Operating table for transurethral resection

An operating table provided with a vessel for receiving irrigating solution during transurethral resection. The chamber or vessel may be automatically moved lengthwise between a retracted or inoperative position under the operating table and an extended or receiving position where the chamber or vessel is extended forwardly of the operating table for receiving irrigating solution. That is, when an operator assumes an operating position the chamber or vessel may be automatically moved to the retracted position for permitting his operating freely, but when he assumes an irrigating discharging position the chamber or vessel can be automatically advanced in the extended position for receiving a discharged irrigating solution.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to an improvement of an operating table for 
transurethral resection which has been widely used recently all over the 
world and more particularly an operating table for transurethral resection 
provided with a solution receiving chamber or vessel which is responsive 
to the positions that an operator assumes during an operation to 
automatically move between a retracted position and an advanced position 
for receiving irrigating solution discharged. 
In general, during transurethral resection of prostate, an endoscope is 
inserted into a urethra for observation of the operating area, and in 
order to obtain clear vision irrigating solution which is sterilized and 
stored in an irrigator is poured through a rubber hose and a surgical 
instrument. When a bladder is filled with irrigating solution, it must be 
discharged by pulling out the endoscope through an outer tube of the 
surgical instrument inserted into the urethra. Generally, an operator 
stands up and the discharged irrigating solution is received in a vessel 
disposed below an operating table. However during operation, an operator 
is between the thighs of a patient, being forced to assume an unnatural 
posture and sitting on an operating stool so that the solution receiving 
vessel must be retracted under the operating table. In one operation 
irrigating solution is discharged 50 to 70 times so that it is the very 
tedious for the operator to manually move the solution receiving vessel 
between the retracted and receiving positions so many times. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
One of the objects of the present invention is therefore to provide an 
operating table for transurethral resection which may substantially 
eliminate the tedious and unnecessary burden on an operator manually 
moving an irrigating solution receiving vessel. 
Another object of the present invention is to provide an operating table 
for transurethral resection which is provided with an irrigating solution 
receiving chamber or vessel which is responsive to the standing or sitting 
position of an operator for automatically moving to a position for 
receiving irrigating solution or to a retracted position under the 
operating table so that the operator may freely use his hands solely for 
the operation. 
A further object of the present invention is to provide an operating table 
for transurethral resection which is provided with an irrigating solution 
receiving chamber or vessel which may be automatically moved between a 
retracted position under the operating table and an extended position for 
receiving irrigating solution when an operator depresses a foot pedal type 
change-over switch so that the operator may freely use his hands solely 
for the operation. 
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present 
invention will become more apparent from the following description of a 
preferred embodiment thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying 
drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
In FIGS. 1 and 2 there is shown an operating table in accordance with the 
present invention, comprising a table proper 1, a pair of parallel grooved 
guide rails 2 and 2' mounted on the undersurface of the table proper or 
flat board 1 and a solution receiving chamber or vessel 4 having its 
lengthwise upper flanges 5 and 5' slidably mounted on the rails 2 and 2' 
for movement lengthwise between a retracted position under the main body 1 
for permitting the free performance of an operator sitting on a stool 9 
and an extended position where as best shown in FIG. 2. The solution 
receiving chamber 4 is partly extended out of the main body 1 forwardly 
for receiving irrigating solution. 
As best shown in FIG. 2 a rack 3 is attached at an outer side wall of the 
solution receiving chamber 4 adjacent to the upper side thereof, and an 
electric reversible motor 6 is supported by a bracket which in turn is 
mounted on the undersurface of the table proper 1 and has a pinion carried 
on the driving shaft and meshed with the rack 3. Therefore, upon rotation 
of the motor 6 in the counterclockwise direction, the pinion 7 drives the 
rack 3 and hence the solution receiving vessel 4 to the left in FIG. 2. 
Namely, to the retracted position, whereas upon rotation in the clockwise 
direction the solution receiving vessel 4 is caused to move to the right 
to the extended position. 
In order to reverse the rotation of the motor 6 in the manner described 
above, a pressure-sensitive switch 8 is mounted on the top of the stool 9 
and is electrically connected to the motor 6 through a cable 13. In this 
embodiment, when the operator sits down on the stool 9, the switch 8 is so 
actuated to cause the motor to rotate in the counterclockwise direction in 
FIG. 2 while when he stands up, the switch 8 is so actuated as to cause 
the motor 6 to rotate in the clockwise direction. 
First and second stop switches such as limit switches (not shown) are 
mounted on the undersurface of the main body 1 in such a way that they may 
be actuated by the left end (in FIG. 2) of the rack 3. More particularly, 
the first switch is so positioned that it is actuated by the rack 3 when 
the solution receiving vessel 4 is advanced into the receiving position in 
FIG. 2, and consequently the rotation of the motor 6 in the clockwise 
direction may be stopped. In like manner the second stop switch is so 
positioned that it may be actuated when the solution receiving vessel 4 is 
retracted under the main body 1, and consequently the rotation in the 
counterclockwise direction of the motor 6 may be stopped. Furthermore the 
first and second stop switches are so operatively interconnected with the 
motor 6 that even when the first switch is kept opened the rotation in the 
counterclockwise direction of the motor 6 may be permitted even while the 
second stop switch is kept opened, the rotation in the clockwise direction 
of the motor 6 may be permitted. 
When the operator sits down on the stool 9, the pressure-sensitive switch 8 
is closed so that the motor 6 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction 
and consequently the solution receiving vessel 4 is retracted into the 
retracted position under the main body 1 in the manner described above. 
When irrigating solution is discharged, the operator is generally 
standing. Therefore, the switch 8 is so actuated as to cause the motor 6 
to rotate in the clockwise direction. The solution receiving vessel 4 is 
advanced to the receiving position shown in FIG. 2 for receiving 
irrigating solution. In a transurethral resection operation, the operator 
must be in the standing position or sitting position, and as he sits down 
or stands up the solution receiving vessel 4 may be automatically 
retracted into the retracted position under the table proper or advanced 
into receiving position. As a result, it is not required to sterilized the 
solution receiving chamber 4 prior to an operation, and the manual 
operation of the receiving vessel 4 can be completely eliminated thus the 
operation itself can be greatly facilitated. 
In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, a changeover switch 10 and a pedal switch 
11 may be provided. With the change-over switch 10, the operator may 
suitably select either the pressure-sensitive switch 8 on the top of the 
stool 9 or the pedal switch 11 on the floor. Assume that the pedal switch 
11 be selected, and then in response to the alternate depressions of the 
pedal switch 11 the solution receiving vessel 4 may be moved to the 
retracted position or receiving position and then to the receiving or 
retracted position. 
Irrigating solution received in the vessel 4 may be discharged through a 
discharge hose 12 extended from the bottom thereof. 
So far the solution receiving vessel 4 has been described as being moved 
between the receiving and retracted position by a driving means consisting 
of the motor 6, the pinion 7 and the rack 3, but it will be understood 
that the present invention is not limited to this driving means only. For 
instance, as shown in FIG. 3, a combination of a hydraulic or pneumatic 
piston-cylinder assembly and a three-position, bidirectional solenoid 
operated valve 16 may be used, one of the three positions being a normal 
position. 
In summary, according to the present invention the solution receiving 
vessel may be automatically advanced into the receiving position and 
retracted back into the retracted position so that a transurethral 
resection operation may be effectively and efficiently accomplished.