Compression head pillows and neck angle adjustment mechanism for refractive laser surgery and the like
AssigneeVISX, Incorporated
InventorsMark Brinkerhoff, Tom Kowalski, Shandon Alderson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Improved devices, systems, and methods support and/or restrain a head of a patient, optionally for use in refractive surgery. Both the height of the patient's head and the angle of the patient's neck along the medial-lateral plane of the patient can be established independently, and compression pillow systems can gently and atraumatically compress the patient's head between protruding foam sidewalls or the like to inhibit movement of the patient from the alignment position.
Claims21
A positioning mechanism for supporting a patient during refractive surgery, the patient having a head, a neck, and a body, the positioning mechanism comprising:
- a patient support for supporting the body of the patient, the patient support having:
- a head positioning base,
- a head pad for engaging the head of the patient;
- a neck pad for engaging the patient adjacent the neck;
- a first linkage movably supporting the head pad relative to the base, articulation of the first linkage translating the head pad so as to vary a height of the head;
- and
- a second linkage movably supporting the neck pad relative to the base, articulation of the second linkage translating the neck pad so as to vary a height of the neck and/or an angle of the head.
A method for positioning a patient for refractive surgery, the method comprising:
- supporting the patient on a support so that a head of the patient is supported by a head pad, and so that a neck pad engages the patient adjacent a neck;
- articulating a first linkage so as to vary a height of the head pad;
- and
- articulating a second linkage independently of the first linkage so as to vary a height of the neck pad and/or an angle of the head.
A head restraint mechanism for restrainingly supporting a head of a patient, the head restraint mechanism comprising:
- a head pad body having a left sidewall and a right sidewall extending from a central region therebetween, the head pad configured to receive the head of the patient between the left and right sidewalls when the back of the head receives the central region;
- and
- a linkage coupled to the head pad body, actuation of the linkage articulating the head pad body so as to move the left and right sidewalls inward, and so as to laterally compress the head therebetween sufficiently to inhibit movement of the head.
A method for restrainingly supporting a head of a patient, the head restraint method comprising:
- receive the head of the patient between a left sidewall and a right sidewall of a head pad body, the sidewalls extending from a central region and receiving the head so that a back of the head is received by the central region;
- and
- deforming the head pad body by articulating a linkage so as to move the left and right sidewalls inward and laterally compress the head therebetween sufficiently to inhibit movement of the head.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.