Abstract:
A patient-supporting panel is provided that includes (a) a support part for supporting a patient; (b) a connecting member for connecting the patient-supporting panel to a carrier unit, and (c) a pivoting mechanism for pivoting the support part about at least one pivot axis oriented parallel or perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the patient-supporting panel. Patient supporting systems and operating tables that include the patient-supporting panel are also provided.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) to German Application No. 10 2005 056 275.2, filed on Nov. 14, 2005, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD  
       [0002]     This invention relates to patient-supporting tables and operating tables that include a patient-supporting table.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0003]     It is desirable in many cases to position a patient, during an operation, in an inclined or tilted position. This may be accomplished by supporting the patient on a patient-supporting panel that is inclined about a pivot axis oriented transversely to the longitudinal direction of the panel (so-called Trendelenburg position) or about a pivot axis oriented parallel to the longitudinal direction of the panel (so-called tilting). Operating-table columns with a column head which can be pivoted about at least one horizontal pivot axis are known for this purpose. The patient-supporting panel can be positioned on the column head and transferred into the desired Trendelenburg position or tilt position by means of the column head. The pivoting range which can be achieved in this manner is however limited. It would be desirable to be able to pivot or tilt the patient-supporting panel over a greater range.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0004]     The disclosure herein relates to a patient-supporting panel having a support part for supporting a patient and a connecting member for connecting the patient-supporting panel to a carrier unit. The patient-supporting panel comprises a pivoting mechanism for pivoting the support part about at least one pivot axis oriented parallel or perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the patient-supporting panel. Accordingly, the patient can be reliably supported on the support part in a suitable position for a therapeutic treatment or surgical or diagnostic procedure.  
         [0005]     Advantageously, the pivoting mechanism allows the support part to be pivoted. The support part can thus be adjusted about a transverse and/or longitudinal axis, independently of the carrier unit, in order to achieve a Trendelenburg position and/or tilt position  
         [0006]     If the patient-supporting panel is used in combination with an operating-table column with pivotable column head, then the adjustment possibilities for the operating-table column are added to those for the patient-supporting surface. Greater pivoting ranges can thus be achieved overall without the pivoting range of the operating-table column having to be increased. Moreover, when the patient-supporting panel is used in combination with an operating-table column having a pivotable column head, a Trendelenburg position and a tilt position can be achieved at the same time without limitation. For example, a Trendelenburg position may be produced by the pivoting mechanism, and the desired tilt position may be produced by means of the pivotable column head, or vice versa.  
         [0007]     The patient-supporting panel disclosed herein also has the advantage that the support part can assume a pivoted position, in particular a Trendelenburg position, independently of the operating-table column. This position can be pre-set and maintained while the patient-supporting panel is transferred onto the carrier unit or received from the carrier unit. This allows the patient to be better prepared for an operation. The pre-set pivoted position allows patients to be transported without discomfort and reduces the effort required in providing support.  
         [0008]     Since the Trendelenburg function and the tilting function can be separated from one another in spatial terms, the mutual mechanical limitations which are otherwise customary for the pivoting ranges in the case of a patient-supporting panel seated on the operating-table column no longer apply.  
         [0009]     By means of the pivoting mechanism, the support part of the patient-supporting panel can be pivoted relative to the connecting member, so that the connecting member can be positioned in a horizontally oriented manner on the column head of an operating-table column, while the support part assumes a position in which it is inclined, in relation to the horizontal.  
         [0010]     In addition to the patient-supporting panel being used in combination with a carrier unit in the form of an operating-table column, as discussed above, the carrier unit may also be provided in the form of a transporting carriage to which the patient-supporting panel can be connected in a releasable manner. The patient-supporting panel, operating-table column and transporting carriage can thus form a patient-supporting system. This patient-supporting system allows the patient to be transported without discomfort and to be transferred from one carrier unit to another, for example from the transporting carriage to the operating-table column, in a desired position, such as a position which is optimum for an operation to be carried out.  
         [0011]     In the case of a preferred embodiment, the pivoting mechanism is disposed between the support part and the connecting member of the patient-supporting panel. As an alternative, the pivoting mechanism may be integrated into the support part. The support part may form, for example, a frame which encloses the pivoting mechanism.  
         [0012]     It is advantageous if the pivoting mechanism can be actuated manually. Accordingly, in some implementations the pivoting mechanism includes a pivoting lever by means of which the support part may be pivoted.  
         [0013]     The pivoting mechanism may have an arresting member for arresting the support part in a desired pivoted position.  
         [0014]     As an alternative to manual actuation, or to supplement the same, in some implementations the pivoting mechanism can be motor-actuated, e.g., by an electromotive or hydraulic drive.  
         [0015]     In the case of a particularly preferred embodiment, the patient-supporting panel has a drive motor for pivoting the support part. An electric servomotor is preferably used as drive motor.  
         [0016]     The support part may include multiple panel sections, for example a central panel part configured to support the patient&#39;s trunk, a back panel part, a head panel part and/or a leg panel part. It is advantageous in this case if at least one further panel part is mounted in a motor-adjustable manner on the central panel part. In the case of such an embodiment, rather than it being possible just for the central panel part to be pivoted relative to the connecting member, it is additionally possible for at least one further panel part to be pivoted relative to the central panel part. This makes it possible for a patient, for example one who is about to undergo a surgical procedure, to be supported in a position which is as easy on the patient as possible for the procedure.  
         [0017]     It is advantageous if the patient-supporting panel has a drive motor for adjusting the at least one further panel part. It is thus possible to do away with structurally complicated gear-mechanism elements between the operating-table column and the patient-supporting panel for the purpose of adjusting the further panel part. An electric servomotor is preferably used as the drive motor.  
         [0018]     A particularly large pivoting range is achieved, in the case of an advantageous embodiment of the invention, by the pivoting mechanism defining a first and a second pivot axis which are arranged offset in relation to one another in the longitudinal direction or transverse direction of the patient-supporting panel and about which the support part can be pivoted in part. It is particularly advantageous here if at least one of the two pivot axes is disposed, in relation to the longitudinal or transverse direction of the patient-supporting panel, level with an end region of the connecting member. Using two pivot axes allows the support part to be pivoted about a pivot axis which, in relation to the longitudinal or transverse axis of the patient-supporting panel, is disposed eccentrically in relation to the support part. This allows a particularly large pivoting range since, for the purpose of lowering one of its end regions, the support part can be pivoted about the pivot axis which is disposed closer to this end region. That is to say, if the support part is to be pivoted such that its head region assumes a particularly low position, then it can be pivoted about the pivot axis which is disposed closer to this head region, whereas, in the case of the head region being raised, it is possible to execute a pivoting movement about the pivot axis which is disposed closer to a leg region.  
         [0019]     In another aspect, the disclosure features an operating table having a patient-supporting panel of the kind disclosed herein and having an operating-table column which has a column head which can be pivoted about at least one pivot axis and to which the patient-supporting panel can be connected. The pivotable column head ensures a first pivoting range for the patient supporting panel, and using the pivoting mechanism provides the support part with a further pivoting range, the two pivoting ranges adding to one another.  
         [0020]     The details of one or more implementations of the invention are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       [0021]      FIG. 1  shows a schematic side view of a patient-supporting panel according to one implementation, seated in an inclined position on a vertically oriented operating-table column;  
         [0022]      FIG. 2  shows a schematic side view in the manner of an exploded drawing of the central part of the patient-supporting panel from  FIG. 1  and of the operating-table column;  
         [0023]      FIG. 3  shows a schematic side view of the patient-supporting panel from  FIG. 1  seated on an operating-table column pivoted out of the vertical;  
         [0024]      FIG. 4  shows a schematic side view of the patient-supporting panel from  FIG. 1  seated on a transporting carriage;  
         [0025]      FIG. 5  shows a schematic side view of a second embodiment of a patient-supporting panel seated in an inclined position on a vertically oriented operating-table column;  
         [0026]      FIG. 6  shows a schematic side view of the patient-supporting panel from  FIG. 5  seated on an operating-table column pivoted out of the vertical; and  
         [0027]      FIG. 7  shows a schematic side view of the patient-supporting panel from  FIG. 5  seated on a transporting carriage. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0028]     In FIGS.  1  to  4 , there is illustrated schematically a patient-supporting panel  10 . The patient-supporting panel  10  has a support part comprising a central panel part  12  on which are articulated, on the one hand, a back panel part  13  and, on the other hand, a leg panel part  14 , it being possible for electric motors which are not illustrated in the drawing, but are integrated into the patient-supporting panel  10 , to pivot these panel parts relative to the central panel part  12  in each case about a pivot axis oriented transversely to the longitudinal axis of the patient-supporting panel  10 . A head part  15  is mounted in an adjustable manner on that side of the back panel  13  which is directed away from the central panel part  12 .  
         [0029]     The patient-supporting panel  10  also has a connecting member  17  which can be used to connect it in a releasable manner to the column head  19  of an operating-table column  20 . For this purpose, the column head  19  has, on the upper side, a planar supporting surface  22  from which two coupling elements in the form of two wedge portions project upward, laterally opposite one another, only one wedge portion  23  being illustrated in the drawing. On the underside, the connecting member  17  forms a planar bearing surface  25 , from which two downwardly directed supporting cheeks project laterally, opposite one another, only one supporting cheek  26  being illustrated in the drawing. The supporting cheeks  26  each have a mount (not illustrated) and, when the patient-supporting panel  10  is positioned on the operating-table column  20 , these mounts accommodate a wedge portion  23 , it being possible for the wedge portion to be locked in the respective mount.  
         [0030]     The patient-supporting panel  10  additionally has a pivoting mechanism  28  disposed between the central panel part  12  and the connecting member  17 . The pivoting mechanism  28  comprises a bearing block  29  which is seated on the connecting member  17  and has the central panel part  12  articulated on its upper side. The bearing block  29  defines a pivot axis  30  which is oriented transversely to the longitudinal direction of the patient-supporting panel  10  and about which it is possible to pivot the central panel part  12  together with the back panel part  13 , the leg panel part  14  and the head part  15 . In order to pivot the central panel part  12 , the bearing block  29  accommodates a hydraulic drive in the form of a piston/cylinder subassembly  32  which is articulated, on the one hand, on the bearing block  29  and, on the other hand, on the central panel part  12 .  
         [0031]     The column head  19  of the operating-table column  20  can be pivoted in a conventional manner about a pivot axis  34 , which is oriented parallel to the pivot axis  30 . For this purpose, the column head  19  is mounted in an adjustable manner on a column base  35  and can be pivoted by means of drive elements which are known per se and are not illustrated in the drawing, but are integrated into the operating-table column  20 .  
         [0032]     As is clear from  FIG. 1 , however, the patient-supporting panel  10  can be pivoted about the pivot axis  30 , independently of a pivoting movement of the column head  19 , in order to achieve a Trendelenburg position. The pivoting range of the patient-supporting panel  10  which can be achieved by means of the pivoting mechanism  28  can be supplemented by the pivoting range which can be achieved by means of the column head  19 . This is clear from  FIG. 3 , which shows the patient-supporting panel  10  in a position in which it is pivoted, on the one hand, about the pivot axis  30  and, on the other hand, also about the pivot axis  34 , so that the leg panel part  14  assumes a position in which it has been raised to a pronounced extent and the head part  15  assumes a position in which it has been lowered to a pronounced extent.  
         [0033]     The patient-supporting panel  10  can be removed from the operating-table column  20  and positioned on a transporting carriage  38 , which is illustrated in  FIG. 4 . During the transfer, the entire patient-supporting panel  10  can assume an inclined position since it can be pivoted about the pivot axis  30  relative to the horizontally orientable bearing surface  25  by means of the pivoting mechanism  28 . The patient-supporting panel  10  thus makes it possible for, in particular, a Trendelenburg position, as is illustrated in  FIG. 4 , to be set and for a patient who is resting on the patient-supporting panel  10  to be transferred from the transporting carriage  38  to the operating-table column  20  in this position and to be received from the operating-table column  20  in this position. This ensures that the patient is transported in a manner which is particularly easy on the patient and is better prepared for an operation.  
         [0034]      FIGS. 5, 6  and  7  illustrate another implementation of a patient-supporting panel which is designated overall by the reference numeral  40  and is of largely identical configuration to the patient-supporting panel  10  explained above. For identical components, the same reference numerals are therefore used in  FIGS. 5, 6  and  7  as in FIGS.  1  to  4 . In order to avoid repetition, reference is made, in respect to these components, to the explanations given above.  
         [0035]     The patient-supporting panel  40  differs from the patient-supporting panel  10  by the use of a pivoting mechanism  42  which defines two pivot axes  44  and  45  which are arranged offset in relation to one another in the longitudinal direction of the patient-supporting panel  40 . The patient-supporting panel  40  can be pivoted selectively about the first pivot axis  44  or about the second pivot axis  45  by the pivoting mechanism  42 . The two pivot axes  44 ,  45  are each disposed, in relation to the longitudinal direction of the patient-supporting panel  40 , level with an end region of the connecting member  17 . In  FIG. 5 , the patient-supporting panel  40  is illustrated in a position in which it is pivoted about the first pivot axis  44 , the operating-table column  20  being oriented vertically.  FIG. 6  shows the patient-supporting panel  40  pivoted, on the one hand, about the first pivot axis  44  and, on the other hand, about the pivot axis  34  of the operating-table column  20 , in order for the head part  15  to be lowered to a very pronounced extent overall.  
         [0036]     It is also possible for the patient-supporting panel  40  to be connected in a releasable manner selectively to the operating-table column  20  or to the transporting carriage  38 . In  FIG. 6 , the patient-supporting panel  40  is illustrated in a position in which it is pivoted about the second pivot axis  45 , the patient-supporting panel being seated on the transporting carriage  38 .  
         [0037]     In order to pivot the patient-supporting panel  40 , the pivoting mechanism  42  comprises at least on electric servomotor, which is not illustrated in the drawing. As an alternative, it is likewise possible to use a hydraulic drive with at least one piston/cylinder subassembly.  
         [0038]     While the Figures show a pivoting mechanism that pivots the support part about an axis that is perpendicular to the long axis of the support part, the patient-supporting panel may include, instead or in addition, a pivoting mechanism that pivots the support part about an axis that is parallel to the long axis of the support part. For example, the implementation shown in  FIGS. 1, 2  and  3  may be modified so that the pivot axis of the pivoting device extends horizontally in the plane of the page and the piston/cylinder assembly  32  is positioned accordingly. The column head  19  may also be constructed to pivot about an axis extending parallel to the long axis of the support part. Further, the pivoting mechanism may be modified to use two hydraulic cylinders arranged perpendicular to each other so that a first pivot axis extends parallel to the long axis of the support part and a second pivot axis extends perpendicular to the long axis of the support part.  
         [0039]     A number of embodiments of the invention have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.