Accessory support for a patient resting surface

The invention relates to an arrangement for holding accessories on a patient bearing surface of an operating or examination table according to the first part of claim 1.

Conventional operating tables have slide rails along the longitudinal edges of the respective operating table surface or patient bearing surface, on which various accessories can be attached by means of clamping blocks. Such accessories are, for example, supports for the arm bearing, an anesthetic bow for holding appliances for anesthesia, body straps, etc.

Special medical examinations and surgical procedures require the use of x-ray equipment and therefore require patient bearing surfaces, which must be capable of being transiently transient. Metal sliding rails of the type mentioned above interfere with the transillumination capability of these bearing surfaces. For this reason, bearing surfaces have been developed which consist entirely of X-ray-transparent material, for example, carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic. However, this has the problem that the accessory parts can no longer be attached to the patient bearing surface themselves in the usual manner, but are held, for example, on their own stands. This, in turn, hinders access to the patient bearing surface.

A relevant printed copy is the <patcit id="pcit0001" dnum="US104591A"><text>US-A-104591</text></patcit>, Which corresponds to the first part of claim 1.

It is an object of the invention to provide an arrangement for holding accessories of the type mentioned at the outset which permit the attachment of accessories also to patient bearing surfaces which are made of an X-ray-transparent material and by which a local load of the bearing surface profile is distributed and reduced on larger areas .

This object is achieved according to the invention by an accessory adapter according to claim 1, which can be plugged onto the profile of the patient bearing surface.

The solution according to the invention has the advantage that the accessory adapter can be displaced on the patient bearing surface or, if required, can be completely removed from it in order not to obstruct the irradiation of the patient bearing surface. On the other hand, as before, the accessories can be directly attached to the patient bearing surface, so that the free access to the patient bearing surface is ensured.

Preferably, locking means are provided on the accessory adapter for securing it to a patient bearing surface in its desired position and preventing inadvertent displacement of the accessory relative to the patient. Conveniently, the locking means are arranged on at least one of the claws, where they can be easily operated. In order to be able to fix the accessory adapter at any location on the patient bearing surface, the locking means expediently comprise a clamping device which engages into a claw opening and permits a non-positive attachment of the accessory adapter. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the clamping device has a clamping rail which is designed for abutment against an edge strip of the patient bearing surface and is movably mounted in the claw opening and can be pressed against the edge strip of the patient bearing surface by a tensioning element. The clamping rail forms a relatively large-area clamping element, by means of which the specific surface pressure of the patient bearing surface is reduced by the clamping device and thus damage to the patient bearing surface by the clamping device is avoided.

Further features and advantages of the invention will emerge from the following description, which is explained in conjunction with the accompanying drawings by means of an exemplary embodiment.

Show it:<dl id="dl0001"><dt>FIG</dt><dd>4 shows a schematic perspective view of an operating table with a patient bearing surface onto which a supplementary accessory adapter according to the invention is pushed,</dd><dt>FIG</dt><dd>A perspective top view of an accessory adapter alone,</dd><dt>FIG</dt><dd>A longitudinal section through the accessory adapter along line III-III in FIG <figref idrefs="f0001">FIG</figref> and</dd><dt>FIG</dt><dd>A cross-section through a claw of the accessory adapter along line IV-IV in FIG <figref idrefs="f0002">FIG</figref>.</dd></dl>

<figref idrefs="f0001">FIG</figref> 10 shows an operating or examination table, generally indicated at 10, with a table column 12 and a patient bearing surface, generally designated 14, which is arranged in a guide housing 16 arranged at the head of the table column 12 in the direction of the double arrow A in FIG <figref idrefs="f0001">FIG</figref>, That is to say in its longitudinal direction. The patient bearing surface consists of a table plate 18 on which a cushion 20 is arranged. The table plate 18 is produced from an X-ray-impermeable material, for example carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic, and has a trapezoidal profile which tapers downwards and whose marginal strips 22 forming the upper edge of the table plate 18 are extended outwards by the longitudinal edges of the table plate 18. On the profile of the table plate 18, an accessory adapter, which is designated generally by reference numeral 24, is pushed on, which is now described with reference to FIGS<figref idrefs="f0001 f0002">Figures 2 to 4</figref> Will be explained.

The accessory adapter 24 consists of two claws 26 which are interconnected by a bracket 28, the claws 26 and the bracket 28 being made in one piece. The claws 26 have a claw opening 30, into which an edge strip 22 engages on the table plate 18 when the accessory adapter is pushed on. The shape of the bracket 28 is adapted to the trapezoidal profile of the table plate 18 so that the bracket 28 runs close to the underside of the table plate 18 when the accessory wheel 24 has been slipped onto the table plate 18 as shown in FIG<figref idrefs="f0001">FIG</figref> shows. On the outside of the claws 26, a slide rail 32 is fastened by means of bolts 34, respectively. The slide rail 32 is made of metal and has the same profile as conventional slide rails on operating table plates so that the usual accessories can be attached to the slide rails 32 with the usual clamping devices.

The accessory adapter 24 is fixed in a desired position on the table plate 18 by means of clamping devices arranged in the claws 26. Each clamping device comprises a clamping rail 36 which extends parallel to the slide rail 32 in the respective claw opening 30 and is intended to bear against the underside of an edge strip 22 of the table plate 18. The guide rail 36 has two downwardly directed extensions 38 with bores 40 into which in each case one bolt 42 can be screwed which, in turn, engages in a recess 44 in the accessory adapter 24. This recess 44 is perpendicular to the clamping surface 46 of the clamping rail 36 larger than the diameter of the bolt 42 so that the clamping rail 36 can move perpendicular to its clamping surface 46. By means of an eccentric clamping or toggle screw 48 screwed into the material of the respective claw 26, the clamping rail 36 can be raised, ie, clamped or lowered with its clamping surface 46 against the underside of the respective edge strip 22 of the respective table plate 18. Thus, the accessory adapter 24 is clamped on the table plate 18 or loosened again. As can be seen, the axis of the clamping or toggle screw 48 is inclined at an angle of approximately 45 ° with respect to the plane of the middle bracket portion so that the clamping screw 48 can be comfortably and without hindrance by the slide rail 32.

When the patient bearing surface 14 is displaced in the guide housing 16 in order to be able to scan certain parts of the patient, the accessory adapter 24 can either be removed completely from the patient bearing surface 14 or, for example, pushed to the guide housing 16 where it does not hinder the radiographic examinations. It goes without saying that in the case of an operating table according to FIG<figref idrefs="f0001">FIG</figref> For example, two such accessory adapters 24 can also be provided, for example one each on each side of the guide housing 16.

In <figref idrefs="f0002">FIG</figref> It can be seen that the clamping rails 36 project beyond the claws 26 of the accessory adapter 28 on either side. These protruding sections of the clamping rail 36 can be used as switching strips which, when the accessory adapter 24 approaches the guide housing 16, actuate an end switch (not shown) in order to switch off the drive for the adjustment of the bearing surface 14, thus preventing a possible collision between the guide housing and the guide housing Accessory adapter 24.

It can be seen that in the accessory adapter according to the invention, moments acting on the longitudinal axis of the slide rail are supported by the bridge-shaped connection of the two claws of the accessory adapter on the opposite side of the adapter. As a result, the local load on the bearing surface profile is distributed and reduced to larger area areas. The form-fitting connection of the accessory adapter with the bearing surface prevents unintentional loosening of the accessory, which avoids the risk to the patient by falling accessories.