Table for positioning a patient for a medical procedure on a breast

• US 6,922,859 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2002
• Issued: 08/02/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Softscan Healthcare Group Limited
• Original Assignee: Art Advanced Research Technologies Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Pilon, Christian, Gagnon, Mario
• Primary Examiner(s): Grosz, Alexander
• Application Number:
  US10/306,724
• Publication Number:
  US 20040103477A1
• Time in Patent Office: 977 Days
• Field of Search: 560/1, 563/2, 573/1, 573/5, 562/1, 560/0, 511/0, 511/2, 511/1, 511/4, 518/61, 518/7, 562/3, 378/37, 378/209
• US Class Current: 5/601
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0091 for mammography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4312 Breast evaluation or disorder diagnosis A61B5/0091 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/11 with guides for needles or instruments, e.g. arcuate slides or ball joints

Abstract

There is provided a table for positioning a patient for a medical procedure on a breast, the table comprising: a solid frame surrounding a perimeter of the table; and a membrane-like contour surface for a surrounding breast area, wherein the surface comprises an aperture for the breast to be pendantly suspended therethrough, and the surface is adjusted to a shape of the patient'"'"'s body. Preferably, the membrane-like contour surface covers the entire surface area of the table. Alternatively, it can be limited to a section that will cover an area from approximately the bottom of the rib cage to the collar bone when the patient is lying face down on the table.

Claims

1. A table for positioning a patient for a medical procedure on a breast, the table comprising:

a membrane-like contour surface comprised of a resilent, elastomeric fabric adapted to support the area of a patient'"'"'s body surrounded the breast area, wherein said surface comprises an aperture for the breast to be pendantly suspended therethrough, and said surface is adjusted to a shape of the patient'"'"'s body, and wherein an area underneath the membrane-like contour surface is unobstructed so as to provide access to said breast pendantly suspended therethrough; and

a support for supporting a remainder of the patient'"'"'s body.

3. A table as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein said membrane-like contour surface and said support are integrated together.

4. A table as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein said aperture is located centrally with respect to a first and a second end of said table such that a patient'"'"'s legs and torso will lie on said first end of said table for a medical procedure on a left breast and on said second end of said table for a medical procedure on a right breast.

5. A table as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein a location of said aperture can be modified to accommodate a left and a right breast such that a patient'"'"'s legs and torso reside at a same end of said table for a procedure on one of said left breast and said right breast.

6. A table as claimed in claim 5, wherein said aperture is comprised within a detachable portion of said membrane-like contour surface mounted on said table via attachment means, and wherein said detachable portion is rotated by substantially 180°

and reattached in order to provide said aperture on an opposite side of said table.

7. A table as claimed in claim 6, wherein said attachment means are provided using hook and loop type fasteners.

8. A table as claimed in claim 1 or 2, further comprising a second aperture adjacent to said aperture such that an arm of said patient adjacent to said breast can be exposed and rest below said table.

9. A table as claimed in claim 8, wherein,said second aperture is comprised within a detachable portion of said contour surface mounted on said table via attachment means, and wherein said portion is rotated by substantially 180°

and reattached in order to provide said second aperture on an opposite side of said table.

10. A table as claimed in claim 8, further comprising an arm rest below said table such that an arm exposed through said second aperture can rest on said arm rest.

11. A table as claimed in claim 1 or 2, further comprising an adjustable head rest.

2. A table for positioning a patient for a medical on a breast, the table comprising:

a membrane-like contour surface comprised of a thin rigid plastic molding adapted to support the area of a patient'"'"'s body surrounding the breast area, wherein said surface comprised an aperture for the breast to be pendantly suspended therethrough, and said surface is adjusting to a shape of the patient'"'"'s body, and wherein an area underneath the membrane-like contour surface is unobstructed so as provide access to said breast pendantly suspended therethrough; and

a support for supporting a remainder of the patient'"'"'s body.