Method and device for generating a passive movement in a diagnostic device

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for generating a passive movement of a patient in a magnetic resonance tomograph. The apparatus includes a support for supporting at least one body part of the patient. The support, together with a patient bed can be moved into a passage of the magnetic resonance tomograph. Driven by a motor, the support can be swiveled about at least one axis inside the passage of the magnetic resonance tomograph. The components of the support and its drive, which are disposed inside the passage of the magnetic resonance tomograph, are made of non-ferromagnetic materials.

1 - 10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . A method of acquiring images of a movement of a body or at least one part of a body of an object to be imaged in an imaging passage of an imaging modality comprising:
 fixing the body or the at least one part of a body on a support to be disposed in the imaging passage;   generating a defined reproducible passive movement about at least one axis of the body or the at least one part of a body or the support by a non-ferromagnetic motorized drive while disposing the support and the drive and the body or the at least one part of a body within the imaging passage; and   acquiring a series of images continuously in real time while and during imaging and while or during the passive movement of the body or the at least one part of a body or the support.   
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 11  comprising providing shielding against magnetic flux artifacts in the acquired images or the images as acquired. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 11  comprising providing electrical grounding against artifacts in the acquired images or the images as acquired. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 11  wherein the passive movement comprises applying pressure and/or movement and/or swiveling and/or rotating and/or pivoting to the body or the at least one part of a body or the support. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14  wherein the applied pressure and/or movement and/or swiveling and/or rotating and/or pivoting is selected from the group consisting of continuous, constant, adjustable, step-by-step, variable and a combination thereof. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 11  wherein the passive movement comprises applying a load on the body or the at least one part of a body or the support. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 11  wherein the passive movement imitates the physiological movement of the body or the at least one part of a body. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 11  wherein the images are kinematic or static images of a position of the body or the at least one part of a body disposed in the imaging passage. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 11  wherein a predefined continuous movement of the body or the at least one part of a body or the support is generated or reproduced by the drive. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 11  wherein the body or the at least one part of a body includes a joint of a living object. 
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 11  wherein the body or the at least one part of a body is an ankle joint. 
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 11  wherein the imaging modality is a magnetic resonance tomograph. 
     
     
         23 . The method according to  claim 11  wherein object is an anatomical body part having a joint. 
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 11  wherein the passive movement is applied pressure and/or rotation and/or swiveling and/or movement and/or pivoting to the support while the body or the at least one part of the body is at rest. 
     
     
         25 . The method according to  claim 11  wherein the passive movement imitates a physiological movement of the body or the at least one part of the body. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the passive movement comprises applying pressure to the support to move and/or rotate and/or swivel and/or pivot the body or the at least one part of the body. 
     
     
         27 . The method according to  claim 11  wherein the passive movement comprises applying a weight load on the body or the at least one part of a body or the support. 
     
     
         28 . The method according to  claim 11  wherein the passive movement produces or reproduces stress on the body or the at least one part a body or the support. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the drive is a piezo-electromotor. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 26  wherein the applied pressure and/or movement and/or rotation and/or swiveling and/or pivoting is selected from the group consisting of continuous, constant, adjustable, step-by-step, variable and a combination thereof. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the passive movement comprises applying a load on the body or the at least one body art by applying pressure and/or moving and/or swiveling and/or pivoting and/or rotating. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the passive movement imitates the movement of the body or the at least one body part of the body. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the passive movement is about two independent axes. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the drive provides for applying pressure and/or movement and/or rotation and/or swiveling and/or pivoting the support or the body or the at least one part of a body about at least one axis. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the body or the at least one part of the body is a living object. 
     
     
         36 . The method according to  claim 11  wherein the support or the body or the at least one part of a body can be applied pressure and/or moved and/or rotated and/or swiveled and/or pivoted independently about two axes. 
     
     
         37 . An apparatus for generating a passive movement of a body or at least one part of a body of an object to be imaged in an imaging passage of an imaging modality comprising:
 a support for positioning the body or the at least one part of a body, which support can be moved into and disposed in an imaging passage of the imaging passage;   a drive motor for providing a defined reproducible passive movement which can be moved into and disposed in the passage for applying pressure and/or movement and/or swiveling   and/or pivoting and/or rotating the body or the at least one part of the body or the support about at least one axis inside the imaging passage;   components of the support and the drive motor are made from non-ferromagnetic materials; and   a control unit for controlling the drive motor to produce while and during the defined reproducible passive movement a series of images continuously in real time while or during imaging with the imaging modality.   
     
     
         38 . The apparatus according to  claim 37  wherein the drive motor is provided by at least one piezo-electromotor. 
     
     
         39 . The apparatus according to  claim 37  wherein the control unit and/or the imaging modality is electrically grounded. 
     
     
         40 . The apparatus according to  claim 37  wherein the control unit and/or the imaging modality is shielded from magnetic flux. 
     
     
         41 . The apparatus according to  claim 40  wherein the shielding for magnetic flux is outside the imaging passage and is provided with ferrites. 
     
     
         42 . The apparatus according to  claim 37  wherein the support or the body or the at least one part of a body can be applied pressure and/or moved and/or rotated and/or swiveled and/or pivoted independently about two axes. 
     
     
         43 . The apparatus according to  claim 42  wherein the support or the body or the at least one part of a body can be applied pressure and/or moved and/or rotated and/or swiveled and/or pivoted about a first horizontal axis in a horizontal plane and in a sagittal plane. 
     
     
         44 . The apparatus according to  claim 37  comprising:
 means for fixing the body or the at least one part of a body on the support; and 
 at least portions of the support can be moved relative to the means for fixing. 
 
     
     
         45 . The apparatus according to  claim 37  wherein the drive of the support is in communication with the imaging modality via the control unit, such that images are acquired by the imaging modality simultaneously with the generation of the passive movement. 
     
     
         46 . The apparatus according to  claim 37  wherein the imaging modality is a magnetic resonance tomography. 
     
     
         47 . A magnetic resonance tomograph comprising an apparatus for generating a passive movement of the body or the at least one part of a body of the object or the support according to  claim 37 . 
     
     
         48 . The apparatus of  claim 37  wherein the body or the at least one part of the body is a living object. 
     
     
         49 . The apparatus of  claim 37  wherein the passive movement comprises applying pressure and/or movement and/or swiveling and/or rotating and/or pivoting to the body or the at least one part of a body or the support. 
     
     
         50 . The apparatus of  claim 37  wherein the drive motor provides for applying pressure and/or movement and/or rotating and/or swiveling and/or pivoting the support or the body or the at least one part of a body about at least one axis. 
     
     
         51 . The apparatus of  claim 37  wherein the support or the body or the at least one part of a body can be applied pressure and/or moved and/or rotated and/or swiveled and/or pivoted about a first horizontal axis in a horizontal plane and in a sagittal plane. 
     
     
         52 . The apparatus according to  claim 37  wherein the passive movement produces or reproduces stress on the body or the at least one part a body or the support. 
     
     
         53 . The apparatus according to  claim 37  wherein the passive movement imitates a physiological movement of the body or the at least one part of the body.