Medical cart

• US 8,286,977 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2009
• Issued: 10/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: STRATA Skin Sciences, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Mela Sciences, Inc.
• Inventors: Butler, Christiano, Wicksman, Steven, Tanaka, Kazuna, Kapec, Jeffrey S., Naoi, Yukiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Olszewski, John R
• Assistant Examiner(s): MEYER, JACOB B
• Application Number:
  US12/512,775
• Publication Number:
  US 20110025007A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,174 Days
• Field of Search: 280/35, 280/47.34, 280/47.35, 280/79.11, 280/79.2, 280/79.3, 248/616, 248/125.8, 248/188.5, 248/333, 248/346.06, 248551-553, 248/183.2, 248/176.1, 248/161, 361/679.41
• US Class Current: 280/47.35
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/10 Furniture specially adapted for surgical or diagnostic appliances or instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/13 Trolleys, e.g. carts
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 12/001 Trolleys for transport of medicaments, food, linen, nursing supplies carts specially adapted for surgery or diagnosis A61B50/13; hand carts B62B3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 2202/56 Computers; Screens
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 3/10 characterised by supports specially adapted to objects of definite shape
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 5/06 Hand moving equipment, e.g. handle bars for cycles B62K11/14, B62K21/12

Abstract

Among other things, a movable medical device cart has a work surface on a pedestal and legs under the pedestal, an electronic device accessible at the work surface in connection with performing a medical procedure, and a computer mounted near a bottom of the pedestal to sink heat away from the computer.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising

a movable medical device cart that has a work surface that has a front end and a back end a cart base that has a front end and a back end, legs mounted on the cart base, casters mounted on the legs, and a single pedestal that has a hollow lower end connected at the back end of the cart base and an upper end connected at the back end of the work surface,

a probe for electronically imaging skin of a patient and accessible at the work surface,

a computer mounted on the cart base and within the hollow lower end of the pedestal to sink heat away from the computer,

a handle that extends along at least a portion of the front end of the work surface and along at least half of a perimeter of the work surface, and

a center of gravity that is no higher than about ⅓

of a total height of the apparatus from a floor on which the apparatus stands,

the apparatus being stable on a surface having a tilt angle up to about 15 degrees.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the legs comprise a metal.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 also comprising connections extending within the pedestal from the computer to the probe.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising an electronic device that comprises a display.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising an electronic device that comprises a receptacle for a memory card.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the work surface is at a height for a seated or standing adult to work, and the breadth of the work surface is less than one-half of a height of the pedestal.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the work surface is at a height for an adult to work, and the breadth of the legs is less than one-half of the height of the work surface.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 in which there are four legs.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 in which two of the legs span a width of about 18 inches to about 20 inches along a first direction.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 in which two of the legs span a width of about 15 inches to about 18 inches along a second direction different from the first direction.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the handle is in an ergonomic shape.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the handle includes a metal core and a plastic shell.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the pedestal is hollow and houses wires connecting a power supply to one or more of the electronic devices.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 also including one or more USB ports adjacent to the work surface.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising an electronic device that comprises a touch monitor.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 in which the monitor is set in a bezel of a casing.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 in which the casing is assembled about the monitor by snapping.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the handle is spaced from the work surface by a gap that is large enough to receive a hand of a user that is holding the handle.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 in which the handle is attached to the work surface by spars at attachment locations along a length of the handle.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 in which the handle has a cross-section that enables a user'"'"'s hand to grasp the handle at locations along its length.