Radiolucent patient table

#This application claims priority to and the benefit of provisional patent application number 2424/CHE/2014 titled “Radiolucent Patient Table”, filed in the Indian Patent Office on May 15, 2014, and non-provisional patent application number 2424/CHE/2014 titled “Radiolucent Patient Table”, filed in the Indian Patent Office on May 11, 2015. The specifications of the above referenced patent applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

#The apparatus disclosed herein, in general, relates to a composite structure, and more specifically, relates to a radiolucent patient table top.

#Conventional radiolucent patient tables comprise carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) skins with a foam core made of, for example, polyurethane or polymethacrylimides. CFRP table tops have twice as much X-ray permissibility as wooden table tops and five times that of plastic table tops. Improved radiolucency results in reducing a dosage of X-rays and associated health risks to a patient. The challenges associated with using a foam core in conventional radiolucent patient table tops are described below.

#The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of the invention, is better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the invention, exemplary constructions of the invention are shown in the drawings. However, the invention is not limited to the specific methods and structures disclosed herein. The description of a method step or a structure referenced by a numeral in a drawing is applicable to the description of that method step or structure shown by that same numeral in any subsequent drawing herein.

#FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a radiolucent patient table top.

#FIG. 2 exemplarily illustrates an exploded view of the radiolucent patient table top.

#FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a radiolucent patient table top 100. The radiolucent patient table top 100 disclosed herein comprises a first face sheet 101, a second face sheet 102, and a carbon fiber honeycomb core 103. The first face sheet 101 comprises carbon fibers 101a and 101b in a first radiolucent plastic matrix 101c. The second face sheet 102 comprises carbon fibers 102a and 102b in a second radiolucent plastic matrix 102c. In an embodiment, the first plastic matrix 101c of the first face sheet 101 and the second plastic matrix 102c of the second face sheet 102 comprise, for example, a radiolucent epoxy resin. The carbon fiber honeycomb core 103 is disposed between the first face sheet 101 and the second face sheet 102. The first face sheet 101 and the second face sheet 102 sandwich the carbon fiber honeycomb core 103. The honeycomb core 103 comprises carbon fibers 103a embedded in a third radiolucent plastic matrix 103b as exemplarily illustrated in FIGS. 2-3. In an embodiment, the third radiolucent plastic matrix 103b of the honeycomb core 103 comprises, for example, a radiolucent phenolic resin or a radiolucent epoxy resin. In an embodiment, the first radiolucent plastic matrix 101c, the second radiolucent plastic matrix 102c, and the third radiolucent plastic matrix 103b are composed, for example, of a radiolucent thermoset or a thermoplastic.

#In an embodiment, each of the first face sheet 101 and the second face sheet 102 further comprises two sets of unidirectional carbon fiber sheets 101d, 101e and 102d, 102e respectively, placed substantially orthogonally with respect to each other. In another embodiment, woven carbon fiber sheets may also be used; however, the woven carbon fiber sheets have lesser stiffness when compared to that of the unidirectional carbon fiber sheets 101d, 101e and 102d, 102e.

#FIG. 2 exemplarily illustrates an exploded view of the radiolucent patient table top 100. The honeycomb core 103 disposed between the first face sheet 101 and the second face sheet 102 comprises carbon fibers 103a substantially unidirectional and perpendicular to a plane of the first face sheet 101 and the second face sheet 102. A substantial portion of the carbon fibers 103a of the honeycomb core 103 is unidirectional and oriented in a Z direction perpendicular to the plane of the first face sheet 101 and the second face sheet 102.