Reclining patient chair for nuclear medicine system

• US 20040176676A1
• Filed: 03/07/2003
• Published: 09/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Graw, Ansgar
• Granted Patent: US 10,213,168 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/407
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/04 Positioning of patients; Tiltable beds or the like operating tables A61G13/00; operating chairs A61G15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/0478 Chairs
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 15/02 Chairs with means to adjust position of patient; Controls therefor

Abstract

A patient support for a nuclear medicine imaging system has a base a joint and a chair. The chair can pivot or rotate about the joint. This allows the patient chair to assume a patient loading and a patient imaging position with respect to the detectors of the imaging system. Furthermore, the chair is adjustable to improve the ability of a patient region to be covered by the filed of view of the detectors.

Claims

1. A patient support for an imaging system comprising:

a. a patient chair;

b. a base; and

c. a joint connected at one end to the base and at the other end to the patient chair;

d. wherein the patient chair may pivot about the joint from a loading position to an imaging position.

2. The patient support of claim 1, wherein the loading position is a more upright position and the imaging position is a more reclined position.

3. The patient support of claim 1, wherein the patient chair comprises

a. a back;

b. a seat attached to the back at a back angle;

c. a leg support attached to the seat at a leg angle;

d. wherein the first and second angles are optimized for patient comfort.

4. The patient support of claim 3, wherein the patient chair further comprises:

a. a back hinge connecting the back and the seat at the back angle;

b. a leg hinge connecting the leg support and the seat at the leg angle;

c. wherein the back hinge and the leg hinge may rotate to change the back angle and the leg angle.

5. A patient support of claim 1, wherein the patient chair comprises:

a. a back having a top edge and a bottom edge;

b. a seat having a top edge and a bottom edge held next to the back at an angle;

c. wherein the seat may move such that the top edge of the seat moves away from the bottom edge of the seat and towards the top edge of the seat.

6. The patient support of claim 5, wherein the seat is contoured to hold the legs of a patient at an angle.

7. The patient support of claim 6, wherein a seat supporter holds the seat and the connects to the joint such that the seat supporter my actuate the movement of the seat.

8. An imaging system comprising:

a. a gantry;

b. a detector movably mounted to the gantry such that the detector may be moved from a loading position to an imaging position; and

c. a patient support having a patient chair, base, and a joint connected at one end to the base and at the other end to the patient chair, wherein the patient chair may pivot about the joint from a loading position to an imaging position.

9. The imaging system of claim 8, wherein the loading position of the patient chair is a more upright position and the imaging position of the patient chair is a more reclined position.

10. The imaging system of claim 9, wherein the patient chair comprises

a. a back;

b. a seat attached to the back at a back angle;

c. a leg support attached to the seat at a leg angle;

d. wherein the first and second angles are optimized for patient comfort.

11. The imaging system of claim 10, wherein the patient chair further comprises:

a. a back hinge connecting the back and the seat at the back angle;

b. a leg hinge connecting the leg support and the seat at the leg angle;

c. wherein the back hinge and the leg hinge may rotate to change the back angle and the leg angle.

12. The imaging system of claim 10, wherein the patient chair comprises:

a. a back having a top edge and a bottom edge;

b. a seat having a top edge and a bottom edge held next to the back at an angle;

c. wherein the seat may move such that the top edge of the seat moves away from the bottom edge of the seat and towards the top edge of the seat.

13. The imaging system of claim 12, wherein the seat is contoured to hold the legs of a patient at an angle.

14. The imaging system of claim 13 wherein a seat supporter holds the seat and the connects to the joint such that the seat supporter my actuate the movement of the seat.

15. A method of using a nuclear medicine imaging system comprising the steps of:

a. placing a patient chair into a loading state;

b. loading a patient into the patient chair;

c. moving the patient chair and patient into an imaging position;

d. imaging the patient.

16. The method of claim 15, including

a. placing a gantry mounted detector into a loading state;

b. moving the gantry mounted detector into an imaging position after loading the patient.

17. The method of claim 16, further including

a. placing the patient chair and the patient back into a loading position after imaging;

b. unloading the patient.

18. The method of claim 17, including

a. moving the gantry mounted detector back into a loading position after imaging.