Patient support mechanism for portable medical scanner

Abstract

A patient support mechanism that supports a patient during scanning of the patient by a medical scanner. The support mechanism includes a shoulder support rotatably attached to a head support. The head support receives the patient's head, and the shoulder support receives the upper part of the patient's body, wherein the shoulder support includes an attachment device extending downward. The support mechanism also includes an attachment mechanism having a column section that is attached to the medical scanner. In addition, the attachment mechanism includes a bracket element for receiving the attachment device, wherein when the patient lies on a bed, the shoulder support is attached to the bracket element by positioning the shoulder support above the bracket element and moving the shoulder support downward to attach the attachment device to the bracket element.

Description

[0001] Priority claim

[0002] This application claims the benefit under 35 USC §119(e) of co-pending U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 769,094, filed on November 19, 2018, entitled “PATIENT SUPPORT MECHANISM FOR PORTABLE MEDICAL SCANNER,” attorney case No. 2018P24408US, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety and to which this application claims the benefit of priority. Technical Field

[0003] One aspect of the present invention relates to a patient support mechanism for a portable medical scanner, and more particularly to a patient support mechanism that is attached to the medical scanner and includes a shoulder support that is rotatably attached to a head support, wherein the shoulder support is attached by positioning the shoulder support above a support element of the patient support mechanism and moving the shoulder support downward to attach the shoulder support to the support element when the patient is lying on a bed. Background Art

[0004] Portable imaging systems, such as portable computed tomography (CT) imaging systems, can be used to scan patients while they are in bed to generate medical images. When performing bedside imaging, a support device is often required to support the patient to ensure safety, patient comfort, image quality, and to reduce movement during imaging to avoid image blur. These reasons are often competing constraints.

[0005] The support device used with the imaging system is mounted to the patient bed. Due to the relatively large variation in the manufacture and model of patient beds, the support device must be able to accommodate many different configurations of beds. In addition, the installation of the support device typically requires a lot of manipulation of the patient, bed, and attached life support equipment, which may be harmful to the patient. In addition, the support device may be a single-piece design that is not sufficiently conformable to the patient's anatomy and is therefore uncomfortable. Summary of the invention

[0006] A patient support mechanism is disclosed that supports a patient scan performed on the patient by a medical scanner. The support mechanism includes a shoulder support rotatably attached to a head support. The head support receives the patient's head, and the shoulder support receives the upper part of the patient's body, wherein the shoulder support includes an attachment device extending downward. The support mechanism also includes an attachment mechanism having a column section attached to the medical scanner. In addition, the attachment mechanism includes a bracket element for receiving the attachment device, wherein when the patient lies on a bed, the shoulder support is attached to the bracket element by positioning the shoulder support above the bracket element and moving the shoulder support downward to attach the attachment device to the bracket element.

[0007] Those skilled in the art may apply the various features of the present invention jointly or separately in any combination or sub-combination. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are further described in the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0009] Figure 1 is a top view of a patient support mechanism according to one aspect of the present invention.

[0010] Figure 2 is along Figure 1 A side view of the patient support mechanism as viewed through view line 2-2.

[0011] Figure 3 is an exploded side view of an attachment mechanism for a patient support mechanism.

[0012] Figure 4 A support mechanism attached to a medical scanner is shown, and a patient is depicted lying on a mattress of a hospital bed.

[0013] Figure 5A-5B An alternative embodiment of a support mechanism is depicted wherein: Figure 5A depicts a support mechanism including an image quality phantom, and Figure 5B A support mechanism including a body board sized for a pediatric or neonatal patient is depicted.

[0014] To facilitate understanding, identical reference numerals have been used, where possible, to designate identical elements that are common to the figures. The figures are not drawn to scale. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] Although various embodiments in conjunction with the teachings of the present disclosure have been shown and described in detail herein, those skilled in the art can easily design embodiments that still combine many other variations of these teachings. The scope of the present disclosure is not limited in its application to the construction details and arrangement of components of the exemplary embodiments set forth in the specification or shown in the accompanying drawings. The present disclosure encompasses other embodiments and is implemented or executed in various ways. Moreover, it should be understood that the wording and terminology used herein are for descriptive purposes and should not be considered as limitations. The use of "comprising", "including" or "having" and its variations in this article is intended to cover the items listed thereafter and their equivalents and additional items. Unless otherwise specified or limited, the terms "install", "connect", "support" and "couple" and their variations are widely used and cover direct and indirect installation, connection, support and connection. In addition, "connect" and "couple" are not limited to physical or mechanical connections or connections.

[0016] refer to Figure 1 , shows a top view of a patient support mechanism 10 according to one aspect of the present invention. The support mechanism 10 includes a head support element 12 having a curved wall 14 that forms a recessed portion 16 for receiving a patient's head. The support mechanism 10 also includes a substantially flat shoulder support element 18 having a cutout portion 20 for accommodating a patient's head when the patient is lying in a hospital bed. The head support 12 and the shoulder support 18 are aligned along a central axis 23 of the support mechanism 10. The support mechanism 10 also includes an attachment mechanism 22 that receives the shoulder support 18 and rotates the head support 12 or the shoulder support 18 or both about a second axis 24 oriented transverse to the central axis 23.

[0017] In an embodiment, the head support 12 can be made of a different material than the shoulder support 18. This enables the selection of materials that are appropriate for each support 12, 18. For example, the head support 12 can be made of a material that is translucent to X-rays, while the shoulder support 18 can be made of a less expensive material than the material used for the head support 12, thereby reducing costs. Additionally, the shoulder support 18 can be made of a stronger material than the material used for the head support 12.

[0018] refer to Figure 2 , showing the Figure 12-2 of the support mechanism 10. The attachment mechanism 22 includes a rotating element portion 26 located below the head support 12. The attachment mechanism 22 also includes a bracket portion 28 located adjacent the rotating element 26. As will be described, the second end 38 of the shoulder support 18 is attached to the bracket portion 28 by a pin element 40. The rotating element 26 enables the shoulder support 18 to rotate in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction 27 about the second axis 24 to accommodate the orientation of the patient bed or mattress. In one aspect of the present invention, during the rotation of the shoulder support 18, the head support 12 remains stationary or locked in place. For example, the shoulder support 18 can be rotated downward so that the first end 30 contacts the mattress to compensate for the mattress sag that occurs due to the weight of the patient being moved when the patient is pulled over the mattress and onto the shoulder support 18. The contact between the first end 30 and the mattress supports the shoulder support 18 and reduces the amount of stress to which the support mechanism 10 is subjected, thereby reducing the possibility of damage. Alternatively, the shoulder support 18 may be rotated upward to accommodate the height of, for example, a patient bed. Additionally, the rotation of the shoulder support 18 maintains patient comfort and reduces the amount of patient respiratory movement transferred to the patient's head, thereby substantially reducing or eliminating artifacts in the resulting image due to head motion. Alternatively, the head support 12 may be rotatable, or both the head support 12 and the shoulder support 18 may be rotatable. Additionally, a detent mechanism may be used to orient the head support 12 in a desired position.

[0019] The attachment mechanism 22 also includes a column member 35 having a substantially vertical column section 32 extending downwardly from the rotating element 26. The column member 35 also includes a transverse attachment section 34 oriented transversely to the vertical column section 32, which extends toward the medical scanner 25 to form a substantially inverted "L" configuration. According to one aspect of the present invention, a scanner bracket 37 is removably attached to the medical scanner 25. The transverse section 34 is removably connected to the scanner bracket 37, thereby attaching the attachment mechanism 22 and thus the support mechanism 10 to the medical scanner 25. Therefore, by mounting the support mechanism 10 to the medical scanner 25 instead of the patient's bed, the disadvantages associated with having to accommodate many different configurations of beds and bed adapters in order to attach the support mechanism 10 are avoided. The head support 12 is removably attached to the rotating element 26, for example, by a fastener. This enables the attachment of a head support 12 sized to fit the size of the patient's head. In an embodiment, the head support 12 can be configured in at least three sizes, such as adult, child, and neonatal sizes.

[0020] refer to Figure 3, showing an exploded side view of the attachment mechanism 22. In embodiments, the rotational element 26 may be a hinge or other element that enables rotation. The bracket portion 28 includes a bracket hole 36. The second end 38 of the shoulder support 18 includes a pin holder 45 having a removable downwardly extending pin element 40 or other removable attachment device that is inserted into the bracket hole 36 to removably attach the shoulder support 18 to the bracket portion 28. The shoulder support 18 is attached to the bracket portion 28 by positioning the shoulder support 18 in an elevated position above the bracket portion 28, aligning the pin element 40 with the bracket hole 36, and moving the shoulder support 18 downwardly and toward the bracket portion 28 from the elevated position until the pin element 40 is inserted into the bracket hole 36. It should be understood that more than one pin element 40 and associated bracket hole 36 may be used. In addition, the pin element 40 and the associated bracket hole 36 may have a circular cross-section or other suitable shape, such as an elliptical, arcuate, polygonal, etc. Alternatively, other removable attachment means may be used to removably attach the shoulder support 18 to the bracket portion 28, such as at least one mechanical fastener or a magnetic arrangement.

[0021] refer to Figure 4 , the support mechanism 10 is shown attached to a medical scanner 25, and depicts a patient 42 lying on a mattress 44 of a bed 46. The bed 46 may be any type of conventional bed or other type of patient support platform found, for example, in a health care facility. The mattress 44 and the first upper portion 50 and the second upper portion 52 of the bed 46 are respectively located below the shoulder support 18, and a portion of the patient's head 54 is located within the incision 20. The medical scanner 25 includes a patient opening or hole 48 that receives the head support 12. In an embodiment, the medical scanner 25 may be a portable medical scanner, such as a portable CT imaging system, having an X-ray source and an X-ray detector and various electronic hardware and software for generating a CT scan, wherein the CT imaging system is translated and the patient 42 remains stationary. Alternatively, the portable medical scanner 25 may be a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner, a positron emission tomography (PET) scanner, a single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) scanner, an X-ray scanner, or using a surgical or interventional technique.

[0022] As previously described, the shoulder support 18 is attached to the support portion 28 by positioning the shoulder support 18 in an elevated position above the support portion 28 and moving the shoulder support 18 downwardly toward the support portion 28 from the elevated position until the pin element 40 is inserted into the support hole 36. The downward movement of the shoulder support 18 and the cutout 20 allows the shoulder support 18 to be installed around the head 54 of the patient 42 who is already lying on the bed 46 without interfering with the patient 42 or the life support equipment being used by the patient 42. The insertion of the pin element 40 into the support hole 36 aligns the central axis 23 of the head support 12 with the central axis 56 of the patient hole 48. To generate an image of the patient's head, the upper portion of the patient 42 is then pulled onto the shoulder support 18 and the patient's head 54 is positioned in the head support 12. This enables consistent and accurate positioning of the patient 42 relative to the medical scanner 25 and enables scanning of the head 54 while the patient 42 remains on the bed 46. In one aspect of the present invention, at least one electric motor may be used to move and / or rotate the support mechanism 10 so as to be properly positioned relative to the aperture 48 .

[0023] refer to Figure 5A-5B , shows an alternative embodiment of the support mechanism 10. Figure 5A , the head support 12 may be replaced with an image quality phantom 58, such as a CT (or other modality) image quality phantom. In particular, the phantom 58 includes a generally L-shaped bracket 60 that may be removably attached to the rotation element 26. Figure 5B , the head support 12 can be replaced with a body plate 62 made of an X-ray translucent material, for example, the body plate 60 is sized for a child or a neonatal patient. The body plate 62 includes a bracket 64, which can be removably attached to the rotating element. Alternatively, the head support 12 can be replaced with a support element shaped to accommodate other body parts (e.g., arms, legs, feet, and other body parts or the body of an infant).

[0024] Although particular embodiments of the present disclosure have been illustrated and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to cover all such changes and modifications within the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A patient support mechanism for supporting a patient during scanning of the patient by a medical scanner, the patient support mechanism comprising: a shoulder support rotatably attached to the head support, wherein the shoulder support includes a cutout for receiving the patient's head when the patient is lying in the bed, wherein the head support receives the patient's head and the shoulder support receives an upper portion of the patient's body, and wherein the shoulder support includes a downwardly extending attachment arrangement; An attachment mechanism having a column section that attaches to the medical scanner, wherein the attachment mechanism further includes a bracket element that receives the attachment device, and wherein the attachment device orients the shoulder support and the head support in a position that enables scanning of a patient by the medical scanner.

2. The mechanism according to claim 1, wherein: The attachment means is a pin element.

3. The mechanism according to claim 1, wherein: The shoulder support is rotatably attached to the head support by a hinge.

4. The mechanism according to claim 1, wherein: The head support is made of an X-ray translucent material.

5. The mechanism according to claim 1, wherein: The head support is received by a patient aperture of the medical scanner.

6. The mechanism according to claim 1, wherein: The medical scanner is a portable medical scanner.

7. The mechanism according to claim 1, wherein: When the patient lies in bed, the support element receives the attachment means.

8. A patient support mechanism for supporting a patient during scanning of the patient by a medical scanner, the patient support mechanism comprising: a shoulder support rotatably attached to the head support, wherein the shoulder support includes a cutout for receiving the patient's head when the patient is lying in the bed, wherein the head support receives the patient's head and the shoulder support receives an upper portion of the patient's body, and wherein the shoulder support includes a downwardly extending attachment arrangement; An attachment mechanism having a column section that is attached to the medical scanner, wherein the attachment mechanism also includes a bracket element that receives the attachment device, and wherein the attachment device orients the shoulder support and the head support in a position that enables scanning of a patient by the medical scanner, and wherein the shoulder support is attached to the bracket element by positioning the shoulder support above the bracket element and moving the shoulder support downward to attach the attachment device to the bracket element.

9. The mechanism according to claim 8, wherein: The attachment means is a pin element.

10. The mechanism according to claim 8, wherein: The shoulder support is rotatably attached to the head support by a hinge.

11. The mechanism according to claim 8, wherein: The head support is made of an X-ray translucent material.

12. The mechanism according to claim 8, wherein: The head support is received by a patient aperture of the medical scanner.

13. The mechanism of claim 8, wherein: The medical scanner is a portable medical scanner.

14. The mechanism of claim 8, wherein: When the patient lies in bed, the support element receives the attachment means.

15. A method of supporting a patient during scanning of the patient by a medical scanner, comprising: providing a shoulder support rotatably attached to a head support, wherein the shoulder support includes a cutout for receiving a head of the patient when the patient is lying in a bed, wherein the head support receives the head of the patient and the shoulder support receives an upper portion of the patient's body; providing a downwardly extending attachment means extending from the shoulder support; providing an attachment mechanism having a column section that attaches to the medical scanner; providing a bracket element on the attachment mechanism; positioning the shoulder support over the support element; and The shoulder support is moved downwardly toward the patient to attach the attachment device into the bracket, and wherein the attachment device orients the shoulder support and the head support in a position that enables scanning of the patient by a medical scanner.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein: The attachment means is a pin element.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein: The shoulder support is rotatably attached to the head support by a hinge.

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein: The head support is made of an X-ray translucent material.

19. The method according to claim 15, wherein: The medical scanner is a portable medical scanner.

20. The mechanism of claim 15, wherein: When the patient lies in bed, the support element receives the attachment means.

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