Syncronized patient elevation and positioning apparatus positioning support systems
OwnerRoger P. Jackson, Lawrence E. Guerra +1inventors
InventorsRoger P. Jackson, Lawrence E. Guerra, Michael A. Herron
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Abstract
An apparatus for transferring a supine patient to a prone position on a patient positioning support system, and for rotating such a prone patient between prone and supine positions without removing the patient from the patient positioning support system.
Claims13
A patient elevation and positioning apparatus for positioning a patient in a prone position on a patient positioning support system for a medical procedure, the patient positioning support system including a base with spaced head-end and foot-end support subassemblies, a patient support structure removably attached to and supported by the support subassemblies, and a rotation mechanism for rotating the patient support structure about a longitudinally extending roll axis a distance of up to at least 180°, the patient elevation and positioning apparatus comprising:
- a) a transfer table structure having head and foot ends, the transfer table structure being sized and shaped for receiving and supporting a patient thereon;
- b) a head-end lift subassembly removably attachable to both the head-end support subassembly and the transfer table structure head end, the head-end lift subassembly being adapted for moving the transfer table structure head end in a direction selected from toward and away from the roll axis;
- c) a foot-end lift subassembly removably attachable to both the foot-end support subassembly and the transfer table structure foot end, the foot-end lift subassembly being adapted for moving the transfer table structure foot end in a direction selected from toward and away from the roll axis;
- and
- d) an actuator for synchronously actuating the head-end and foot-end lift subassemblies, so as to maintain the transfer table structure in a plane substantially parallel to the roll axis while moving the transfer table structure in a direction selected from toward and away from the roll axis.
A method of transferring a patient to a medical patient positioning support system in a prone position, the patient positioning support system including a base with spaced head-end and foot-end elevator subassemblies, a patient support structure removably attached to and supported by the elevator subassemblies, and a rotation mechanism for rotating the patient support structure about a longitudinally extending roll axis a distance of up to at least 180°, the method comprising:
- a) providing a patient elevation and positioning apparatus having head-end and foot-end lift subassemblies and a transfer table structure;
- b) releasably attaching the patient elevation and positioning apparatus to the patient positioning support system;
- e) orienting the patient elevation and positioning apparatus for patient transfer;
- f) placing a patient on the transfer table structure in a supine position;
- g) actuating the head-end and foot-end lift subassemblies so as to move the patient toward the patient support structure, such that the patient is snugly sandwiched between the transfer table structure and the patient support structure;
- h) rotating the patient positioning support system to the first position, such that the patient support structured by the patient support structure in a prone position;
- and
- i) detaching the patient elevation and positioning apparatus from the patient positioning support system.
A surgical table comprising:
- a) a base having a first patient support structure extending between opposed end supports thereof;
- b) the end supports having attachment structure for a second patient support structure including an actively driven lift subassembly;
- and
- c) wherein a patient can be positioned between the first and second patient support structure and the distance between the first and second patient support structures is adjustable by the actively driven lift subassembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.