Claims
- 1. A table for positioning a patient for a medical procedure on a breast, the table comprising:
a membrane-like contour surface for a surrounding breast area, wherein said surface comprises an aperture for the breast to be pendantly suspended therethrough, and said surface is adjusted to a shape of the patient's body, and wherein an area underneath the membrane-like contour surface is unobstructed so as to provide access to said breast pendantly suspended therethrough; and a support for supporting a remainder of the patient's body.
- 2. A table as claimed in claim 1, wherein said membrane-like contour surface and said support are integrated together.
- 3. A table as claimed in claim 1, wherein said contour surface is a resilient, elastomeric fabric.
- 4. A table as claimed in claim 1, wherein said aperture is located centrally with respect to a first and a second end of said table such that a patient's legs and torso will lie on said first end of said table for a medical procedure on a left breast and on said second end of said table for a medical procedure on a right breast.
- 5. A table as claimed in claim 1, wherein a location of said aperture can be modified to accommodate a left and a right breast such that a patient's legs and torso reside at a same end of said table for a procedure on one of said left breast and said right breast.
- 6. A table as claimed in claim 5, wherein said aperture is comprised within a detachable portion of said membrane-like contour surface mounted on said table via attachment means, and wherein said detachable portion is rotated by substantially 180° and reattached in order to provide said aperture on an opposite side of said table.
- 7. A table as claimed in claim 6, wherein said attachment means are provided using Velcro.
- 8. A table as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a second aperture adjacent to said aperture such that an arm of said patient adjacent to said breast can be exposed and rest below said table.
- 9. A table as claimed in claim 8, wherein said second aperture is comprised within a detachable portion of said fabric mounted on said table via attachment means, and wherein said portion is rotated by substantially 180° and reattached in order to provide said second aperture on an opposite side of said table.
- 10. A table as claimed in claim 8, further comprising an arm rest below said table such that an arm exposed through said second aperture can rest on said arm rest.
- 11. A table as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an adjustable head rest.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is related to US patent application entitled “Method and Apparatus for Positioning the Arm of a Patient While on a Table for a Medical Procedure on a Breast” filed simultaneously herewith and with agent docket number 15818-36us, the specification of which is hereby incorporated by reference. The application is also related to US patent applications entitled “Method and Apparatus for Positioning a patient on a Table for a Medical Procedure on a Breast” and “Method and Apparatus for Optical Imaging” filed on Nov. 8, 2002 and with agent docket numbers 15186-34us and 15186-35us, respectively, the specifications of which are hereby incorporated by reference.