Patient positioning support structure

• US 20130111666A1
• Filed: 10/16/2012
• Published: 05/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Warsaw Orthopedic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Warsaw Orthopedic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Jackson, Roger P.
• Granted Patent: US 9,849,054 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 5/601
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 13/0036 Orthopaedic operating tables devices for stretching fractured limbs A61F5/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 13/0054 specially adapted for back or spinal surgeries
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 13/02 Adjustable operating tables; Controls therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 13/04 tiltable around transverse or longitudinal axis
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 13/06 raising or lowering of the whole table surface A61G13/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 13/08 the table being divided into different adjustable sections
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/12 Remote controls

Abstract

An articulating patient support table comprises first and second patient support sections hingedly connected together along respective hinge ends. A longitudinal translation subassembly connected to a base by a position adjustable pedestal supports the first patient support section in cantilevered relationship. The position adjustment assembly includes a lift mechanism operable to raise and lower the longitudinal translation subassembly relative to the base and a pivot assembly operable to pivot the longitudinal translation subassembly fore and aft and side to side relative to the base.

Claims

1. An apparatus for supporting a patient above a floor during a medical procedure, the apparatus comprising:

a) a patient support comprising a first patient support section hingedly connected about a hinge axis to a second patient support section along respective hinge ends thereof;

b) a longitudinal translation subassembly supporting said first patient support section in cantilevered relationship;

said longitudinal translation subassembly connected to a base by a position adjustment assembly including a lift mechanism operable to raise and lower said longitudinal translation subassembly relative to said base and a pivot assembly operable to pivot said longitudinal translation subassembly fore and aft relative to said base, said position adjustment assembly extending under said longitudinal translation subassembly.

2. The apparatus as in claim 1 wherein:

a) said pivot assembly is operable to pivot said longitudinal translation subassembly side to side relative to said base.

3. The apparatus as in claim 1 wherein:

a) said second patient support section is supported proximate a distal end to a second end support column assembly;

b) said second patient support section is pivotally connected to said second end support column assembly about a first pivot axis extending parallel to said hinge axis of said patient support to permit said second patient support section to passively pivot about said first pivot axis in response to fore and aft pivoting of said first patient support section by a pivotal support frame linkage; and

c) said longitudinal translation subassembly is slidable relative to said position adjustment assembly in response to fore and aft pivoting of said pivotal support frame linkage.

4. The apparatus as in claim 3 wherein:

a) said pivot assembly is operable to pivot said longitudinal translation subassembly side to side relative to said base; and

b) said second patient support section is pivotally connected to said second end support column assembly about a second pivot axis extending transverse to said first pivot axis to permit said second patient support section to passively pivot about said second pivot axis in response to side to side pivoting of said longitudinal translation subassembly.

5. The apparatus as in claim 3 wherein:

a) said second end support column assembly comprises a plurality of lift segments operable to selectively raise and lower said distal end of second patient support section.

6. The apparatus as in claim 1 wherein:

a) said second patient support section is supported above the floor only through connection of said second patient support section to said first patient support section.

7. The apparatus as in claim 1 further comprising:

a) an actuator connected between said first and second patient support sections for pivoting said second patient support section relative to said first patient support section.

8. The apparatus as in claim 3 further comprising:

a) a trunk translator mounted on said second patient support section; and

b) a drive linkage connected between said trunk translator and said patient support;

wherein

c) said drive linkage is operable to move said trunk translator toward said hinge ends of said first and second patient support sections in response to upward pivoting of said hinge ends; and

d) said drive linkage is operable to move said trunk translator away from said hinge ends of said first and second patient support sections in response to downward pivoting of said hinge ends.

9. The apparatus as in claim 1 wherein:

a) said first patient support section is an open frame adapted for a patient'"'"'s belly to depend therethrough or an imaging table top.

10. The apparatus as in claim 1 wherein:

a) said second patient support section is an open frame adapted for a patient'"'"'s belly to depend therethrough or an imaging table top.

11. The apparatus as in claim 1 wherein:

a) said first patient support section is hingedly joined with said second patient support section by a pair of spaced opposed hinges adapted for a patient'"'"'s belly to depend therebetween.

12. An apparatus for supporting a patient above a floor during a medical procedure, the apparatus comprising:

a) a patient support comprising a first patient support section hingedly connected to a second patient support section along a hinge axis extending through respective hinge ends of said first and second patient support sections;

b) said first patient support section supported by a longitudinal translation subassembly;

said longitudinal translation subassembly being connected to and supported by an adjustable pedestal;

said pedestal including a base, a lift mechanism operable to raise and lower said longitudinal translation subassembly relative to said base, a pivot assembly operable to pivot said longitudinal translation subassembly fore and aft relative to said base, said longitudinal translation subassembly slidable relative to said pedestal and generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of said first patient support section;

c) said second patient support section supported proximate a distal end to a second end support column assembly;

said second patient support section is pivotally connected to said second end support column assembly about a first pivot axis extending parallel to said hinge axis of said patient support to permit said second patient support section to passively pivot about said first pivot axis in response to fore and aft pivoting of said first patient support section by said pivotal support frame linkage;

said longitudinal translation subassembly slidable relative to said adjustable pedestal in response to fore and aft pivoting of said pivotal support frame linkage.

13. The apparatus as in claim 12 wherein:

a) said pivot assembly of said adjustable pedestal is operable to pivot said longitudinal translation subassembly side to side relative to said base.

14. The apparatus as in claim 12 further comprising:

a) an actuator connected between said first and second patient support sections for controlling pivoting of said second patient support section relative to said first patient support section.

15. The apparatus as in claim 12 further comprising:

a) a trunk translator mounted on said second patient support section; and

b) a drive linkage connected between said trunk translator and said patient support;

wherein

c) said drive linkage is operable to move said trunk translator toward said hinge ends of said first and second patient support sections in response to upward pivoting of said hinge ends; and

d) said drive linkage is operable to move said trunk translator away from said hinge ends of said first and second patient support sections in response to downward pivoting of said hinge ends.

16. The apparatus as in claim 12 wherein:

a) said second end support column assembly comprises a plurality of lift segments operable to selectively raise and lower said distal end of second patient support section.

17. An apparatus for supporting a patient above a floor during a medical procedure, the apparatus comprising:

a) a base having at least one end extending upwardly from the floor and adapted to move the patient vertically with respect to the floor;

b) a patient support attached to the base at at least one end and comprising a first patient support section hingedly connected to a second patient support section; and

c) an actuator adapted to independently move a chest support slide toward and away from the hinge along at least one of the patient support sections when the hinge angulates upwardly and downwardly with respect to the floor, wherein an end of the actuator is connected to at least one of the patient support sections and an opposite end of the actuator is connected to the chest support slide.

18. An apparatus for supporting a patient above a floor during a medical procedure, the apparatus comprising:

a) an elongate patient support structure having a first section hingedly connected to a second section by a pair of spaced opposed hinges;

b) a base having spaced opposed upright first and second end supports, the first end support connected to an outer end of the first section by a cantilever lifting mechanism configured to move the hinges upwardly and downwardly when the second end support is connected to an outer end of the second section, wherein at least one of the end connections therebetween is configured to provide for three degrees of rotational freedom including pitch, roll and yaw; and

c) a chest slide operational along at least one portion of at least one section of the patient support structure and in slidable relation therewith, wherein the chest slide is mechanically non-linked to either of the hinges.

19. The apparatus as in claim 18 wherein:

a) each of the first and second sections is an open frame adapted for a patient'"'"'s belly to depend therethrough or an imaging table top.

20. The apparatus as in claim 18 wherein:

a) the hinges are adapted for a patient'"'"'s belly to depend therebetween.

21. The apparatus as in claim 18 wherein:

a) the chest slide is reversibly attachable to the section of the patient support structure.

22. A breaking patient support structure, comprising:

a) a head end frame section connected to a foot end frame section by a pair of spaced apart hinges, wherein

b) the frame sections join at the hinges to provide an open frame support structure for prone patient positioning, and

c) the foot end section is wider than the head end section.