Surgery – Diagnostic testing – Detecting nuclear – electromagnetic – or ultrasonic radiation
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-29
2002-07-23
Smith, Ruth S. (Department: 3737)
Surgery
Diagnostic testing
Detecting nuclear, electromagnetic, or ultrasonic radiation
C005S601000, C005S611000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06424854
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) vertical magnet apparatus and an MRI apparatus, and more particularly, to an MRI vertical magnet apparatus and an MRI apparatus which are improved to give a physician (or operator) easy access to a patient (or subject) placed in an interjacent space within the vertical magnet apparatus.
FIG. 1
is a perspective view illustrating a main portion of an exemplary vertical magnet-type MRI apparatus, such as those disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 10-15829 (counterpart U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/218,402).
The vertical magnet-type MRI apparatus
900
comprises a vertical magnet apparatus
50
consisting of a pair of vertical opposing magnets
11
whose opposing surfaces stand vertically, and a table apparatus
90
having a table
91
which can be hydraulically moved upward and downward and a non-magnetic cradle
22
which can be moved forward and backward in the horizontal direction by a motor.
The vertical magnet apparatus
50
is provided with up/down buttons
50
ud
for moving the table
91
upward and downward, and in/out buttons
50
io
for moving the cradle
22
forward and backward to positions inside and outside of an interjacent space of the vertical magnet apparatus
50
. The “interjacent space” used herein designates a space between the vertical opposing magnets
11
.
In the conventional vertical magnet-type MRI apparatus
900
, the table
91
is extended into the interjacent space of the vertical magnet apparatus
50
so that the cradle
22
can be moved in and out of the interjacent space of the vertical magnet apparatus
50
.
However, as shown in
FIG. 2
, the table
91
extending into the interjacent space obstructs easy access by a physician (or operator) D to a patient (or subject) in the interjacent space.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an MRI vertical magnet apparatus and an MRI apparatus which are improved to give a physician (or operator) easy access to a patient (or subject) in an interjacent space within the vertical magnet apparatus.
In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an MRI vertical magnet apparatus having a pair of vertical opposing magnets whose opposing surfaces stand vertically, wherein support and movement means is provided on each of the opposing surface sides of the pair of vertical opposing magnets, for supporting a cradle or a seat of a chair and allowing the cradle or the seat of the chair to move in the horizontal or vertical direction.
The MRI vertical magnet apparatus of the first aspect is provided with support and movement means on each of the opposing surface sides of the pair of vertical opposing magnets, for supporting a cradle or a seat of a chair and allowing the cradle or the seat of the chair to move in the horizontal or vertical direction, thereby eliminating the need to extend the table into the interjacent space. That is, since the obstructive table is eliminated in the interjacent space, a physician (or operator) D is given easy access to a patient (or subject) H in the interjacent space.
Especially, by supporting the seat of the chair by the support and movement means, imaging can be done with the patient (or subject) in a sitting position and joint motion imaging of the neck, knee, loins and the like can be suitably performed.
In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an MRI apparatus comprising the MRI vertical magnet apparatus as described regarding the first aspect, and a table apparatus which can be detached from the MRI vertical magnet apparatus after the cradle is transferred to the support and movement means in the MRI vertical magnet apparatus.
In the MRI apparatus of the second aspect, a table apparatus (excluding the cradle) can be detached from the MRI vertical magnet apparatus after the cradle is transferred to the support and movement means, thereby facilitating access to the patient from the side on which the table apparatus would otherwise be positioned.
In accordance with a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an MRI apparatus comprising the MRI vertical magnet apparatus as described regarding the first aspect, and a chair apparatus which can be detached from the MRI vertical magnet apparatus after the seat is transferred to the support and movement means in the MRI vertical magnet apparatus.
In the MRI apparatus of the third aspect, a chair apparatus (excluding the seat) can be detached from the MRI vertical magnet apparatus after the seat is transferred to the support and movement means, thereby facilitating access to the patient from the side on which the chair apparatus would otherwise be positioned. Moreover, by supporting the seat of the chair by the support and movement means, imaging can be done with the patient (or subject) in a sitting position and joint motion imaging of the neck, knee, loins and the like can be suitably performed.
In accordance with a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an MRI apparatus comprising an MRI vertical magnet apparatus having a pair of vertical opposing magnets whose opposing surfaces stand vertically, and an MRI table apparatus having a cradle for laying a subject and a table for supporting the cradle and capable of moving the cradle in the horizontal or vertical direction, wherein one end portion of the table is extended into an interjacent space within the MRI vertical magnet apparatus and is bifurcated.
In the MRI apparatus of the fourth aspect, one end portion of a table extending into the interjacent space within the MRI vertical magnet apparatus is bifurcated, thereby eliminating the table portion that obstructs access to the patient (or subject) H. Thus, the physician (or operator) D is given easy access to the patient (or subject) H in the interjacent space.
In accordance with a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an MRI apparatus as described regarding the fourth aspect, further comprising a seat which can be locked at one end portion of the cradle or the table.
In the MRI apparatus of the fifth aspect, by locking the seat at one end portion of the cradle or the table, imaging can be done with the patient (or subject) in a sitting position and joint motion imaging of the neck, knee, loins and the like can be suitably performed.
Thus, according to the MRI vertical magnet apparatus and the MRI apparatus of the present invention, the following advantages can be obtained:
(1) Because the support and movement means is provided on each of the opposing surface sides of the pair of vertical opposing magnets, for supporting the cradle or the seat of the chair and moving the cradle or the seat of the chair in the horizontal or vertical direction, the need to extend the obstructive table into the interjacent space is eliminated, thereby giving the physician (or operator) easy access to the patient (or subject) in the interjacent space.
(2) Because one end portion of the table extending into an interjacent space within the MRI vertical magnet apparatus is bifurcated, the table portion that is obstructive of access to the patient (or subject) can be eliminated, thereby giving the physician (or operator) easy access to the patient (or subject) in the interjacent space.
Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
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patent: 5210893 (1993-05-01), Uosaki et al.
patent: 5272776 (1993-12-01), Kitamura
patent: 5436607 (1995-07-01), Chari et al.
patent: 6011396 (2000-01-01), Eckels et al.
patent: 6023165 (2000-02-01), Damadian et al.
patent: 0424808 (1991-05-01), None
patent: 01305937 (1989-11-01), None
Hayakawa Kazuhiko
Hayashi Yujiro
Nose Katsumasa
GE Yokogawa Medical Systems Limited
Kojima Moonray
Smith Ruth S.
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