Patent ID: 7697971

Claim:
A magnetic resonance imaging system comprising: (a) a magnet having a pair of opposed pole elements defining a field axis and a patient-receiving space between said pole elements; (b) one or more guide members extending horizontally along a guide axis transverse to said field axis; (c) a carriage frame movable relative to said magnet along said guide members, said frame defining a pivot axis substantially parallel to said field axis; (d) a patient support defining a support direction transverse to said pivot axis, said patient support and said support direction being pivotable through a range of orientations relative to said carriage frame about said pivot axis, the patient support being linearly movable relative to said pivot axis and relative to said carriage frame in said support direction separately from pivoting motion of the patient support about said pivot axis when said support and said support direction are in any orientation within said range; (e) one or more drive mechanisms adapted to actuate said pivoting movement and support direction movement of said support and movement of said frame along said one or more guide members; and (f) a controller connected to said one or more drive mechanisms and operative to command said one or more drive mechanisms to move said support from a loading position to an imaging position in which at least a portion of said patient support is disposed within said imaging space.