Patent ID: 7381214

Claim:
A therapeutic treatment table comprising: (a) a frame; (b) a table section for supporting at least a portion of the body of a patient, said table section comprising: (i) a body support; (ii) a drop mechanism that is mounted between the frame and the body support and adapted to drop the body support from an upper position to a lower position; (iii) a fluid actuator that is mounted between the frame and the body support and adapted to raise the body support from the lower position to the upper position; (c) means for controlling the flow of fluid to the fluid actuator in order to control the rate by which the fluid actuator raises the body support from the lower position to the upper position, said means comprising: (i) a source of fluid; (ii) a fluid circuit connecting the source of fluid and the fluid actuator, said fluid circuit comprising: (A) a variable flow valve; (B) an on/off valve; (C) a first fluid supply line connecting the source of fluid and the on/off valve; (D) a second fluid supply line connecting the on/off valve and the variable flow valve; (E) a switch valve that is associated with the fluid actuator; (F) a switch fluid supply line which connects the variable flow valve and the switch valve; said fluid circuit being adapted for controlling the amount of fluid to the fluid actuator in order to control the rate by which said fluid actuator raises the body support from the lower position to the upper position.