Patient Positioning Support Structure with Trunk Translator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016008201-A1
Application number	US-201514862835-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 23, 2015
Priority date	Feb 22, 2005
Publication date	Jan 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A patient support structure includes a pair of independently height-adjustable supports, each connected to a patient support. The supports may be independently raised, lowered, rolled or tilted about a longitudinal axis, laterally shifted and angled upwardly or downwardly. Position sensors are provided to sense all of the foregoing movements. The sensors communicate data to a computer for coordinated adjustment and maintenance of the inboard ends of the patient supports in an approximated position during such movements. A longitudinal translator provides for compensation in the length of the structure when the supports are angled upwardly or downwardly. A patient trunk translator provides coordinated translational movement of the patient's upper body along the respective patient support in a caudad or cephalad direction as the patient supports are angled upwardly or downwardly for maintaining proper spinal biomechanics and avoiding undue spinal traction or compression.

First claim

1 . An apparatus for supporting a patient during a medical procedure,
the apparatus comprising: a. first and second opposed end support assemblies; b. first and second patient supports, each of the first and second patient supports including an outboard end and an inboard end, each of the outboard ends connected to a respective one of said first and second end support assemblies by at least one angulation assembly, each of the at least one angulation assemblies configured to position one of the patient supports in a plurality of angular orientations; c. said patient support inboard ends forming an articulation and being moved by one or both of the at least one angulation assemblies; d. a trunk translator engaged with one of said first and second patient supports; and e. a trunk actuator coupled with the trunk translator and operable to move the trunk translator with respect to the one of said first and second patient supports, wherein movement of the trunk translator is controlled via a controller and independently from movement of the first and second patient supports.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said trunk actuator comprises a linear actuator.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the at least one angulation assemblies comprises a first and a second angle actuator.

4 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the first and the second angle actuators are linear actuators.

5 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein each of the first and second angle actuators includes a pair of pivoting outer ends opposite each other.

6 . An apparatus for supporting a patient during a medical procedure, the apparatus comprising:
a. a first end support assembly and a second end support assembly spaced apart from and opposing the first end support assembly; b. a first patient support section joined with a second patient support section at an articulation, each of the first and second patient support sections having an outboard end, the outboard end of the first patient support section being pivotally connected to the first end support assembly by a first angulation assembly, the outboard end of the second patient support section being pivotally connected to the second end support assembly by a second angulation assembly, at least one of the first and the second angulation assembly being operable to position at least one of the first or second patient support sections in a plurality of angular orientations with respect to the first or second end support assembly; and c. a patient translator engaged with at least one of said first and second patient support sections, the patient translator having a translator actuator mechanism operated by a controller for selective positioning of the translator along the at least one of said first and second patient support sections, movement of the patient translator being mechanically independent from movement of the first and second patient support section at the articulation.

7 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the first angulation assembly comprises a first and a second angle actuator, the second angulation assembly comprises a third and a fourth angle actuator.

8 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein each of the first, second, third, and fourth angle actuators includes a pair of pivoting outer ends opposite each other.

9 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein each of the first, second, third, and fourth angle actuators is a linear actuator.

10 . A table for supporting a patient during a medical procedure, the table comprising:
a. first and second opposed end support assemblies; b. first and second patient support sections, each of the first and second patient sections having an outboard end and an inboard end, each outboard end being connected by at least one angulation assembly to a respective one of said end support assemblies, the inboard ends being spatially related and hingedly connected by a pair of spaced apart hinges to form an articulation; and c. a patient translator slidably engaged with at least one of said first and second patient support sections, the patient translator cooperating with the hinges and moved by a linkage connected between the translator on one end and the hinges, wherein when an angular orientation for the hinges is directed generally downwardly, the linkage directly causes the translator to move along the patient support section in a direction away from the hinges.

11 . The table of claim 10 , wherein each of the first and second opposed end support assemblies comprises at least one lift mechanism, at least one of said first and second patient support sections cooperates with the at least one lift mechanism to raise and lower said sections when said patient support sections are positioned in a plurality of angular orientations with respect to a respective one of said end support assemblies.

12 . The table of claim 10 , wherein each of the at least one angulation assembly comprises a pair of actuators.

13 . The table of claim 12 , wherein each of the pair of actuators includes a pair of pivoting outer ends opposite each other.

14 . The table of claim 12 , wherein each of the pair of actuators is a linear actuator.

15 . An apparatus for supporting a patient above a floor during a medical procedure, the apparatus comprising:
a. a first end support assembly and a second end support assembly spaced apart from and opposing the first end support assembly, the first and second support assemblies supported by the floor; b. a first patient support section joined with a second patient support section at an articulation, each of the first and second patient support sections having an outboard end, the outboard end of the first patient support section being pivotally connected to the first end support assembly by a first pair of angulation subassemblies the outboard end of the second patient support section being pivotally connected to the second end support assembly by a second pair of angulation subassemblies, at least one of the first or the second pair of angulation subassemblies being operable to position at least one of the first or second patient support section in a plurality of angular orientations with respect to the floor; c. a patient translator engaged with at least one of said first and second patient support sections, the translator having a translator actuator mechanism operable for selective positioning of the translator along the at least one of the first and second patient support sections.

16 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the first and second pairs of angulation subassemblies each include pivoting outer ends opposite of each other.

17 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the first and second pairs of angulation subassemblies include linear actuators.

18 . An apparatus for supporting a patient above a floor during a medical procedure, the apparatus comprising:
a. a base structure with opposed outer ends; b. a first end support assembly and a second end support assembly opposing the first end support assembly, the first and second support assemblies coupled to the base structure outer ends and supported by the floor; c. first and second patient support sections, each having an outboard end securely attached to the respective end support by a connection assembly and an inboard end, the inboard ends being spatially related and providing for an articulation therebetween; d. each connection assembly including an angle actuator operable to position a respective patient support section in a plurality of angular orientations with respect to the floor; and e. w

Assignees

• Jackson Roger P

Inventors

• Jackson Roger P
• Guerra Lawrence E
• Waggoner Trevor A

Classifications

• A61G13/1225

  Back · CPC title

• A61G13/122

  Upper body, e.g. chest · CPC title

• A61G13/0054 Primary

  specially adapted for back or spinal surgeries · CPC title

• A61G13/1235

  Arms · CPC title

• A61G13/1295 Primary

  having alignment devices for the patient's body · CPC title