PATIENT SUPPORT DEVICE WITH LOW ATTENUATION PROPERTIES

• US 20110107515A1
• Filed: 09/29/2010
• Published: 05/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accuray Incorporated
• Original Assignee: TomoTherapy Incorporated (Accuray Incorporated)
• Inventors: Holmes, Mark Albert, Schloesser, Eric, Henderson, Douglas James, Adler, Scott Peter, Brunker, Bradley J., Pearson, Dave
• Granted Patent: US 9,061,141 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 5/601
• 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 6/0407 Supports, e.g. tables or beds, for the body or parts of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/0442 made of non-metallic materials
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/0487 Motor-assisted positioning
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/10 X-ray therapy; Gamma-ray therapy; Particle-irradiation therapy A61N5/01 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A patient support device for a radiation therapy treatment system and a method of manufacturing the same. The device includes a support having an upper surface and a lower surface and a fixture hole configuration that receives a patient fixation device. The fixture hole configuration includes at least one recess and reinforcing material positioned inside at least a portion of the at least one recess. The device may also include a lower support having an upper surface that includes at least one channel. Flat flex cable used to operate the patient support device is positioned within the at least one channel.

Claims

1. A patient support device for a radiation therapy treatment system, the device comprising:

a support having an upper surface and a lower surface and a fixture hole configuration for receiving a patient fixation device, the fixture hole configuration including at least one recess and reinforcing material positioned inside at least a portion of the at least one recess.

2. The patient support device of claim 1, wherein the reinforcing material includes a material different from a material included in the support.

3. The patient support device of claim 1, wherein the reinforcing material defines a second recess having an opening from approximately 10 millimeters to approximately 12 millimeters.

4. The patient support device of claim 3, wherein the at least one recess has an opening from approximately 11 millimeters to approximately 13 millimeters.

5. The patient support device of claim 1, wherein the reinforcing material is a hardened viscous material.

6. The patient support device of claim 5, wherein the hardened viscous material includes an epoxy.

7. The patient support device of claim 5, wherein the support further comprises at least one second recess in the hardened viscous material, the at least one second recess sized to accept a patient fixation device and having a diameter generally smaller than a diameter of the at least one first recess.

8. The patient support device of claim 7, wherein the hardened viscous material includes a cylindrical wall of hardened viscous material positioned around the inside perimeter of the at least one second recess.

9. The patient support device of claim 5, wherein the at least one first recess extends through the lower surface of the support but not through the upper surface of the support.

10. The patient support device of claim 5, wherein the at least one second recess extends through the lower and upper surfaces of the support.

11. The patient support device of claim 1, wherein the reinforcing material includes a washer and wherein the at least one recess includes a bore for receiving the washer.

12. The patient support device of claim 11, wherein the washer has an inner diameter approximately equal to a diameter of the at least one recess and has an outer diameter approximately equal to a diameter of the bore.

13. The patient support device of claim 11, wherein the washer includes a plastic material.

14. The patient support device of claim 1, wherein the reinforcing material includes a sleeve.

15. The patient support device of claim 14, wherein the sleeve includes a cylindrically-shaped sleeve.

16. The patient support device of claim 14, wherein the sleeve is press fit inside the at least one recess.

17. The patient support device of claim 14, wherein the sleeve is adhered inside the at least one recess.

18. The patient support device of claim 14, wherein the sleeve includes one of a carbon fiber material, a plastic material, and a laminate material.

19. The patient support device of claim 14, wherein the sleeve is removable.

20. The patient support device of claim 1, further comprising a lower support and wherein the first support is movable with respect to the lower support.

21. The patient support device of claim 20, wherein the lower support includes at least one channel for wiring used to operate the patient support device.

22. The patient support device of claim 21, wherein the at least one channel includes two sidewalls and a bottom wall and wherein at least one of the two sidewalls intersects the bottom wall at an obtuse angle.

23. The patient support device of claim 22, wherein the at least one channel has a depth approximately equal to the thickness of flat flex cable.

24. The patient support device of claim 22, wherein the obtuse angle is from approximately 135 degrees to approximately 179 degrees.

25. The patient support device of claim 22, wherein at least one of the two sidewalls directs a radiation beam aimed along the sidewall outside a patient treatment area of the first support.

26. A method of manufacturing a patient support device for a radiation therapy treatment system, the method comprising:

providing a support having a lower surface and an upper surface; and

configuring the support to receive a patient fixation device by forming at least one recess in the lower surface of the support and inserting a reinforcing material into at least a portion of the interior of the at least one recess.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein inserting a reinforcing material into at least a portion of the interior of the at least one recess includes inserting a reinforcing material defining a second recess having an opening from approximately 10 millimeters to approximately 12 millimeters.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein forming at least one recess in the lower surface of the support includes forming at least one recess having an opening from approximately 11 millimeters to approximately 13 millimeters.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein inserting a reinforcing material into at least a portion of the interior of the at least one recess includes inserting a material different from a material included in the support.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein forming at least one recess in the lower surface of the support includes machine drilling the at least one recess up from the lower surface of the support but not through the upper surface of the support.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein inserting a reinforcing material into at least a portion of the interior of the at least one recess includes filling at least a portion of the at least one recess with a viscous material.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein filling at least a portion of the at least one recess with a viscous material includes filling at least a portion of the recess with an epoxy.

33. The method of claim 31, further comprising allowing the viscous material to harden.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein inserting a reinforcing material into at least a portion of the interior of the at least one recess includes forming at least one second recess in the hardened viscous material sized to accept a patient fixation device and having a diameter generally smaller than a diameter of the at least one first recess to form a wall of hardened viscous material positioned around at least a portion of the inside perimeter of the at least one second recess.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein forming at least one second recess in the hardened viscous material includes machine drilling the at least one second recess down from the upper surface of the support and through the hardened viscous material.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein forming at least one second recess in the hardened viscous material includes machine drilling the at least one second recess up through the lower surface of the support and through the hardened viscous material.

37. The method of claim 26, wherein inserting a reinforcing material into at least a portion of the interior of the at least one recess includes forming a bore in the at least one recess and inserting a washer into the bore.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein inserting a washer into the bore includes inserting a plastic cylindrical washer into the bore.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein inserting a washer into the bore includes inserting a washer having an inner diameter approximately equal to a diameter of the at least one first recess and has an outer diameter approximately equal to a diameter of the bore.

40. The method of claim 26, wherein inserting a reinforcing material into at least a portion of the interior of the at least one recess includes inserting a cylindrically-shaped sleeve into the at least one recess.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein inserting a cylindrically-shaped sleeve into the at least one recess includes press fitting the sleeve into the at least one recess.

42. The method of claim 40, wherein inserting a cylindrically-shaped sleeve into the at least one recess includes adhering the sleeve into the at least one recess.

43. The method of claim 40, wherein inserting a cylindrically-shaped sleeve into the at least one recess includes inserting a sleeve including one of carbon fiber material, plastic, and laminate.

44. The method of claim 40, wherein inserting a cylindrically-shaped sleeve into the at least one recess includes inserting a sleeve that is removable.

45. A patient support device for a radiation therapy treatment system, the device comprising:

a support having an upper surface, the upper surface including at least one channel for wiring used to operate the patient support device, the channel including two sidewalls and a bottom wall and wherein at least one of the two sidewalls intersects the bottom wall at an obtuse angle.

46. The patient support device of claim 45, wherein the at least one channel has a depth approximately equal to a thickness of an electrical conductor positioned within the at least one channel.

47. The patient support device of claim 46, wherein the electrical conductor includes a flat flex cable.

48. The patient support device of claim 45, wherein the obtuse angle is from approximately 135 degrees to approximately 179 degrees.

49. The patient support device of claim 45, wherein at least one of the sidewalls directs a radiation beam aimed along the sidewall outside a patient treatment area of the patent support device.

50. The patient support device of claim 45, wherein the at least one channel extends down a length of the support.

51. The patient support device of claim 45, further comprising an upper support movable with respect to the first support and controlled by the wiring.

52. The patient support device of claim 51, further comprising a bearing layer between the upper surface of the first support and a lower surface of the upper support.

53. The patient support device of claim 45, wherein the wiring is adhered to the bottom wall.

54. The patient support device of claim 45, wherein the at least one channel includes a first channel and a second channel and wherein wiring included in the first channel includes wiring conveying power and wiring included in the second channel includes wiring conveying data.

55. A patient support device for a radiation therapy treatment system, the device comprising:

a support having an upper surface, the upper surface including at least one channel and flat flex cable used to operate the patient support device positioned within the at least one channel.

56. The patient support device of claim 55, wherein the at least one channel includes two sidewalls and a bottom wall and wherein at least one of the two sidewalls intersects the bottom wall at an obtuse angle.

57. The patient support device of claim 55, wherein the at least one channel has a depth approximately equal to a thickness of the flat flex cable.

58. The patient support device of claim 55, wherein the obtuse angle is from approximately 135 degrees to approximately 179 degrees.

59. The patient support device of claim 55, wherein at least one of the two sidewalls directs a radiation beam aimed along the sidewall outside a patient treatment area of the support.

60. The patient support device of claim 55, wherein the at least one channel extends down a length of the support.

61. The patient support device of claim 55, further comprising an upper support movable with respect to the first support and controlled by the flat flex cable.

62. The patient support device of claim 61, further comprising a bearing layer between the upper surface of the first support and a lower surface of the upper support.

63. The patient support device of claim 55, wherein the flat flex cable is adhered to the at least one channel.

64. The patient support device of claim 55, wherein the at least one channel includes a first channel and a second channel and wherein wiring included in the first channel includes wiring conveying power and wiring included in the second channel includes wiring conveying data.