Stabilized, cantilevered, patient trauma table system

Abstract

A patient trauma table is described which is adapted for use with medical imaging systems so that the patient can be easily positioned in the imaging system without the necessity of transferring the patient to a special table, making the table extremely useful for supporting a patient during emergency or surgical intervention. The patient trauma table has an elongated top patient-supporting panel capable of being moved into a cantilevered relation to the table base so that a portion of the panel is disposed in an imaging position with respect to the medical imaging equipment. A system for stabilizing the patient supporting panel preferably includes means for releasably locking the table to the imaging equipment to fix the imaging position; and stabilizing support assembly including a support arm having a roller at one end and mounted on the medical imaging equipment so that the roller can be incrementally, vertically moved into and out of contact with the underside of the cantilevered end of the table panel. For safety reasons, a sensor, preferably in the form of a strain gauge, is coupled to the support arm so as to provide an output signal that will stop the advancement of the support arm further against the top when a predetermined roller contact force is exceeded. A counter is provided for counting the steps provided by the stepper motor driving the support arm so that the precise position of the table top with respect to the components of the imaging equipment can be determined.