Patent ID: 6959068

Claim:
A computed tomography apparatus comprising: a gantry having a measuring opening and a system axis; an x-ray source mounted in said gantry having a focus from which radiation is emitted, at least said focus rotating around said measuring opening for irradiating an examination subject from different directions; a detector disposed in said gantry facing said opening for obtaining projection datasets corresponding to radiation incident on said detector as said focus rotates around said measuring opening; a support table having a continuous, one-piece support plate, having a length along a longitudinal axis of the support plate adapted to receive an entirety of an examination subject thereon, and a carrier, said support plate being non-displaceably mounted cantilevered to said carrier; and a mechanism for moving said gantry independently of said support table, including movement of said gantry into a use position wherein said support plate extends through said measuring opening and wherein said support plate is positioned relative to said gantry so that said longitudinal axis and said system axis, when projection into a horizontal plane, intersect.