternatively, when the transfer module 230 is far away from the imaging device 210 (or the table module 220) , the motion actuator 224 may not drive the examination table 222 to ascend. In such cases, another transfer table may be allowed to move into or out of the bore 214 from the patient side. Thus, other intraoperative subjects may be scanned by the imaging device 210.

In some embodiments, the imaging system 110 may include a second guiding module 260 configured to guide the support assembly 234 of the transfer module 230 to move along a long-axis direction of the examination table 222. In this way, the collision between the transfer module 230 and the examination table 222 may be avoided, and the transfer table 232 may be easily aligned with the guiding rail 212. In other words, the transfer table 232 may be accurately moved onto the guiding rail 212, and then can be moved into the bore 214 along the guiding rail 212.

In some embodiments, the second guiding module 260 may include two portions that are configured to attach to each other to guide the transfer component 234 to approach the examination table 222. The two portions of the second guiding module 260 may be respectively disposed on a side of a long edge of the examination table 222 and a side of the transfer component 234 corresponding to the long edge of the examination table 222. During the process of docking the examination table 222 and the transfer component 234, after the motion actuator 224 drives the examination table 222 to descend, the transfer module 230 may move along the examination table 222 through the second guiding module 260 to ensure that the transfer table 232 is aligned with the guiding rail 212.

Merely by way of example, as shown in FIG. 7B, the second guiding module 260 may include a guiding element 262 disposed on the side of the long edge of the examination table 222 and a moving element 264 disposed on the corresponding side of the support frame 2344 of the transfer component 234. In some embodiments, when the transfer module 230 is suspended on the examination table 222 (i.e., at least a position of the examination table 222 is accommodated in the space enclosed by the support plate 2342 and the support frame 2344) , the guiding element 262 may be in contact with the moving element 264. If the transfer module 230 is pushed, the transfer module 230 may move in a preset direction (e.g., the axis direction of the bore 214) through the cooperation of the guiding element 262 and the moving element 264, so that the transfer module 230 may move to an edge of the patient side of the bore 214. In such cases, a user may push the transfer table 232, and the transfer table 232 may move into or out of the bore 214 along the guiding rail 212.

In some embodiments, the guiding element 262 may include a sliding groove, and the moving element 264 may include one or more rollers. The roller (s) may be arranged at intervals along the long-axis of the support frame 2344. In some alternative embodiments, the guiding element 262 may include a sliding rail, and the moving element 264 may include one or more sliders.

In some embodiments, in order to further improve the alignment accuracy of the transfer table 232 with the guiding rail 212, the imaging system 110 may further include a third guiding module. The third guiding module may be configured to guide the support assembly 234 of the transfer module 230 to connect to the imaging device 210 (e.g., the guiding rail 212 of the bore 214) . For example, the third guiding module may guide the rail on the support plate 2342 to connect to the guiding rail 212. The transfer table 232 may be moved along the guiding rail 212 into or out of the bore 214 from the patient side.

In some embodiments, the third guiding module may be the same as or similar to the first guiding module 250 illustrated in FIG. 3. For example, the third guiding module may include two portions that are configured to attach to each other to guide the transfer component 234 to approach to the imaging device 210 from the patient side. The two portions of the third guiding module may be respectively disposed at the transfer component 234 (e.g., the rail on the support plate 2342) and the imaging device 210 (e.g., the guiding rail 212) . As another example, as shown in FIG. 7C, the third guiding module may include a second guiding protrusion 270 and a second guiding groove (not shock) .

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, by allowing the transfer table 232 to move into or out of the bore 214 from the patient side, a situation that the transfer table 232 can only move into or out of the bore 214 for scanning after adjusting the transfer module 230 in the operating room and/or the examination room may be avoided, so as to avoid the collision of the transfer module 230 (e.g., with a wall) during the adjustment process.

It should be noted that the above description is merely provided for the purposes of illustration, and not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. For persons having ordinary skills in the art, multiple variations and modifications may be made under the teachings of the present disclosure. However, those variations and modifications do not depart from the scope of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the first guiding module 250 and the third guiding module may be the same component.

FIG. 9 is a schematic block diagram illustrating an exemplary processing devices according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the processing device 120 may be implemented on a computing device or a CPU. As shown in FIG. 9, the processing device 120 may include an obtaining module 910, a determination module 920, and a control module 930. Each of the modules described above may be a hardware circuit that is designed to perform certain actions, e.g., according to a set of instructions stored in one or more storage media, and/or any combination of the hardware circuit and the one or more storage media.

The obtaining module 910 may be configured to obtain a position of the transfer module 230 acquired by the position detector.

The determination module 920 may be configured to determine a side from which the transfer module 230 approaches the imaging device 210 based on the position of the transfer module 230.

The control module 930 may be configured to control the examination table 222 to move based on a determination result of which side the transfer module 230 approaches the imaging device 210. More descriptions regarding controlling the transfer module 230 may be found elsewhere in the present disclosure (e.g., FIG. 2 and FIG. 10 and the descriptions thereof) .

It should be noted that the above description is merely provided for the purposes of illustration, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Apparently, for persons having ordinary skills in the art, multiple variations and modifications may be conducted under the teachings of the present disclosure. However, those variations and modifications do not depart from the scope of the present disclosure.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process for transferring a subject during surgery according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the subject may be transferred using the aforementioned imaging system 110. In some embodiments, the process 1000 may be implemented as a set of instructions (e.g., an application) stored in the storage device 130, or any other storage device. The processing device 120 (e.g., implemented on one or more modules illustrated in FIG. 9) may execute the set of instructions, and when executing the instructions, the processing device 120 may be configured to perform the process 1000. The operations of the illustrated process 1000 presented below are intended to be illustrative. In some embodiments, the process 1000 may be accomplished with one or more additional operations not described and/or without one or more of the operations discussed. Additionally, the order of the operations of the process 1000 illustrated in FIG. 10 and described below is not intended to be limiting.

In 1010, the processing device 120 (e.g., the obtaining module 910) may obtain a position of the transfer module 230 acquired by the position detector. The transfer module 230 may include the transfer table 232 and the support assembly 234. The subject may lie on the transfer table 232 of the transfer module 230. More descriptions about the transfer module 230 may be found elsewhere in the present disclosure (e.g., FIGs. 2 and 7A and the descriptions thereof) .

In some embodiments, the transfer module 230 may be moved (e.g., by a motor installed on the transfer module 230) according to a preset transfer path between an examination room and an operating room. The processing device 120 may update the position from time to time (e.g., in real time) . In some embodiments, the processing device 120 may adjust the transfer path based on the position detector. For example, the position detector may include a camera or video recorder installed on the transfer module 230. Specifically, the transfer module 230 (or the transfer table 232) may have a front end toward a moving direction of the transfer module 230 and a rear end opposite to the first end. The camera or video recorder (i.e., the position detector) may be arranged on the front end of the transfer module 230. The camera or video recorder may acquire information (e.g., 2D images, 3D images, or a video) of the environment where the transfer module 230 is located at the current time point. The processing device 120 may adjust the transfer path based on the acquired information (e.g., the images or video) .

For example, if a static object is around the transfer module 230, the processing device 120 may determine a distance between the static object and the transfer module 230 based on the acquired images or video. The processing device 120 may adjust the transfer path based on the distance and the width and/or length of the transfer module 230 (or the transfer table 232) , so that the transfer table 232 does not collide with the static object when moving according to the adjusted transfer path. As another example, if a moving object is around the transfer module 230, the processing device 120 may determine a speed of the moving object based on the acquired images or video. The processing device 120 may adjust the transfer path based on the speed of the moving object, so that the transfer table 232 does not collide with the moving object when moving according to the adjusted transfer path. For example, the processing device 120 may determine a potential collision area between the moving object and the transfer module 230 based on the speed of the moving object and the current speed of the transfer module 230. The processing device 120 may control the transfer module 230 to perform an obstacle avoidance operation before the transfer module 230 moves to the potential collision area. Exemplary obstacle avoidance operations may include pausing the movement of the transfer module 230, reducing the speed of the transfer module 230, etc.

In 1020, the processing device 120 (e.g., the determination module 920) may determine a side from which the transfer module 230 approaches the imaging device 210 based on the position of the transfer module 230.

In some embodiments, determining which side of the transfer module 230 to approach the imaging device 210 may also refer to determining an optimal side from the patient side and the service side of the imaging device 210 for the transfer module 230 to approach the imaging device 210. Further, the processing device 120 may control the transfer module 230, which is configured to transfer a subject, to move to approach the imaging device 210 from the optimal side. Further, the processing device 120 may control the transfer table 232 of the transfer module 230 to move into the bore 214 of the imaging device 210 from the optimal side.

In some embodiments, the processing device 120 may determine a first distance between the position of the transfer module 230 and the patient side edge of the imaging device 210 and a second distance between the position of the transfer module 230 and the service side edge of the imaging device 210. The processing device 120 may compare the first distance and the second to determine the optimal side (i.e., a side the transfer module 230 approaches the imaging device 210) . In some embodiments, the processing device 120 may determine which side the transfer module 230 approaches the imaging device 210 by determining which area the position belongs to. In some embodiments, the processing device 120 may determine the optimal side according to a user input. Specifically, the user may input the optimal side via the terminal device 140. The processing device 120 may generate a command to control the transfer module 230 to approach the imaging device 210 from the optimal side.

In 1030, the processing device 120 (e.g., the control module 930) may control the examination table 222 to move based on a determination result of which side the transfer module 230 approaches the imaging device 210.

In response to a determination that the transfer module 230 approaches the imaging device 210 from the service side, the processing device 120 may trigger the advanced intraoperative mode to scan the subject. Specifically, the processing device 120 may instruct the motion actuator 224 to control the examination table 222 to move to the service side. When the transfer table 232 is in contact with the examination table 222, the transfer table 232 may be connected to the examination table 222 through the connector 240. In such cases, the processing device 120 may control the motion actuator 224 to drive the examination table 222, thereby driving the transfer table 232 to move into the bore 214 from the service side.

In response to a determination that the transfer module 230 approaches the imaging device 210 from the patient side, the processing device 120 may trigger the basic intraoperative mode to scan the subject. Specifically, the processing device 120 may instruct the motion actuator 224 to control the examination table 222 to descend. The processing device 120 may guide the support assembly 234 of the transfer module 230 to connect to the guiding rail 212 of the bore 214. When the transfer module 230 is suspended above the examination table 222, and the transfer table 232 is aligned with the guiding rail 212, the transfer table 232 may be pushed into the bore 214 along the guiding rail 212 from the patient side.

In some embodiments, the processing device 120 may control the motion actuator 224 to drive the examination table 222 according to a movement plan as described in connection with process 1900 illustrated in FIG. 19.

It should be noted that the above description is merely provided for the purposes of illustration, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. For persons having ordinary skills in the art, multiple variations and modifications may be made under the teachings of the present disclosure. However, those variations and modifications do not depart from the scope of the present disclosure.

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary bore according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 12 is a structural exploded view of the bore shown in FIG. 11. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram illustrating a cross-sectional view of the bore shown in FIG. 11. FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram illustrating a subject in a bore of a medical device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

As illustrated in FIG. 11, a display 310 which faces inside (i.e., a direction denoted by arrow O’ in FIG. 11) of a bore 302 may be installed on a side wall 300 of the bore 302. A transparent layer 320 may be arranged to cover the display 310 from inside of the bore 302. In some embodiments, the side wall 300 of the bore 302 may be applied to a medical device (e.g., an imaging device or a treatment device) . In such cases, the side wall 300 of bore 302 may also be referred to as an inner shell of the medical device (e.g., the imaging device 210) . The medical device may further include an outer shell located on the periphery of the side wall 300. The inner shell (i.e., the side wall 300) and the outer shell may form a space for accommodating one or more components (e.g., a magnet, a detector, etc. ) of the medical device. For illustration purposes, the side wall 300 applied as the inner shell of the medical device may be taken as an example in the present disclosure.

The display 310 may include a display surface 312 and a non-display surface 314 opposite to the display surface 312. The display surface 312 may be configured to display a content that may be viewed by a subject (e.g., a patient) in the bore 302 (as shown in FIG. 14) . As a result, the medical device and/or an operator of the medical device may interact with the subject in the bore 302 via the content displayed on the display 310. For example, the medical device may detect changes in characteristic signals of brain function of a patient after the patient sees the content displayed on the display 310. As another example, the operator of the medical device may direct or prompt the subject in the bore 302 through the content (e.g., inhaling, exhaling, holding breath, staying still, holding left fist, holding right fist, etc. ) displayed on the display 310 to perform an action corresponding to the content. In some embodiments, the content may include a video, a graphic, a text, a symbol, a letter, or the like, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the display 310 may include an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display, a light-emitting diode (LED) display, a liquid crystal display (LCD) , a plasma display, or the like, or any combination thereof.

The transparent layer 320 may improve light transmittance and/or improve the brightness of the display 310. In some embodiments, the transparent layer 320 may include a transparent glass, a transparent film, a transparent plastic sheet, or the like, or any combination thereof.

In some embodiments, the display 310 may be installed on the side wall 300 directly. In some embodiments, the side wall 300 of the bore 302 may be provided with a mounting groove 304. The display 310 and/or the transparent layer 320 may be installed in the mounting groove 304. In some embodiments, the mounting groove 304 may penetrate the side wall 300, that is, a size of the mounting groove 304 along a radial direction of the bore 302 (e.g., denoted by double arrow OO’ in FIG. 11) may be equal to a thickness of the side wall 300. In this way, a relatively large mounting space may be provided for the display 310 and the transparent layer 320 along the radial direction of the bore 302, and reduce or avoid to occupy space in the bore 302, so as to increase a distance between the display 310 and the subject in the bore 302, thereby improving the visual effect of the subject viewing the content displayed on the display 310.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 12, an inner surface 322 of the transparent layer 320 which faces inside of the bore 302 may be a concave arc surface. The concave arc surface may be concave outward along the radial direction of the bore 302. Thus, the concave arc surface may form a concave space which may be a portion of the space of the bore 302. In some embodiments, when the inner surface 322 of the transparent layer 320 is the concave arc surface, the display surface 312 of the display 310 may also be in a concave arc shape matching the inner surface 322 of the transparent layer 320. In some embodiments, a curvature of the concave arc surface may be consistent with the curvature of the inner surface of the side wall 300, so that the inner surface 322 of the transparent layer 320 and the inner surface of the side wall 300 can substantially form a complete circumferential surface.

In some embodiments, a touch screen may be provided between the display 310 and the transparent layer 320. In some embodiments, the transparent layer 320 may be a touch screen. The inner surface 322 of the transparent layer 320 may be a touch surface of the touch screen. The subject located in the bore 302 may touch the touch screen to interact with the medical device or the operator of the medical device. For example, as shown in FIG. 14, during a scanning process, the display 310 may display multiple action options input by the operator. The subject 400 may select one action option by touching the touch screen (i.e., the transparent layer 320) . As another example, when the subject 400 feels uncomfortable (e.g., feels pain) during the scanning process, the subject 400 may actively control the medical device to stop scanning by touching the “stop scanning” displayed on the display 310 via the transparent layer 320.

In some embodiments, a size of the transparent layer 320 along the axial direction of the bore 302 may be greater than a size of the display 310 along the axial direction of the bore 302. The display 310 may be movably connected to the transparent layer 320 so that the display 310 may slide relative to the transparent layer 320 along the axial direction. As a result, a position of the display 310 along the axial direction of the bore 302 may be flexibly adjusted. In some embodiments, a size of the transparent layer 320 along a circumferential direction of the bore 302 may be greater than a size of the display 310 along the circumferential direction. The display 310 may slide relative to the transparent layer 320 along the circumferential direction of the bore 302. As a result, a position of the display 310 along the circumferential direction of the bore 302 may be flexibly adjusted. In some embodiments, a motor device may be provided to adjust the position of the display 310.

In some embodiments, if the medical device is an MRI device, a first radio frequency (RF) shielding module may be provided. In some embodiments, a second RF shielding module and one or more cameras may be provided. More descriptions about the first RF shielding module, the second RF shielding module, and the one or more cameras may be found elsewhere in the present disclosure (e.g., FIGs. 15-17 and the descriptions thereof) .

FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram illustrating a connection relationship among a display, one or more cameras, and a first radio frequency shielding module according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram illustrating a connection relationship among a display, one or more cameras, and an outer shielding layer of a first radio frequency shielding module according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 17 illustrates an enlarged view of part E in FIG. 16.

As shown in FIGs. 15-17, the display 310 may be wrapped by the first RF shielding module 330. The first RF shielding module 330 may be configured to wrap the display 310 to protect the display 310 from being affected by an RF signal of the MRI device. Specifically, the first RF shielding module 330 may be located outside of the transparent layer 320 along the radial direction of the bore 302. That is, the first RF shielding module 330 may be closer to the outside of the bore 302 than the transparent layer 320, thereby preventing the space in the bore 302 from being occupied by the first RF shielding module 330.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 15, the first RF shielding module 330 may include an inner shielding layer 332, an outer shielding layer 334, and a shielding frame 336. The inner shielding layer 332, the outer shielding layer 334, and the shielding frame 336 may cooperate with each other to form an accommodating space for accommodating the display 310. Specifically, the inner shielding layer 332 may be located between the display 310 and the transparent layer 320. The outer shielding layer 334 may be located at the back of the display 310. The shielding frame 336 may surround peripheral of the display 310. The inner shielding layer 332 of the first RF shielding module 330 may have a plurality of transparent holes so that the subject 400 in the bore 302 may see the content displayed on the display 310 from the plurality of transparent holes. In some embodiments, the inner shielding layer 332 may be an RF shielding mesh, in such cases, the transparent holes may be mesh holes of the RF shielding mesh.

In some embodiments, a ratio of a thickness of the transparent layer 320 to the thickness of the side wall 300 may be in a range from 1/4 to 1/2. More preferably, the ratio of the thickness of the transparent layer 320 to the thickness of the side wall 300 may be equal to 1/3.

In some embodiments, one or more cameras 340 may be provided on the display 310. At least one lens of the camera (s) 340 may face the inside of the bore 302, so as to monitor the subject 400 in the bore 302 (e.g., the conscious or unconscious limb movements, the respiratory movement, the heart beating, the temperature, etc., of the subject 400) . In some embodiments, at least one lens of the camera (s) 340 may face the inner shielding layer 332 of the first RF shielding module 350, so that the inner shielding layer 332 may protect the camera (s) 340 from the influence of the RF signal to a certain extent. In such cases, the camera (s) 340 may monitor the inside of the bore 302 from the transparent holes. In some embodiments, the camera (s) 340 may include an optical camera, a millimeter-wave camera, an infrared temperature measuring camera, or the like, or any combination thereof.

In some embodiments, the camera (s) 340 may be wrapped by a second RF shielding module 350. The second RF shielding module 350 may be configured to wrap the camera (s) 340 to protect the camera (s) 340 from being affected by the RF signal of the MRI device. In some embodiments, if lenses of the camera (s) 340 are shielded by the inner shielding layer 332 of the first RF shielding module 350, the second RF shielding module 350 may include a metal shielding box surrounding surfaces other than the one where the lens of the camera (s) 340 is located. In some embodiments, the second RF shielding module 350 may include a lens shielding layer configured to protect the lenses of the camera (s) 340 from the influence of the RF signal. The lens shielding layer may have a similar structure as the inner shielding layer 332. For example, the lens shielding layer may include multiple transparent holes.

FIGs. 18A and 18B are schematic block diagrams illustrating an exemplary processing devices according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The

processing devices

120A and 120B may be exemplary processing devices 120 as described in connection with FIG. 1. In some embodiments, the processing device 120A may be configured to apply a movement plan in controlling an examination table of an MRI device. The processing device 120B may be configured to generate the movement plan. In some embodiments, the

processing devices

120A and 120B may be respectively implemented on a processing unit (e.g., a processor or a CPU) . Merely by way of example, the processing devices 120A may be implemented on a CPU of a terminal device, and the processing device 120B may be implemented on a computing device. Alternatively, the

processing devices

120A and 120B may be implemented on a same computing device or a same CPU.

As shown in FIG. 18A, the processing device 120A may include an obtaining module 1810, a command generation module 1820, and a control module 1830.

The obtaining module 1810 may be configured to obtain a movement plan corresponding to a region of interest (ROI) of a subject for moving the examination table of the MRI device. The movement plan may include a plurality of safety speeds of the ROI. Each of the plurality of safety speeds may correspond to one position of the ROI during the movement of the examination table.

The generation module 1820 may be configured to generate a table control command based on the movement plan.

The control module 1830 may be configured to control a motion actuator of the MRI device to adjust an actual speed of the examination table to an adjusted speed, so that the adjusted speed at each position is not greater than the corresponding safety speed. More descriptions for controlling the examination table may be found elsewhere in the present disclosure (e.g., FIG. 19 and FIG. 22 and the descriptions thereof) .

As illustrated in FIG. 18B, the processing device 120B may include an obtaining module 1840, a spatial region determination module 1850, a maximum magnetic field gradient determination module 1860, and a movement plan determination module 1870.

The obtaining module 1840 may be configured to obtain magnetic field gradient spatial distribution information of a static magnetic field of the MRI device and a preset magnetic field change rate limit.

The spatial region determination module 1850 may be configured to determine a spatial region of a sample ROI of a sample subject when the sample ROI is at a sample position.

The maximum magnetic field gradient determination module 1860 may be configured to identify a maximum magnetic field gradient in the spatial region based on the magnetic field gradient spatial distribution information.

The movement plan determination module 1870 may be configured to determine a safety speed of the sample ROI at the sample position based on the maximum magnetic field gradient and the magnetic field change rate limit. More descriptions for determining the movement plan may be found elsewhere in the present disclosure (e.g., FIG. 20 and the descriptions thereof) .

It should be noted that the above description is merely provided for the purposes of illustration, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. For persons having ordinary skills in the art, multiple variations and modifications may be made under the teachings of the present disclosure. However, those variations and modifications do not depart from the scope of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the processing device 120A and/or the processing device 120B may share two or more of the modules, and any one of the modules may be divided into two or more units. For instance, the

processing devices

120A and 120B may share a same obtaining module, that is, the obtaining module 1810 and the obtaining module 1840 are a same module. In some embodiments, the processing device 120A and/or the processing device 120B may include one or more additional modules, such as a storage module (not shown) for storing data. In some embodiments, the processing device 120A and the processing device 120B may be integrated into one processing device 120.

FIG. 19 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process for controlling an examination table of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the process 1900 may be implemented as a set of instructions (e.g., an application) stored in the storage device 130, or any other storage device. The processing device 120A (e.g., implemented on one or more modules illustrated in FIG. 18A) may execute the set of instructions, and when executing the instructions, the processing device 120A may be configured to perform the process 1900. The operations of the illustrated process 1900 presented below are intended to be illustrative. In some embodiments, the process 1900 may be accomplished with one or more additional operations not described and/or without one or more of the operations discussed. Additionally, the order of the operations of the process 1900 illustrated in FIG. 19 and described below is not intended to be limiting.

In 1910, the processing device 120A (e.g., the obtaining module 1810) may obtain a movement plan corresponding to a region of interest (ROI) of a subject for moving an examination table of an MRI device.

The subject may be biological or non-biological. For example, the subject may include a patient, a man-made object, etc. as described elsewhere in the present disclosure (e.g., FIG. 1 and the descriptions thereof) . In some embodiments, the ROI of the subject may be a region where the subject feels uncomfortable when the subject moves (e.g., with the examination table) in an uneven magnetic field (e.g., a gradient magnetic field shown in FIG. 21) . For example, if a patient experiences a headache while moving in an uneven high (or an ultra-high) magnetic field, the head of the patient may be determined as the ROI. As another example, if a patient experiences abdominal pain while moving in an uneven high (or an ultra-high) magnetic field, the abdomen of the patient may be determined as the ROI.

The movement plan corresponding to the ROI may include a plurality of safety speeds of the ROI. For example, the subject may lie on the examination table Each of the plurality of safety speeds may correspond to one position (e.g., represented by 3D coordinates) of the ROI during movement of the examination table into a bore of the MRI device. As used herein, a speed of the subject may refer to a speed of the examination table when the subject is lying on the examination table (or the transfer table 232 shown in FIG. 2) . A position of the examination table may correspond to one position of the subject. A safety speed of the ROI at a position may refer to a speed at which the subject may feel uncomfortable when the ROI is at that position. In other words, when a speed of the ROI at the position is less than or equal to the safety speed, the subject may not feel uncomfortable. More descriptions regarding the determination of the safety speed (s) or the movement plan may be found elsewhere of the present disclosure (e.g., FIG. 20 and the descriptions thereof) .

In some embodiments, different ROIs may correspond to different movement plans. If there are multiple ROIs, the processing device 120A may obtain multiple movement plans corresponding to the multiple ROIs. The processing device 120A may determine a target movement plan corresponding to the multiple ROIs for moving the examination table based on the multiple movement plans. Specifically, the processing device 120A may determine relative position information of the multiple ROIs in the subject. The processing device 120A may determine the target movement plan based on the relative position information of the multiple ROIs and the multiple movement plans. For example, the processing device 120A may determine any one of the multiple ROIs as a reference ROI, and the corresponding movement plan may be determined as a reference movement plan. When the reference ROI is at a certain position, the processing device 120A may query the reference movement plan to determine a safety speed of the reference ROI at the certain position. At the same time, the processing device 120A may determine a corresponding position of each of the remaining ROIs based on the relative position information of the multiple ROIs. For each of the remaining ROIs, the processing device 120A may query the corresponding movement plan to determine a safety speed of the remaining ROI at the corresponding position. The processing device 120A may determine the minimum safety speed among the safety speed of the reference ROI and the safety speeds of the remaining ROIs as a target safety speed of the multiple ROIs at the certain position.

Merely by way of example, for a patient, the multiple ROIs may include the head, the heart, and the abdomen of the patient. The processing device 120A may obtain three movement plans corresponding to the head, the heart, and the abdomen. The head may be determined as a reference ROI. Thus, when the head is at a certain position, the processing device 120A may query the head movement plan to determine a safety speed of the head at the certain position. At the same time, the processing device 120A may determine the corresponding positions of the heart and the abdomen based on the relative position information of the head, the heart, and the abdomen of the patient. For example, the relative position information may include a first distance from the heart to the head and a second distance from the abdomen to the head. Then, the processing device 120A may determine the corresponding positions of the heart and the abdomen based on the first distance and the second distance when the head is at the certain position. The processing device 120A may query the heart movement plan to determine a safety speed of the heart at the corresponding position of the heart, and query the abdomen movement plan to determine a safety speed of the abdomen at the corresponding position of the abdomen. The processing device 120A may determine the minimum safety speed among the safety speeds of the head, the heart, and the abdomen as a target safety speed of the multiple ROIs at the certain position. Thus, if there are multiple ROIs, all the ROIs may be comprehensively considered to determine the target movement plan, which improves the efficiency of moving the examination table while avoiding the discomfort of the subject.

In 1920, the processing device 120A (e.g., the command generation module 1830) may generate, based on the movement plan, a table control command.

The table control command may include a plurality of safety speed control commands each of which corresponds to a safety speed of the ROI at a position. Each safety speed control command may be configured to adjust an actual speed of the ROI at the position so that the adjusted speed at the position is not greater than the corresponding safety speed. That is, the safety speed control command may reduce the actual speed of the examination table at the position that is greater than the corresponding safety speed, and increase or maintain the actual speed of the examination table at the position that is less than or equal to the corresponding safety speed.

In some embodiments, the processing device 120A may generate the table control command based on the target movement plan. In some embodiments, the processing device 120A may generate the table control command based on a preset speed. For example, if the preset speed of the ROI at a position is in a range of 1 m/sto 3 m/s, and the corresponding safety speed is 4 m/s, when the actual speed of the ROI is 4.5 m/s, the processing device 120A may generate the table control command to reduce the actual speed of the ROI to be in the range of 1 m/sto 3 m/s. More descriptions for generating the table control command may be found elsewhere of the present disclosure (e.g., FIG. 22 and the descriptions thereof) .

In 1930, the processing device 120A (e.g., the control module 1830) may control, based on the table control command, a motion actuator to adjust an actual speed of the examination table to an adjusted speed, so that the adjusted speed at each position is not greater than the corresponding safety speed.

The processing device 120A may transmit the table control command to the motion actuator (e.g., the motion actuator 224 illustrated in FIG. 2) . The motion actuator may perform the table control command.

FIG. 20 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process for generating a movement plan according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the process 2000 may be implemented as a set of instructions (e.g., an application) stored in the storage device 130 or any other storage device. The processing device 120B (e.g., implemented on one or more modules illustrated in FIG. 18B) may execute the set of instructions, and when executing the instructions, the processing device 120B may be configured to perform the process 2000. The operations of the illustrated process 2000 presented below are intended to be illustrative. In some embodiments, the process 2000 may be accomplished with one or more additional operations not described and/or without one or more of the operations discussed. Additionally, the order of the operations of the process 2000 illustrated in FIG. 20 and described below is not intended to be limiting.

In some embodiments, the movement plan described in connection with operation 1910 in FIG. 19 may be obtained according to the process 2000. In some embodiments, the process 2000 may be performed by another device or system other than the medical imaging management optimization system 100, e.g., a device or system of a vendor of a manufacturer. For illustration purposes, the implementation of the process 2000 by the processing device 120B is described as an example.

In 2010, the processing device 120B (e.g., the obtaining module 1840) may obtain magnetic field gradient spatial distribution information of a static magnetic field of the MRI device and a preset magnetic field change rate limit. The MRI device used to determine a movement plan of a sample ROI of a sample subject may have the same magnetic field as the MRI device used to scan the ROI of a subject. In other words, the MRI device described in operation 2010 may have the same magnetic field as the MRI device described in operation 1910.

In some embodiments, the magnetic field gradient spatial distribution information may be determined by simulation calculation or actual measurement. For example, the processing device 120B may determine magnetic field spatial distribution information by simulation calculation or actual measurement. Then, the processing device 120B may determine the magnetic field gradient spatial distribution information based on the magnetic field spatial distribution information. The processing device 120B may transmit the determined magnetic field gradient spatial distribution information to the storage device 130 for storage.

The preset magnetic field change rate limit ( “limit” for brevity) may be determined by multiplying a preset table moving speed (e.g., by an operator via the terminal device 140) and a magnetic field gradient of the MRI device. It should be noted that the limit may be less than or equal to a standard limit (e.g., 3 Tesla per second (T/s) ) set by the relevant industry or regulation.

In 2020, the processing device 120B (e.g., the spatial region determination module 1850) may determine a spatial region of a sample ROI of a sample subject when the sample ROI is at a sample position.

The sample ROI corresponding to the movement plan may be of the same type as or a different type from the subject as described in connection with operation 1910 in FIG. 19. As used herein, two ROIs are deemed to be of a same type when they belong to a same type of organ or tissue. For example, the ROI may be the head of a patient, and the sample ROI may be the head of another patient or a phantom of a human head. An ROI being at a position may refer that a feature point of the ROI is at the position. Exemplary feature points of an ROI may include a centroid point, a center point, etc.

In some embodiments, the sample position of the sample subject at a time point may be determined based on a camera, a radar, a GPS system, etc. In some embodiments, the sample position may be determined based on a position of the examination table. The processing device 120B may determine a relative position relationship between the sample subject and the examination table. The processing device 120B may determine the sample position of the sample ROI based on the relative position relationship between the sample subject and the examination table. In some embodiments, the sample position may be determined based on an image of the sample subject acquired in real time.

In some embodiments, the processing device 120B may determine the spatial region (also referred to as a 3D spatial structure) of the sample ROI based on a contour of the sample ROI. In some embodiments, the processing device 120B may determine the spatial region of the sample ROI based on multiple thresholds in multiple dimensions. For example, the processing device 120B may determine a region surrounded by a sphere with the sample position as the center of the sphere and a preset distance as the radius as the spatial region.

In 2030, the processing device 120B (e.g., the maximum magnetic field gradient determination module 1860) may identify, based on the magnetic field gradient spatial distribution information, a maximum magnetic field gradient in the spatial region.

In some embodiments, the processing device 120B may determine a preset count of sampling points within the spatial region. For example, the processing device 120B may sample the preset count of sampling points on the surface of the spatial region and/or inside of the spatial region. The processing device 120B may determine, based on the sampling points and the magnetic field gradient spatial distribution information, the maximum magnetic field gradient. Specifically, the processing device 120B may determine a candidate magnetic field gradient of each sampling point based on a location of the sampling point and the magnetic field gradient spatial distribution information. The processing device 120B may identify the maximum magnetic field gradient from the preset count of candidate magnetic field gradients.

In some embodiments, the preset count may be set according to a default setting of the medical imaging management optimization system 100 or preset by a user or operator via the terminal device 140. In some embodiments, the preset count may be determined based on a distance between each two adjacent sampling points. For example, in order to ensure the accuracy of the maximum magnetic field gradient, the preset count may be sufficiently large. Thus, the distance between each two adjacent sampling points may be relatively small (e.g., smaller than a preset distance) .

In 2040, the processing device 120B (e.g., the movement plan determination module 1870) may determine, based on the maximum magnetic field gradient and the magnetic field change rate limit, a safety speed of the sample ROI at the sample position.

The processing device 120B may determine the safety speed at the sample position by dividing the preset magnetic field change rate limit by the maximum magnetic field gradient. Specifically, the maximum magnetic field gradient may be determined according to Equation (1) as follows:

V _max=Limit/Grad (B ₀) _max, (1)

where V _max denotes the safety speed at the sample position, Limit denotes the preset magnetic field change rate limit, and Grad (B ₀) _max denotes the maximum magnetic field gradient.

In some embodiments, the processing device 120B may determine a plurality of safety speeds for the sample ROI at a plurality of sample positions. Each safety speed may correspond to a sample position of the sample ROI. The processing device 120B may store the plurality safety speeds of the sample ROI at a plurality of sample positions as a movement plan corresponding to the sample ROI. In some embodiments, the plurality of sample positions may be determined by sampling at a certain period. In such cases, each position may correspond to a position interval. When the sample ROI is located in the position interval, the processing device 120B may determine that the sample ROI is located at the position corresponding to the position interval.

It should be noted that the above description is merely provided for the purposes of illustration, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. For persons having ordinary skills in the art, multiple variations and modifications may be made under the teachings of the present disclosure. However, those variations and modifications do not depart from the scope of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the processing device 120B may update the movement plan corresponding to the sample ROI periodically.

FIG. 21 illustrates an exemplary gradient magnetic field of an MRI device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 21, different positions in the spatial space may correspond to different magnetic fields. For example, positions A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, and L may correspond to different values of the strength of a magnetic field. The processing device 120B may determine magnetic field gradient spatial distribution information based on the different magnetic fields (different values of the strength of the magnetic field) .

FIG. 22 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process for controlling an examination table of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the process 2200 may be implemented as a set of instructions (e.g., an application) stored in the storage device 130, or any other storage device. The processing device 120A (e.g., implemented on one or more modules illustrated in FIG. 18A) may execute the set of instructions, and when executing the instructions, the processing device 120A may be configured to perform the process 2200. The operations of the illustrated process 2200 presented below are intended to be illustrative. In some embodiments, the process 2200 may be accomplished with one or more additional operations not described and/or without one or more of the operations discussed. Additionally, the order of the operations of the process 2200 illustrated in FIG. 22 and described below is not intended to be limiting.

In 2210, the processing device 120A (e.g., the obtaining module 1810) may obtain a current speed of the examination table and a current position of the examination table.

In 2220, the processing device 120A (e.g., the command generation module 1820) may determine, based on the movement plan, a target safety speed of the examination table corresponding to the current position. The processing device 120A may query the movement plan based on the current position to determine the target safety speed of the examination table.

In 2230, the processing device 120A (e.g., the command generation module 1820) may determine whether the target safety speed is less than the current speed. The processing device 120A may compare the target safety speed and the current speed. The processing device 120A may generate the table control command based on a comparing result.

In response to determining that the target safety speed is less than the current speed, the processing device 120A may proceed to perform operation 2240 to decrease the current speed to be no greater than the target safety speed. That is, the processing device 120A may generate a speed control command and transmit the speed control command to the motion actuator to decrease the current speed to be no greater than the target safety speed.

In response to determining that the target safety speed is greater than the current speed, the processing device 120A may proceed to perform operation 2250 to increase the current speed to be no greater than the target safety speed.

In some embodiments, in response to determining that the target safety speed is equal to the current speed, the processing device 120A may main the current speed or proceed to perform operation 2240 to decrease the current speed to be no greater than the target safety speed.

It should be noted that the above description is merely provided for the purposes of illustration, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. For persons having ordinary skills in the art, multiple variations and modifications may be made under the teachings of the present disclosure. However, those variations and modifications do not depart from the scope of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the processing device 120A may directly determine the table control command based on the movement plan. For example, the processing device 120A may directly determine the safety speed of the ROI at each position as the actual speed of the ROI to generate the table control command.

Having thus described the basic concepts, it may be rather apparent to those skilled in the art after reading this detailed disclosure that the foregoing detailed disclosure is intended to be presented by way of example only and is not limiting. Various alterations, improvements, and modifications may occur and are intended to those skilled in the art, though not expressly stated herein. These alterations, improvements, and modifications are intended to be suggested by this disclosure and are within the spirit and scope of the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure.

Claims

A system for optimizing medical imaging management, comprising:

a medical imaging device including a bore configured to accommodate a subject;

a table module including an examination table and a motion actuator, the motion actuator being configured to move the examination table into or out of the bore; and

a transfer module including a support assembly and a transfer table, the transfer table being movably disposed on the support assembly, wherein

the support assembly is configured to transport the transfer table; and

the transfer table is configured to laterally connect to the examination table and move with the examination table into or out of the bore in a mode of the medical imaging device.
The system of claim 1, wherein the bore has a first side and a second side, which are opposite to each other along an axial direction of the bore, the table module being disposed at the first side of the bore.
The system of claim 2, wherein the transfer table is configured to move into or out of the bore with the examination table from the second side of the bore in the mode of the medical imaging device.
The system of any one of claims 1-3, wherein the bore includes a guiding rail, and the transfer table is configured to move along the guiding rail.
The system of any one of claims 1-4, further comprising:

a first guiding module configured to guide the transfer table to laterally connect to the examination table.
The system of claim 5, wherein the first guiding module includes a first guiding protrusion and a first guiding groove that are configured to attach to each other to guide the transfer table to approach to the examination table, one of the first guiding protrusion and the first guiding groove is disposed at an end of the examination table, and another one of the first guiding protrusion and the first guiding groove is disposed at an end of the transfer table.
The system of claim 6, wherein the first guiding module further includes a shock absorber, and the shock absorber is disposed between the first guiding protrusion and the transfer table or the examination table.
The system of any one of claims 2, further comprising:

a second guiding module, wherein when the transfer table moves into the bore from the first side of the bore in a second mode of the medical imaging device,

the motion actuator is configured to control the examination table to descend in the second mode of the medical imaging device, and

the second guiding module is configured to guide the support assembly of the transfer module to move along a long-axis direction of the examination table in the second mode of the medical imaging device.
The system of claim 8, further comprising:

a position detector configured to determine whether the transfer module is approaching the medical imaging device from the first side of the bore.
The system of claim 8 or claim 9, further comprising:

a third guiding module configured to guide the support assembly of the transfer module to connect to a guiding rail of the bore, wherein the transfer table is configured to move along the guiding rail into or out of the bore from the first side in the second mode of the medical imaging device.
The system of any one of claims 1-10, wherein the system further includes a computing device configured to:

obtain, based on a region of interest (ROI) of the subject, a movement plan for moving the examination table, wherein the movement plan includes a plurality of safety speeds of the ROI, each of the plurality of safety speeds corresponds to one position of the ROI during movement of the examination table into the bore;

generate, based on the movement plan and a position of the ROI, a table control command; and

control, based on the table control command, the motion actuator to update an actual speed of the examination table to an updated speed, so that the updated speed at each position is not greater than the corresponding safety speed.
The system of any one of claims 1-11, wherein

a display which faces inside of the bore is installed on a side wall of the bore, and

a transparent layer is arranged to cover the display from inside of the bore.
A method of optimizing medical imaging, implemented on a computing device having at least one processor and at least one storage device, the method comprising:

obtaining an optimal side from a first side and a second side of a bore of a medical imaging device for a transfer module to approach the medical imaging device;

controlling the transfer module, which is configured to transfer a subject, to move to approach the medical imaging device from the optimal side; and

moving a transfer table of the transfer module into the bore of the medical imaging device from the optimal side.
The method of claim 13, wherein the moving a transfer table of the transfer module into the bore of the medical imaging device from the optimal side comprises:

upon a determination that the optimal side is the first side:

instructing a motion actuator of a table module to control an examination table of the table module to descend,

guiding a support assembly of the transfer module to connect to a guiding rail of the bore, and

controlling the transfer table to move along the guiding rail into the bore from the first side.
The method of claim 13, wherein the moving a transfer table of the transfer module into the bore of the medical imaging device from the optimal side comprises:

upon a determination that the optimal side is the second side:

instructing a motion actuator of a table module to control an examination table of the table module to move to the second side,

connecting the examination table with the transfer table, and

controlling the transfer table to move with the examination table into the bore from the second side.
A transfer apparatus configured to transfer a subject to be imaged by a medical imaging device, comprising:

a transfer module including a support assembly and a transfer table, the transfer table being movably disposed on the support assembly, and

a connector including a connecting element and a cooperating element that cooperate with each other to connect an examination table of the medical imaging device and the transfer table, wherein one of the connecting element and the cooperating element is disposed at the transfer table, another one of the connecting element and the cooperating element is disposed at the examination table, and the examination table drives the transfer table to move along an axial direction of a bore of the medical imaging device through the connector.
The transfer apparatus of claim 16, wherein one end of the connecting element is rotationally disposed on the transfer table or the examination table, another end of the connecting element includes a hook, and the hook is hooked on the cooperating element.
The transfer apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

a first guiding module configured to guide the transfer table to laterally connect to the examination table.
The transfer apparatus of claim 18, wherein the first guiding module includes a first guiding protrusion and a first guiding groove that are configured to attach to each other to guide the transfer table to approach to the examination table, one of the first guiding protrusion and the first guiding groove is disposed at an end of the examination table, and another one of the first guiding protrusion and the first guiding groove is disposed at an end of the transfer table.
The transfer apparatus of claim 19, wherein the first guiding protrusion includes a connection segment and a guiding segment, wherein

one end of the connection segment is connected to the guiding segment,

another end of the connection segment is connected to the examination table or the transfer table, and

an outer peripheral surface of the guiding segment has a guiding surface for guiding the first guiding protrusion to move into the first guiding groove.