Ultra-Low Patient Support System with Floor Cavity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing patient support systems used with Linear Accelerators for radiotherapy often have a minimum height that is too high, making it difficult for patients to mount and dismount the treatment couch, especially when additional patient positioning systems are used, which can further increase the height requirement.
Innovation Solution
A patient support system with an ultra-low minimum height is achieved by incorporating a floor cavity in the treatment room that houses both movement mechanisms, allowing the treatment table to extend no more than 700 mm above the rim in a lowered position, and featuring a moveable false floor to conceal the cavity during treatment, ensuring safety and convenience for patients.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the patient support system uses a compact support system with long reaching lifting mechanism to achieve full range of treatment movement, then the treatment range and access are improved, but the minimum height of the treatment table becomes too high making it difficult for patients to mount and dismount
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces a vertical dimension by incorporating a floor cavity below the treatment room floor level. The support structure extends downward into this cavity, allowing the treatment table to be lowered below floor level while maintaining full treatment range. This dimensional change enables the table to achieve an ultra-low minimum height (extend no more than 700mm above floor level) while still providing the necessary treatment elevation range.
Solution Approach 2:
The support structure is nested within the floor cavity, with the cavity housing the mechanical support elements. This nesting approach allows the lifting mechanism to be contained within the floor space, enabling the treatment table to extend into the floor cavity while maintaining a compact footprint and achieving the ultra-low height requirement.
2Measurement precision
If an additional patient positioning system is added to improve positioning accuracy, then the positioning precision is improved, but the minimum height of the treatment table increases making patient access more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The floor cavity provides additional vertical space that accommodates the positioning system without increasing the minimum height above floor level. The positioning system components can be integrated into the cavity structure, allowing high precision positioning while maintaining the ultra-low height configuration that facilitates patient access.
3Ease of operation
If the treatment table is lowered to improve patient access, then patient mounting and dismounting becomes easier, but the treatment range and access to extended distances may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure incorporates a dynamic lifting mechanism that can adjust the treatment table height between an ultra-low position (extending no more than 700mm above floor level for patient access) and a higher treatment position. This dynamic adjustment capability allows the system to optimize for patient access during mounting/dismounting and then provide full treatment range during the actual treatment procedure.
Data Source
AI summary
A patient support system includes a floor cavity in the floor of a treatment room; a patient support device comprising a treatment table; a base; a first movement mechanism on which the treatment table is mounted; a second movement mechanism mounted on the base and attached to the first movement mechanism, wherein the first and second movement mechanisms are moveable independently of each other; the first movement mechanism is configured to raise and lower the treatment table and the second movement mechanism is configured to raise and lower the first movement mechanism such that in a lowered position the second movement mechanism is contained within the floor cavity.