PATIENT POSITIONING APPARATUS WITH ADJUSTABLE AND LOCKABLE BACK REST

• US 20190328600A1
• Filed: 04/27/2018
• Published: 10/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Palodex Group Oy (Envista Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Palodex Group Oy (Envista Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Vartiainen, Sami, Savolainen, Jorma, Huovinen, Markku, Raduma, Wycliffe, Korpela, Antti, Karhunen, Antti, Rintamaki, Markus, Malin, Juho, Leponokka, Saku
• Granted Patent: US 10,835,441 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 1/027 by means of clamps or friction locking members
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 3/18 Chairs or stools with rotatable seat adjustable in height by rotation A47C3/24
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 3/20 Chairs or stools with vertically-adjustable seats tables with variable height A47B9/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/0478 Chairs
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4441 the rigid structure being a C-arm or U-arm
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/51 for dentistry
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 15/02 Chairs with means to adjust position of patient; Controls therefor

Abstract

A patient positioning apparatus for an X-ray dental imaging system includes a head rest and a chair separate from and spaced from the head rest. The chair has a seat portion and a back rest coupled to the seat portion. The chair further includes a locking system that locks a position of the back rest relative to the seat portion.

Claims

1. A patient positioning apparatus for an X-ray dental imaging system, the patient positioning apparatus comprising:

a head rest; and

a chair separate from and spaced from the head rest, the chair having a seat portion and a back rest coupled to the seat portion, wherein the chair further includes a locking system configured to lock a position of the back rest relative to the seat portion.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the head rest is fixed in space.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the head rest is fixed to a portion of an x-ray dental imaging system.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the locking system is a manual locking system.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the locking system is an automatic locking system.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the locking system includes a locking pin configured to engage the back rest to lock the position of the back rest relative to the seat portion.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the locking system includes a controller, and a sensor coupled to the head rest, and wherein the sensor is configured to detect a patient'"'"'s head contacting the head rest and send a signal to the controller to lock the position of the back rest relative to the seat portion.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the locking system includes a switch configured to be pressed by a foot, wherein activation of the switch is configured to lock the position of the back rest relative to the seat portion.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the chair is vertically adjustable.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the chair includes a support member and a seat leg extending below the support member, wherein the back rest is pivotally coupled to the support member.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the chair includes a biasing member configured to bias the back rest in a first direction.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first direction is toward the seat portion.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the chair includes a hinge, and wherein the biasing member is a coiled spring in the hinge.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein a patient is configured to sit on the chair and to lean back against the back rest to move the back rest in a second, opposite direction.

15. An X-ray dental imaging system comprising:

the apparatus of claim 1.

16. The X-ray dental imaging system of claim 15, further comprising a rotating part having an X-ray source and detector.

17. The X-ray dental imaging system of claim 14, wherein the rotating part is configured to rotate about the head rest and a patient'"'"'s head in contact with the head rest.

18. The X-ray dental imaging system of claim 14, further comprising a column, wherein the head rest is fixed relative to the column.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the locking system is configured to lock an additional movement of the chair.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the additional movement includes at least one of a vertical or rotational movement of the chair.