EP-4739215-A1 - ALIGNMENT SYSTEM FOR A PATIENT SUPPORT APPARATUS AND A MEDICAL IMAGING DEVICE OF A SURGICAL SYSTEM

EP4739215A1EP 4739215 A1EP4739215 A1EP 4739215A1EP-4739215-A1

Abstract

A surgical system including a medical imaging device and a patient support apparatus. The medical imaging device has an imaging base extending between a first end and a second end, a drive mechanism to facilitate movement along a floor surface, a guide arranged adjacent to the first end of the imaging base, and an imaging gantry having at least one imaging component. The patient support apparatus includes a deck to support the patient, a foot plate selectively operable between a braced mode abutting the floor surface and a mobile mode arranged for movement along the floor surface, a column coupled between the foot plate and the deck, and a stop to contact the guide during operation in the braced mode to position the medical imaging device in a predetermined arrangement relative to the patient support apparatus.

Inventors

Powell, Robert Coughlin
STANTON, RUSSELL
CONNOR, MICHAEL
DALEY, EDWARD

Assignees

Mobius Imaging, LLC

Dates

Publication Date: 20260513
Application Date: 20240703

Claims (20)

1. A surgical system for supporting a patient relative to a floor surface for x-ray imaging, the surgical system comprising: a medical imaging device to generate image data of the patient, the medical imaging device including an imaging base extending between a first end and a second end, a drive mechanism to facilitate movement along the floor surface, a guide arranged adjacent to the first end of the imaging base, and an imaging having at least one imaging component; and a patient support apparatus including a deck to support the patient, a foot plate selectively operable between a braced mode disposed in abutment with the floor surface and a mobile mode arranged for movement relative to the floor surface, a column coupled between the foot plate and the deck, and a stop arranged to contact the guide of the medical imaging device during operation in the braced mode to position the medical imaging device in a predetermined arrangement relative to the patient support apparatus.
2. The surgical system of claim 1, wherein the medical imaging device includes a plurality of base caster wheels, and a lift mechanism interposed between the imaging base and the plurality of base caster wheels and being operable between: a lowered configuration where at least a portion of the imaging base is disposed in contact with the floor surface to brace the medical imaging device relative to the floor surface, and a raised configuration where the plurality of base caster wheels at least partially support the medical imaging device for movement along the floor surface.
3. The surgical system of claim 2, wherein the guide of the medical imaging device is arranged to contact the stop of the patient support apparatus during operation in the raised configuration.
4. The surgical system of claim 3, wherein the guide of the medical imaging device is shaped to move out of contact with the stop of the patient support apparatus in response to vertical movement of the medical imaging device occurring as the lift mechanism moves the imaging base towards the lowered configuration and into the predetermined arrangement relative to the patient support apparatus.
5. The surgical system of claim 4, wherein the medical imaging device is disposed in spaced relation out of contact with the patient support apparatus in the predetermined arrangement during operation in the lowered configuration.
6. The surgical system of claim 2, wherein the guide is operatively attached to the imaging base of the medical imaging device; and wherein the stop is operatively attached to the foot plate of the patient support apparatus.
7. The surgical system of claim 6, wherein the medical imaging device further includes a bumper assembly operatively attached to the imaging base adjacent to the first end, the bumper assembly including a bumper extending longitudinally beyond the guide.
8. The surgical system of claim 7, wherein the bumper is disposed vertically below the guide.
9. The surgical system of claim 7, wherein the bumper assembly includes a panel defining the guide.
10. The surgical system of claim 6, wherein the stop includes a tang extending longitudinally away from the column; and wherein the guide defines a nock shaped to receive and contact the tang during operation in the braced mode with the lift mechanism supporting the imaging base in the raised configuration.
11. The surgical system of claim 10, wherein the stop further includes a post operatively attached to the foot plate and supporting the tang at relative to the floor surface during operation in the braced mode and vertically above the nock of the guide with the patient support apparatus in the predetermined arrangement during operation in the lowered configuration.
12. The surgical system of claim 11, wherein the tang is removably coupled to the post.
13. The surgical system of claim 11, wherein the post is removably coupled to the foot plate.
14. The surgical system of claim 10, wherein the tang and the nock have complimentarily- shaped tapered profiles.
15. The surgical system of claim 1, wherein the foot plate defines a first lateral brace end and a second lateral brace end with the stop spaced laterally between the first lateral brace end and the second lateral brace end.
16. The surgical system of claim 1, wherein the foot plate defines a pocket adjacent to the stop shaped to accommodate a portion of the imaging base with the medical imaging device in the predetermined arrangement relative to the patient support apparatus.
17. A surgical system for supporting a patient relative to a floor surface for x-ray imaging, the surgical system comprising: a patient support including a deck to support the patient, and an interface operatively attached to the deck; a column having a head to releasably engage the interface of the patient support, and a base supporting the head; a medical imaging device to generate image data of the patient, the medical imaging device including an imaging base defining a track extending between a first track end and a second track end, and an imaging gantry having at least one imaging component and defining an imaging bore shaped to receive at least a portion of the patient support; a rotational support having a seat and a mount supported for rotation relative to the seat about an axis, with the mount operatively attached to the base of the column and supporting the column and the patient support for selective rotation about the axis between a plurality of patient support positions including a longitudinal support position and a lateral support position; and a foot plate coupled to the seat of the rotational support and selectively operable between a braced mode disposed in abutment with the floor surface, and a mobile mode arranged for movement relative to the floor surface, the foot plate including a contact region arranged to abut the floor surface in the braced mode and defining a longitudinal brace to maintain abutment with the floor surface with the column in the longitudinal support position, and a lateral brace to maintain abutment with the floor surface with the column in the lateral support position.
18. The surgical system of claim 17, wherein the medical imaging device further includes: a gantry mount supporting the imaging gantry for movement along the track; and a translation mechanism interposed between the base and the gantry mount to drive the gantry mount along the track in an imaging mode to acquire the image data of the patient within the imaging bore.
19. The surgical system of claim 18, wherein the gantry mount includes: a gantry mount base operatively attached to the imaging base; and a gantry mount member operatively attached to the gantry mount base for rotation relative to the gantry mount base, the gantry mount member supporting the imaging gantry such that the gantry mount member and the imaging gantry are configured to rotate together about a first axis relative to the base.
20. The surgical system of claim 19, wherein the gantry mount member includes a gimbal having a pair of arms, each arm coupled to an opposite side of the imaging gantry to support the imaging gantry above the imaging base and the gimbal.

Description

ALIGNMENT SYSTEM FOR A PATIENT SUPPORT APPARATUS AND A MEDICAL IMAGING DEVICE OF A SURGICAL SYSTEM CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] The subject patent application claims priority to and all the benefits of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/525,226 filed on July 6, 2023, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/581,022 filed on September 7, 2023, the disclosures of each of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. BACKGROUND [0002] Floor space in operating rooms is at a premium, and many types of surgical procedures may involve the use of various tools, devices, and medical equipment which take up floor space. Depending on the type of surgical procedure being performed (e.g., soft-tissue, orthopedic, etc.), medical equipment may be utilized for monitoring a patient’s vital signs, anesthesia, radiography, or retrieving samples for laboratory tests. Certain types of medical equipment, such as scanners, imagers, microscopes, robots, and the like, may be relatively large and take up floor space nearby the patient, which often crowds the area around the patient and leaves a less than optimal amount of room for medical staff. [0003] It will be appreciated that patients may be supported in various ways depending on the type of procedure being performed. Certain types of patient support apparatuses are realized as tables that are fixed to the floor of the operating room or to a medical device such as a CT scanner or surgical robot. Some types of patient support apparatuses may be movable, which can be advantageous as the patient support can be moved between operating rooms or within an operating room during a procedure, which can help make efficient use of the available floor space within the operating room by allowing the location of the patient support to be flexible. While the versatility of the location of a mobile patient support helps optimize operating room floor space, stability is an important factor as well, and many conventional mobile patient support apparatuses are not configured to facilitate extensive amounts of intraoperative patient positioning (e.g., rotation about a vertical axis) due to concerns with tip stability. [0004] Furthermore, relatively large medical devices such as CT scanners may sometimes need to be moved away from the patient support in order to make room for other types of medical devices or equipment. While mobile CT scanners are known in the art, it can be difficult to ensure proper alignment and operation after intraoperative movement away from the patient support. [0005] Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for addressing one or more of these deficiencies. SUMMARY [0006] One aspect of the present disclosure includes a surgical system for supporting a patient relative to a floor surface for x-ray imaging, the surgical system including: a medical imaging device to generate image data of the patient, the medical imaging device including an imaging base extending between a first end and a second end, a drive mechanism to facilitate movement along the floor surface, a guide arranged adjacent to the first end of the imaging base, and an imaging gantry having at least one imaging component; and a patient support apparatus including a deck to support the patient, a foot plate selectively operable between a braced mode disposed in abutment with the floor surface and a mobile mode arranged for movement relative to the floor surface, a column coupled between the foot plate and the deck, and a stop arranged to contact the guide of the medical imaging device during operation in the braced mode to position the medical imaging device relative in a predetermined arrangement relative to the patient support apparatus. [0007] Another general aspect of the present disclosure includes a surgical system for supporting a patient relative to a floor surface for x-ray imaging. The surgical system includes a patient support including a deck to support the patient, and an interface operatively attached to the deck. The system also includes a column having a head to releasably engage the interface of the patient support, and a base supporting the head. The system also includes a medical imaging device to generate image data of the patient, the medical imaging device including an imaging base defining a track extending between a first track end and a second track end, and an imaging gantry having at least one imaging component and defining an imaging bore shaped to receive at least a portion of the patient support. The system also includes a rotational support having a seat and a mount supported for rotation relative to the seat about an axis, with the mount operatively attached to the base of the column and supporting the column and the patient support for selective rotation about the axis between a plurality of patient support positions including a longitudinal support position and a lateral support position. The system also includes a foot plat