Neck Positioning Platform for Supine Flexion and Extension Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods fail to accurately position the neck in flexion and extension positions during medical imaging procedures like X-rays, CAT scans, and MRI scans when a patient is supine, as it is difficult for individuals to maintain these positions, limiting the ability to assess ligament damage and fractures effectively.
Innovation Solution
A platform with a tilting device and movable sidewalls that can securely position and rotate the head and neck to achieve desired angles, allowing for precise flexion and extension positions during medical imaging, even when the patient is supine, using a combination of ratchets, gear trains, and motorized systems to maintain these positions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional x-ray methods are used with patient sitting or standing, then flexion and extension positions can be achieved, but the patient cannot be examined when traumatized and unable to sit or stand
Solution Approach 1:
The invention inverts the conventional approach by having the patient lie supine on the examining table rather than sitting or standing. The positioning device then actively tilts the patient's upper body to achieve flexion and extension positions, reversing the traditional gravity-assisted positioning method to accommodate traumatized patients who cannot support themselves.
Solution Approach 2:
The positioning device acts as an intermediary between the supine patient and the required flexion/extension positions. It provides the mechanical means to achieve proper neck positioning without requiring the patient to actively maintain sitting or standing postures, thus bridging the gap between patient capability and diagnostic requirement.
2Adaptability or versatility
If patient is positioned supine on examining table, then CAT scan, MRI scan and PET scan can be performed, but it is difficult to maintain flexion and extension positions
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning device incorporates ratchet mechanisms that allow the operator to tilt the patient's upper body to the desired position and then automatically lock it in place. The system serves itself by maintaining the position without continuous active intervention, using the ratchet's mechanical locking capability to hold flexion or extension positions steadily during imaging procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The device transitions from a static supine position to dynamic flexion and extension positions through controlled tilting of the upper body support surface. This dynamic capability allows the patient to achieve various neck positions while remaining supine on the table, combining the benefits of supine positioning with active position variation.
3Device complexity
If manual positioning is used, then device complexity is low, but positioning precision and consistency are insufficient for accurate ligament and fracture assessment
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces manual, imprecise positioning with a mechanical system incorporating gears, pulleys, and ratchets. This mechanical substitution provides controlled, repeatable, and precise tilting motion of the upper body support, ensuring consistent flexion and extension angles that are critical for accurate ligament and fracture assessment while maintaining reasonable mechanical simplicity.
Data Source
AI summary
A device for supporting the upper body parts of a person next to the medical examining table where the rest of the body is resting and positioning the head and neck of the person above and below the top of the medical examining table for the taking of medical pictures.