RADIOLOGICAL BED

The present invention relates to a radiological bed for limbs of the type as recited in the preamble of the first claim.

In particular, the invention relates to a bed, preferably veterinarian, suitable to be used in radiology and optionally in surgery to block the region of medical interest. As is known, radiological beds have a support for the patient during the medical activity (the expression medical activity identifies surgery and/or image acquisition, for example radiological, of the region of interest of a patient).

A basic requirement for successful medical activity is that the region of interest remains perfectly still during the medical activity and therefore the beds should minimize the risk of the patient moving.

They may thus include belts, straps which hold the patient to the bed restricting the movements thereof.

The prior art mentioned above has several significant drawbacks.

The first drawback is that the use of straps or belts does not completely block the body and therefore does not prevent movements of the region of interest.

It is to be noted how even millimetric shifts will drastically lower the quality of the medical activity.

Another drawback is that the known beds, using straps / belts to block the patient are difficult and laborious to use.

One drawback is that positioning and blocking are performed in a rough and ready manner. Consequently, often the position of medical instruments (for example a robotic arm) must be calibrated to reduce the risk of errors.

It is to be noted how this aspect is vital both during radiological imaging and during surgery when a surgeon is assisted by a robotic arm.

In this situation the technical purpose of the present invention is to devise a radiological bed for limbs able to substantially overcome the drawbacks mentioned above.

Within the scope of said technical purpose one important purpose of the invention is to have a radiological bed which allows fast and easy positioning and extremely accurate blocking of the patient.

The technical purpose and specified aims are achieved by a radiological bed for limbs as claimed in the appended Claim 1 .

Preferred embodiments are evident from the dependent claims.

The characteristics and advantages of the invention are clearly evident from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a radiological bed according to the invention;

Fig. 2 shows a second view of the radiological bed;

Fig. 3 is an exploded view of the radiological bed;

Fig. 4 shows a cross-section of the radiological bed according to the invention; Fig. 5 is an exploded view of Fig. 4.

Herein, the measures, values, shapes and geometric references (such as perpendicularity and parallelism), when used with words like "about" or other similar terms such as "approximately" or "substantially", are to be understood as except for measurement errors or inaccuracies due to production and/or manufacturing errors and, above all, except for a slight divergence from the value, measure, shape or geometric reference which it is associated with. For example, said terms, if associated with a value, preferably indicate a divergence of not more than 10% of said value.

In addition, where used terms such as "first", "second", "upper", "lower", "main" and "secondary" do not necessarily refer to an order, a priority relationship or relative position, but may simply be used to more clearly distinguish different components from each other.

With reference to said drawings, reference numeral 1 globally denotes the radiological bed according to the invention.

It is suitable to be used to support a patient, preferably an animal during a medical activity. In particular, the radiological bed 1 is suitable to support a patient blocking in a precise manner a body portion (i.e. hip or arm) comprising the region of interest for the medical activity.

The radiological bed 1 defines a longitudinal axis 1a.

It comprises a locking member 2 of the patient to the radiological bed 1 and a radiolucent support 3 suitable to define a support surface 3a for a patient and appropriately a cavity 3b housing at least part of the locking member 2.

The locking member 2 is hinged to the support 3 defining an axis of rotation 2a with respect to the support 3.

The hinging of the locking member 2 and support 3 may be releasable allowing the separation of the locking member 2 from the support 3.

The axis of rotation 2a is almost oblique and preferably almost perpendicular to the support surface 3a.

The locking member 2 is made of radiolucent material such as polyurethane or carbon fibre.

It comprises a base 21 suitable to be inserted in the cavity 3b appropriately in a removable manner allowing said releasable hinging between the member 2 and support 3.

The insertion of the base 21 in the cavity 3b defines the hinging of the locking member 2 to the support 3. As a result the base 21 , when inserted in the cavity, 3b, is suitable to rotate relative to the support 3 around the rotation axis 2a. Therefore, the base 21 and, appropriately, the cavity 3b are circular with the rotation axis 2a. They are almost counter-shaped to each other.

It is to be noted how the hinging, appropriately releasable, between the member 2 and support 3 can be achieved in other ways, such as by providing a seat 3b with a pin, appropriately of a height less than the seat 3b, defining the axis of rotation 2a and engagement of the base 21 .

The base 21 is suitable to be inserted in the cavity 3b placing itself preferably substantially flush with the support surface 3a. It is totally in the cavity 3b.

It has an axial length almost no greater and preferably almost smaller than the axial length of the support 3. Appropriately it has the same axial length as the cavity 3b. In this document the term axial identifies a length, a shift, a force parallel to the axis of rotation 2a, while the term radial identifies an axis/direction perpendicular to the axis of rotation 2a and parallel to the surface 3a.

The base 21 is made of radiolucent material such as polyurethane or carbon fibre. The base 21 may comprise through openings 21a suitable to place the support surface 3a in communication with the cavity 3b.

The locking member 2 comprises at least one guide 22 defining a sliding axis 2b radial to the rotation axis 2a; and one or more locking bodies 23, preferably a plurality, of which at least one suitable to slide along the guide 22 so as to enclose between them at least a portion of patient, blocking the movements of at least said portion of patient. The locking member 2 and in particular the base 21 are suitable to rotate around the axis of rotation 2a with respect to the support 3 changing the inclination of the sliding axis 3a with respect to the longitudinal axis 1 a.

Preferably, all the locking bodies 23 are joined to a guide 22 and therefore movable along the sliding axis 2b.

More preferably, the locking member 2 comprises several guides 22 defining sliding axes 2b angularly at an equal distance from each other and each of which suitable to move only one of said locking bodies 23.

Even more preferably, the locking member 2 comprises three locking bodies 23 and three guides 22 (one per body 23) defining sliding axes 2b angularly at an equal distance by about 120°.

The guides 22 are suitable to be housed , appropriately together with the base 21 , in the cavity 3b so that the locking member 2 has only the locking bodies 23 protruding from the support surface 3a.

In detail, they are made in the base 21 (Fig. 5) and precisely identifiable in slots extending along the sliding axis 2b and appropriately through with respect to the rotation axis 2a.

The locking bodies 23 are made of radiolucent material such as polyurethane or carbon fibre. Appropriately it may have a radiolucent coating in elastomer or other radiolucent material suitable to guarantee comfortable contact for the patient.

The locking bodies 23 are substantially pins with a main extension axis appropriately parallel to the axis of rotation 2a.

The locking member 2 may comprise, for each movable body 23, an axial stop 24 to the sliding of the bodies 23 along the sliding axis 2b.

The axial stop 24 is suitable to lock the body 23 to the guide 22 by clamping. It may comprise a nut suitable to engage a thread of the locking body 23 enclosing the base 21 between the body 23 and nut.

The axial stop 24 is made of radiolucent material such as polyurethane or carbon fibre.

To minimize the dimensions, the locking member 2 may provide, for each guide 22, a counterbore of the slot of the guide 22 suitable to house said nut i.e. the axial stop 24.

It is to be noted how the width of the counterbore measured perpendicular to the sliding axis 2b and parallel to the surface 3a, is less than the outer diameter of the nut, but at least equal to the plate measurement (i.e. the distance between parallel sides of the nut).

The locking member 2 may comprise a rotational stop 25 suitable to block the rotation of the base 21 with respect to the support 3 and thus of the locking member 2 with respect to the radiological bed 1 .

The rotational stop 25 may be suitable to allow a discrete adjustment of said rotation and, therefore, comprise at least a first reference 251 integral with the support 3; at least a second reference 252 integral with the base 21 ; and an engagement tooth 253 suitable to engage said references preventing a rotation between base 21 and support 3.

Preferably, the stop 25 comprises a single first reference 251 and several second references 252 angularly at an equal distance from each other.

The engagement tooth 253 is made of radiolucent material such as polyurethane or carbon fibre.

The support 3 may comprise a main core 31 suitable to support the weight of the patient; and appropriately a coating 32 of the main core 31 defining the support surface 3a.

The main core 31 is radiolucent.

The main core 31 may have a sandwich structure and thus comprise a central panel 311 , a lower panel 312 and an upper panel 313 suitable to enclose between them the central panel 31 1 .

The central panel 31 1 is made of radiolucent material preferably polyurethane. The panels 312 and 313 are made of radiolucent material preferably carbon fibre. The coating 32 is radiolucent and preferably made of elastomer or other similar high friction material so as to prevent slipping of the patient along the support surface 3a. The coating 32 (Fig. 3) may be in two separate parts complementary to each other with respect to the support surface 3a and to the cavity 3b.

Lastly, the support 3 may comprise a tank 33 containing the locking member 2 and defining the cavity 3b; and a housing 34 for said tank 33 in the central core 31 appropriately counter shaped to the tank 33 so as to be flush with the support surface 3a when in the housing 34.

The tank 33 comprises a hollow body 331 defining the cavity 3b, an open insertion section of the base 21 and a support section of said base 21 ; and, appropriately, a contouring 332 of the open section of the cylindrical body 331 suitable to rest on the core 31 and preferably on the upper panel 313.

The hollow body 331 may have an axial length at least equal and preferably greater than the axial length of the central core 31 .

The lower panel 312 may comprise, at the housing 34, a lowered bottom 312a suitable to close the housing 34 and having an axial distance from the support surface 3a greater than the rest of the lower panel 312.

The contouring 332 has an axial length not greater and preferably substantially equal to the axial length of the coating 32.

The contouring 332 and the body 331 are made of radiolucent material (such as polyurethane or carbon fibre) and appropriately in one piece.

The aforementioned first reference 251 can be made on the contouring 332 as shown in Fig. 3.

The support 3 may comprise blocking means 35 suitable to connect the tank 33 to the rest of the support 3.

The locking means 35 may comprise at least a first seat 351 integral with the core 31 , at least a second seat 352 integral with the tank 33 and at least one backbone 353 suitable to engage, appropriately by interlocking, both seats 351 and 352 contemporaneously.

In particular, they may comprise several first seats 351 , several second seats 352 and several backbones 353 suitable to engage the seats 351 and 352 preventing a mutual rotation between the central core 31 and tank 33.

Optionally, the first seat 351 may be made on the coating 32 and the second seat 352 on the crown 332. Consequently, the pin 353 engaging the seats 351 and 352 encloses the contouring 332 between the pin 353 and central core 31 preventing an axial sliding between the tank 33 and central core 31.

Optionally the support 3 may comprise a sealing ring 36 suitable to be placed between the tank 33 and core 31 preventing the entrance of fluids or other in the support 3.

The sealing ring 36 is made of radiolucent material such as polyurethane or carbon fibre.

The radiological bed 1 may comprise at least one connection 4 of the support 3 to a support structure, not shown in the figures, suitable to raise the support surface 3a above the ground.

In detail, the radiological bed 1 has two connections 4 placed on opposite sides of the support 3.

Each connection 4 comprises a plate 41 suitable to be firmly connected to the support 3 and preferably to the main core 31 ; and one or more engagement teeth 42, preferably two, to said support structure.

The plate 41 has a substantially U-or V-shaped profile. Said profile has a central portion extending perpendicular to the support surface 3a and engaging the support 3; and at the ends of the central portion two side portions transversal to the surface 3a presenting at the ends distal to the central portion the engagement teeth 42. Optionally a connection 4 may comprise for each engagement tooth 42 a hinge 43, preferably a spherical hinge, so that the engagement tooth 42 can rotate with respect to the plate 41 varying the inclination of the longitudinal axis 1 a and/or of the support surface 3a with respect to the support structure.

The functioning of a radiological bed, described above in a structural sense, is as follows.

Initially, the bed 1 is, thanks to the connection 4, anchored to a support structure placing the support surface 3a at a desired height from the ground.

At this point the doctor places the tank 33 in the housing 34 of the central core 31 and the locking member 2 in the cavity 3b placing the base 21 flush with the support surface 3a. He then rotates the locking member 2 inside the cavity 3b as far as the desired inclination of the sliding axes 2b with respect to the longitudinal axis 1 a.

After reaching the desired inclination the doctor blocks the locking member 2 to the support 3 inserting the pin 353 in the seats 351 and 352.

The doctor puts the patient on the radiological bed 1 placing the area of interest between the anchor bodies 23 and makes the anchor bodies 23 slide along the sliding axis 2b to abut with the portion including the region of interest for the medical activity.

At this point the doctor rotates the anchor bodies 23 around their axis so that, thanks to the sizing of the counterbore, the nut (i.e. axial stop 24) engages the thread of the anchor bodies 23 clamping them to the base 21 .

The doctor has thus firmly locked the portion including the region of interest and performs the medical activity.

The invention achieves important advantages.

A first advantage is that the locking member 2, combined with being able to vary the inclination of the sliding axes 2b with respect to the longitudinal axis 1 a, defines a firm and precise blocking to the bed 1 of any portion of the patient.

Such firm and precise blocking of the region of interest also avoids those small movements occurring in the prior beds.

One advantage is that the base 21 , being flush with the support surface 3a, does not interfere with the surface 3a.

An important advantage is that the radiological bed 1 does not require belts, straps or other means of blocking the patient which are difficult to use and not perfectly radiolucent.

Variations may be made to the invention without departing from the scope of the inventive concept described in the independent claims and in the relative technical equivalents. In said sphere all the details may be replaced with equivalent elements and the materials, shapes and dimensions may be as desired.