Patient Positioner System

Abstract

A computer controlled robot system for positioning a patient for radiation therapy or other medical procedures and the like. The robot is mounted at the top of a vertical shaft extending from the treatment room floor and includes horizontal arms arranged to maximize the available work envelope and eliminate “dead spots” in the envelope that the robot cannot reach. A double redundant coupling system for coupling devices to the robot is provided. A vision based docking system is employed for automatically coupling devices to the robot. Various enhanced safety features are provided, including device specific collision avoidance.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A patient positioner system, comprising:
 a) a robot having a first arm segment, a second arm segment coupled to the first arm segment, and a wrist assembly;   b) a patient table attached to the wrist assembly;   c) a control system operably coupled to the robot; and   d) wherein the control system is configured to control the robot to position the patient table at all points within a complete circular envelope defined by a maximum reach of the first and second arm segments without any dead spots.   
     
     
         2 . The patient positioner system of  claim 1 , wherein the control system is configured to control the robot to vary a vertical position the patient table. 
     
     
         3 . The patient positioner of  claim 2 , wherein the control system includes at least one force sensor coupled to at least one of the robot or the patient table whereby the control system receives a control input from a user directly applying a load to at least one of the robotic arm or the patient table to which the force sensor is coupled, and wherein the control system controls the robot to position the patient table in response thereto. 
     
     
         4 . The patient positioner of  claim 2 , wherein the wrist assembly includes a mechanical restriction on a degree of motion along pitch and roll axes of rotation out of the horizontal plane. 
     
     
         5 . The patient positioner of  claim 4 , wherein the mechanical restriction prevents rotation of out of the horizontal plane of a degree greater than 15 degrees in either direction about both the pitch and roll axes. 
     
     
         6 . The patient positioner of  claim 2 , wherein the control system includes at least one position sensor coupled to at least one of the robot or the patient table whereby the control system receives position information of at least one specific point on the robot or patient table in real space, the control system further including a collision avoidance algorithm. 
     
     
         7 . The patient positioner of  claim 6 , wherein the control system is programmed with computer added design representations of the robot and the patient table, the collision avoidance algorithm using the computer added design representations to determine a work space for the entire system. 
     
     
         8 . The patient positioner of  claim 2 , wherein the control system includes an optical detection device to monitor location of devices to be coupled to the robotic arm, the control system further including a vision based docking system to position the robot to dock with the devices based on a visual position thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The patient positioner of  claim 2 , wherein the control system includes a plurality of auxiliary disturbance circuits, the auxiliary disturbance circuits being operably couplable to auxiliary disturbance systems that are not part of any primary safety system of the robotic arm, and wherein the auxiliary disturbance circuits are operably configured to effectuate immediate stopping of all motion of the robot and the patient table upon a detected state change of any of the auxiliary disturbance systems. 
     
     
         10 . The patient positioner of  claim 9 , wherein the auxiliary disturbance circuits monitor state changes only and do not use any software to detect the state change, and wherein the auxiliary disturbance circuits invoke an immediate stop of all motion of the robot and the patient table upon any detected state change. 
     
     
         11 . The patient positioner of  claim 10 , wherein the auxiliary disturbance system is a light curtain, and wherein the auxiliary disturbance system is operably couplable to the auxiliary disturbance circuit by being plugged into the auxiliary disturbance circuit. 
     
     
         12 . The patient positioner of  claim 10 , wherein the auxiliary disturbance system includes a cover for at least one of the robot or the patient table that is configured to detect a collision with an object and provide the detected state change to the auxiliary disturbance circuit to immediately stop all motion of the robot and the patient table. 
     
     
         13 . The patient positioner of  claim 2 , wherein the control system further includes mechanical axis range monitoring that monitors the parameters of the motion of the robot about the various axes to monitor the movement of the robot and the patient table to maintain the movement within predefined limits. 
     
     
         14 . The patient positioner of  claim 2 , wherein the robot includes a vertical shaft coupled to the first arm segment as well as a drive mechanism, the control system is configured to control the drive mechanism to vary the vertical position the patient table. 
     
     
         15 . The patient positioner of  claim 2 , wherein the control system can create an allowable work envelope that is a subset of the complete circular envelope of possible movement of the patent table via restrictions set by user defined parameters. 
     
     
         16 . The patient positioner according to  claim 1  wherein a dual coupler system includes two independent couplers, each independent coupler being sufficient to provide safe and secure attachment of the patient table to provide redundant coupling of the patient table to the wrist assembly, each of the independent couplers including independent control circuits for control thereof. 
     
     
         17 . A patient positioner system, comprising:
 a) a robot having a first arm segment, a second arm segment coupled to the first arm segment, and a wrist assembly;   b) a patient table attached to the wrist assembly;   c) a control system operably coupled to the robot;   d) wherein the control system is configured to control the robot to position the patient table at all points within a complete circular envelope defined by a maximum reach of the first and second arm segments without any dead spots;   e) wherein the control system is configured to control the robot to vary a vertical position of the patient table; and,   f) wherein the control system further includes a 3D emulator that provides 3D simulation of motions of the robot and the patient table prior to the motions being commanded such that a user can simulate the actions of the patient positioner.   
     
     
         18 . A control system for a patient positioner system that includes a robot having a horizontally rotatable first arm segment, a horizontally rotatable second arm segment coupled to the first arm segment, and a wrist assembly coupled to the second arm segment, and a patient table attached to the wrist assembly of the robot, the control system being configured to control the robot to position the patient table at all points within a complete circular envelope defined by a maximum reach of the first and second arm segments without any dead spots, comprising:
 a) at least one force sensor coupled to at least one of the robot or the patient table whereby the at least one force sensor generates a control input from a user directly applying a load to at least one of the robotic arm or the patient table to which the force sensor is coupled;   b) at least one position sensor coupled to at least one of the robot or the patient table whereby the at least one position sensor generates position information of at least one specific point on the robot or patient table in real space; and   c) an optical detection device to monitor location of devices to be coupled to the robotic arm; and   d) an electronic controller operatively coupled to the at least one force sensor, the at least one position sensor, and the optical detection device, the electronic controller programmed to control the robot to position the patient table in response to the control input provided by the at least one force sensor, the controller further including a collision avoidance algorithm and a computer added design representations of the robot and the patient table, the collision avoidance algorithm using the computer added design representations to determine a work space for the entire system, the controller further including a vision based docking system to position the robot to dock with the devices based on a visual position thereof.   
     
     
         19 . The control system of  claim 18 , further comprising a plurality of auxiliary disturbance circuits, the auxiliary disturbance circuits configured to effectuate immediate stopping of all motion of the robot and the patient table upon a detected state change of any external auxiliary disturbance system coupled thereto. 
     
     
         20 . The control system of  claim 19 , further comprising a light curtain coupled to the auxiliary disturbance circuit, and wherein the light curtain provides the state change to the disturbance circuit upon any penetration the light curtain by an object.