Patient support apparatus with X-ray cassette positioning

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11344267-B2
Application number	US-201916671681-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 1, 2019
Priority date	Nov 2, 2018
Publication date	May 31, 2022
Grant date	May 31, 2022

Abstract

A patient support apparatus includes a frame supporting a surface for a patient to lie on and an X-ray cassette mover coupled to the frame under the surface of the patient and adapted to receive an X-ray cassette. The patient support apparatus also includes one or more sensors located along the frame to sense a position of the patient on the surface and a controller in communication with the sensors and the X-ray cassette to determine the position of the patient on the surface and to position the X-ray cassette mover relative to the patient. The X-ray cassette mover provides a direct reference to the position of the X-ray cassette under the surface of the patient.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A patient support apparatus comprising:
a frame supporting a support surface for a patient to lie on;
an X-ray cassette mover coupled to the frame under the support surface and adapted to receive an X-ray cassette;
one or more patient position sensors to sense a position of the patient on the support surface; and
a controller in communication with the one or more patient position sensors and the X-ray cassette mover, the controller being configured to determine the position of the patient on the support surface based on information from the one or more patient position sensors, and to position the X-ray cassette mover relative to the patient based on the information from the one or more patient position sensors.

2. The patient support apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the X-ray cassette mover comprises a mover frame and a slot in one side of the mover frame for allowing insertion and removal of the X-ray cassette.

3. The patient support apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the X-ray cassette mover comprises a pair of first actuators coupled to and spaced within the mover frame and in communication with the controller.

4. The patient support apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the X-ray cassette mover comprises a pair of first threaded lead screws having one end coupled to the first actuators and another end coupled to the mover frame.

5. The patient support apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the X-ray cassette mover comprises a pair of first threaded support nuts, one of the first threaded support nuts threadably engaging one of the first threaded lead screws for moving the first threaded support nuts along the first threaded lead screws.

6. The patient support apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the X-ray cassette mover comprises a second actuator coupled to one of the first threaded support nuts and in communication with the controller.

7. The patient support apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the X-ray cassette mover comprises a second threaded lead screw having one end coupled to the second actuator and another end coupled to the other one of the first threaded support nuts.

8. The patient support apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the X-ray cassette mover comprises a support tray and a second threaded support nut coupled to the support tray and threadably engaging the second threaded lead screw for moving along the second threaded lead screw.

9. The patient support apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the support tray comprises a base member adapted to support the X-ray cassette.

10. The patient support apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the support tray comprises a third actuator coupled to a bottom of the base member and in communication with the controller.

11. The patient support apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the support tray comprises a third threaded lead screw coupled to the third actuator.

12. The patient support apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the support tray comprises a clamp threadably coupled to the third threaded lead screw to move and engage and disengage the X-ray cassette.

13. The patient support apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the support tray comprises one or more cassette sensors in communication with the controller.

14. The patient support apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the controller is configured to determine a size of the X-ray cassette loaded on the support tray using the one or more cassette sensors.

15. The patient support apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more patient position sensors comprise at least one of ultrasonic sensors, laser sensors, and distance sensors.

16. The patient support apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the controller includes a processor configured to activate the X-ray cassette mover and position the X-ray cassette relative to the patient.

17. The patient support apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the controller uses data from the one or more patient position sensors to calculate a position of the patient relative to the frame.

18. A method of automatically moving an X-ray cassette with an X-ray cassette mover into an operational position relative to a patient on a patient support apparatus, said method comprising the steps of:
feeding the X-ray cassette into the X-ray cassette mover and loading the X-ray cassette on a support tray of the X-ray cassette mover;
determining the size of the X-ray cassette loaded on the support tray using a controller configured to utilize data from sensors on the support tray;
engaging the X-ray cassette with a clamp;
approximating, with the controller, a location of the patient on the patient support apparatus relative to an x-axis of an x-y coordinate system by comparing measurements taken by sensors on the patient support apparatus and approximating an x-dimension location of the patient;
approximating, with the controller, a location of the patient on the patient support apparatus relative to a y-axis of the x-y coordinate system by detecting a width of the patient with the sensors on the patient support apparatus and comparing measurements to a look-up table that correlates widths to the patient and approximating a y-dimension location of the patient; and
moving the support tray and X-ray cassette, by operating the X-ray cassette mover using the controller, to a desired position under the patient to image the patient.

Assignees

• Stryker Corp

Inventors

• Ross Ryan

Classifications

• A61B6/0407 Primary

  Supports, e.g. tables or beds, for the body or parts of the body · CPC title

• A61B6/4283 Primary

  characterised by a detector unit being housed in a cassette · CPC title

• A61B5/68

  Arrangements of detecting, measuring or recording means, e.g. sensors, in relation to patient · CPC title

• A61B6/04

  Positioning of patients; Tiltable beds or the like · CPC title