Motion in the X-ray room

The medical technology team at Ewellix has developed a trio of lifting columns for the X-ray room. Thanks to Drive Assisted Motion (X-Motion), both medical staff and patients both medical staff and patients benefit from from greater comfort, safety and precision.

"Specifically, we are talking about all-electric and synchronized motion profiles for the patient table, grid wall unit and X-ray ceiling stand, which uses our SmartX control technology and a five-stage lifting column that can be used in a modular fashion," explains Manuel Doppler, Business Development Manager Medical Sector at Ewellix. "The highlight of the lifting column is the patented 'Drive Assisted Motion', which allows the user to effortlessly move and position X-ray units weighing up to 50 kilograms."

Height-adjustable X-ray tubes are typically equipped with counterweights and are positioned vertically manually or with a motor. Ewellix's approach does not require counterweights at all. In their patent-pending technology, the linear technology specialists combine all components - the servo drive as well as the necessary sensor technology - in a five-stage telescopic column, making it an intelligent telescopic column. The user can move the heavy device as light as a feather and with just one finger. "The column travels at up to 600 millimeters per second, depending on the user's impulse," says Marcel Soltermann, Product Development Director at Ewellix. "This allows the X-ray or grid wall unit to be extended from floor level to head height in two to three seconds, without the operator even realizing he is moving 50 kilograms." And how does the X-Motion work? "The sensors detect the speed and strength of the user's movement. The column supports this accordingly, overcoming the mass and inertia of the load," Doppler says..

Natural look and safety in focus

Two aspects were essential in the development: the natural appearance of the interaction, where the user does not even notice that an electric motor is supporting his movement, and above all the safety for him and the patients. "After all, there are up to 50 kilograms floating directly above the person," Soltermann points out. "That's why, for example, all the sensors are duplicated and are permanently echoed against each other." In addition, the control software monitors all movements. Those that are defined as not possible are not allowed by the control system. The possibility of the X-ray unit hitting the ceiling mount or the patient couch hard due to impetuous pushing or pulling is also ruled out. The sensor system takes care of that. "We intentionally did not integrate the sensor package into the handles, as is common in systems for industry, for example, but directly into the lifting column," Doppler adds. "When touched, the column immediately detects an oncoming obstacle. This leads to the counterimpulse - it countersteers. So any contact with an obstacle results in a counter-impulse that moves the column away from the obstacle. The user does not have to intervene."

Smart lifting column for patient tables

SmartX telescopic columns are also used in the synchronized patient table. With Ewellix' new generation of linear technology products in this series, all the necessary smart, digital control, sensor and communication technologies are already integrated into the components. The TLT series is compact, fast and powerful, and equipped with two DC motors for pressure loads up to 5,000 newtons. The low installation dimension ensures an optimum ratio between retracted length and maximum stroke. Thanks to their torsionally rigid aluminum profiles and precision sliding system, they can lift high even off-center loads without bending. The efficient gear technology is quiet and can bear loads in the direction of pressure. "They are synchronized by a SmartX controller, each integrated into the lifting column, which communicates with each other via a digital bus system," Doppler says. "This ensures that the two TLTs retract and extend in parallel and evenly under all circumstances." In this way, the user is always in control of the movements and ensures patient safety and comfort.

Flexibility thanks to modular principle

In addition to their use in the X-ray room, Ewellix's robust, reliable and ergonomic products are used in facilities for nearly all imaging modalities, including CT, SPECT, PET, MRI, angiography, mammography, mobile C-arms and oncology treatment equipment. "But we don't have to reinvent the wheel every time for these different applications," Doppler says. "Thanks to our modular system, we can find the right solution for every application, from purely mechanical to fully digitized and SmartX controlled."