Patient Support Apparatus with X-Ray Cassette Positioning

A method of moving an X-ray cassette with an X-ray cassette mover into an operational position relative to a patient on a patient support apparatus, said method comprising the steps of:

• feeding the X-ray cassette into the X-ray cassette mover and loading the X-ray cassette on a support tray of the X-ray cassette mover;
• determining the size of the X-ray cassette loaded on the support tray using data from sensors on the support tray;
• engaging the X-ray cassette with a clamp;
• approximating a location of the patient on the patient support apparatus relative to an x-axis of an x-y coordinate system by comparing measurements taken by sensors on the patient support apparatus and approximating an x-dimension location of the patient;
• approximating a location of the patient on the patient support apparatus relative to a y-axis of the x-y coordinate system by detecting a width of the patient with the sensors on the patient support apparatus and comparing measurements to a look-up table that correlates widths to the patient and approximating a y-dimension location of the patient;
• and
• moving the support tray and X-ray cassette to a desired position under the patient to image the patient.