Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

Patrick Cumpson

Dennis K Everett

Jeremy David Pettinato

Bradford W Petot

Shufang Dong

Timothy Bielawski

Sriram Rajagopal

Terrance Joseph Nemenz

A method includes receiving a subject support motion disable signal indicative of at least one of power removal of an imaging system, a collision of a horizontally moving tabletop of the imaging system, a decoupling of a horizontal motion drive system configured to horizontally drive the tabletop, or a collision of a vertically moving subject support of the imaging system, wherein a vertical motion drive system drives the subject support vertical motion, and disabling, in response to receiving the subject support motion disable signal, at least one of tabletop horizontal motion or subject support vertical motion.

Imaging system subject support

To position an imaging subject () in an imaging or therapy system (), the imaging subject () is arranged on a linearly translatable tabletop () disposed on a movable trolley (). A position of a region of interest () of the imaging subject along the linearly translatable tabletop is selected using an elongated position selector () that is elongated in a translation direction (z) of the linearly translatable tabletop (). After the selecting, the movable trolley is docked with the imaging or therapy system (). After the docking, the tabletop is linearly translated to move the imaging subject to the imaging or therapy system, the amount of linear translating being based on the selected position of a region of interest along the linearly translatable tabletop.

Off-magnet patient scan positioning

A docking assembly connected to a movable couch () docks the couch with an imaging apparatus (). Couch alignment surfaces () mate with corresponding alignment surfaces () of a connecting region () of the imaging apparatus () to define a docked position of the movable couch () with respect to the imaging apparatus. A docking sensor () detects the movable couch () approaching the docked position. A latch () mates with the connecting region () of the imaging to apparatus (). An actuator () cooperates with the latch () to bias the movable couch () into the docked position responsive to a signal produced by the docking sensor ().

Method and apparatus for automatic self-aligning docking of a couch with a magnetic resonance imaging scanner

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Chesterland, OH, United States of America

Patrick Cumpson