Patient support

A patient support comprising:

• a unitary support plate including a support plate upper surface and a support plate lower surface said support plate being symmetrical about a longitudinal axis of symmetry;
• a base plate arranged beneath said support plate and spaced from said support plate by an intermediate space, said base plate including a base plate upper surface;
• at least one support pillar located in said intermediate space and connecting said base plate upper surface and said support plate lower surface said at least our support pillar being aligned with said longitudinal axis of symmetry and having a forward end and a rearward end;
• at least three successive patient support zones defined by said unitary plate, said three successive patient support zones including a front zone having a front zone width, a center zone having a center zone width and an end zone having an end zone width, said center zone width being less than said front zone width and said end zone width, said center zone including a narrow patient sternum receiving bridge positioned between said front zone and said end zone, said at least one support pillar underlying only said front zone and not underlying said patient sternum receiving bridge;
• a left cut-out and a right cut-out defining said narrow, patient receiving bridge of said center zone and being arranged symmetrically with respect to said longitudinal central axis of said three patient-support zones;
• a left working zone and a right working zone formed in said intermediate space below said support plate and above said base plate support surface and defined by a projection of said respective left cut-out and said right cut-out;
• a patient breast immobilization device positioned in a breast receiving area of said intermediate space, which breast receiving area is defined by said left cut-out and said right cut-out, said patient breast immobilization device being supported by said base plate and extending across said intermediate space below said center zone on both sides of solid longitudinal axis of symmetry;
• a mounting recess in said upper surface of said base plate, said mounting recess extending across said upper surface of said base plate and underlying said left cut-out and said right cut-out;
• a mounting plate positioned in said mounting recess to connect said patient breast immobilization device to said base plate and to secure said patient breast immobilization device at a specific angle of rotation;
• and
• at least one of an upper left MRI-capable receiving surface coil and an upper right MRI-capable receiving surface coil in each of said at least one of said left working zone and said right working zone in said intermediate space with each of said upper left MRI-capable receiving surface coil and said upper right MRI-capable receiving surface coil being attached to said support plate.

A patient support comprising:

• a unitary support plate including a support plate upper surface and a support plate lower surface, said support plate having a longitudinal axis;
• a base plate arranged beneath said support plate and spaced from said support plate by an intermediate space, said base plate including a base plate upper surface;
• at least one support pillar located in said intermediate space and connecting said base plate upper surface and said support plate lower surface, said at least one support pillar being aligned with said longitudinal axis and having a forward end and a rearward end;
• at least three successive patient support zones defined by said unitary support plate, said three successive patient support zones including a front zone having a front zone width, a center zone having a center zone width and an end zone having an end zone width, said center zone width bring less than said front zone width and said end zone width, said center zone including a narrow, patient sternum receiving bridge positioned between said front zone and said end zone, said at least one support pillar underlying said front zone of said support plate and not underlying said patient sternum receiving bridge;
• a left cut-out and a right cut-out defining said center zone of said support plate with said cut-outs being spaced on opposite sides of said longitudinal axis which extends along said narrow, patient sternum receiving bridge, and being arranged symmetrically with respect to said longitudinal axis of said three patient support zones defined by said unitary support plate;
• a left working space and a right working space formed in said intermediate space below said support plate and above said base plate support surface by a projection of said respective left cut-out;
• a patient breast immobilization device positioned in a breast receiving area of said intermediate space, which breast receiving area is defined by said left cut-out and said right cut-out, said patient breast immobilization device being supported by said base plate and extending across said intermediate space below said center zone on both sides of said longitudinal axis of symmetry;
• and
• a mounting plate positioned on said base plate upper surface to connect said patient breast immobilization device to said base plate to allow rotation of said patient breast immobilization device through 360° about a vertical axis relative to a patient breast and to lock said patient breast immobilization device in place at a specific selected angle of rotation with respect to the patient breast in at least one of said left and said right working space.