Sonography bed having patient support and sonographer access provisions

A patient exam bed comprising:

• an elongated bed surface extending between left and right sides and a pair of ends, and being formed with left and right openings such that the bed surface comprises a relatively enlarged headrest portion, a relatively enlarged bench portion, and a ledge portion bridging longitudinally therebetween as well as laterally spacing the left and right openings, wherein said left opening provides exposure from underneath to the heart region of a reclining patient's left-side rib cage, and wherein said ledge portion provides undergirding support for a thin strip of the patient's rib cage in order to support against sagging into the left opening;
• a filler section for the left opening and installed to the bed for movement between a fill position in which the filler section presents with said bed surface a generally uninterrupted patient-supporting area along the length of the bed surface adjacent the left side, and, a retracted position which opens said left opening and provides a sonographer an unobstructed reach to the reclining patient's left-side rib cage;
• a powered drive system for moving the filler section comprising a drive source, a coupling system coupling the filler section to the bed and having an input connection connected to the drive source for driving the coupling system to cycle the filler section between the fill and retracted positions, and a manual control-signal entry device which is operated by a one-handed or hands-free operation so the sonographer has at least a hand and arm not occupied with entering control signals to the drive system and thus free for steadying the patient during the retraction of the filler section;
• and,
• a prop section for the right opening attached to the bed for movable adjustment ranging from straight up to shallower angles of inclination with respect to the ledge portion and being located to provide a rest for the patient to lean against with patient's ribs' the thin strip supported on the ledge portion, and the heart region of the patient's left-side rib cage substantially exposed from underneath through the left opening when the filler section is retracted;
• whereby said prop section and ledge portion cooperatively provide anti-rolling and anti-sagging support for reclining patients.

A patient exam bed comprising:

• an elongated bed surface extending between left and right sides and a pair of ends, and being formed with left and right openings such that the bed surface comprises a relatively enlarged first portion, a relatively more expansive relatively enlarged second portion and a ledge portion bridging longitudinally therebetween, as well as laterally spacing the left and right openings, for undergirding a reclining patient's torso;
• a fill section for temporarily filling the left opening, directly attached to the bed for movement between a fill position flush with the bed surface and a retracted position which opens the left opening in order to provide underneath exposure of the heart region of a reclining patient's left-side rib cage while at the same time the ledge portion provides undergirding support for a thin strip of the patient's rib cage in order to support against sagging into the left opening;
• a prop section for the right opening, directly attached to the bed for movement between a fill position flush with the bed surface and various deployed up positions;
• wherein said patient exam bed excludes structure that is restrictive to a sonographer's freedom to swing a leg in the right opening or thereafter take a seat on the second portion when the prop section is deployed steeply up;
• wherein said prop section is deployable to provide anti-rolling support for reclining patients.