MOBILE PATIENT SUPPORT SYSTEM

• US 20110154569A1
• Filed: 12/28/2009
• Published: 06/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Varian Medical Systems International AG (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Varian Medical Systems Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: FILIBERTI, Reto W., WIGGERS, Robert T., VOGT, Heinz
• Application Number:
  US12/648,255
• Publication Number:
  US 20110154569A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 5/81.1R
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/0407 Supports, e.g. tables or beds, for the body or parts of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1063 maintaining the position when the patient is moved from an imaging to a therapy system
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1049 for verifying the position of the patient with respect to the radiation beam
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/024 in combination with a laser lasers per se H01S
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0255 using acoustic signals, e.g. ultra-sonic singals sonar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S15/93
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/027 comprising intertial navigation means, e.g. azimuth detector inertial navigation G01C21/16; inertial navigation combined with non-inertial navigation instruments G01C21/165
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0272 comprising means for registering the travel distance, e.g. revolutions of wheels measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles, e.g. using odometers G01C22/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0276 using signals provided by a source external to the vehicle involving a plurality of vehicles G05D1/0287; automatically controlling vehicle speed responsive to externally generated signals B60K31/0058
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/028 using a RF signal

Abstract

A patient support system includes a base having a plurality of wheels, and a patient support coupled to the base, wherein at least a part of the patient support is for supporting a head of a patient, and at least one of the wheels has a plurality of secondary wheels. A patient support system includes a patient support, a transportation mechanism for transporting the patient support, a positioner for moving the patient support relative to the transportation mechanism, and a positioning system for determining an actual position associated with the patient support with respect to a multi-dimensional coordinate system, wherein one of the transportation mechanism and the positioner is for coarse positioning of the patient support, and another one of the transportation mechanism and the positioner is for fine positioning of the patient support.

Claims

1. A patient support system, comprising:

a base having a plurality of wheels; and

a patient support coupled to the base, wherein at least a part of the patient support is for supporting a head of a patient;

wherein at least one of the wheels has a plurality of secondary wheels.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the wheels is configured to rotate about a first axis, and one of the secondary wheels is configured to rotate about a second axis that forms an angle relative to the first axis.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the patient support is detachably coupled to the base.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a positioner coupled to the base, wherein the positioner is configured for positioning the patient support relative to the base.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the positioner is configured to move the patient support in one or more degrees of freedom selected from the group consisting of a translation about a first axis, a translation about a second axis, a translation about a third axis, a rotation about the first axis, a rotation about the second axis, and a rotation about the third axis.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a position determining system for allowing a position, an orientation, or both the position and the orientation, of the patient support to be determined.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the position determining system includes a component selected from the group consisting of an ultrasound device, a radio frequency device, an ultra wide band radio frequency device, a laser device, a marker, a camera, an odometer, and an inertia navigation device.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the position determining system includes a communication device coupled to the patient support.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the position determining system includes a redundancy system for addressing blockage of line-of-sight, insufficient accuracy, or hazard avoidance.

10. A patient support system, comprising:

a patient support;

a transportation mechanism for transporting the patient support;

a positioner for moving the patient support relative to the transportation mechanism; and

a positioning system for determining an actual position associated with the patient support with respect to a multi-dimensional coordinate system;

wherein one of the transportation mechanism and the positioner is for coarse positioning of the patient support, and another one of the transportation mechanism and the positioner is for fine positioning of the patient support.

11. The patient support system of claim 10, wherein the transportation mechanism is for the coarse positioning of the patient support, and the positioner is for the fine positioning of the patient support.

12. The patient support system of claim 10, wherein the positioner is for the coarse positioning of the patient support, and the transportation mechanism is for the fine positioning of the patient support.

13. The patient support system of claim 10, further comprising:

a processor configured to at least partially control the transportation mechanism based at least in part on information regarding a desired position of the patient support.

14. The patient support system of claim 10, wherein the positioning system comprises a signal receiver for receiving a navigation signal.

15. The patient support system of claim 10, wherein the positioning system comprises a signal transmitter for transmitting a navigation signal.

16. The patient support system of claim 10, wherein the transportation mechanism comprises a steering mechanism, and the patient support system further comprises a processor configured to compare an actual position associated with the patient support with the desired position, and generate a signal to control the steering mechanism based at least in part on a result of the comparison.

17. The patient support system of claim 16, wherein the processor is physically coupled to the patient support.

18. The patient support system of claim 16, wherein the processor comprises information regarding one or more obstacles.

19. The patient support system of claim 10, further comprising a processor configured to control the transportation mechanism to move the patient support from one room to another room.

20. The patient support system of claim 10, further comprising a processor configured to control the transportation mechanism to move the patient support from a first operative position associated with a first machine to a second operative position associated with a second machine.

21. The patient support system of claim 20, wherein the first machine is a treatment machine, and the second machine is a diagnostic machine.

22. The patient support system of claim 10, wherein the transportation mechanism includes a plurality of wheels, at least one of the wheels having a plurality of secondary wheels.

23. The patient support system of claim 22, wherein the at least one of the wheels is configured to rotate about a first axis, and one of the secondary wheels is configured to rotate about a second axis that forms an angle relative to the first axis.

24. The patient support system of claim 10, wherein the patient support is detachably coupled to the transportation mechanism.