JP2004089571A - X-ray ct apparatus, and system for transporting person to be treated - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an X-ray CT apparatus capable of obtaining the tomographic image of an object to be measured while the object is mounted on a mobile body which is travelling. <P>SOLUTION: The X-ray CT apparatus 1 is provided with: a number of X-ray sources 6 arranged around the person to be treated (the measurement object) P; a detector 7 arranged so as to detect X-rays irradiated from the X-ray sources 6; and a controller for controlling the X-ray sources 6. The apparatus is mounted on an ambulance car (mobile body) 2, and obtains the tomographic image of the person to be treated P. Since the X-ray sources 6 and the detector 7 are not moved in the case of obtaining the tomographic image, the X-ray CT apparatus 1 irradiates the X-rays from the X-ray sources 6 to obtain the tomographic image of the person to be treated P, and detects the X-rays by using the detector 7 even during the travelling of the ambulance car 2. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an X-ray CT apparatus provided with a large number of X-ray sources and mounted on a moving body, and a transport system for a subject.
[0002]
[Prior art]
An X-ray CT (Computed Tomography) apparatus acquires a tomographic image to be measured. The X-ray CT apparatus is used for medical treatment and is used for determining an appropriate treatment policy and for early detection of a disease. An X-ray CT apparatus is usually installed in a medical facility such as a hospital and used for medical examination. Further, there is one mounted in a large-sized bus (for example, see Patent Document 1). The vehicle equipped with the X-ray CT apparatus is designed to cope with a periodic medical examination for a measurement subject living in an area away from a medical facility that owns the X-ray CT apparatus.
[0003]
An X-ray CT apparatus-equipped vehicle has an RR (rotate-rotate) type X-ray CT apparatus mounted substantially at the center of the vehicle. In the RR type X-ray CT apparatus, an X-ray source and a detector rotate around a measurement target in order to acquire a tomographic image. Therefore, if the X-ray CT apparatus receives an impact or shakes during the measurement, a driving part such as an X-ray source and a detector is loaded and damaged. Therefore, it is assumed that the vehicle equipped with the X-ray CT apparatus is used while being fixed so that the vehicle does not move wherever it has moved. Then, the X-ray CT apparatus mounted person mechanically fixes the movable portion so as not to move during traveling, prevents traveling while using the X-ray CT apparatus, and prevents the X-ray CT apparatus from traveling while the vehicle is traveling. It is provided to prevent operation.
[0004]
2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, with an increase in the processing speed of a computer, an X-ray CT apparatus can quickly acquire a more accurate tomographic image. Therefore, in order to make a more accurate diagnosis, opportunities to actively use the X-ray CT apparatus have increased.
[0005]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-2002-600 (Paragraph 0008-0021, FIG. 1-6)
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, suddenly ill or injured cannot be examined by an X-ray CT apparatus until they are transported to a medical facility that owns the X-ray CT apparatus. In particular, injuries to the head and cervical vertebrae due to trauma such as brain diseases and traffic accidents require appropriate emergency treatment to reduce the sequelae after healing, and there is a need for initial diagnosis. However, it is difficult to visually judge the degree of brain disease and injuries to the head and cervical spine. In some cases, these to-be-treated persons need to be transported to another medical facility in order to receive more appropriate treatment after obtaining a tomographic image with the X-ray CT apparatus of the transport destination medical facility.
[0007]
Therefore, an X-ray CT apparatus mounted on a moving body such as an ambulance and capable of acquiring a tomographic image while transporting a patient to be treated in emergency medical care has been desired.
[0008]
Therefore, the present invention provides an X-ray CT apparatus mounted on a moving body and capable of acquiring a tomographic image of a measurement object while the moving body is moving, and efficiently transports a treatment target person by the moving body equipped with the X-ray CT apparatus. It is an object of the present invention to provide a transport system that performs
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
An X-ray CT apparatus according to the present invention includes a number of X-ray sources arranged around a measurement target, a detector arranged to detect X-rays emitted from these X-ray sources, and an X-ray source. And a tomographic image to be measured mounted on a moving object. At this time, the X-ray CT apparatus emits X-rays from the X-ray source to the measurement target while the moving body is moving, and detects the X-rays with the detector.
[0010]
An X-ray CT apparatus according to the present invention includes a number of X-ray sources arranged around a measurement target, a detector arranged to detect X-rays emitted from these X-ray sources, and an X-ray source. A control device for controlling a moving object, and an analysis device for forming a tomographic image of a measurement object by performing arithmetic processing based on a control signal output from the control device and an X-ray detection signal detected by a detector. Mounted on
[0011]
In order to increase the resolution of the tomographic image, a vacuum vessel is provided which is formed in an annular shape around the object to be measured, and a number of X-ray sources are accommodated in this vacuum vessel. The detector is mounted along the inner circumference of the vacuum vessel to fix the position of the detector with respect to the X-ray source. Then, X-rays are emitted from the X-ray source to the measurement object while the moving body is moving, and detected by the detector. In order to transmit the acquired tomographic image to a medical facility, a communication device is provided for communicating information including the tomographic image formed by the analyzing device. In order to widen the range in which a tomographic image can be acquired, a table is provided which is controlled by the control device and moves the measurement target with respect to the X-ray source. In order to unitize the X-ray CT apparatus and allow it to be mounted on various moving objects, a power supply for supplying high-voltage power to the X-ray source is provided. The range in which the detector is arranged is a radiation range of X-rays extending in the direction of the X-ray source and the point target with the measurement target as the center.
[0012]
Then, this X-ray CT apparatus is mounted on an ambulance or an emergency helicopter, which is a moving body, to cope with emergency medical care.
[0013]
In order to efficiently and quickly transfer a treatment target to a medical facility, the treatment target transfer system according to the present invention includes an X-ray CT apparatus having a large number of X-ray sources and a tomographic image obtained by the X-ray CT apparatus. A moving body on which a medical treatment facility is mounted, which is equipped with a communication device for communicating information including images, and which carries a treatment target at a location remote from a medical facility; a medical information server connected to the communication device via a communication network; and the medical information server. And a plurality of medical facilities connected to the medical network and having a unique address on the medical network.
[0014]
Then, the transport system puts the treatment target at a location remote from the medical facility on a moving object, acquires a tomographic image of the treatment target with an X-ray CT apparatus, and transmits information including the tomographic image with a communication device to a medical information server. The medical information server selects at least one of the plurality of medical facilities based on the information transmitted from the communication device, and transfers the information to the selected medical facility using the address of the medical facility. The transferred information is diagnosed by a doctor at a medical facility, and information that indicates whether the medical facility can respond to the result of the diagnosis is returned to the medical information server, and treatment is performed from the medical facility from which the information was returned. Information about medical facilities that can respond to the target person is returned from the medical information server to the communication device, and based on the returned information about the medical facility, the destination of the treatment target is selected, and treatment is performed at the selected medical facility. To transport the elephant's.
[0015]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
An X-ray CT apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The X-ray CT apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 is mounted on an ambulance 2 as a moving body. The ambulance 2 is equipped with equipment necessary for emergency medical care in addition to the X-ray CT apparatus 1.
[0016]
As shown in FIG. 1, the X-ray CT apparatus 1 is attached to a treatment room 3 provided at the rear of the ambulance 2. The X-ray CT apparatus 1 includes a computer 4, a main body 5, a number of X-ray sources 6, a detector 7, a bed 8, and a power supply (see FIG. 2) 9. The computer is firmly fixed to the treatment room 3 so as not to fall off while the ambulance is running, and includes a control device 10, an analysis device 11, and a communication device 12, as shown in FIG. Note that the control device 10, the analysis device 11, and the communication device 12 may be provided separately.
[0017]
The main body 5 is provided with an opening 5a large enough to insert the head of the treatment subject P carried by the ambulance 3. At this time, it is more preferable that the opening 5a has a size that allows the head to be inserted even while wearing a motorcycle helmet or the like. The main body 5 has a built-in vacuum container 13 formed in an annular shape surrounding the opening 5a.
[0018]
As shown in FIG. 2, the vacuum container 13 is connected to a vacuum pump 14, and the inside thereof is depressurized. The vacuum pump 14 is controlled by the control device 10 so that the pressure inside the vacuum vessel 13 is equal to or lower than a predetermined pressure. Further, the vacuum vessel 13 is provided with a window 15 for transmitting X-rays on the inner peripheral side.
[0019]
Many X-ray sources 6 are housed in a vacuum container 13 as shown in FIG. The X-ray source 6 is arranged on a concentric circle surrounding the opening 5a along the circumferential direction of the vacuum vessel 13, and emits X-rays toward the center of the opening 5a. Each X-ray source 6 includes an electron gun 16 and a target 17. A high voltage and DC power is applied between the electron gun 16 and the target 17 by the power supply 9 controlled by the control device 10. The electron gun 16 is controlled by the control device 10 and emits electrons toward the target 17. When the electrons collide, the target 17 emits X-rays from where the electrons collide. The emitted X-rays pass through the window 15 provided in the vacuum container 13 and are emitted toward the treatment subject P.
[0020]
The detector 7 is formed concentrically around the opening 5 a and is built in the main body 5. The detector 7 is attached along the inner periphery of the vacuum container 13 and detects X-rays emitted from the X-ray source 6 and spreading over a point target area around the treatment target P. The detector 7 is connected to an analyzer 11 for processing a detected X-ray signal.
[0021]
The bed 8 is placed on the back of the patient P in a supine position, and is controlled by the control device 10 to move in a direction along the body axis of the patient P. As a result, the X-ray CT apparatus 1 puts the treatment subject P into the opening 5a from the top of the head to the cervical spine.
[0022]
The analyzer 11 detects the X-rays detected by the detector 7 and the control signals related to the radiation azimuth of the X-ray source 6 and the position of the bed 3 obtained from the controller 10. Form a tomographic image.
[0023]
The communication device 12 is connected to the analysis device 11 and communicates information including the acquired tomographic images. The X-ray CT apparatus 1 transmits an X-ray detection signal detected by the detector 7 while the ambulance 2 is moving to an analyzer provided at an emergency medical center, a medical facility at a transfer destination, and the like, to perform more advanced analysis. May go.
[0024]
The X-ray CT apparatus 1 switches a number of X-ray sources 6 by the control device 10 to emit X-rays to the treatment target P from multiple directions, and detects the X-rays with the detector 7. The analysis device 11 forms a tomographic image of the head of the treatment target P based on the detected X-ray detection signal and control signals relating to the azimuth of the X-ray source 6 that emitted the X-ray and the position of the bed 3. I do. Then, by moving the bed 3 shown in FIG. 1 in the direction along the body axis of the subject P, a desired tomographic image from the crown to the cervical vertebra is obtained.
[0025]
As described above, the X-ray CT apparatus 1 includes a large number of X-ray sources 6, which are electrically switched by the control device 10 to radiate X-rays to the treatment target P from multiple directions, and each X-ray source X-rays are detected by a detector 7 arranged to detect X-rays emitted from the radiation source 6. That is, in the X-ray CT apparatus 1, the X-ray source 6 and the detector 7 do not move in order to acquire a tomographic image of the treatment subject P.
[0026]
Therefore, even while the ambulance 2 is traveling, the X-ray CT apparatus 1 can emit X-rays from the X-ray source 6 to the treatment target P and detect the X-rays with the detector 7. Then, by mounting the analysis device, it is possible to analyze the detection signal obtained by the detector 7 and obtain a tomographic image. In addition, there is no need to take any special fixing measures when transporting by mounting on a moving body, and it is not necessary to fix the X-ray CT apparatus 1 while acquiring a tomographic image, so that handling is easy. .
[0027]
The X-ray CT apparatus 1 has a large number of X-ray sources 6 housed in an annularly formed vacuum vessel 13 surrounding an opening. Therefore, since more X-ray sources 6 can be arranged around the treatment subject P, a fine tomographic image can be obtained.
[0028]
In the X-ray CT apparatus 1, the detector 7 is attached along the inner circumference of the vacuum container 13. Therefore, when the X-ray is emitted from the X-ray source 6 and detected by the detector 7 while the ambulance 2 is moving, the X-ray source 6 and the detector 7 are relatively unlikely to be displaced by shaking or vibration. High reliability.
[0029]
The X-ray CT apparatus 1 can acquire a tomographic image at an arbitrary position in the range from the crown to the cervical vertebra. Therefore, it is easy to perform appropriate first-aid treatment on a treatment target P who needs delicate treatment, such as a suddenly ill person with a brain disease or an injured person with an injured head or cervical spine, and obtains a tomographic image. Based on this, the subject P can be transported to an appropriate medical facility. In addition, as long as the part can be arranged in the opening 5a, the X-ray CT apparatus 1 can acquire a tomographic image of a limb, a breast of an infant or the like.
[0030]
Further, like the ambulance 2, the X-ray CT apparatus 1 is mounted on an ambulance helicopter as a moving body, and can acquire a tomographic image during flight. Since the X-ray CT apparatus 1 includes the power supply 9 for supplying high-voltage power to the X-ray source 6, the X-ray CT apparatus 1 can be handled as one X-ray CT apparatus unit. It is excellent in versatility, for example, it can be used on a moving object.
[0031]
Next, a transport system for efficiently transporting a treatment subject P to a medical facility by an ambulance 2 equipped with the X-ray CT apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the transport system includes an ambulance 2, a medical information server 21, a medical network 22, a plurality of medical facilities 23, a local area network (LAN) 24 of each medical facility 23, And a plurality of terminals 25 connected to the LAN 24.
[0032]
The ambulance 2 acquires a tomographic image of the treatment target P put on the ambulance 2 by the X-ray CT apparatus 1. The communication device 12 of the X-ray CT apparatus 1 transmits information including the acquired tomographic image to the medical information server 21. The information includes, in addition to tomographic image data, medical data (life signs) and personal data of the treatment target person P, current position data of the ambulance 2, and the like.
[0033]
The medical information server 21 is connected to a communication network 26. The communication network 26 is connected with a plurality of base stations 27. Therefore, the communication device 12 is connected to the medical information server 21 via the communication network 26 by being connected to the nearest base station 27. The communication network 26 may be dedicated or public. The medical information server 21 is connected to a medical network 22 to which a plurality of medical facilities 23 are connected. The medical server 21 has a database 28. The database 28 stores data relating to the medical facilities 23 connected to the medical network 22 and information transmitted from the ambulance 2.
[0034]
Each medical facility 23 has a unique address on the medical network 22, and can individually receive the information of the ambulance 2 sent to the medical information server 21. Further, each medical facility 23 is individually provided with a LAN 24 to which a plurality of terminals 25 are connected. Each terminal 25 is provided with a display monitor having a sufficient resolution to diagnose a tomographic image, so that a doctor who can diagnose a tomographic image can easily access the terminal.
[0035]
When a patient P to be treated such as a suddenly ill person with a brain disease or an injured person injured from the head to the cervical vertebrae occurs in a place away from the medical facility 23, a medical worker such as a paramedic turns the X-ray CT apparatus 1 on. The user gets on the mounted ambulance 2 and rushes under the subject P to be treated. When arriving at the base of the subject P, the medical worker carries the subject P in the treatment room 3 of the ambulance 2 and places it on the bed 8 of the X-ray CT apparatus 1. Next, the medical worker performs emergency treatment and acquires a necessary tomographic image by the X-ray CT apparatus 1. At this time, the ambulance 2 may have already traveled to the nearby medical facility 23.
[0036]
The information including the acquired tomographic image is stored in the database 28 of the medical information server 21 from the communication device 12 by connecting the communication device 12 and the medical information server 21 to the base station 27 via the communication network 26. You. The medical information server compares the information sent from the ambulance 2 with the data of the medical facilities 23 stored in the database, and selects at least one medical facility 23 that satisfies the necessary conditions. The medical information server 21 transmits information including the tomographic image sent from the ambulance 2 to the selected medical facility 23 using the medical network 22 and an address on the medical network 22 of the medical facility 23. The medical facility 23 that has received the information further uses the LAN 24 to transfer the information sent to the terminal 25 where the doctor stands by. The doctor diagnoses the information including the transmitted tomographic image below, and sends back information such as the diagnosis result and acceptability. The information including the diagnosis result is sent back to the communication device 12 of the ambulance 2 that has output the information including the tomographic image via the medical network 22, the medical information server 21, the communication network 26, and the base station 27.
[0037]
The medical worker in the ambulance 2 can perform a more appropriate emergency medical treatment on the treatment target P by obtaining the diagnosis result. In addition, by applying the transport system, the treatment target person P who needs treatment of the head and cervical vertebra can be transported to the medical facility 23 capable of responding accurately and efficiently. Furthermore, since the receiving medical facility 23 can also obtain information including a tomographic image of the treatment target P before the arrival of the ambulance 2, it is possible to perform an accurate medical action to the treatment target P immediately after the arrival of the ambulance 2. Can be.
[0038]
Note that the above-described transport system for the treatment subject P can also be applied to an ambulance helicopter equipped with the X-ray CT apparatus 1 as a mobile body other than the ambulance 2. Further, since the X-ray CT apparatus 1 can be easily transported to a destination and used, it can be applied to the confirmation of contents of a suspicious object.
[0039]
【The invention's effect】
According to the X-ray CT apparatus related to the present invention, the X-ray source and the detector do not move again when acquiring a tomographic image, so that a tomographic image to be measured can be acquired even while the moving body is moving.
[0040]
Further, according to the transport system according to the present invention, the treatment target person located at a location distant from the medical facility is placed on the moving body, and the tomographic image of the treatment target is acquired by the X-ray CT apparatus. The information including the acquired tomographic image is transmitted to the medical information server by the communication device. The medical information server selects at least one of the plurality of medical facilities based on the information sent from the communication device, and transfers the information to the selected medical facility using the address of the medical facility. The transferred information is diagnosed by a doctor at the medical facility. Information indicating whether the medical facility can respond to the diagnosis result is returned to the medical information server. The medical information server returns, to the communication device, information on medical facilities that can respond to the treatment target from the medical facilities to which the information has been returned. Based on the returned information about the medical facility, the transport destination of the treatment target is selected and the treatment target is transported to the selected medical facility. Therefore, by obtaining a diagnosis result, it is possible to perform a more appropriate emergency medical practice on the treatment subject P. In addition, by applying this transport system, the treatment target can be transported efficiently to a medical facility.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an X-ray CT apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention mounted on an ambulance, and a part of the ambulance cut away.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a cross section of the main body of the X-ray CT apparatus of FIG. 1 and schematically showing a transport system of a treatment target including the ambulance of FIG. 1;
[Explanation of symbols]
1. X-ray CT device 2. Ambulance (mobile)
6 X-ray source 7 Detector 8 Bed (unit)
9 Power supply 10 Control device 11 Analysis device 12 Communication device 13 Vacuum container 21 Medical information server 22 Medical network 23 Medical facility 26 Communication network P Treatment target

Claims (14)

A large number of X-ray sources arranged around an object to be measured, a detector arranged to detect X-rays emitted from these X-ray sources, and a control device for controlling the X-ray source An X-ray CT apparatus mounted on a moving body to acquire a tomographic image of the measurement object. The X-ray CT apparatus according to claim 1 emits X-rays from the X-ray source to the measurement target while the moving body is moving, and detects the X-rays with the detector. A number of X-ray sources arranged around the object to be measured;
A detector arranged to detect X-rays emitted from these X-ray sources;
A control device for controlling the X-ray source;
An analysis device that performs arithmetic processing based on a control signal output by the control device and an X-ray detection signal detected by the detector to form a tomographic image of a measurement target,
X-ray CT device mounted on a moving object. The X-ray CT apparatus according to claim 3,
Comprising a vacuum vessel formed in an annular shape surrounding the measurement object,
The vacuum vessel contains the multiple X-ray sources. In the X-ray CT apparatus according to claim 4, the detector comprises:
Attached along the inner periphery of the vacuum vessel. The X-ray CT apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 5,
X-rays are emitted from the X-ray source to the object to be measured while the moving body is moving, and detected by the detector. The X-ray CT apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 6,
A communication device is provided for communicating information including a tomographic image formed by the analysis device. The X-ray CT apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 7,
A stage that is controlled by the control device and moves the object to be measured with respect to the X-ray source; The X-ray CT apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 8,
A power supply for supplying high-voltage power to the X-ray source; The X-ray CT apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 9,
The detector is arranged in an X-ray radiation range extending in an azimuth of the X-ray source and a point object with the measurement object as a center. The X-ray CT apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10,
The moving object is an ambulance. The X-ray CT apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10,
The moving object is an emergency helicopter. An X-ray CT apparatus equipped with a number of X-ray sources and a communication device for communicating information including a tomographic image acquired by the X-ray CT apparatus, on which a target to be treated is placed away from a medical facility. Body and
A medical information server connected to the communication device via a communication network,
A medical network connected to this medical information server,
A plurality of medical facilities connected to the medical network and having a unique address on the medical network,
A transport system for transporting the treatment subject by the moving body to a medical facility selected from the plurality of medical facilities. The transport system according to claim 13,
Place a treatment target at a location remote from the medical facility on the moving object,
Obtaining a tomographic image of the treatment subject with the X-ray CT apparatus,
The communication device transmits information including the tomographic image to the medical information server,
The medical information server selects at least one of the plurality of medical facilities based on the information sent from the communication device,
Transfer the information to be diagnosed by the doctor of the medical facility to the selected medical facility using the address of the medical facility,
Returning to the medical information server information along with whether the medical facility can respond to the diagnosis result based on the transferred information,
Replying to the communication device from the medical information server information on a medical facility capable of responding to the treatment target from among the medical facilities where information has been returned,
The destination of the treatment target is selected based on the returned information about the medical facility, and the treatment target is transported to the selected medical facility.

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