Hydraulically operated, mobile patient transport table useful with a magnetic resonance scanner
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorCharles T. Bergman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hydraulically operated, mobile patient transport table useful with a magnetic resonance scanner, which includes a magnet for producing a polarizing magnetic field, employs a hydraulic motor disposed at the base of the magnet and a hydraulic pump disposed at the base of the table. The hydraulic motor and pump are operatively coupled to enable transfer of energy from the motor to the pump without use of hydraulic connections therebetween. In the preferred embodiment, the coupling is implemented with a cone-shaped coupling member attached to the output of the motor and a complementarily-shaped coupling member attached to the input shaft of the pump which frictionally engages the cone-shaped member.
Claims18
An MR scanner system including a magnet for producing a polarizing magnetic field and having a bore for receiving a patient, a mobile, hydraulically-operated patient transport table, said MR scanner system further comprising:
- a hydraulic motor disposed at the magnet;
- a hydraulic pump disposed at the table;
- and
- means for operatively coupling said hydraulic motor to said hydraulic pump so as to transfer energy from the motor to the pump without requiring a hydraulic connection therebetween, when said motor is energized.
An MR scanner system including a housing supporting a magnet for producing a polarizing magnetic field and having a bore for receiving a patient, a mobile, hydraulically-operated patient transport table, said MR scanner system further comprising:
- a power transfer and docking assembly secured to said housing;
- docking means fastened to said mobile table for engaging said power transfer and docking assembly so as to releasably dock said table to said housing;
- hydraulic motor means disposed in said power transfer and docking assembly;
- hydraulic pump means disposed on said table;
- and
- means for operatively coupling said hydraulic motor means to said pump means, when said table is docked so as to transfer energy from said hydraulic motor means to said hydraulic pump means without requiring a hydraulic connection therebetween, when said hydraulic motor means is energized.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.