Articulated X-ray stand arm

X-ray apparatus for examination of a patient comprises an upright standard, a patient table extending laterally from the standard, a two-limbed support carrying an X-radiation source on one limb and an X-radiation receptor on the other limb and a generally horizontal arm pivoted at one end to the standard on a first vertical axis and extending from the pivoted end at the standard to a free end connected to the two-limbed support so as to hold the source and receptor on a radiation axis through the table, the arm being articulately jointed intermediate the standard and support so as to selectively position the support at either side of the table.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
In X-ray examination of patients, particularly patients subject to trauma 
during the examination procedure it is necessary that the doctors and 
other medical staff attending the examination have unobstructed access to 
one side of the table supporting the patient. All parts of the X-ray stand 
carrying the X-ray tube and image intensifier or other X-ray receptor must 
therefore extend along only one side of the patient table. But the side 
requiring free access may change during the procedure and prior X-ray 
stands suitable for trauma procedures have not been practically 
repositioned from one side of the table to the other. Attempts to provide 
freer access to the table by suspending the X-ray system from the ceiling 
involve expensive and extensive structural steelwork which interferes with 
other operating room systems such as surgical lights. 
It is therefore a main object of the present invention to provide an X-ray 
stand which is quickly and easily repositioned so as to leave either side 
of the patient table selectively unobstructed. A further object is to 
avoid the interference and expense of ceiling mounted X-ray systems. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
According to the invention X-ray apparatus for examination of a patient 
comprises an upright standard, a patient table extending laterally from 
the standard, a two-limbed support carrying an X-radiation source on one 
limb and an X-radiation receptor on the other limb, and a generally 
horizontal arm pivoted at one end to the standard on a first vertical axis 
and extending from the pivoted end at the standard to a free end connected 
to the two-limbed support so as to hold the source and receptor on a 
radiation axis through the table, the arm being articulately jointed 
intermediate the standard and support so as to selectively position the 
support at either side of the table. Further the standard includes means 
for raising and lowering movements of the table and arm, and preferably 
means for coordinating these movements, while supporting the X-ray system 
and patient table on a single, floor based standard.

DESCRIPTION 
The X-ray stand in FIG. 1 comprises a base 1 for an upright standard 2. The 
standard has vertical rails 3 which are engaged by linear bearings 4 on a 
carriage 6 which is driven up and down on the rails by rotation of a screw 
7 engaging the carriage and driven by a first motor M1 through a gearbox 
9. The screw extends into a nut 11 secured to a platform 12 with linear 
bearings 13 engaging the vertical rails 3. 
A cantilever beam 14 extending laterally from a rotary bearing 16 on the 
carriage 6 supports a patient table T at right angles to the beam. The 
beam is rotated by a bell crank 17 turned by a second motor M2 to tilt the 
patient table head to foot about a transverse first axis A1. This tilting 
of the patient table as well as its raising or lowering may require 
adjustment of the location of an X-ray tube X and image intensifier I as 
follows. 
The X-ray tube X and image intensifier I are carried on a support structure 
consisting of a generally horizontal arm 20 connected by a pivot pin 19 to 
the platform 12 so as to rotate about a vertical second axis A2. The arm 
20 has two sections 21 and 22 extending from the pivoted end to a free end 
from which a two-limbed, C-shaped or U-shaped support 23 is suspended by a 
vertical member 24 attached to the arm section 22 with a rotary bearing 
26. One limb of the support carries the image intensifier I, the other 
carrying the X-ray tube so that the tube and intensifier are aligned on a 
radiation axis A3 directed through the patient on the table 2. A collar 27 
connected to the vertical member 24 by a rotary bearing 28 engages tracks 
29 on the C-shaped support allowing the support to rotate the radiation 
axis A3 about an isocenter C at the intersection of the radiation axis and 
the axis A4 of rotation of the support through the bearing 28. 
According to the present invention the two sections of the horizontal arm 
connected between the standard 2 and the two-limbed support 23 are 
articulately jointed by a coupling approximately midway between the 
pivoted and the free ends of the arm. This articulation allows the free 
end section 22 of the arm to rotate relative to the other section 21 about 
an axis intermediate the pivot axis A2 on the standard and the vertical 
rotational axis A6 through the bearing 26 at the free end of the arm. 
Rotation about each of the three vertical axes A2, A5, and A6 may be 
effected by manual positioning of the support, or by drive of the pivoted 
arm end from a motor M3 through a gear box 31 and drive of the articulate 
joint by a motor M4 through a linkage 32. 
As shown in FIG. 2 the articulate joint of the present X-ray stand permits 
the two-limbed support 23 for the X-ray tube and receptor to be swung from 
the solid line position shown at one side of the table T, thence through a 
first phantom position 21*,22* around the end of the table to a second 
phantom position 21**, 22** at the other side of the table so that either 
side of the table may be left unobstructed when desired during the 
continuing X-ray examination procedure, and without interfering with 
raising or tilting of the patient table if needed to ease patient trauma 
during the procedure. 
It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purpose of 
illustration only, and that the invention includes all modifications and 
equivalents falling within the appended claims.