The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 07, 2000
Filed:
Sep. 21, 1998
Jeff Pattee, Salt Lake City, UT (US);
OEC Medical Systems, Inc., Salt Lake City, UT (US);
Abstract
An X-ray positioning apparatus for a C-arm device that is 'out of balance' in that a center of mass of the rotatable structure resides below an axis of lateral rotation of the C-arm. The positioning apparatus includes a conventional L-arm support for holding the C-arm thereon, wherein a torsional resistance device is disposed inside the L-arm. The torsional resistance device may be a gas spring, for example, pivotally attached at one end to a fixed location on a ground support such as a conventional base unit, and attached at an opposing end to the L-arm by a ball joint. The pivotal attachment of the gas spring resides below the axis of lateral rotation to thereby cause the gas spring to produce a torsional force about the axis of lateral rotation that is opposite in direction to torsional loads produced by force of gravity when the center of mass of the rotatable structure and the axis of lateral rotation are not in vertical alignment.