Abstract:
A medical radiological system has a radiological device with at least one element that can be electrically adjusted in order to allow an adaptation of the radiological device to body dimensions of a patient to be examined. The radiological device has a controller with an interface that receives a patient parameter set from a computer, with which patient data are processed and stored. The controller calculates a desired position of the element from the received patient data set, and automatically controls positioning of the element by electrically adjusting the element to the desired position.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention concerns a medical x-ray system. In particular, the present invention concerns an improved medical x-ray system with an x-ray apparatus with at least one element that is electrically adjustable in order to enable an adaptation of the x-ray apparatus to body measurements of a patient to be examined. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Medical x-ray apparatuses serve to establish anomalies in the body. X-ray radiation emitted by an x-ray radiator thereby penetrates a body part to be examined and is absorbed by an electronic sensor or suitable film material and is subsequently evaluated. The body part to be examined thereby most often lies on a table which simultaneously incorporates the sensor or a film cartridge. 
     Elements of an x-ray apparatus—for instance the radiation source and the table—are frequently adjustable in order to enable an examination of patients of different sizes with the x-ray apparatus. These adjustments are made manually by an assistant or a physician to be examined. During this time the apparatus is not otherwise functional and the assistant or physician is also occupied only with the adjustment of the x-ray apparatus. It is the case that patients are excited frequently, whereby the adjustment is additionally hindered. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the invention to provide a medical x-ray apparatus and an x-ray system that reduce the scope of the adjustments (that still must be made manually) of adjustable elements of the x-ray apparatus. 
     This object is achieved in accordance with the invention by a medical x-ray apparatus with at least one element that is electrically adjustable in order to enable an adaptation of the x-ray apparatus to body measurements of a patient to be examined. The x-ray apparatus has a controller with:
         an interface that receives a patient parameter set from a computer with which patient data are processed and stored;   a calculator unit that calculates a desired position of the element from the received patient parameter set; and   a control unit that automatically sets the electrically adjustable element to the desired position.       

     The object is also achieved by an x-ray system having such an x-ray apparatus and a computer with which patient data—in particular an electronic patient file—are processed and stored, and having the following:
         an extractor unit that extracts a patient parameter set from the patient data; and   an interface that transfers the patient parameter set and a control command to the medical x-ray apparatus, this control command initiating the automatic control of the electrically adjustable element in the desired position.       

     An advantage of the present invention is that an x-ray apparatus according to the invention can be integrated into an x-ray system according to the invention that is subsequently automatically adjusted, matching the respective patient, without action by an assistant or physician. In the simplest case, for example, the height of the patient is electronically extracted from the electronic patient file, transmitted to the x-ray apparatus as a patient parameter set and there converted into a desired position of an element (for example height of a table). 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
         FIG. 1  schematically illustrates a medical x-ray apparatus constructed and operating in accordance with the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  schematically illustrates a medical system in accordance with the invention, embodying a medical x-ray apparatus as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
       FIG. 1  shows a medical x-ray apparatus  100 , such as a mammography x-ray apparatus (for example). X-ray apparatus  100  has a stationary stand element  110  to which a support element  120  is attached so as to be height-adjustable. The height adjustment of the support element  120  ensues by means of an electrical motor in the stand element  110  and serves to adapt the x-ray apparatus to different body sizes of patients. The examination of both standing and sitting patients is thereby possible. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The single figure shows a medical x-ray apparatus  100 , such as a mammography x-ray apparatus (for example). X-ray apparatus  100  has a stationary stand element  110  to which a support element  120  is attached so as to be height-adjustable. The height adjustment of the support element  120  ensues by means of an electrical motor in the stand element  110  and serves to adapt the x-ray apparatus to different body sizes of patients. The examination of both standing and sitting patients is thereby possible. 
     Support element  120  supports a table  121  that supports the body part to be examined and has a digital x-ray sensor or, respectively, a film cartridge (not shown). An optional plate  122  (likewise attached to the support element  120 ) serves for fixing and/or shaping the body part to be examined. Support element  120  also supports an apparatus  123  generating x-rays (designated more simply as a radiation source in the following). Table  121  and radiation source  123  are thereby attached to the support element  120  such that they are aligned relative to one another in a manner suitable for image generation. 
     Through a joint  125 , support element  120  provides the possibility to rotate the entire structure (table  121  and radiation source  123 ) in a motorized manner, for instance in order to rotate the beam axis (formed by table  121  and radiation source  123 ) by 45° and thus to enable a slanted, lateral accommodation of the organ to be examined. 
     In the shown x-ray apparatus  100 , the elements “table  121 ” and “radiation source  123 ” are executed so as to be electrically adjustable in order to enable an adaptation of the x-ray apparatus to different body sizes of patients, and are thus examples of the component  103  shown in  FIG. 2 . This adaptation is classically made by an assistant or physician while the patient is already standing restlessly in front of the x-ray apparatus. This requires time and intensifies the patient&#39;s anxiousness since the adjustment takes place only slowly due to the sensitivity and the mass of the device and the required precision. 
     According to the invention as shown in  FIG. 2 , a patient parameter set is transmitted to the x-ray apparatus  100  via wired wireless interfaces  102  and  201  of a controller  101  of the x-ray apparatus  101  and a computer  200 . From this patient parameter set the controller  101  of the x-ray apparatus determines a desired setting of the adjustable elements  121 ,  123  and suitably controls the corresponding actuators in order to achieve this desired position. 
     In one exemplary embodiment shown in  FIG. 2 , the patient parameter set includes the body size of the patient which is either learned from an electronic patient file or is determined in a waiting room as shown in  FIG. 2 , that is separated from the examination room via an automatic measurement system  202 . An adjustment of the table height is therefore approximately possible in any case so that readjustments that are possibly still necessary can be carried out quickly by the assistant or physician who is required anyway for the image acquisition. 
     For example, a system which possesses multiple light barriers that are advantageously arranged equidistantly atop one another can be used as an automatic measurement system  202 . To measure a patient, the patient is positioned in the light barrier region and the size of the patient  300  is determined from the interrupted light barriers. 
     Alternatively, the size of a patient  300  can be determined automatically by means of a camera, wherein the image of the patient  300  is compared (controlled by a program) with reference images in order to determine the size of the patient  300 . Given the use of a camera, other size parameters can additionally be determined; for example, the height and/or position of the breast for a mammography examination instead of or in addition to the size of the patient  300 . 
     By repeated examinations, a position of elements  121 ,  123  that has determined to be optimal by the assistant or physician is adopted in the electronic patient file. The x-ray apparatus  100  has operating means for this purpose, with which the operator communicates to the apparatus that the current position is the optimal position. This current position (or the parameters characterizing this position) is thereupon determined by the controller; a corresponding patient data set is generated from this which in turn is transferred wirelessly or via wires to a computer which stores the electronic patient file. Given a re-examination of the patient  300 , the optimal settings can henceforth be accessed so that the x-ray apparatus  100  automatically brings the elements  121 ,  123  into the optimal position after registration of the patient for the examination while patient  300  and assistant or physician conduct other examination steps. 
     In the event that the size of the patient is not present in the electronic patient file and cannot be recorded before the x-ray examination, in exemplary embodiments the age of the patient (for example) are used for an approximate presetting of the adjustable elements  121 ,  123 . Additional details can additionally or alternatively be considered, for instance that an examination takes place while sitting, for example because the patient cannot stand. 
     In addition to the height of the table  121 , further adjustments must occasionally be made, for instance the alignment of a shield  124 , the position of adjustable elements relative to one another (for instance the distance between radiation source  123  and table  121 ) etc. These additional parameters can be stored with the patient parameter set in the electronic patient file without further measures. 
     It is possible—in particular for larger medical facilities with many examination stations—to additionally use the parameters and settings obtained at a first examination station to preset the following (x-ray) examination apparatuses in the examination workflow. For this purpose it is sufficient for suitable parameters to be determined at the first examination station and stored in the electronic patient file, which parameters then serve to set adjustable elements at the following (x-ray) examination apparatuses. 
     Although modifications and changes may be suggested by those skilled in the art, it is the intention of the inventor to embody within the patent warranted heron all changes and modifications as reasonably and properly come within the scope of his contribution to the art.