Down draught autopsy tables are known. They normally include a table top and a ventilation grille extending about the periphery of the table top.

A suction fan is provided which acts to draw air in through the grille and so draws air borne contaminants such as unpleasant odours or viruses away from a body located on the table top.

It is also known to make the table height adjustable so that a pathologist or technician working on the body can work at a comfortable height.

Such tables usually have a fixed table top and so it is necessary for the pathologist to transfer a body onto the table top to perform an autopsy and to then remove the body from the table top after completion of the autopsy.

Bodies are normally stored in refrigerators on body trays and the normal practice is to load a body tray carrying a body onto a wheeled trolley, wheel the trolley to the autopsy table and then transfer the body from the body tray and onto the table top for an autopsy to be performed and then reverse the process after completion of the autopsy for transferring the body back to the refrigerator. This involves physically lifting the body between the trolley and the table top on two occasions and is highly undesirable as it requires great physical exertion on behalf of the pathologist and also necessarily causes disturbance of the body.

It is a general aim of the present invention to provide a down draught autopsy table which enables a body tray to be used as the autopsy table top

and thereby avoids the necessity of transferring a body from the body tray in order to perform an autopsy.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a down draught autopsy table including a body tray support frame mounted on a floor standing support so that the tray support frame is located a desired height above the floor, the tray support frame defining a passageway into which a wheeled trolley carrying a body tray can be wheeled for positioning the body tray relative to the frame such that the tray may act as a table top for the table, the frame having ventilation grilles extending along opposite sides of the passageway for withdrawing air from the vicinity of the body tray when acting as the table top.

Preferably the frame comprises a pair of side by side support arms spaced apart to define said passageway and so enable a body tray mounted on a trolley to be wheeled in-between the arms. Preferably the trolley and frame co-operate to enable the body tray to be deposited onto the frame by relative adjustment in height.

Preferably the arms are both mounted at one end only to a support column which defines said floor standing support such that the opposite terminal end of each arm is free standing relative to the floor.

Preferably each arm is hollow to define a plenum chamber communicating with said ventilation grille of the arm. Preferably the plenum chamber of each arm has a cross sectional area which progressively reduces from said one end towards it opposite terminal end.

Preferably the column includes an air exhaustion conduit communicating with the plenum chamber of each arm at said one end.

Preferably said one ends of the arms are connected by an imperforate wall having an upper edge located above the ventilation grilles and a lower edge located below the ventilation grilles such that in use the imperforate wall acts to cause an air flow in a direction laterally away from said imperforate wall and longitudinally along the body tray.

Preferably the ventilation grille for each arm is formed by an elongate perforated sheet member which is detachably located on the remainder of the arm.

Preferably a cleansing fluid dispensing means are located within the plenum chamber of each arm for dispensing cleansing fluid, such as water, for cleaning the interior of the plenum chamber. Preferably each plenum chamber includes a drain outlet communicating with a drain conduit associated with said support column.

Preferably the support arms are arranged to support the tray such that it is inclined toward said one end of the support arms. A fluid drain outlet is preferably provided at the end of the body tray located adjacent said one end, a drain receptacle communicating with said drain conduit being provided on said column to receive and conduct away fluids being discharged from said drain outlet.

Various aspects of the present invention will hereinafter be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of an autopsy table according to one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is an end view of the table shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a part sectional view along line III-III in Figure 2; Figure 4 is a part sectional view along line IV-IV in Figure 3.

An autopsy table according to one embodiment of the present invention is generally shown at 10 carrying a body tray 120. The table includes body tray support frame 11 which is preferably defined by a pair of side by side body tray support arms 12 which are preferably attached at one end only to a floor standing support 15. The support 15 is preferably telescopic in construction so that the height of frame 11 may be adjusted.

Accordingly, the arms 12 are mounted above the floor in a cantilever fashion so that their terminal ends 12a project by a maximum distance away from the support 15.

The arms 12 are spaced apart from one another so as to define therebetween an open passageway 14 into which a trolley may be wheeled carrying a body tray 120. The end of the passageway 14 is closed by an imperforate wall 80.

Since the arms 12 are supported in cantilever fashion, a body tray trolley may be wheeled into close proximity with the support column 15 for positioning one end of the body tray close to the support column 15.

Each arm 12 has an inner side wall 12b which is provided with tray mounting engagement means 20 for engagement with a side of the tray

and so enable the tray to be supported by the arms 12 and act as a table top for the autopsy table 10.

The engagement means 20 project only partially into the passageway so as not to obstruct movement of the trolley along the passageway when depositing or removing the tray from the frame 11.

In the preferred embodiment the engagement means 20 for each arm is in the form of a support shoulder 21 which is preferably defined by a flange 23. The shoulder 21 may extend continuously along each arm 12 or may be formed by a series of discrete inwardly projecting projections which collectively act to support the tray along its length.

Preferably the support shoulders 21 are inclined so that the body tray 120 is inclined downwardly toward the column 15. This enables body fluids to drain toward the column 15. A drain 121 is provided in the tray 120 through which fluids may be discharged into a receptacle 16 mounted on column 15.

Accordingly to load a tray onto the frame 11, a height adjustable trolley carrying a body tray 120 is wheeled into the passageway 14 until the far end of the tray is located adjacent the column 15. The trolley carries the tray at a height above the engagement means 20 and when in position, the tray is lowered by the height adjustment mechanism of the trolley causing the tray to become supported by arms 12. The tray is now in position to act as the table top for table 10 and the trolley is removed.

After the autopsy operation has been completed, the trolley is returned and wheeled beneath the tray. Conveniently buffer stops 30 may be provided

on the floor in order to facilitate accurate positioning of the trolley beneath the tray.

The tray is now raised to lift the tray upwardly off the engagement means 20 and the trolley is wheeled along the passageway 14 to remove the tray from the table 10.

It will be appreciated therefore that in transferring the body to and from table 10 it is not necessary for the pathologist to physically lift the body since this is done mechanically by the height adjustment mechanism of the trolley; nor is the body disturbed since it remains in the same position on the tray during the transfer operation.

Each arm 12 is preferably of box like construction, conveniently made from an easily cleaned and non corrosive metal such as stainless steel.

Preferably each arm 12 is thus formed to define a plenum chamber 34 which communicates with an extraction conduit 36 associated with the column 15.

The upper wall 38 of each arm 12 is preferably formed from an elongate perforated strip of said metal in order to define a ventilation grille for permitting flow of air into the plenum chamber of the arm.

Preferably the upper wall 38 is formed so as to be removable and so enables it to be conveniently cleaned and sterilised and also conveniently permits access into the plenum chamber 34.

Preferably the upper wall 38 is simply seated upon the upper edges of side walls 70,71 of each arm 12. Sideways movement of the upper wall 38 is

prevented by the provision of overlapping flanges 41,42. Preferably flange 41 overlaps and is seated upon the engagement means 20 and so presents a continuous upper surface to the tray supported on the arms 12.

This facilitates cleaning of the table 10.

Preferably the upper wall 38 of each arm is inclined downwardly and inwardly toward the opposite arm 12. Thus the grilles partially face toward a body located on the tray 120. However it is envisaged that the upper wall 38 may be horizontally located if desired.

Imperforate wall 80 extends between the ends of the grilles located adjacent to the column 15. The wall 80 is arranged in conjunction with the grilles to cause an air flow (as indicated by arrows AF) which is generally in a direction laterally away from the wall 80 and longitudinally along the body tray 120.

Preferably cleaning fluid discharge means 60 are located within the plenum chamber 34 for dispensing cleaning fluid, such as water. The discharge means 60 are conveniently in the form of a conduit 61 which is perforated to spray fluid onto the internal wall surfaces of the plenum chamber 34.

Optionally, a sink or dissection top 90 may be provided located adjacent to end wall 80.