Medical radiological apparatus including optical crosshair device for patient positioning and forearm and spinal positioning aides
US5835562A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 7, 1995 |
| Grant date | Nov 10, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 7, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA61B6/583
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A medical radiological apparatus, such as an x-ray bone densitometry apparatus includes patient positioning aides for accurate patient placement and consistent positioning during a single scanning procedure, or during subsequent procedures. An optical crosshair device helps align the patient's spine along the Y-axis of the apparatus and the patient's hips along the X-axis of the apparatus, perpendicular to the spine. Spinal and forearm positioning aides help the patient maintain consistent, comfortable positions within scans. They also enable reproducibility of patient position in subsequent scans, so that scan results from one scan to another may be compared by a medical practitioner, with reasonable assurance that the respective scan results are not unduly compromised by inconsistent patient placement. The forearm positioning aide consistently places the forearm flat on the patient support table in a proper position parallel to the longitudinal table axis. The spinal positioning aide has diverging support wings which enable the patient to maintain elbows in a position off the table, in a manner which is not likely to cause spinal movement due to arm fatigue.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.