Displacement mechanism for patient controlled placement and removal of an optical device in a confined space environment

A displacement mechanism for placing an optical device onto a patient's eyes and removing the optical device from the patient's eyes when the patient is moved into a patient bore of a medical imaging system by a patient bed having a confined head space wherein the patient's head is oriented in a horizontal position in the patient bore, comprising:

• a pneumatic device that extends in a downward direction toward the patient when the pneumatic device is inflated;
• a transmit/receive coil located in the patient bore wherein the coil includes a plurality of struts oriented in a longitudinal direction and spaced apart vertically from a patient bed;
• a resilient element attached between a top strut relative to the patient bed and the optical device wherein the resilient element extends downward from the top strut and through the pneumatic device and wherein the optical device is suspended from the top strut and spaced apart from the patient's eyes in a first position;
• further including a guide element attached to the top surface of the bore to enable movement of the resilient element and optical device in a longitudinal direction corresponding to a longitudinal axis of the system;
• a pump that inflates the pneumatic device in a downward direction to move the optical device downward to a second position wherein the optical device is placed on the patient's eyes when the patient is moved into the patient bore and the patient's head is oriented in the horizontal position and wherein inflating the pneumatic device extends the resilient element and biases the resilient element to return to the first position and wherein the pneumatic device, resilient element and optical device are preinstalled on the top strut before the patient is moved into the patient bore;
• and
• a vent valve that vents the pneumatic device to deflate the pneumatic device wherein upon deflation of the pneumatic device the bias of the resilient element causes upward movement of the optical device to return the optical device to the first position.