Patient Positioning Assembly for Radiation Therapy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing radiation therapy and imaging systems are expensive and complex, limiting their availability to patients in regional areas or developing nations, particularly due to the need for stable and shielded movement of radiation sources relative to stationary patients.
Innovation Solution
A patient positioning assembly with a vertically translatable member and a patient support assembly that can rotate and adjust to position patients in seated or standing orientations, allowing for flexible alignment with radiation sources, including a shin rest and adjustable components to accommodate various patient positions and reduce vertical travel requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the radiation source is configured to move relative to a stationary patient to target different body parts, then the treatment flexibility is improved, but the installation cost and system complexity increase due to the need for stable and shielded movement mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of moving the radiation source relative to a stationary patient, the patent inverts the approach by keeping the radiation source fixed and moving the patient positioning assembly. The patient support assembly with translatable member and rotatable platform allows the patient to be positioned and repositioned under the fixed radiation source, achieving treatment flexibility without the complexity of moving the radiation source itself.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the radiation source is configured to move relative to a stationary patient to target different body parts, then the treatment flexibility is improved, but the installation cost and system complexity increase due to the need for stable and shielded movement mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional approach by keeping the radiation source fixed and moving the patient positioning assembly. This inversion eliminates the need for expensive and complex shielded movement mechanisms for the radiation source, while achieving the same treatment flexibility through patient repositioning.
3Length of stationary object
If the patient positioning assembly uses a vertically translatable member to reduce vertical space requirements, then the installation space is reduced, but the mechanism complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a vertically translatable member that can dynamically adjust the height of the patient support assembly along the vertical axis. This dynamic positioning capability allows the system to reduce vertical space requirements by bringing the patient closer to the radiation source when needed, while the translatable mechanism integrates with the existing rotatable platform without significantly increasing overall system complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
Disclosed is a patient positioning assembly for orientating a patient with respect to a radiation source. The patient positioning assembly includes a translatable member movable in a vertical direction between a vertically downwards first position and a vertically upwards second position. The patient positioning assembly further includes a patient support assembly mounted to the translatable member and adapted to rotate relative to the translatable member about a vertical axis. The patient support assembly is configurable between a first orientation, which sustains the patient in a seated position, and a second orientation, which sustains the patient in a generally standing position.