Abstract:
A modular surgical patient positioner unit is formed by attaching a plastic linear extension board to a peg board by means of a perforated metal bridging plate. An elongated metal support bar is fastened along one side of the linear extension board for added strength and functionality.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Single and multi-piece patient positioner units in the form of an elongated plastic plate or board, hereafter “peg board”, having a plurality of peg holes for receiving patient positioning pegs are currently used to support a patient during surgical procedures. 
   The peg board is generally co-extensive with the hospital O.R. table and is removably secured to the side rails thereof by means of clamps. 
   One such modular patient positioner unit is described within U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/097,626 filed Apr. 4, 2005 entitled “Modular Surgical Patient Positioner”, which application is incorporated herein for purposes of reference. 
   When hip surgery is performed on a patient, an extended hip positioner plate, such as a type CJ-001 supplied by Cj Medical Inc. is generally employed to secure the patient in a stable fashion and to eliminate movement when the patient is supine or in the lateral position. 
   It would be both cost and space savings effective to provide a single patient positioner unit having facility for multiple surgical function including hip and knee surgery with only minor modification to the unit to capture the patient in the supine or in the lateral position. 
   One purpose of the instant invention is to provide a radiolucent board having a plurality of peg holes for receiving patient positioning pegs, and which includes means for temporary attachment of an elongated plastic plate with side rails to attach accessories. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   A modular surgical patient positioner unit is disclosed having a plastic rectangular peg board arranged for attachment to a hospital surgical O.R. table. A plastic linear extension board is attached to the peg board by means of a perforated metal bridging plate. An elongated metal support bar is fastened along one side of the linear extension board for added strength, functionality and accessory attachment. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a top perspective view of the peg board in isometric projection to the extender board accessory and the patient operating table; 
       FIG. 2  is a top perspective view of the bridging plate and side support bar in isometric projection to the extender board and the peg board; and 
       FIG. 3  is a top perspective view of the peg board attached to the extender plate via the top bridging plate and side support bar in accordance with the invention. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     FIG. 1  depicts the modular surgical positioner unit  9  consisting of a plastic peg board  10  in combination with a plastic extender board  15  of approximately equal length and half the width of the peg board. The peg board  10  is in the form of a rectangular plate  11  having a plurality of top openings  12  for receiving patient support pegs (not shown) as described in the aforementioned US patent application. A plurality of side openings  13  are arranged along the side  11  for purposes to be described below in greater detail. The lower portion  10 A of the peg board  10  is formed to provide a downwardly extended slot  19  for receiving the front  15 A of the plastic extender board  15  having an upwardly extended slot  20  formed therein, when the peg board  10  is moved in the downward indicated direction relative to the patient support table indicated at  14 , in phantom. The extender board  15 , having a length of approximately half the width of the extender board and a width equal to that thereof, includes a plurality of top openings  17  which are positioned underneath corresponding top openings  12  on the peg board  10 . A plurality of side openings  18  are arranged on the side  16  of the extender board  15  for cooperating with the side openings  13  on the side  11  of the peg board  10  via the openings  23  on the side support bar  22  as best seen by now referring to  FIG. 2 . 
     FIG. 2  depicts the modular surgical positioner unit  9  in the combination of the extender board  15  attached to the peg board  10  via the extended slots  19 ,  20  shown earlier in  FIG. 1  with the peg board attached to the side rail (not shown) on the patient support table  14 , by means of the clamp  21 . The metal side support bar  22  is now attached to the peg board  10  and extender board  15  by passing the threaded rods  24 , connecting with the knobs  25 , first thru the openings  23  on the support bar  22  and then thru the corresponding openings  18  on the side  16  of extender board side  18  and corresponding openings  13  on the side  11  of the peg board  10 , which are internally threaded to receive the threaded rods  24 . The side support bar  22  further serves to support additional surgical apparatus and accessories such as a knee support device, for example. 
   The bridging plate  26 , in the form of a rectangular metal plate  27 , which includes bridging plate openings  28 , is positioned over part of the peg board  10  and part of the extender board  15  so that some of the bridging plate openings  28  align with some of the peg board openings  12  while some other bridging plate openings  28  align with some other of the extender board openings  17 . 
   A dual configuration metal locking pin  29  is positioned intermediate the bridging plate  26  and the peg board  10  and one of the locking pin top extensions  30  is inserted within one of the bridging plate openings  28  in press-fit relation and one of the locking pin bottom extensions  31  is inserted within a corresponding one of the peg board openings  12  in press-fit relation. 
   A similar metal locking pin  29 ′ is positioned intermediate the bridging plate  26  and the extender plate  15  and one of the locking pin top extensions  30 ′ is inserted within one of the bridging plate openings  28  a in press-fit relation and one of the locking pin bottom extensions  31 ′ is inserted within a corresponding one of the extender plate openings  17  in press-fit relation to securely fasten the bridging plate  26  to both the peg board  10  and the extender plate  15 . Although only two such locking pins  29 ,  29 ′ are depicted for purposes of clarity, two further locking pins (not shown) are similarly attached to the opposite side of the bridging plate  26  and are connected with the peg board  10  and the extender plate  15  in a similar manner. 
   The modular surgical positioner unit  9  is shown in  FIG. 3  with the peg board  10  fixedly attached to the extender board  15  via the bridging plate  26  and with the peg board attached to the patient support table  14 , again depicted in phantom, by means of the clamp  21 . The side support bar  22  provides additional support to the surgical positoner unit  9  by connection to both the peg board  10 , the extender board  15  by means of the knobs  25  and threaded rods  24  in the manner described earlier. 
   The side support bar  22  also functions to support additional surgical support devices within the operating room sterile field, such as the IMP Knee Positoner (not shown) supplied by IMP Inc. of Plainville, Conn. The bridging plate  26  which further secures the peg board  10  to the extender board  15  by means of the locking pins  29  whereby the top extensions  30  extend within the openings  28 , as described earlier, is accordingly an important feature of the invention. 
   A modular surgical positioner unit for a variety of hip and knee surgery procedures has been herein disclosed. The extender board and the peg board components can be separately employed for other type surgical procedures at substantial cost savings to the operating facility.