Patents by Inventor Michael Pflaum

Michael Pflaum has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9001965
    Abstract: A method for representing an exposure to radiation of an examination area of an object caused by radiological imaging is proposed. A 3D image of the examination area of the object being examined is acquired. Absorption coefficients of the examination area are determined. The radiation exposure of the examination area caused by radiological imaging is determined and is represented in the 3D image. A termination criterion is queried. The radiation exposure of the examination area is iteratively determined till the termination criterion is fulfilled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Stefan Lautenschläger, Michael Pflaum
  • Patent number: 8498692
    Abstract: To allow safe treatment of a patient, in particular a puncture or biopsy using a needle, a 2D sectional image of an implant plane and a further 2D sectional image of an orthogonal plane are generated from a 3D image data record of a region to be examined. The two planes are hereby oriented such that the needle is on the one hand located within the implant plane and on the other hand is oriented in a perpendicular manner in respect of the orthogonal plane. The parallel display of the 2D images allows the doctor to acquire the relative position of the needle in relation to the region to be examined in a simple and intuitive manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Frank Deinzer, Thomas Brunner, Michael Pflaum
  • Publication number: 20130003915
    Abstract: A method for representing an exposure to radiation of an examination area of an object caused by radiological imaging is proposed. A 3D image of the examination area of the object being examined is acquired. Absorption coefficients of the examination area are determined. The radiation exposure of the examination area caused by radiological imaging is determined and is represented in the 3D image. A termination criterion is queried. The radiation exposure of the examination area is iteratively determined till the termination criterion is fulfilled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2012
    Publication date: January 3, 2013
    Inventors: Stefan LAUTENSCHLÄGER, Michael PFLAUM
  • Publication number: 20080085034
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and imaging system to compensate for patient movements when recording a series of medical images, in which a number of images of an area of a patient to be examined are recorded at intervals and are related to one another, especially for movement compensation in Digital Subtraction Angiography (DSA) or roadmapping (RDMP) in the abdominal area. A plurality of breath-triggered mask images is recorded during a breathing cycle. Frilling images are recorded with the same triggering and mask images and filling images which are recorded for the same breathing states are subtracted from each other in realtime and the difference recordings are displayed in realtime.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2007
    Publication date: April 10, 2008
    Inventors: Peter Hildebrandt, Michael Pflaum
  • Publication number: 20070055131
    Abstract: To allow safe treatment of a patient, in particular a puncture or biopsy using a needle, a 2D sectional image of an implant plane and a further 2D sectional image of an orthogonal plane are generated from a 3D image data record of a region to be examined. The two planes are hereby oriented such that the needle is on the one hand located within the implant plane and on the other hand is oriented in a perpendicular manner in respect of the orthogonal plane. The in particular parallel display of the 2D images allows the doctor to acquire the relative position of the needle in relation to the region to be examined in a simple and intuitive manner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2006
    Publication date: March 8, 2007
    Inventors: Frank Deinzer, Thomas Brunner, Michael Pflaum
  • Patent number: 6560799
    Abstract: A support mechanism system has a mechanism base at which a support plate for accepting a treatment and/or examination subject can be detachably attached, and a transport gurney and at least two support plates that are fixable at the transport gurney. One of the support plates is fashioned as an operation plate for carrying out a surgical intervention at a subject, and the other a radiological support plate having at least one radiation-transparent region. Either plate can be optionally attached to the base by a fastening arrangement that is compatible with both plates. The base also has at least one connector for providing operation support for an implement or component used in a surgical procedure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2003
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Michael Pflaum, Reinhard Zitzmann
  • Patent number: 6416219
    Abstract: A treatment-diagnostic apparatus has a positioning device with a positioning plate for the treatment and/or examination subject that is adjustable at a base and is transparent for radiation in at least one region. The positioning plate, with reference to the base, is mounted so as to be adjustable at least along its longitudinal axis and is mounted at the base so as to be adjustable in height, as well as around three spatial axes x, y, z. Due to the versatile adjustability, such an apparatus meets the demands for an angiographic diagnostic and/or therapy as well as for surgical procedures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2002
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Michael Pflaum, Reinhard Zitzmann
  • Patent number: 6385480
    Abstract: A multiple examination arrangement has a number of imaging systems that are arranged at one location such that a patient lying on a movable patient support table can be examined in each of the imaging systems without changing beds. One of the imaging systems is a magnetic resonance system having an actively shielded magnet, another is a radiographic angio system, preferably offset laterally relative to the z-axis of the magnet. Selected components of the angio system have a soft-magnetic covering as shielding against the static stray field of the MR system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2002
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Reiner Bachus, Knut Imhof, Rainer Kuth, Michael Pflaum
  • Patent number: 6324254
    Abstract: In a method and X-ray device for the pickup of X-ray images in an examination of a vessel or organ that moves substantially rhythmically, particularly for the determination of deposits in a vessel, such as a coronary vessel, the X-ray pickup system of an X-ray device is slowly moved along a circular orbit at an angular velocity of less than 6° per second, during which a number of digital X-ray images are picked up, with the image pickup being triggered by the vessel motion or organ motion acquired during the system movement or by an organ motion that causes the vessel motion, and a 3D image is reconstructed on the basis of the individual images, after the image pickup has ensued.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2001
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Michael Pflaum
  • Patent number: 6264364
    Abstract: A medical x-ray system, such as an angiography system has an x-ray tube that emits and a radiation receiver, which are arranged at a C-arm, a stand supporting the C-arm, which has an arm that is rotatably mounted at one end around a stationary axis, and a holding device supporting the C-arm, which is rotatably mounted at the other end of the stand, and a patient table The stand is mounted via its arm at the ceiling and is mounted such that the rotational axis of the arm is arranged substantially in alignment with the center line of the patient table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2001
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Michael Pflaum, Ewald Popp
  • Patent number: 6198790
    Abstract: An X-ray diagnostic apparatus has a computed tomography device including a first X-ray tube, which is fastened to a gantry ring (10) and which emits a fan-shaped effective beam, and an opposed radiation receiver, which is formed by a row of individual detectors, each of which forms an electrical signal corresponding to the received radiation intensity. A second X-ray tube is additionally fastened to the gantry ring at a right angle to the first X-ray tube, opposite which, at the gantry ring, a matrix-like X-ray detector is arranged. The second X-ray tube is activated in specified positions in pulsed fashion, such as at the uppermost rotational point. X-ray shadowgraphs thus can be produced simultaneously with CT images and without a need for repositioning any of the apparatus components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2001
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Michael Pflaum
  • Patent number: 4692625
    Abstract: A mechanism for mounting a detector head including a collimator which comprises a supporting structure having a single trunnion axis for the detector head. A shifting mechanism is provided for shifting the detector head and the supporting structure with respect to each other in a manner that the detector head including the collimator is balanced with respect to the single trunnion axis. For overall balancing purposes the supporting structure also comprises a counterweight for the detector head secured to a detector head support arm and a device for varying the position of the center of gravity of the counterweight with respect to a joint moveably supporting the arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 1985
    Date of Patent: September 8, 1987
    Assignee: Siemens Gammasonics, Inc.
    Inventors: George J. Hanz, Guenter Jung, Michael Pflaum
  • Patent number: 4629893
    Abstract: A device for detachably securing a collimator to a radiation detector, comprising a first and second annular grooves secured to the radiation detector and the collimator respectively, a split ring having a first and second ring ends and being received in the first annular groove, and a ring diameter control system. The latter one includes a rotating hub and a first and second lever systems connected between the first and second ring ends and the rotating hub. By rotating the hub the ring ends are spread by the lever systems between a first position, where the split ring is alone positioned in the first annular groove, and a second position, where the split ring is arranged in both the first and second annular grooves, thereby attaching the collimator to the radiation detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 1985
    Date of Patent: December 16, 1986
    Assignee: Siemens Gammasonics, Inc.
    Inventors: George J. Hanz, Guenter Jung, Michael Pflaum
  • Patent number: 4625116
    Abstract: A structure for supporting a detector head of a radiation detector which comprises an arm having a distal end supporting the head, a base, a joint mounted on the base and moveably supporting the arm and a slotted member rotatably mounted to the base in a predetermined distance from the joint. The slotted member includes a guidance slot. It also contains a mounting mechanism for mounting the arm in the guidance slot at a desired distance from the rotational axis in a manner that the arm is freely slidable along its longitudinal arm axis, and is non-rotatably fixed with respect to the guidance slot. A motor drive rotates the slotted member about its rotational axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 1985
    Date of Patent: November 25, 1986
    Assignee: Siemens Gammasonics, Inc.
    Inventors: George J. Hanz, Guenter Jung, Michael Pflaum