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US 5,542,423 AGranted
Indexing assembly for joint imaging
AssigneeApogee Medical Products, Inc.
InventorPeter M. Bonutti
Life of this patent
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AssigneeApogee Medical Products, Inc.
InventorPeter M. Bonutti
Estimating the term…
A self-contained apparatus is for use during imaging of a shoulder joint or hip joint of a patient, with the patient lying on an imaging table or other support movable into and out of a primary imaging coil. The apparatus includes an index mechanism having an index member lockable in any selected one of a plurality of sequential index positions. Table attachment means connects the index mechanism with the table for sliding movement with the table. A cuff support member is connected with the index member for movement with the index member. A cuff supported on the cuff support member at a location remote from the index member for clamping onto the patient's arm or leg. The cuff is connected with the support member for movement with the support member and with the index member and is lockable with the index member in any selected one of the plurality of sequential spaced index positions.
A method of imaging a joint region where a portion of a longitudinally extending limb of a patient is connected with a trunk of the patient, said method comprising the steps of moving at least the joint region of the patient where the limb of the patient is connected with the trunk of the patient into a chamber of an imaging unit, changing the orientation of at least a portion of the joint region of the patient where the limb of the patient is connected with the trunk of the patient while the joint region of the patient is in the imaging unit, said step of changing the orientation of at least a portion of the joint region of the patient includes rotating the limb of the patient connected with the joint region about a longitudinal axis of the limb which extends through the joint region, and imaging the joint region of the patient where the limb of the patient is connected with the trunk of the patient prior to and after performance of said step of rotating the limb about an axis of the limb.
A method of imaging a shoulder joint region where an upper portion of an arm of a patient is connected with a trunk of the patient, said method comprising the steps of connecting the arm of the patient with an elongated member which forms an extension of the arm of the patient and which extends to an index assembly, positioning at least the shoulder joint region of the patient in an imaging unit, thereafter, imaging the shoulder joint region of the patient with the elongated member in a first index position, thereafter, changing the orientation of at least a portion of the shoulder joint region of the patient by rotating the elongated member and the arm of the patient about a longitudinal axis of the elongated member while the shoulder joint region is in the imaging unit, retaining the elongated member and the arm of the patient against rotation with the index assembly upon rotation of the elongated member from the first index position to a second index position, thereafter, imaging the shoulder joint region of the patient while the elongated member is retained in the second index position by the index assembly.
A method of imaging a joint region where a limb of a patient is connected with a trunk of the patient, said method comprising the steps of gripping a portion of the limb of the patient with a cuff, moving at least the joint region of the patient into an imaging unit, changing the orientation of at least a portion of the joint region of the patient where the limb of the patient is connected with the trunk of the patient while the joint region is in the imaging unit, said step of changing the orientation of the joint region includes moving the cuff from a first position to a second position relative to the trunk of the patient while the joint region is in the imaging unit, imaging the joint region when the cuff is in the first position, imaging the joint region when the cuff is in the second position, and applying force to the cuff when the cuff is in said first and second positions to distract a joint in the joint region during imaging of the joint region, said step of applying force to the cuff includes pulling the cuff in a direction away from the joint region and generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of the limb of the patient during imaging of the joint region when the cuff is in the first and second positions.
A method of imaging a joint region where an upper portion of a longitudinally extending limb of a patient is connected with a trunk of the patient, said method comprising the steps of gripping a portion of the limb of the patient with a cuff, moving at least the joint region of the patient into an imaging unit while gripping the limb of the patient with the cuff, rotating the limb of the patient and the cuff about a longitudinal central axis of the limb of the patient to move the cuff to a first predetermined position while the joint region is in the imaging unit, operating a detent to an engaged condition upon movement of the cuff to the first predetermined position to maintain the cuff in the first predetermined position, imaging the joint region of the patient while the joint region is in the imaging unit and the cuff is in the first predetermined position with the detent in the engaged condition, operating the detent from the engaged condition to a released condition after having performed said step of imaging the joint region while the cuff is in the first predetermined position, resuming rotation of the limb of the patient and the cuff about a longitudinal central axis of the limb of the patient to move the cuff to a second predetermined position while the joint region is in the imaging unit, operating the detent to an engaged condition upon movement of the cuff to the second predetermined position to maintain the cuff in the second predetermined position, and imaging the joint region of the patient while the joint region is in the imaging unit and the cuff is in the second predetermined position with the detent in the engaged condition.
A method of imaging a shoulder joint region where an upper portion of an arm of a patient is connected with a trunk of the patient, said method comprising the steps of gripping a portion of a rotatable member with a hand on the arm of the patient, moving at least the shoulder joint region of the patient into an imaging unit, rotating the hand and arm of the patient and the rotatable member about a longitudinal central axis of the arm of the patient to rotate the rotatable member while the shoulder joint region is in the imaging unit and while the hand of the patient is gripping the rotatable member, and imaging the shoulder joint region while the shoulder joint region is in the imaging unit and the hand of the patient is gripping the rotatable member.
A method of imaging a joint region where a limb of a patient is connected with a trunk of the patient, said method comprising the steps of gripping a portion of the limb of the patient with a cuff, moving at least the joint region where the limb of the patient is connected with the trunk of the patient into an imaging unit, thereafter, changing the orientation of at least a portion of the joint region where the limb of the patient is connected with the trunk of the patient while the joint region is in the imaging unit, sequentially imaging the joint region while the joint region is in a plurality of different orientations in the imaging unit, and applying force to the cuff to distract a joint in the joint region during imaging of the joint region while the joint region is in each of the plurality of different orientations in the imaging unit, said step of applying force to the cuff includes pulling the cuff in a direction away from the joint region and parallel to a longitudinal axis of the limb of the patient during imaging of the joint region while the joint region is in each of the plurality of different orientations in the imaging unit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.