Patent ID: 9301707
Filing Date: 2016-04-05
CPC Classification: A61B,A61G,G01R

Claim Text:
1. A method for imaging a part of each of a plurality of patients comprising: providing a plurality of rooms each arranged for use in imaging a patient from said plurality of patients independently, the plurality of the rooms including at least a first room for a diagnostic procedure and a second room for an interventional procedure; providing a magnetic resonance imaging system for obtaining images of a part of a patient of the plurality of patients, the magnetic resonance imaging system comprising: in the first room using the imaging control computer system to effect imaging of a first patient of the plurality of patients using the magnetic resonance imaging system with the first patient located on the diagnostic table, the imaging control computer system being connected during the imaging with the diagnostic table by a coupling on the diagnostic table which connects to a docking station on the magnet for communicating of imaging control signals to and from the diagnostic table; providing a magnet moving system for moving the magnet from the first room to the second room; providing a patient support table mounted in the second room arranged for the interventional procedure on a second patient from said plurality of patients; the patient support table being operable for movement of a patient support portion to different positions of the patient relative to the magnet; the patient support table being arranged for cooperation with associated elements arranged for use in the interventional procedure; providing a movement control computer system for controlling operation of the magnet moving system and the patient support table; moving the magnet from the first room to the second room by; so that in the second room the magnet and its bore is moved into a position surrounding the patient support table with the part of the second patient on the patient support table at the imaging location; in the second room using the control computer system to effect imaging of a second patient of the plurality of patients using the magnetic resonance imaging system with the second patient located on the patient support table, the imaging control computer system being connected during the imaging with the patient support table by a coupling on the patient support table which connects to the docking station on the magnet for communicating of imaging control signals to and from the patient support table; the imaging control computer system being connected during the imaging in the second room with the diagnostic table by said coupling on the diagnostic table which connects to a second docking station in the first room for communicating of imaging control signals to and from the diagnostic table; and providing an emulating computer system separate from the imaging control computer system which communicates with the imaging control computer system by generating signals emulating outputs from the disconnected diagnostic table for controlling operation of the imaging system.