This invention relates to surgical tables.
Surgical tables usually have a patient support mounted at the upper end of a column, the height of which can be adjusted. The table is usually capable of adjusting the angle of the support both about a longitudinal axis and about a transverse axis. The support is usually divided into a number of different sections, such as a head section, a torso section and a leg section. The torso section is usually divided into two parts the angle of which can be adjusted relative to one another about a transverse axis. In most cases, the different sections are connected with the column or with other sections by struts the length of which can be adjusted so that the angle of the sections can be adjusted. These struts may be hydraulic actuators or electrically-driven screw actuators. The problem with these previous tables is that it can be difficult to displace the sections through large angles from aligned position. For some surgical procedures it can be preferable to be able to bend the lower torso section relative to the upper torso section between as much as an angle of 90° up and an angle of 50° down, that is, the lower section needs to be capable of being moved through an angle of 140°.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an alternative surgical table.
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a surgical table having a patient support member mounted at the upper end of a column, the support member having at least two sections along its length, the two sections being mounted with one another on opposite sides of the table by respective gear means, each gear means including respective drive means for rotating the gear means about a common transverse axis, and the table including means for controlling operation of the two drive means so that they rotate the respective gear means through the same angle.
Each drive means preferably includes an electric motor. The means for controlling operation of the drive means preferably includes a sensor, such as an optical sensor, responsive to rotation of the gear means.
A surgical table according to the present invention, will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
With reference first to
The table top 3 is divided into four sections, namely a head section 31, an upper torso section 32, a lower torso section 33 and a leg section 34. The head and leg sections 31 and 34 each have a separate mattress 35 and 36, whereas the two torso sections 32 and 33 have common mattress 37 extending along the length of both sections. The lower end of the head section 31 is mounted on the upper end of the upper torso section 32 by means of a conventional pivot joint so that it can be displaced about a transverse axis 38. The angle of the head section 31 is controlled by means of a pair of conventional adjustable struts 39, only one of which is shown, extending between the underside of the head section and the upper torso section 32, one on each side. The struts may be hydraulic or electric actuators. The leg section 34 is similarly mounted at the lower end of the lower torso section 33 for displacement about a transverse axis 40 by means of two struts 41 secured at opposite ends to the two sections.
The lower torso section 33 can also be displaced relative to the upper torso section 32 about a transverse axis 42 by means of two electrically-driven rotary gear mechanisms 43 and 44 on opposite sides of the table. The two gear mechanisms 43 and 44 have the same construction as one another except that one is a mirror image of the other so only one mechanism 43 will be described, with reference to
It can be seen that, as the motor 50 is rotated it rotates the worm gear 52 and that this in turn rotates the reduction gear 55. Typically, about 38 rotations of the motor 50 are required to rotate the reduction gear 55 through one complete revolution. The reduction gear 55 in turn rotates the main gear wheel 56. Typically, about 3.8 rotations of the reduction gear 55, that is, 144.4 rotations of the motor 50, are required to rotate the main gear wheel 56 through one complete revolution. The gear mechanism 43 is arranged such that the main gear wheel 56 is rotatable through an angle of about 140°, so that the lower torso section 33 can be raised through an angle of up to 90° above the upper torso section 32 and can be lowered through an angle of up to 50° below the upper torso section.
The motor in the gear mechanism 44 on the opposite side of the table is driven in the opposite sense to produce the same rotation of the gear mechanism. This is achieved by the control unit 54, which compares the pick-off outputs from the two gear mechanisms 43 and 44 and alters power supply to one or both motors accordingly to produce rotation of the two gear mechanisms through the same angle.
Referring to
In a further embodiment, the drive means, comprising the electric motor 50, may include a tachometer, which typically may comprise a Hall effect device, which is adapted to count the number of rotations of the motor, thereby to provide additional positional and speed feedback information to the control unit. This provides enhanced accuracy of the positional control of the sections of the table.
The arrangement of the present invention enables relatively large relative movements between two sections of a surgical table. It also has the advantage of being relatively compact and of not obstructing space beneath the table, under the patient. This can be an advantage if access is required by imaging equipment.
The gear mechanisms of the present invention need not be driven by electric motors but could be driven, for example, by hydraulic motors.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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0100981 | Jan 2001 | GB | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/GB02/00117 | 1/11/2002 | WO | 00 | 11/24/2003 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
WO02/055001 | 7/18/2002 | WO | A |
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20040074003 | Bannister | Apr 2004 | A1 |
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0691119 | Jan 1996 | EP |
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9925303 | May 1999 | WO |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20040074003 A1 | Apr 2004 | US |