Patent ID: 7032263

Claim:
A method of supporting a sonographer on a diagnostic patient support bed while examining a patient, the method comprising: providing a patient examination support bed, said bed having a said first access site configured and positioned for receiving a medical examination probe therethrough to contact the heart region of a patient lying on said deck with the patient's head adjacent said first end, and said bed having a second access site configured and positioned for receiving a body portion of an examiner to enable the examiner to reach over a patient and place the probe held in the examiner's hand into contact with the patient's heart region through said first side, and attaching a seat to said bed proximate to said second access site in co-planar arrangement with the table deck to extend the plane of said deck outwardly from said access site said attaching providing sufficient support for said outwardly extending seat from said access site to permit the support of at least a portion of the body of a sonographer thereon.