Auxiliary operating table for hand surgery and the like

Abstract

An auxiliary operating table, which functions primarily to support a patient's arm horizontally outstretched at a 90.degree. angle to the side rail frame of a body table on which the patient is supported during arm or hand surgery. The auxiliary table, which is collapsible, has a rigid table top with outer and inner ends. Its outer end carries a foldable gas spring leg, which is pivoted for movement between table supporting and table collapsed positions, which tends to extend automatically to its full length, which can be forcibly retracted, and which has a foot-pedal-operated leg clamp for holding the table leg in any table-supporting position within its extension-retraction range. Its inner end carries a depending clamping assembly for securing the auxiliary table to and supporting it on the body table. The inner end clamping assembly includes: a rail clamp and an adjustable table clamp. The rail clamp is rigidly securable to the rail. The adjustable table clamp connects the auxiliary table to the rail clamp. When the table clamp is released, it not only permits the inner body table end of the auxiliary table to be raised or lowered relative to the body table but it also permits the auxiliary table as a whole to be turned angularly relative to the body table. Likewise, when the foot pedal is operated to release the leg clamp, a surgeon can adjust the elevation of the outer end of the auxiliary table without hand contamination either by allowing the gas leg to expand automatically and thereby raise the table's outer leg end to a desired position or by pressing his elbows downwardly against the top of the table to contract the gas leg and thereby lower the outer leg end of the table to a desired position. In either event, when the foot pedal is released, the leg is clamped in its contemporaneous position.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.