Medical support and fixation device

Abstract

To provide a medical supporting and fixing device having a relatively simple configuration, capable of reducing manufacturing cost compared with the conventional medical supporting and fixing device, especially, having a small vertical dimension compared with the conventional medical supporting and fixing device, and having excellent usability.SOLUTION: A medical supporting and fixing device includes a base plate, a yaw angle fine adjustment plate disposed on the base plate, a tilt angle fine adjustment plate disposed on the yaw angle fine adjustment plate, a yaw angle fine adjustment mechanism, and a tilt angle fine adjustment mechanism. The yaw angle fine adjustment plate is mounted on the base plate via a short shaft member and a bearing member (or a bearing hole), and the tilt angle fine adjustment plate is mounted on the yaw angle fine adjustment plate via a hinge. The yaw angle fine adjustment mechanism is interposed between the base plate and the yaw angle fine adjustment plate, and the tilt angle fine adjustment mechanism is interposed between the yaw angle fine adjustment plate and the tilt angle fine adjustment plate portion.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a medical support fixing device used for supporting and fixing a predetermined part of the human body, for example, the head, and more particularly to a medical support fixing device including a base plate, a yaw angle fine adjustment plate, a tilt angle fine adjustment plate, a yaw angle fine adjustment mechanism, and a tilt angle fine adjustment mechanism.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 below discloses a medical support fixing device including a base plate (base), a yaw angle fine adjustment plate mounted on the base plate rotatably about a rotation center axis extending perpendicularly to the base plate, a tilt angle fine adjustment plate mounted on the yaw angle fine adjustment plate rotatably about a turning center axis extending in the width direction of the yaw angle fine adjustment plate, a yaw angle fine adjustment mechanism interposed between the base plate and the yaw angle fine adjustment plate, and a tilt angle fine adjustment mechanism interposed between the yaw angle fine adjustment plate and the tilt angle fine adjustment plate.

Prior Art Document

Patent Document

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The medical support and fixing device disclosed in Patent Document 1, previously proposed by the present inventor, is a useful medical support and fixing device that can finely adjust the yaw angle and tilt angle. However, it is not yet completely satisfactory and has the following problems that need to be solved: (1) The mounting method of the yaw angle fine adjustment plate to the base plate and the mounting method of the tilt angle fine adjustment plate to the yaw angle fine adjustment plate are relatively complex, and the configuration of the yaw angle fine adjustment mechanism and the configuration of the tilt angle fine adjustment mechanism are also relatively complex, resulting in a relatively high manufacturing cost for the medical support and fixing device; and (2) The dimensions of the medical support and fixing device, especially in the vertical direction, are relatively large, making it not always easy to use.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above facts, and its main technical objective is to provide a novel and improved medical support and fixation device that has a relatively simple structure, can reduce manufacturing costs compared to the conventional medical support and fixation devices described above, and has particularly smaller dimensions in the vertical direction compared to the conventional medical support and fixation devices described above, making it easier to use. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to the first aspect of the present invention, as a medical support and fixation device that achieves the above-mentioned main technical problem, A medical support and fixing device comprising a base plate, a yaw angle fine adjustment plate disposed on the base plate, a tilt angle fine adjustment plate disposed on the yaw angle fine adjustment plate, a yaw angle fine adjustment mechanism, and a tilt angle fine adjustment mechanism, A short-axis member extending perpendicularly to one end of the base plate and the yaw angle fine adjustment plate is fixed to the center in the width direction of one end of the base plate and the yaw angle fine adjustment plate, and a bearing member extending perpendicularly to the other end of the base plate and the yaw angle fine adjustment plate is fixed or a bearing hole is formed therein, and the yaw angle fine adjustment plate is mounted on the base plate so as to be rotatable about the central axis of the short-axis member by rotatably combining the bearing member or the bearing hole with the short-axis member. The end of the yaw angle fine adjustment plate and the end of the tilt angle fine adjustment plate are pivotably connected to each other via at least one hinge having a pivot center axis extending in the width direction of the yaw angle fine adjustment plate and the tilt angle fine adjustment plate. The yaw angle fine adjustment mechanism is interposed between the other end of the base plate and the other end of the yaw angle fine adjustment plate. The tilt angle fine adjustment mechanism is interposed between the other end of the yaw angle fine adjustment plate and the other end of the tilt angle fine adjustment plate. The yaw angle fine adjustment mechanism includes a transmission gear mounted on the other end of the base plate so as to be rotatable about a rotational axis extending perpendicularly to the base plate, and a component disposed on the transmission gear so as to be rotatable together with the transmission gear about the rotational axis. The transmission gear is rotated by manual operation. It consists of an input member and an arc-shaped gear piece fixed to the other end of the yaw angle fine adjustment plate and engaged with the transmission gear. A medical support and fixation device is provided, characterized by the following.

[0007] Preferably, a yaw angle indicator piece is fixed to the other end of the yaw angle fine adjustment plate, and a yaw angle scale is provided on the other end of the base plate. Preferably, the tilt angle fine adjustment mechanism includes a male screw member mounted on the other end of the yaw angle fine adjustment plate so as to be rotatable about a rotational center axis extending perpendicularly to the yaw angle fine adjustment plate, and a component provided on the male screw member. The male screw member is rotated by manual operation. The device consists of an input member and a female threaded member screwed onto the male threaded member, the female threaded member having a locking piece that engages with multiple ends of the tilt angle fine adjustment plate. Preferably, a tilt angle indicator piece is fixed to the other end of the tilt angle fine adjustment plate, and a member with a tilt angle scale is erected on the other end of the yaw angle fine adjustment plate. Preferably, the entire medical support and fixing device is made of synthetic resin.

[0008] According to the second aspect of the present invention, as a medical support and fixation device that achieves the above-mentioned main technical problem, A medical support and fixing device comprising a base plate, a tilt angle fine adjustment plate disposed on the base plate, a yaw angle fine adjustment plate disposed on the tilt angle fine adjustment plate, a yaw angle fine adjustment mechanism, and a tilt angle fine adjustment mechanism, One end of the base plate and one end of the tilt angle fine adjustment plate are pivotably connected via at least one hinge having a pivot center axis extending in the width direction of the base plate and the tilt angle fine adjustment plate. A short-axis member extending perpendicularly to one of the tilt angle fine adjustment plates and the yaw angle fine adjustment plate is fixed to one end and widthwise center of the tilt angle fine adjustment plate and the yaw angle fine adjustment plate, and a bearing member extending perpendicularly to the other end and widthwise center of the tilt angle fine adjustment plate and the yaw angle fine adjustment plate is fixed or a bearing hole is formed therein, and the yaw angle fine adjustment plate is mounted on the tilt angle fine adjustment plate so as to be rotatable about the central axis of the short-axis member by rotatably combining the bearing member or the bearing hole with the short-axis member. The tilt angle fine adjustment mechanism is interposed between the other end of the base plate and the other end of the tilt angle fine adjustment plate. The yaw angle fine adjustment mechanism is interposed between the other end of the tilt angle fine adjustment plate and the other end of the yaw angle fine adjustment plate. The yaw angle fine adjustment mechanism includes a transmission gear mounted on the other end of the tilt angle fine adjustment plate so as to be rotatable about a rotational axis extending perpendicularly to the tilt angle fine adjustment plate, and a component disposed on the transmission gear so as to be rotatable together with the transmission gear about the rotational axis. The transmission gear is rotated by manual operation. It consists of an input member and an arc-shaped gear piece fixed to the other end of the yaw angle fine adjustment plate and engaged with the transmission gear. A medical support and fixation device is provided, characterized by the following.

[0009] Preferably, the tilt angle fine adjustment mechanism includes a male screw member mounted on the other end of the base plate so as to be rotatable about a rotational axis extending perpendicularly to the base plate, and disposed on the male screw member The male screw member is rotated by manual operation.The device consists of an input member and a female threaded member screwed into the male threaded member, the female threaded member having a locking piece that engages with multiple ends of the tilt angle fine adjustment plate. Preferably, a tilt angle indicator piece is fixed to the other end of the tilt angle fine adjustment plate, and a member with a tilt angle scale is erected on the other end of the base plate. Preferably, a yaw angle indicator piece is fixed to the other end of the yaw angle fine adjustment plate, and a yaw angle scale is provided on the other end of the tilt angle fine adjustment plate. Preferably, the entire medical support and fixing device is made of synthetic resin. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] The medical support and fixation device of the present invention has a relatively simple structure, can reduce manufacturing costs compared to the conventional medical support and fixation device described above, and has particularly smaller dimensions in the vertical direction compared to the conventional medical support and fixation device described above, making it easy to use. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] A perspective view showing a preferred embodiment of a medical support and fixation device configured according to the present invention. [Figure 2] A plan view of the medical support and fixation device shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] A side view of the medical support and fixation device shown in Figure 1. [Figure 4] A plan view of the base plate in the medical support and fixing device shown in Figure 1. [Figure 5] Figure 1 shows a bottom view of the base plate in the medical support and fixation device. [Figure 6] Cross-sectional view of the base plate in the medical support and fixing device shown in Figure 1. [Figure 7] A plan view of the yaw angle fine adjustment plate in the medical support and fixing device shown in Figure 1. [Figure 8] Figure 1 shows a bottom view of the yaw angle fine adjustment plate in a medical support and fixing device. [Figure 9] Cross-sectional view of the yaw angle fine adjustment plate in the medical support and fixation device shown in Figure 1. [Figure 10]Plan view of the tilt angle fine adjustment plate in the medical support fixing device shown in Fig. 1. [Figure 11] Bottom view of the tilt angle fine adjustment plate in the medical support fixing device shown in Fig. 1. [Figure 12] Cross-sectional view of the tilt angle fine adjustment plate in the medical support fixing device shown in Fig. 1. [Figure 13] Partial cross-sectional view showing the yaw angle fine adjustment mechanism in the medical support fixing device shown in Fig. 1. [Figure 14] Partial cross-sectional view showing the tilt angle fine adjustment mechanism in the medical support fixing device shown in Fig. 1.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the medical support fixing device configured according to the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0013] Referring to Figs. 1 to 3, the medical support fixing device, generally designated by reference numeral 2, configured according to the present invention includes a base plate 4, a yaw angle fine adjustment plate 6, a tilt angle fine adjustment plate 8, a yaw angle fine adjustment mechanism 10, and a tilt angle fine adjustment mechanism 12. All of these components (including parts such as fastening screws used) constituting the medical support fixing device 2 are preferably formed of synthetic resin instead of metal in order to surely avoid the occurrence of obstacles during radiotherapy, imaging, and magnetic resonance imaging.

[0014] Continuing the explanation with reference to Figures 4 to 6, the base plate 4 is rectangular in shape, and a circular hole is formed at one end (the left end in Figures 4 to 6) and in the center in the width direction (the vertical direction in Figures 4 and 5). A bearing member 14 is fixed to this circular hole by press-fitting. A short shaft member 16, through which the bearing member 14 is inserted, is fixed to the base plate 4 (the fixing of the short shaft member 16 will be discussed further later). The short shaft member 16 extends perpendicularly to the base plate 4, and an annular flange is formed at the upper end of the short shaft member 16. Various components constituting the yaw angle fine adjustment mechanism 10 (these components will be described later) are arranged at the other end of the base plate 4 (the right end in Figures 4 to 6). A backing material 18, which is somewhat smaller in size than the base plate 4, is attached to the back surface of the base plate 4 (the bottom surface in Figure 6). The backing material 18, which is conveniently made of a soft synthetic resin, is cut out in the region where the short-axis member 16 is located and in the region where the components of the yaw angle adjustment mechanism 10 are located, as clearly illustrated in Figure 5.

[0015] As can be clearly seen from Figures 7 to 9, the yaw angle fine adjustment plate 6 is rectangular in shape, and a circular hole is formed at one end (the left end in Figures 7 to 9) and at the center in the width direction (the vertical direction in Figures 7 and 8). A short cylindrical bearing member 20 is fixed to this circular hole by press-fitting. On the back surface of the other end of the yaw angle fine adjustment plate 6 (the bottom surface in Figure 9), components constituting the yaw angle fine adjustment mechanism 10 (these components will be described later) are arranged, and on the upper surface of the other end of the yaw angle fine adjustment plate 6, various components constituting the tilt angle fine adjustment mechanism 8 (these components will be described later) are arranged. Furthermore, a yaw angle indicator piece 22, whose tip is an isosceles triangle, is fixed to the upper surface of the other end of the yaw angle fine adjustment plate 6 by fastening screws 24.

[0016] As can be clearly understood by referring to Figures 1 and 2 in conjunction with Figures 4 to 6 and Figures 7 to 9, the yaw angle fine adjustment plate 6 is stacked on the base plate 4, and the yaw angle fine adjustment plate 6 on the base plate 4 is mounted so as to be rotatable about the central axis 26 of the short axis member 16 on the base plate 4 by fixing a short axis member 16 through which a bearing member 20 fixed to the other end of the yaw angle fine adjustment plate 6 and a bearing member 14 fixed to the other end of the base plate 4 are inserted. In the illustrated embodiment, the fixing of the short axis member 16 to the base plate 4 is achieved by placing a circular retaining piece 28 having an outer diameter that may be the same as the outer diameter of the flange of the short axis member 16 on the back surface of the base plate 4, and screwing a fastening screw 30 into the short axis member 16 through this circular retaining piece 28. In the illustrated embodiment, the short shaft member 16 is fixed to the base plate 4 and the bearing member 20 is fixed to the yaw angle fine adjustment plate 6. However, it is also possible to fix the bearing member 20 to the base plate 4 and the short shaft member 16 to the yaw angle fine adjustment plate 6. Alternatively, the bearing member 20 can be omitted, and the circular hole formed in the yaw angle fine adjustment plate 6 (or base plate 4) can be used as the bearing hole, and the short shaft member 16 can be combined with (i.e., inserted through) this bearing hole.

[0017] Figures 10 to 12 illustrate the tilt angle fine adjustment plate 8. The tilt angle fine adjustment plate 8 has a rectangular main portion 32 and hanging portions 34 that hang down from both side edges of the main portion 32. One end of the tilt angle fine adjustment plate 8 (the left end in Figures 10 to 12) is pivotably connected to one end of the yaw angle fine adjustment plate 6 via at least one hinge 36. More specifically, in the illustrated embodiment, two hinges 36 are arranged at intervals in the width direction (vertical direction in Figures 7 to 12) of the yaw angle fine adjustment plate 6 and the tilt angle fine adjustment plate 8, and the pivot center axis 37 of these hinges 36 extends in the width direction of the yaw angle fine adjustment plate 6 and the tilt angle fine adjustment plate 8. As shown in Figures 10 to 12, a single pivot portion 38 located in the center of the hinge 36 is fixed to the back surface of one side of the tilt angle fine adjustment plate 8 by fastening screws 40, and the other pivot portions 42 located on both sides of the hinge 36 are fixed to the surface of one side of the yaw angle fine adjustment plate 6 by fastening screws 44. A pair of tilt angle indicator pieces 46 are fixed to the lower surface of the other end of the tilt angle fine adjustment plate 8 by fastening screws 47, spaced apart in the width direction of the tilt angle fine adjustment plate 8. The tips of the tilt angle indicator pieces 46 protrude beyond the other end edge of the tilt angle fine adjustment plate 8. A pair of projections 48 are fixed to the surface of the other end of the tilt angle fine adjustment plate 8, spaced apart in the width direction of the tilt angle fine adjustment plate 8, and a pair of circular holes are similarly formed at spaced intervals in the width direction of the tilt angle fine adjustment plate 8, into which a bearing member 50 is press-fitted. The pair of protrusions 48 and the pair of bearing members 50 can be used to attach fixing means (an example of which is shown by a dashed line in Figure 1) for fixing a predetermined part of the human body onto the tilt angle fine adjustment plate 8.

[0018] Next, the yaw angle fine adjustment mechanism 10 will be described with reference to Figure 13 along with Figures 1 to 9. A support member 52, which extends elongated in the width direction of the base plate 4, is fixed to the surface of the other end of the base plate 4 by fastening screws 54 (Figure 5). A circular hole 56 is formed in the center of the support member 52, and a bearing member 58 is fixed to the surface of the center of the support member 52 by fastening screws (not shown). A circular hole 60 is formed in the bearing member 58, and this circular hole 60 is concentric with the circular hole 56 formed in the support member 52, and has a relatively large diameter lower part and a relatively small diameter upper part. An input member 62 is rotatably mounted on the bearing member 58. The input member 62 has a fitting portion 62a having an outer diameter corresponding to the inner diameter of the upper part of the circular hole 60 of the bearing member 58, and a gripping portion 62b having an outer diameter larger than the outer diameter of the fitting portion 62a. The input member 62 is rotatably mounted on the bearing member 58 by fitting the fitting portion 62a into the circular hole 56 of the bearing member 58. A transmission gear 64 is fixed to the lower end face of the input member 62. The through hole 66 formed in the center of the transmission gear 64 has a relatively small diameter upper part and a relatively large diameter lower part. The transmission gear 64 is fixed to the input member 62 by screwing a fastening screw 68, which has a head with an outer diameter larger than the upper part and smaller than the lower part, through the through hole 66 of the transmission gear 64 into the input member 62. The relative angular position of the transmission gear 64 with respect to the input member 62 can be restricted by a regulating pin 70 interposed between them. In the illustrated embodiment, the input member 62 and the transmission gear 64 are formed separately and fixed together by fastening screws 68, but they can also be formed integrally if desired. On the other hand, an arc-shaped gear piece 72 is fixed to the back surface of the other end of the yaw angle fine adjustment plate 6 by set screws 74, and this arc-shaped gear piece 72 is engaged with the transmission gear 64. An opening 76 is formed at the other end of the base plate 4, corresponding to the transmission gear 64 and the arc-shaped gear piece 72, as can be clearly understood by referring to Figure 5. As shown in Figures 1, 2 and 4, a sheet 78 with yaw angle markings printed on it is attached to the surface of the support member 52.

[0019] In the yaw angle fine adjustment mechanism 10 as described above, when the gripping portion 62b of the input member 62 is gripped and rotated, this rotation is transmitted to the arc-shaped gear piece 72 via the transmission gear 64, and as shown by the dashed lines 6A and 6B in Figure 2, the yaw angle fine adjustment plate 6 rotates around the central axis 26 of the short axis member 16 relative to the base plate 4, and the yaw angle of the yaw angle fine adjustment plate 6 relative to the base plate 4 is finely adjusted. The yaw angle of the yaw angle fine adjustment plate 6 relative to the base plate 4 can be visually confirmed by referring to the position of the yaw angle indicator piece 22 relative to the yaw angle memory printed on the sheet 78. The support member 52 described above extends beyond the other edge of the base plate 4, and a circular hole 80 and an oval hole 82 are formed at the extended end. These circular hole 80 and oval hole 82 can be used to attach fixing means (an example of which is shown by the dashed line in Figure 1) for fixing a predetermined part of the human body on the tilt angle fine adjustment plate 8.

[0020] Next, the tilt angle fine adjustment mechanism 12 will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3 and Figures 7 to 12, as well as Figure 14. As can be clearly understood by referring to Figure 1, a pair of guide walls 84 are arranged on the surface of the other end of the yaw angle fine adjustment plate 6 at intervals in the width direction. More specifically, each of the guide walls 84 is erected perpendicular to the yaw angle fine adjustment plate 6 and extends parallel to each other. Each of the guide walls 84 is fixed to the surface of the yaw angle fine adjustment plate 6 by screwing multiple fastening screws (not shown) into the lower end of each of the guide walls 84 from the back surface of the yaw angle fine adjustment plate 6. One side of each inner surface (opposite surfaces) of each guide wall 84 is relatively thick and the other side is relatively thin, and a shoulder surface 86 (Figure 1 shows the shoulder surface 86 formed on one inner surface of the guide wall 84) is formed between them, extending perpendicular to the surface of the yaw angle fine adjustment plate 6 and facing one end side (lower left side in Figure 1). A sheet 88 (one of which is shown in Figure 1) with tilt angle markings printed on it is attached to the outer surface of each guide wall 84. A bearing member 90 is fixed between the upper end faces of the pair of guide walls 84 by fastening screws 92. A bearing hole 94 (Figure 14) is formed in the center of the bearing member 90 in the width direction. Each of the aforementioned tilt angle indicator pieces 46 protrudes beyond the other end edge of the tilt angle fine adjustment plate 8 and is positioned close to the outer surfaces of the pair of guide walls 84.

[0021] As clearly shown in Figure 14, a circular opening 100 is formed in the widthwise center of the other end of the yaw angle fine adjustment plate 6, and a bearing member 102 is press-fitted into this circular opening 100. The main part of the bearing member 102 is short cylindrical in shape, and an annular flange is attached to its upper end. A male threaded member 104 is rotatably mounted on the bearing member 90 and the bearing member 102 fixed to the yaw angle fine adjustment plate 6. The outer diameters of the upper end 104a and lower end 104b of the male threaded member 104 are somewhat smaller than the outer diameter of the main part 104c, and their outer circumferential surfaces are cylindrical. The upper end 104a is fitted into the bearing hole 94 and the lower end 104b is fitted into the bearing member 102, thus the male threaded member 104 is rotatably mounted. A male thread is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the main part 104c of the male threaded member 104. As clearly shown in Figures 1 and 14, a female threaded member 106 is screwed onto a male threaded member 104. A locking piece 108 is attached to this female threaded member 106, extending downward from the other end of the tilt angle fine adjustment plate 8. In the illustrated embodiment, the locking piece 108 extends elongated in the width direction of the yaw angle fine adjustment plate 6, with the width of one side being somewhat smaller than the width of the other side, and shoulder surfaces 110 facing the other end (upper right side in Figure 1) are formed on both sides of the locking piece 108. As can be clearly understood by referring to Figure 1, the shoulder surfaces 110 formed on both sides of the locking piece 108 abut against or approach the shoulder surfaces 86 formed on the inner surfaces of each of the pair of guide walls 84, and thus the vertical movement of the locking piece 108 is guided by the pair of guide walls 84. In the illustrated embodiment, the female threaded member 106 and the locking piece 108 are formed integrally, but if desired, they can be formed separately and fixed to each other by appropriate means. An input member 112, whose upper part is a short cylindrical shape, is fixed to the upper end of the male threaded member 104 by a fastening screw 114. The male threaded member 104 has a through hole 116 formed therein, which has a relatively large inner diameter at the bottom and a relatively small inner diameter at the top, and the shaft of the fastening screw 114 passes through the top of the through hole 116 and is screwed into the input member 112. If desired, the input member 112 can also be formed integrally with the male threaded member 104.

[0022] In the tilt angle fine adjustment mechanism 12 described above, when the input member 112 is gripped and rotated in a predetermined direction (for example, clockwise when viewed from above), the female screw member 106 is raised, and the locking piece 108 contacts the back surface of the other end of the tilt angle fine adjustment plate 8, raising the other end of the tilt angle fine adjustment plate 8, and thus the tilt angle of the tilt angle fine adjustment plate 8 is increased as shown by the dashed line in Figure 2. When the input member 112 is rotated in the opposite direction (for example, counterclockwise when viewed from above), the female screw member 106 is lowered, and the locking piece 108 moves downward from the back surface of the tilt angle fine adjustment plate 8, lowering the other end of the tilt angle fine adjustment plate 8, and thus the tilt angle of the tilt angle fine adjustment plate 8 is reduced. The tilt angle of the tilt angle fine adjustment plate 8 can be visually confirmed by the position of the tilt angle indicator piece 46 relative to the tilt angle memory printed on the sheet 88.

[0023] As described above, a typical example of how the medical support and fixation device 2 is used is as follows: During radiation therapy, imaging, or magnetic resonance imaging, the medical support and fixation device 2 is placed on a suitable bed on which the human body lies. Then, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 1, the fixing means 118 is attached to the surface of the tilt angle fine adjustment plate 8. The fixing means 118 includes a rectangular plate-shaped substrate 120 and a cover member 122 attached to this substrate 120. Holes 124 are formed on both sides of one end of the substrate 120, and by fitting these holes 124 onto protrusions 48 arranged on both sides of the other end of the tilt angle fine adjustment plate 8, the fixing means 118 can be positioned in a predetermined position relative to the tilt angle fine adjustment plate 8. The human body's head is positioned on the substrate 120 and covered and fixed by the cover member 122. The precise positioning of the human head is achieved by manually operating the input member 62 to fine-tune the yaw angle of the yaw angle fine-adjustment plate 6 relative to the base plate 4, and then manually operating the input member 112 to fine-tune the tilt angle of the tilt angle fine-adjustment plate 8 relative to the yaw angle fine-adjustment plate 6. The fixing means 118 itself can be in a form well known to those skilled in the art, so a detailed explanation thereof is omitted.

[0024] Although preferred embodiments of a medical support and fixation device constructed according to the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the attached drawings, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications and alterations are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0025] For example, in the illustrated embodiment, a yaw angle fine adjustment plate 6 is mounted on the base plate 4 via a short shaft member 16 and a bearing member 20 (or bearing hole), a tilt angle fine adjustment plate 8 is mounted on the yaw angle fine adjustment plate 6 via a hinge 36, a yaw angle fine adjustment mechanism 10 is disposed between the base plate 4 and the yaw angle fine adjustment plate 6, and a tilt angle fine adjustment mechanism 12 is disposed between the yaw angle fine adjustment plate 6 and the tilt angle fine adjustment plate 8. However, it is also possible to mount the tilt angle fine adjustment plate on the base plate via a hinge, mount the plate yaw angle fine adjustment plate on the tilt angle fine adjustment plate via a short shaft member and a bearing member (or bearing hole), dispose of a tilt angle fine adjustment mechanism between the base plate and the tilt angle fine adjustment plate, and dispose of a yaw angle fine adjustment mechanism between the tilt angle fine adjustment plate and the yaw angle fine adjustment plate. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0026] 2: Medical support and fixation devices 4: Base plate 6: Yaw angle fine adjustment plate 8: Tilt angle fine adjustment plate 10: Yaw angle fine adjustment mechanism 12: Tilt angle fine adjustment mechanism 16: Short-axis member 20: Bearing component 22: Yaw angle indicator 36: Hinge 46: Tilt indicator piece 62: Input component 64: Transmission gears 72: Arc-shaped gear piece 78: Sheet with yaw angle scale printed on it 88: Sheet with tilt angle memory printed on it 104: Male threaded component 106: Female threaded component 108: Locking piece 112: Input component

Claims

1. A medical support and fixing device comprising a base plate, a yaw angle fine adjustment plate disposed on the base plate, a tilt angle fine adjustment plate disposed on the yaw angle fine adjustment plate, a yaw angle fine adjustment mechanism, and a tilt angle fine adjustment mechanism, A short-axis member extending perpendicularly to one end of the base plate and the yaw angle fine adjustment plate is fixed to the center in the width direction of one end of the base plate and the yaw angle fine adjustment plate, and a bearing member extending perpendicularly to the other end of the base plate and the yaw angle fine adjustment plate is fixed or a bearing hole is formed therein, and the yaw angle fine adjustment plate is mounted on the base plate so as to be rotatable about the central axis of the short-axis member by rotatably combining the bearing member or the bearing hole with the short-axis member. The end of the yaw angle fine adjustment plate and the end of the tilt angle fine adjustment plate are pivotably connected to each other via at least one hinge having a pivot center axis extending in the width direction of the yaw angle fine adjustment plate and the tilt angle fine adjustment plate. The yaw angle fine adjustment mechanism is interposed between the other end of the base plate and the other end of the yaw angle fine adjustment plate. The tilt angle fine adjustment mechanism is interposed between the other end of the yaw angle fine adjustment plate and the other end of the tilt angle fine adjustment plate. The yaw angle fine adjustment mechanism consists of a transmission gear rotatably mounted on the other end of the base plate about a rotational axis extending perpendicularly to the base plate, an input member disposed on the transmission gear so as to be rotatable together with the transmission gear about the rotational axis and rotated by manual operation to rotate the transmission gear, and an arc-shaped gear piece fixed to the other end of the yaw angle fine adjustment plate and engaged with the transmission gear. A medical support and fixation device characterized by the following features.

2. A medical support and fixing device according to claim 1, wherein a yaw angle indicator is fixed to the other end of the yaw angle fine adjustment plate, and a yaw angle memory is provided on the other end of the base plate.

3. The tilt angle fine adjustment mechanism comprises a male screw member rotatably mounted on the other end of the yaw angle fine adjustment plate about a rotational axis extending perpendicularly to the yaw angle fine adjustment plate, an input member disposed on the male screw member and rotated by manual operation to rotate the male screw member, and a female screw member screwed into the male screw member, the female screw member having a locking piece attached to which it engages with the other end of the tilt angle fine adjustment plate. This is the medical support and fixing device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. A tilt angle indicator is fixed to the other end of the tilt angle fine adjustment plate, and a member with a tilt angle memory is erected on the other end of the yaw angle fine adjustment plate, according to claim 1.

5. A medical support and fixing device comprising a base plate, a tilt angle fine adjustment plate disposed on the base plate, a yaw angle fine adjustment plate disposed on the tilt angle fine adjustment plate, a yaw angle fine adjustment mechanism, and a tilt angle fine adjustment mechanism, One end of the base plate and one end of the tilt angle fine adjustment plate are pivotably connected via at least one hinge having a pivot center axis extending in the width direction of the base plate and the tilt angle fine adjustment plate. A short-axis member extending perpendicularly to one of the tilt angle fine adjustment plates and the yaw angle fine adjustment plate is fixed to one end and widthwise center of the tilt angle fine adjustment plate and the yaw angle fine adjustment plate, and a bearing member extending perpendicularly to the other end and widthwise center of the tilt angle fine adjustment plate and the yaw angle fine adjustment plate is fixed or a bearing hole is formed therein, and the yaw angle fine adjustment plate is mounted on the tilt angle fine adjustment plate so as to be rotatable about the central axis of the short-axis member by rotatably combining the bearing member or the bearing hole with the short-axis member. The tilt angle fine adjustment mechanism is interposed between the other end of the base plate and the other end of the tilt angle fine adjustment plate. The yaw angle fine adjustment mechanism is interposed between the other end of the tilt angle fine adjustment plate and the other end of the yaw angle fine adjustment plate. The yaw angle fine adjustment mechanism consists of a transmission gear rotatably mounted on the other end of the tilt angle fine adjustment plate about a rotational axis extending perpendicularly to the tilt angle fine adjustment plate, an input member disposed on the transmission gear so as to be rotatable together with the transmission gear about the rotational axis and rotated by manual operation to rotate the transmission gear, and an arc-shaped gear piece fixed to the other end of the yaw angle fine adjustment plate and engaged with the transmission gear. A medical support and fixation device characterized by the following features.

6. The tilt angle fine adjustment mechanism comprises a male screw member rotatably mounted on the other end of the base plate about a rotational axis extending perpendicularly to the base plate, an input member disposed on the male screw member and rotated by manual operation to rotate the male screw member, and a female screw member screwed into the male screw member, the female screw member having a locking piece attached to which it engages with the other end of the tilt angle fine adjustment plate.

7. A tilt angle indicator is fixed to the other end of the tilt angle fine adjustment plate, and a member on which a tilt angle memory is arranged is erected on the other end of the base plate, the medical support and fixing device according to claim 5.

8. A yaw angle indicator is fixed to the other end of the yaw angle fine adjustment plate, and a yaw angle memory is provided on the other end of the tilt angle fine adjustment plate, as described in claim 5.

9. A medical support and fixing device according to claim 1 or 5, wherein the entire device is formed from synthetic resin.

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