Patent ID: 7451507

Claim:
A head restraint mechanism for restrainingly supporting a head of a patient, the head restraint mechanism comprising: a head pad body having a left sidewall and a right sidewall extending from a central region therebetween, the head pad configured to receive the head of the patient between the left and right sidewalls when the back of the head receives the central region; and a linkage coupled to the head pad body, actuation of the linkage articulating the head pad body so as to move the left and right sidewalls inward, and so as to laterally compress the head therebetween sufficiently to inhibit movement of the head, wherein the linkage comprises a cam follower movable along an associated cam surface so as to move the central portion vertically, and wherein the linkage comprises a leadscrew having an axis and rotatably coupled to a base, wherein the cam surface is affixed to the central portion, and wherein the cam follower moves axially with rotation of the leadscrew so that engagement between the cam surface and the cam follower moves the central portion vertically while the base inhibits vertical movement of the sidewalls.