Posture holding tool and posture holding unit

Abstract

Provided are a posture holding tool and a posture holding unit by which, for various persons to be inspected, an arm elevation posture is stably held in a state which causes less pain. A posture holding tool 11 is provided with a pair of first upright bars (31) and a pair of arm placement tables (25), and holds an arm elevation posture of a person (P) to be inspected on his / her back. The first upright bars (31) are provided in an upright state. When the person (P) to be inspected grips the first upright bars (31), the arm placement tables (25) allow placement of the arms of the person (P) to be inspected. A space (S) into and out of which at least the head of the person (P) to be inspected can be freely inserted and removed is formed between the pair of first upright bars (31) and also between the pair of arm placement tables (25)

Description

Attitude maintenance tool and attitude maintenance unit

[0001] The present invention relates to a posture-maintaining device and a posture-maintaining unit.

[0002] In medical examination devices such as X-ray CT (Computed Tomography) examination devices, an examination subject may be photographed while lying supine on a bed. In such cases, the subject may be required to raise their arms in an arm-raising position in order to maintain a constant posture. For example, Patent Document 1 proposes a medical head holding device as a posture holder for maintaining the arm-raising position.

[0003] This medical head holding device is attached to the tabletop of a bed and includes a head mounting section and an arm-up holder. The head mounting section is for mounting the head of a subject mounted on the tabletop, and the arm-up holder has a gripping area located near the side of the head mounting section. The arm-up holder is disclosed to have a second handhold that the subject can grip at a position above their head when their head is mounted on the head mounting section.

[0004] JP 2011-036676 A

[0005] However, subjects vary in physique and range of joint motion, and for some subjects, the medical head device described in Patent Document 1 causes pain when the head is placed on the head mounting portion and held in a position where the second hand-holding portion is grasped.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a posture-maintaining tool and a posture-maintaining unit that can stably maintain the arm-elevated posture in a state in which pain is reduced for a variety of subjects.

[0007] The posture-maintaining device of the present invention comprises a pair of first standing bars and a pair of arm rests on which the arms of a person lying on their back can be placed when the first standing bars are gripped, and maintains the arm-raised posture of the person. The posture-maintaining device has spaces formed between the pair of first standing bars and between the pair of arm rests, each of which allows at least the person's head to be inserted and removed.

[0008] It is preferable that the apparatus further include an extension bar that extends from one of the pair of first standing bars to the other and connects them.

[0009] It is preferable that the armrest apparatus further include a pair of second standing bars that are shorter than the first standing bars and that are erected on the side of the pair of first standing bars where the arm rests are arranged.

[0010] The arm rests preferably have a height that gradually increases toward the first standing bar. The pair of arm rests preferably have a distance that gradually decreases toward the first standing bar. The arm rests preferably have an upper surface that gradually increases in height toward the outside.

[0011] Preferably, the distance between the pair of first standing bars gradually increases toward the lower ends. Preferably, the first standing bars are inclined so that the upper ends are located closer to the arm rest than the lower ends.

[0012] It is preferable that the distance between one first standing bar and arm rest and the other first standing bar and arm rest be adjustable.

[0013] The positioning device may be placed on a bed of a medical examination device for use with a human subject, and is particularly effective when the medical examination device is an X-ray CT examination device.

[0014] The posture-maintaining unit of the present invention comprises the posture-maintaining device described above and a pillow on which a person's head is placed.

[0015] According to the present invention, a variety of subjects can stably maintain an arm-raising posture while reducing pain.

[0016] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a posture maintaining device according to an embodiment is used; FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the posture maintaining device; FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the posture maintaining device; FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view of the posture maintaining device; FIG. 5 is a schematic front view of the posture maintaining device; FIG. 6 is a schematic side view of the posture maintaining device; FIG. 7 is another embodiment of the arm rest; FIG. 8 is another embodiment of the arm rest; FIG. 9 is another embodiment of the arm rest; FIG. 10 is another embodiment of the arm rest; FIG. 11 is another embodiment of the arm rest;

[0017] The posture supporter 11 shown in FIG. 1 is one embodiment of the posture supporter of the present invention, and is placed on a bed (cradle) 13 of an X-ray CT (Computed Tomography) examination device 12 to maintain an upper limb elevated posture (arms raised posture) of a human being to be examined in a supine position, i.e., an examination subject (subject) P. The X-ray CT examination device 12 is an example of a medical examination device, and is not limited to this example as long as it examines the examination subject P in a supine position. Other examples of medical examination devices include an X-ray examination device, an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) examination device, and a PET (Positron Emission Tomography) examination device.

[0018] The posture-maintaining device 11 is placed on one end of the bed 13, which extends in one direction, at the end where the head of the subject P is located. In the example shown in FIG. 1 , the posture-maintaining device 11 is placed assuming that the head of the subject P is located at the far end of the bed 13 as shown in FIG. 1 . However, if the head is located at the near end, the posture-maintaining device 11 is placed at the near end. The bed 13 slides in the longitudinal direction to enter and exit the hollow space of a gantry 14, which includes an X-ray tube (not shown) as an X-ray emitter and a detector (not shown) that detects transmitted X-rays. This allows at least the body part to be examined of the subject P to pass through the hollow space of the gantry 14 while in a supine position. The posture-maintaining device 11 includes grip members for the subject P to hold. When the subject P is lying on his / her back and holds the grip with his / her upper limbs (arms), the arm-raised posture is stably maintained and the supine position is also stably maintained during the examination. Since the posture-maintaining device 11 is used by being placed on the bed 13 in this manner, the longitudinal direction of the bed 13 is defined as the X direction, the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction in the horizontal plane as the Y direction, and the direction perpendicular to the X and Y directions as the Z direction. The configuration of each part when the posture-maintaining device 11 is placed on the bed 13 will be described below.

[0019] 2, the posture supporter 11 includes a first grip member 21, a pair of second grip members 22, a pair of arm rests 25, and a support member 26 that supports the first grip member 21 and the second grip member 22. In this example, the arm rest 25 is supported by the first grip member 21 and the second grip member 22, but it may also be supported by the support member 26. The first grip member 21 and the second grip member 22 are formed of tubular members with circular cross sections, but the cross-sectional shape is not limited to circular.

[0020] The first grip member 21 is formed in a U-shape with an open bottom and includes a pair of upright first upright bars 31 and an extension bar 32 extending from one of the pair of first upright bars 31 to the other and connecting them. One longitudinal end of each first upright bar 31 is fixed to the upper surface of the support member 26 so that the first upright bars 31 are in an upright position. The upper limbs of the subject P have a total of seven degrees of freedom: three degrees of freedom at the shoulder joint, one degree of freedom at the elbow joint, one degree of freedom at the forearm, and two degrees of freedom at the wrist joint (wrist joint). By including a pair of first upright bars 31 in the posture-maintaining device 11, when the subject P is lying on his / her back, the first upright bar 31 located on the right side is grasped with the right hand, and the first upright bar 31 located on the left side is grasped with the left hand, respectively, and the position of the hands is fixed by this grasping. This restricts a total of six degrees of freedom: three degrees of freedom of translational movement in the X, Y, and Z directions and three degrees of freedom of rotational movement.

[0021] The extension bar 32 is provided so that it can be gripped with the thumb on the outside, or so-called "backhand," when the arm is raised. The extension bar 32 is effective, for example, when the range of motion of the shoulder joint is too narrow to grip the first upright bar 31. Note that the extension bar 32 can also be gripped with the thumb on the inside, or so-called "fronthand," depending on the range of motion of the wrist joint.

[0022] The arm rests 25 are used to support the subject's arms when grasping the first standing bars 31. When viewed from above, the pair of arm rests 25 are arranged on the same side of the pair of first standing bars 31, with their upper surfaces positioned lower than the top ends of the first standing bars 31. As a result, when grasping the first standing bars 31, the subject P places their arms on the rests 25, limiting one degree of freedom in the outward movement of both elbows due to the action of gravity. This, combined with the six degrees of freedom limited by the first standing bars 31, limits seven degrees of freedom of the upper limbs, allowing the subject P to more stably maintain a supine, arm-raised posture. This also reduces fatigue in the raised arms. When the subject P is lying on their back and places their raised arms on the arm rests 25, the subject's fingers are easily guided by the first standing bars 31, allowing them to efficiently stabilize their posture and proceed with the examination.

[0023] The second grip members 22 are an example of a second standing bar and are provided in pair. When gripped in an arm-raised position, the second grip members 22 restrict the seven degrees of freedom of the upper limbs to the same six degrees of freedom as when the first standing bar 31 is gripped. That is, when the subject P lies supine, the second grip member 22 located on the right side of the subject P is gripped with the right hand, and the second grip member 22 located on the left side is gripped with the left hand, thereby fixing the positions of the hands. This restricts a total of six degrees of freedom, including three degrees of freedom of translational movement in the X, Y, and Z directions and three degrees of freedom of rotational movement. When gripping the second grip members 22, the subject P can place his or her arms on the bed 13. Therefore, gravity restricts one degree of freedom in the outward movement of both elbows. This, combined with the restriction of the six degrees of freedom by the second grip members 22, restricts seven degrees of freedom of the upper limbs, allowing the subject P to stably maintain a supine, arm-raised position. In this way, the posture maintaining device 11 may be gripped by the second grip member 22 instead of the first standing bar 31 and the extension bar 32 .

[0024] Between the pair of first standing bars 31, the pair of arm rests 25, and the pair of second grip members 22, there is formed a space S, allowing at least the head Ph of the subject P to be inserted and removed in a direction along the vertical axis V of the body. This allows the subject P to position the head Ph at any position along the vertical axis V depending on the range of motion of each joint, thereby gripping the first standing bars 31 in a state of reduced discomfort. For example, while a conventional method of maintaining posture involves securing the wrist of a raised arm with a belt, this example eliminates the need for such fixation, eliminating the feeling of restraint associated with fixation and reducing both physical and psychological discomfort. Furthermore, this example does not force a uniform posture on subjects P, who vary in physique, upper limb length, and joint range of motion, thereby reducing discomfort associated with unnatural postures. As is well known, the vertical axis V is an intersection line defined by the intersection of the basic frontal plane and the basic sagittal plane, which passes through the virtual center of gravity inside the body, and the vertical axis V in a lying position on the bed 13 roughly coincides with the X direction.

[0025] If the subject P has a physique with long arms and relatively little shoulder flexion, the space S is formed, and the head Ph is positioned further toward the first standing bar 31 in the direction along the vertical axis V (see FIG. 2), i.e., in the X direction, as shown in FIG. 3 , and the first standing bar 31 is grasped. Because the space S is thus formed, the subject P can position the head Ph at any position in the X direction, and the subject P's fingers are guided by the first standing bar 31, allowing the subject P to continue grasping the first standing bar 31 with reduced pain. At this time, the raised arms may not be placed on the arm rests 25. Even if the arms are not placed on the arm rests 25, grasping the pair of first standing bars 31 restricts six of the seven degrees of freedom of the upper limbs as described above, so the subject P's posture is stably maintained in a supine position with their arms raised. In this way, arm rest 25 is not necessarily provided for the arm gripping first standing bar 31 to be placed thereon, but is provided as a resting surface.

[0026] The posture maintaining tool 11 may constitute a posture maintaining unit 37 together with a pillow 36 on which the head Ph of the test subject P is placed. The pillow 36 has a depression formed in the center to stabilize the head Ph placed thereon, but the pillow may have a hollow portion instead of a depression, and the shape of the pillow 36 is not particularly limited. The space S may be large enough to allow the pillow 36 to be inserted and removed freely in the direction along the vertical axis V, assuming that the pillow 36 is used, and this is also the case in this example.

[0027] The posture-maintaining device 11 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 4 to 6. In this example, the support member 26 is plate-shaped and curved in a U-shape when viewed from above. The first standing bar 31 is supported in an upright position at both ends of the curved first support portion 26a of the U-shaped support member 26. The first standing bar 31 extends upward, higher than the height of the head Ph (see Figure 3) of the subject P in a supine position. This allows the subject P to grasp the first standing bar 31, regardless of their physique, the length of their upper limbs, or the range of motion of their shoulder joints, and posture is maintained with reduced pain.

[0028] The first standing bar 31 may be positioned vertically, i.e., perpendicular to the horizontal. However, as shown in FIG. 4 , it is preferable that the first standing bar 31 be tilted so that its upper end is closer to the arm rest 25 than its lower end when viewed from above, as is also the case in this example. This allows the subject P to grasp a portion of the first standing bar 31 that is easy to grasp while minimizing pain depending on the range of motion of each joint and / or the size of their physique. When viewed from the side as shown in FIG. 6 , the angle θ1 forms between the vertical and the X-direction of the first standing bar 31. That is, when the X-axis is taken as the X-direction and the Z-axis is taken as the Z-axis, the angle θ1 forms between the first standing bar 31 and the vertical in the XZ plane. The angle θ1 is not particularly limited, but is preferably within a range of 5° to 15°. When the angle θ1 is 5° or more, the ease of gripping is more assured than when the angle is less than 5°, and when the angle is 15° or less, the overall size of the posture maintaining device 11 is kept compact compared to when the angle is more than 15°, while the ease of gripping the first upright bar 31 is ensured. Note that when the angle θ1 is approximately 10° or more, it is advantageous for test subjects P with short arms to easily place their arms on the arm rest 25, but it is difficult for test subjects P with longer arms to place their arms, which tends to result in slight ulnar flexion. Therefore, in this example, the angle θ1 is set to 10° as a balanced angle from the perspective of being applicable to as many test subjects P as possible. However, the angle θ1 can be set appropriately in relation to the height of the upper surface of the arm rest 25 and the inclination angle θ3 described below.

[0029] The first standing bar 31 may be attached so as to be rotatable relative to the support member 26 when viewed from the side so that the angle θ1 formed therebetween can be changed.

[0030] The pair of first standing bars 31 are preferably inclined in the Y direction so that the distance between them gradually increases from their upper end to their lower end, and this is also the case in this example. This allows the subject P to grasp the first standing bar 31 at a location that is easy to grasp, with less pain, depending on the range of motion of each joint and / or the size of the subject P's body. When viewed from the front as shown in FIG. 5 , the angle that the first standing bar 31 makes in the Y direction with respect to the vertical direction is defined as θ2. That is, when the Y axis is defined in the Y direction and the Z axis is defined in the Z direction, the angle that the first standing bar 31 makes with the vertical direction in the YZ plane is defined as θ2. The angle θ2 can be set appropriately from the perspective of further restricting the degree of freedom in the direction in which both elbows can be opened outward. When tilted by setting θ2, although one degree of freedom remains for both elbows to rotate outward around the axis of the line connecting the shoulder joint and the wrist joint due to the action of gravity, the range of motion for flexion is limited, making it difficult for both elbows to open outward, and therefore the posture of the subject P is stably maintained on his back with his arms raised.

[0031] The first standing bar 31 may be provided rotatably relative to the extension bar 32 so that the angle θ2 can be changed.

[0032] The extension bar 32 is detachable from the first standing bar 31, allowing it to be replaced with another extension bar (not shown) of a different length. This allows an extension bar of a desired length to be attached to the first standing bar 31, and the distance between the pair of first standing bars 31 in the Y direction can be adjusted depending on the physique of the test subject P and / or the range of motion of each joint. The extension bar 32 can be detachable by providing a connecting member 41 connecting the upper end of the first standing bar 31 to each end of the extension bar 32. The connecting member 41 is, for example, tubular and curved in an L-shape so that the upper end of the first standing bar 31 and each end of the extension bar 32 fit together, but is not limited to this. In this example, the outer surfaces of the connecting member 41, first standing bar 31, and extension bar 32 are flush with each other, allowing the test subject P to grip any location of the first grip member 21 more comfortably. Furthermore, the connecting member 41 has rounded corners of its L-shape, and the first upright bar 31, connecting member 41, and extension bar 32 are integrated. This ensures safety even if the head Ph (see Figures 2 and 3) of the subject P lies on his back, or the arm or fingers of the subject P raise their arm and come into contact with the connecting member 41. The height H1 (height of the upper end) of the extension bar 32 is preferably at least 250 mm in order to accommodate a wide range of physiques and postures, and more preferably within the range of 250 mm to 370 mm. Having a height H1 of 370 mm or less allows the extension bar 32 to be inserted into and removed from the hollow portion of the gantry 14 without colliding with the gantry 14 of many commercially available CT examination devices. In addition, since the extension bar 32 in this example is connected flush with the first upright bar 31 as described above, the height H1 can be considered to be the same as the height of the upper end of the first upright bar 31 (if a connecting member 41 is provided that protrudes upward in the Z direction beyond the first upright bar 31, the upper end of the first upright bar 31 is considered to include the area protruding by the connecting member 41), which is 348.7 mm.

[0033] The extension bar 32 extends linearly, but may have other shapes such as an upwardly convex C-shape, an upwardly convex V-shape, etc. However, from the viewpoint of maintaining symmetry in the posture of the supine subject P, it is preferable that the extension bar 32 be symmetrical about the center in the Y direction.

[0034] The second grip members 22 are supported in an upright position by second support portions 26b extending in the X direction from each end of the first support portion 26a of the support member 26. As a result, when viewed from above, the second grip members 22 are provided upright on the side of the pair of first upright bars 31 where the arm rest 25 is located. The second grip members 22 are shorter than the first upright bars 31. In this example, the second grip members 22 also function to support the arm rest 25 on which the arm is placed and a load is applied. Therefore, the second grip members 22 are provided upright in the vertical direction from the perspective of load-bearing strength. However, they may also be provided at an angle intersecting the vertical direction. When the second grip members 22 are provided at an angle relative to the vertical direction, the angle of inclination is preferably smaller than the angle θ1 described above, which further reduces the ulnar flexion angle of the wrist when grasping.

[0035] The arm rest 25 is positioned lower than the upper end of the first standing bar 31. The arm rest 25 is rectangular and includes a rest 25a, which forms the upper surface on which the arm rests, and a support 25b, which supports the rest 25a. The rest 25a is preferably made of an elastic material such as a cushioning material to further reduce pain and other discomfort felt by the arm during the examination. The support 25b is plate-shaped to support the rest 25a, which is made of an elastic material. However, the arm rest 25 need only be capable of supporting the raised arm; it is not limited to a two-piece structure consisting of the rest 25a and the support 25b, and its shape is not limited to a rectangular shape. The rectangular upper surface of the arm rest 25 in this example measures 113.6 mm (length indicated by L1 in FIG. 5 ) × 157.6 mm (length indicated by L2 in FIG. 5 ).

[0036] The arm rest 25 is supported from below by a support portion 42 extending from the upper end of the second grip member 22 toward the circumferential surface of the first standing bar 31. The support portion 42 may be formed integrally with at least one of the second grip member 22 and the first standing bar 31, or may be provided as a separate member. The support portion 42 gradually increases in height toward the first standing bar 31, so that the upper surface of the arm rest 25, on which the arm is placed, gradually increases in height toward the first standing bar 31. While the thickness of the support portion 25a in this example is generally constant, it may be replaced by a support portion whose thickness gradually increases toward the first standing bar 31 so that the height of the upper surface of the arm rest 25 gradually increases toward the first standing bar 31. Furthermore, by using a detachable connection mechanism between the support part 42 and the first standing bar 31 and allowing it to be easily replaced with a first standing bar 31 of different lengths, it is possible to accommodate a wider variety of test subjects P.

[0037] The height H2 of the portion of the upper surface of the arm rest 25 farthest from the first standing bar 31 is preferably within the range of 180 mm to 260 mm, in order to minimize fatigue when grasping the first standing bar 31 and placing the arm on it. When viewed from the side, the inclination angle θ3 (where 0°≦θ3≦90°) of the upper surface of the arm rest 25 relative to the horizontal plane is preferably within the range of 0° to 25°, in order to ensure a larger contact area with the raised arm and further reduce arm fatigue. A resting section that increases at least one of the height H2 and the inclination angle θ3 may be used instead of the resting section 25a of this example, or a removable adjustment member may be provided on the resting section 25a to adjust at least one of the height H2 and the inclination angle θ3. This removable adjustment member can be used as needed, allowing it to accommodate a larger number of test subjects P.

[0038] It is preferable that the distance between the pair of arm rests 25 gradually decreases toward the first standing bar 31, and this is also the case in this example. This allows the forearm of the raised arm, from the elbow joint to the wrist, to be more reliably placed on the rest surface. As a result, the fingers are more quickly and reliably guided to the first standing bar 31, and the arm gripping the first standing bar 31 is held stably.

[0039] As described above, the first standing bar 31 and arm rest 25, which are positioned to the right of the supine test subject P, and the other first standing bar 31 and arm rest 25, which are positioned to the left, are spaced apart by a distance that allows at least the head Ph of the test subject P to be inserted and removed in the X direction. It is preferable that this distance be adjustable in order to accommodate the size of the hollow section of many commercially available gantries 14 (see FIG. 1 ) and the physique and / or range of motion of each joint of the test subject P. Increasing or decreasing this distance can be achieved, for example, by changing the extension bar 32 to one with a different length as described above, by using a connecting member 41 that can change the angle between the first standing bar 31 and the extension bar 32, or by configuring the support member 26 so that the relative position and orientation of the first support portion 26 a and the second support portion 26 b can be changed so that the distance can be changed.

[0040] The support member 26 is configured to prevent interference with the head Ph when positioning the subject P, including the head Ph, in the X direction using the first support portion 26a and the second support portion 26b. The shape and size of the support member 26 are not particularly limited, and it does not have to be plate-shaped as in this example, but may be formed, for example, of a rod-shaped member. If formed of a rod-shaped member, it may have a U-shaped or U-shaped curved shape when viewed from above, similar to the support member 26 in this example, so as to prevent interference with the head Ph as described above. However, the support member 26 is sized and shaped so as not to interfere with the gantry 14 when the bed 13 (see FIG. 1 ) is displaced in the X direction. The outer end EO of the second support portion 26b in the Y direction is curved upward so that its height gradually increases outward in the Y direction from the inner end IO, which is horizontally formed. This allows the inner end IO to be in reliable surface contact with the upper surface of the bed 13 and to be stabilized, and also prevents the outer end EO from protruding outward from the bed 13 and from hitting the gantry 14. Note that although the second grip member 22 is supported by the inner end IO, the supported position is not limited to this example.

[0041] A weight may be attached to the first support portion 26a to more reliably prevent the posture supporter 11 from tipping over when the test subject P applies force toward the front of his or her body while grasping the first upright bar 31 or the extension bar 32. The weight may be, for example, an iron plate, which may be attached to the underside and / or top side of the first support portion 26a. The mass of the weight can be set arbitrarily for the above purpose; for example, a weight of 2 kg has been confirmed to function satisfactorily. Furthermore, since the above purpose can be achieved by adjusting the overall mass of the posture supporter 11 and the position of the center of gravity of the posture supporter 11, the above weight is merely one example. Effective results can be achieved by appropriately selecting the material of each part of the posture supporter 11 and appropriately adjusting the shape, size, and mass of the weight.

[0042] The arm rest 25 may have a horizontal top surface, but it is preferable for the height of the top surface to gradually increase toward the outside in the Y direction in order to more reliably limit the degree of freedom in the direction in which both elbows can be opened outward. In this example, the arm rest 25 is also inclined so that the outside of the top surface in the Y direction is higher than the inside. Another example in which the outside in the Y direction is higher than the inside will be described below. Note that the pair of arm rests 25 are identically configured, except for the right arm rest 25 for the right arm of a supine test subject P and the left arm rest 25 for the left arm. Therefore, in the following description, only the arm rest 25 that can be used in place of the right arm rest 25 (the left arm rest 25 in Figure 2) will be described, and the left arm rest 25 will not be described. Furthermore, the same components as those described above will be designated by the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

[0043] In Figure 7, the arm rest 51 has a stepped portion where the height of the upper surface gradually increases from the inside to the outside in the Y direction. The arm rest 51 includes a support portion 25b and a rest portion 51a supported by the support portion 25b. The thickness of the rest portion 51a gradually increases in a stepped manner from the inside to the outside in the Y direction, thereby gradually increasing the height of the upper surface in a stepped manner as described above. The relatively higher portion restricts the outward displacement of at least a portion of the upper limb, thereby restricting the degree of freedom of the upper limb. In this example, the relatively higher portion is only located on a portion of the side opposite the side where the first standing bar 31 (see Figures 2 to 5) is located in the X direction, but it may also be formed over the entire area in the X direction as indicated by the two-dot chain line.

[0044] In Figure 8, arm rest 56 has a portion where the height of the upper surface gradually increases outward. Arm rest 56 includes support portion 25b and mounting portion 56a supported by support portion 25b. Mounting portion 56a has a region where the thickness is constant outward in the Y direction, a region where the thickness gradually increases continuously and proportionally, and a region where the thickness is largest and constant, thereby causing the height of the upper surface to gradually increase continuously as described above. In this example, the relatively high portion of the upper surface is only a portion on the side opposite in the X direction from the side where first standing bar 31 (see Figures 2 to 5) is located, but it may also be formed over the entire region in the X direction, as indicated by the two-dot chain line.

[0045] In Figure 9, arm rest 61 has a portion where the height of the upper surface gradually increases outward. Arm rest 56 includes support portion 25b and mounting portion 61a supported by support portion 25b. Mounting portion 61a has a region where the thickness is constant outward in the Y direction, a region where the thickness increases continuously, and a region where the thickness is largest and constant, resulting in the continuously increasing height of the upper surface as described above. The cross-sectional shape of the continuously increasing portion in the YZ plane is a curved shape that is convex outward. In this example, the relatively high upper surface portion is only a portion on the side opposite the side where first standing bar 31 (see Figures 2 to 5) is located in the X direction, but it may be formed over the entire region in the X direction as indicated by the two-dot chain line.

[0046] 10, arm rest 66 includes support portion 25b and rest portion 66a supported by support portion 25b, and the height of the upper surface thereof increases continuously as described above. Arm rest 66 is similar to arm rest 61 (see FIG. 7) except that the cross section of the continuously increasing portion in the YZ plane is S-shaped as shown in FIG. 8, specifically, has a shape consisting of a continuous inwardly convex curve and a continuous outwardly convex curve.

[0047] 11, arm rest 71 includes support portion 25b and mounting portion 71a supported by support portion 25b. Mounting portion 71a has a first region with a relatively low upper surface height and a second region with a bulging, bale-like shape that makes the upper surface relatively high. In this example, the second region is only a portion of the side opposite to the side where first standing bar 31 (see FIGS. 2 to 5) is located in the X direction, but as described above, it may be formed over the entire region in the X direction.

[0048] In the above-described variations of the arm rests 51, 56, 61, 66, and 71, i.e., in examples in which a relatively high portion of the upper surface is formed over the entire area in the X direction, the height of at least a portion of the upper surface may be gradually increased with increasing distance from the first standing bar 31 in the X direction. For example, the arm rest 76 shown in FIG. 12 is an example of the above-described variation of the arm rest 51 formed in this manner. That is, the rest portion 76a provided on the support portion 25b has a first region Ra with a relatively high upper surface height and a second region Rb with a relatively low upper surface height. The first region Ra gradually increases in height with increasing distance from the first standing bar 31 in the X direction. This allows a wider variety of test subjects P to maintain a stable posture with reduced pain. The second region Rb has a substantially constant thickness and a substantially constant upper surface height. In this example, the edge of the top surface of the first region Ra closest to the first standing bar 31 is flush with the top surface of the second region Rb.

[0049] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 11 Posture maintaining device 12 X-ray CT inspection device 13 Bed 21 First grip member 22 Second grip member 25 Arm rest 26 Support member 31 First standing bar 32 Extension bar 36 Pillow 37 Posture maintaining unit P Examination subject S Space

Claims

1. A posture-supporting device for maintaining the arm-raised posture of a person lying on their back, comprising a pair of erect first standing bars and a pair of arm rests on which the person's arms can be placed when grasping the first standing bars, and between the pair of first standing bars and the pair of arm rests, there is formed a space into which at least the person's head can be freely inserted and removed.

2. The posture support device according to claim 1, further comprising an extension bar extending from one of the pair of first upright bars to the other, connecting the first upright bars to the other.

3. A posture support device as described in claim 1 or 2, further comprising a pair of second standing bars that are shorter than the first standing bars and are arranged upright on the side of the pair of first standing bars where the arm rest is arranged.

4. A posture support device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the arm rest gradually increases in height toward the first standing bar.

5. A posture support device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the distance between the pair of arm rests gradually decreases toward the first standing bar.

6. The posture support device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the arm rest has an upper surface whose height gradually increases outward.

7. A posture support device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the distance between the pair of first standing bars gradually increases toward the lower ends.

8. A posture support device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first standing bar is inclined so that the upper end is positioned closer to the arm rest side than the lower end.

9. A posture support device as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the distance between one of the first standing bar and the arm rest and the other of the first standing bar and the arm rest can be increased or decreased.

10. The posture-maintaining device according to claim 1 or 2, which is placed on a bed of a medical examination device for use with a human subject.

11. The posture support device according to claim 10, wherein the medical examination device is an X-ray CT examination device.

12. A posture-maintaining unit comprising the posture-maintaining device according to claim 1 or 2 and a pillow for resting the head.

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