Support unit for a medical imaging element
AssigneeKoninklijke Philips N.V.
InventorsJonathan Thomas Sutton, Sean Joseph Kyne
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A medical imaging element support unit is for use in fixing a medical imaging element (26) releasably against a region of skin of a subject. The support unit includes a support body (14), having a base for engaging with skin of a subject in use and having a coupling means (22) for releasably coupling the medical imaging element (26) to the support body in use. A pneumatic positioning mechanism facilitates adjustment of a position of the medical imaging element relative to the support body, this being fluidly supplied by an air pump mechanism. The same air pump mechanism facilitates releasable fixation of the support body (14) to the skin, through creation of a configurable suction force at the skin engagement surface.
Claims15
A medical imaging element support unit, comprising:
- a support body, a lower exterior face of the body having a skin engaging area, for engaging with skin of a subject in use, and attachment means for receiving and releasably attaching a medical imaging element to the support body in use;
- a pneumatic positioning mechanism for adjusting a positioning of a received medical imaging element relative to the support body;
- and
- an air pump mechanism;
- the medical imaging element support unit characterized in that;
- the air pump mechanism arranged for supplying air to the pneumatic positioning mechanism for adjusting the positioning of the medical imaging element, and
- the air pump mechanism further controllable in use to create a suction force at the skin engaging area for holding the support body against an incident skin surface with which it engages.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.