Siemens Medical Systems, Inc.

Herb F Velazquez

David A Yunker

Darryl Hrdina

Alan Randolph

A patient pallet has two sides, a proximal end and a distal end. The patient pallet is horizontally elongated and is positioned to support a human patient with the patient's body axis horizontal. The pallet is supported by a pedestal. The pedestal is vertically moveable so that the patient may be raised and lowered with respect to the floor. The pedestal receives the patient pallet so that the pallet can slide horizontally, parallel to the floor. A pallet support is horizontally spaced from the pedestal and is so located that the distal end of the patient pallet can be supported by the pallet support when the patient pallet is slid horizontally. In this way, the patient pallet is either supported by the pedestal alone or by the pedestal and the pallet support. In the latter instance, the patient pallet bridges between the pedestal and pallet support. Left and right horizontally elongated arm rests are provided. Each of these is individually securable to a corresponding one of the sides of the patient pallet and slides together with it when so secured. When a particular study makes it necessary or convenient to provide support for one or two arms, either one or both of the arm supports are secured to the patient pallet and move together with it. If no arm support is necessary or appropriate, the patient pallet slides by itself.

Patient handling system for diagnostic imaging application

First and second scintillation camera detectors are provided and are mounted, respectively, to first and second yoke assemblies. The first yoke assembly is mounted to a ring gear which is rotatable within a vertical plane about a horizontal axis. The second yoke assembly is mounted to an annulus which is located within the ring gear and which is rotatable within the plane and about the axis. A rotating device is provided for rotating the ring gear in the plane and about the axis and a locking device is also provided for locking the first and second yoke assemblies together, whereby the first and second yoke assemblies rotate together when they are locked together and the first yoke assembly is being rotated by the rotating device. Advantageously, each detector is pivotally secured to its corresponding yoke assembly and each of the detectors is radially movable towards and away from the axis of the gantry. Further advantageously, the entire gantry is laterally moveable.

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Lombard, IL, United States of America

Herb F Velazquez