EP1785123B1 - Patient support surface for an operating table - Google Patents

Abstract

Patient resting surface has the central section (18), one end of which is connected with one end of an intermediate section (32) through a first interface (30). One of the ends of the intermediate section is connected with another resting surface section through second interface (68), that the first interface has two first coupling elements engaging into one another for a form-fit rigid connection. The two coupling elements have transmission elements which are in contact with each other for transmitting signals and energy while engaging into each other. And the second interface has two second coupling elements fixed for the form-fit intervention. Of these two second coupling elements, the second coupling element is arranged at the intermediate section. The second coupling element is adjustable around an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the resting surface and parallel to the resting plane by a control drive, which is arranged at the intermediate section.

Description

The invention relates to a patient support surface for an operating table, comprising a plurality of bearing surface portions, of which a central portion for connection to the support column of the operating table is formed and which are releasably coupled to each other via interfaces, wherein at least one bearing surface portion in the region of an interface relative to an adjacent bearing surface portion is adjustable.

There are numerous patient storage surfaces are known in which the individual sections or segments are mutually adjustable or pivotable. The adjustment can be done manually or by motor. In the case of motorized adjustment, the energy required to drive the motors must be routed through the articulation points. This complicates the replacement of individual bearing surface sections. Especially the replacement of the surface sections is desirable, however, in order to be able to adapt the patient support surface to different operations and thus to increase the flexibility of the bearing surface system. However, the interchangeability of bearing surface sections also carries the risk that for a mutual connection not certain bearing surface sections combined which may either damage parts of the storage area or even jeopardize the patient or OR staff. EP 0 913 139 discloses a patient support surface for an operating table with the technical features of the preamble of claim 1.

The invention has the object of providing a patient support surface of the type mentioned in such a way that it ensures the highest possible flexibility and high safety in handling with the least possible technical effort.

This object is achieved in that the first interface has two form-fitting interlocking for a rigid connection first coupling elements, the intermeshing in contact with each other passing transmission elements for transmitting signals and / or have energy, and that the second interface two for positive engagement comprises mutually determined second coupling elements, of which the second coupling element disposed on the intermediate portion is adjustable by an actuator arranged on the intermediate portion about an axis parallel to the bearing surface plane and perpendicular to the bearing surface longitudinal axis.

It has been shown that it is not absolutely necessary for most operations that all bearing surface sections are each motor-adjustable relative to their adjacent bearing surface section. In the solution according to the invention, the intermediate portion is practically designed as a drive module. If a motor adjustment is required, the intermediate section is coupled to the central section of the bearing surface, drive energy being transmitted from the central section or from the support column via the central section via the first interface. The intermediate section then contains the actuator with which a bearing surface section coupled to it via the second interface can be adjusted. Transmission of drive energy via the second interface is not required. At the same time, there is still the possibility omit the intermediate portion and couple certain bearing surface portions directly to the central portion of the patient support surface.

In order to enable a quick and reliable coupling at the interfaces, it is expedient if in each case one of the coupling elements is provided with at least one hook and the other coupling element is provided with at least one complementary hook receptacle. In order to avoid unintentional levering out of this hook connection, it is expedient if the mutually engaging coupling elements of the interfaces can be locked together by a positive locking.

In order to ensure that the intermediate section can be coupled to the central section only in a specific position and in order to avoid the coupling together of non-mutually determined surface sections, the coupling elements of the first and second interfaces are not mutually compatible.

In a preferred embodiment of the patient support surface according to the invention, a further bearing surface section, which can be coupled to the intermediate section via a second interface, can be coupled at its other end to an accessory via a third interface. This third interface may comprise form-fitting interlocking third coupling elements, which ensure a secure coupling.

Preferably, the third coupling elements are formed so that the accessory-side third coupling element is compatible with the first coupling element arranged on the middle section and that the third coupling element arranged on the further bearing surface section is incompatible with the first coupling element arranged on the intermediate section. Thus, although the accessory can be coupled directly to the central portion, the intermediate portion and the other bearing portion but can not be interchanged. Such a substitution could lead to too many and too heavy surface sections are coupled together, so that the function and safety of the patient support surface are no longer guaranteed.

Preferably, the actuator comprises at the intermediate portion of a driven by a motor screw and a worm wheel driven by this, wherein the adjustable second coupling element is rotatably connected to the intermediate portion with the worm wheel.

A large variety of adjustment possibilities of the patient support surface results from the fact that in a preferred embodiment of the patient support surface according to the invention, the central portion comprises two segments which are mutually pivotable about a pivot axis directed transversely to the longitudinal direction of the bearing surface.

In the solution according to the invention, therefore, the middle section of the positional surface has at least one of its ends a first interface to which a second bearing surface element can be attached.

However, this second element can also be a radiolucent CfK module, an extension device or other special accessory, which does not require any motor pivoting due to the requirements, but in return requires a high mechanical load capacity of the coupling elements. Since no bearing surface joint must pivot this first interface, these coupling elements can be made very stiff and resilient.

This second element can also be the intermediate section, which can be connected to a further bearing surface element, wherein an actuator integrated in the intermediate section can pivot the coupling bearing surface element about an axis parallel to the bearing surface plane and perpendicular to the bearing surface longitudinal axis. The first interface is equipped with energy and signal transmission elements, which can come into contact with the first intermediate section.

Fig. 1

eine teilweise schematische Seitenansicht eines Operationstisches mit einer erfindungsgemäßen Patientenlagerfläche,

Fig. 2

eine perspektivische, teilweise schematische Draufsicht auf eine in ihre einzelnen Lagerflächenabschnitte zerlegte Lagerfläche,

Fig. 3

eine schematische perspektivische Darstellung eines an dem Mittelabschnitt angeordneten Koppelelementes der ersten Schnittstelle,

Fig. 4

eine der Figur 3 entsprechende Darstellung des an dem Zwischenabschnitt angeordneten Koppelelementes der ersten Schnittstelle,

Fig. 5

eine schematische Schnittdarstellung durch die miteinander in Eingriff stehenden Koppelelemente der ersten Schnittstelle,

Fig. 6

eine perspektivische Darstellung der zum gegenseitigen Eingriff miteinander bestimmten Koppelelemente der dritten Schnittstelle,

Fig. 7

eine der Figur 4 entsprechende Darstellung des an einem Zubehörteil angeordneten Koppelelementes der dritten Schnittstelle,

Fig. 8

eine teilweise schematische Darstellung der zum gegenseitigen Eingriff miteinander bestimmten Koppelelemente der zweiten Schnittstelle,

Fig. 9

eine teilweise perspektivische Anordnung der miteinander in Eingriff stehenden Koppelelemente der zweiten Schnittstelle,

Fig. 10

das am Zwischenabschnitt angeordnete verstellbare Koppelelement der zweiten Schnittstelle einschließlich seines Stellantriebes allein und

Fig. 11

eine perspektivische Darstellung des an dem weiteren Lagerflächenabschnitt angeordneten Koppelelementes der zweiten Schnittstelle allein.

Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description, which explains the invention with reference to an embodiment in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Show it:

Fig. 1

a partially schematic side view of an operating table with a patient support surface according to the invention,

Fig. 2

a perspective, partially schematic plan view of a disassembled in their individual bearing surface sections bearing surface,

Fig. 3

a schematic perspective view of a arranged at the central portion coupling element of the first interface,

Fig. 4

one of the FIG. 3 corresponding representation of the arranged at the intermediate portion coupling element of the first interface,

Fig. 5

FIG. 2 a schematic sectional view through the coupling elements of the first interface engaged with one another, FIG.

Fig. 6

3 is a perspective view of the coupling elements of the third interface intended for mutual engagement with one another,

Fig. 7

one of the FIG. 4 corresponding representation of the arranged on an accessory coupling element of the third interface,

Fig. 8

2 a partial schematic representation of the coupling elements of the second interface intended for mutual engagement with one another,

Fig. 9

a partial perspective arrangement of the engaging coupling elements of the second interface,

Fig. 10

arranged on the intermediate portion adjustable coupling element of the second interface including its actuator alone and

Fig. 11

a perspective view of the arranged on the other bearing surface portion coupling element of the second interface alone.

The in FIG. 1 illustrated operating table comprises a support column 10 with a pedestal 12 and a column head 14, on which a generally designated 16 patient support surface is mounted.

The patient support surface 16 is composed of a plurality of detachably coupled together segments or modules. In any case, it comprises a central portion 18, which in the in the FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrated embodiments of the bearing surface 16 of two segments 20 is constructed. These are mounted with their spars 22 about a common shaft 24 pivotally mounted on a connecting frame 26 which can be coupled with a saddle, not shown, which in turn is movable on a convex curved guideway 28 of the column head 14. In the FIG. 1 This saddle is located near the right end of the guideway 28. The connecting frame 26 carries drive devices to pivot the segments 22 and thus the entire bearing surface 16 about the axis of the shaft 24. Thus, the bearing surface 16 can be tilted in the desired manner or also maintain its horizontal position when the saddle is moved on the guideway 28. The adjustment of the bearing surface 16 in total and their connection to the column 10 need not be explained in detail here.

The middle section 18 can be coupled at its ends, ie at the ends of the spars 22, in each case via a first interface 30 with intermediate sections 32, which are designed as joint modules. The interface 30 comprises respective first coupling elements 34, 36 which are intended for engagement with one another and which are connected to the middle section 18, ie to the bars 22 of a segment 20 or to the corresponding ones Holmen 38 of the intermediate portion 32 and arranged in the FIGS. 3 to 5 are shown in more detail.

The arranged at the central portion 18, in FIG. 3 shown coupling element 34 is block-shaped and has on its upper side a bead 40, behind which a channel-shaped recess 42 is formed. This in FIG. 4 illustrated counter coupling element of the first interface 30 has a receiving pocket 44 for receiving the block-shaped first coupling element 34 and at the upper edge of this receiving pocket 44 a broad hook-shaped bead 46 with a lying behind channel 48 (FIG. FIG. 5 ). When the first coupling elements 34 and 36 interlock, the bead 40 of the coupling element 34 lies in the groove 48 and the bead 46 in the groove 42, as FIG. 5 shows.

At the mutually facing contact surfaces 50 and 52 of the two coupling element 34 and 36 contact elements for energy and signal transmission are formed. In the contact surface 50 for receiving holes 54 are provided, in which contact elements 56 are ( FIG. 5 ) connected to a circuit board 58. In the mating contact surface 52 of the counter-coupling element 36 contact pins 60 are mounted resiliently displaceable, which are intended to engage in the receiving bores 54 and for making contact with the contact elements 56, as FIG. 5 shows. Thus, signals and current may be transmitted between the column 10 and the intermediate sections 32 via the center section 18.

In the in the FIG. 5 illustrated coupling position, the coupling elements 34 and 36 are locked together by a spring-loaded locking pin 62 which engages in a recess 64 in the counter-coupling element 36. For decoupling this locking pin 62 can be pressed by a push button 66, so that the two coupling elements 34 and 36 can be separated from each other again.

The respective intermediate section 32 is at its end remote from the middle section 18 via a second interface 68 with a further bearing surface section 70 (in FIG. 2 right) or 72 (in FIG. 2 left) can be coupled. In the illustrated embodiment, the bearing surface portion 70 is formed by a back plate and the bearing surface portion 72 by a leg plate. The coupling elements of the second interface 68 will now be based on the FIGS. 8 to 11 be explained in more detail. The FIGS. 8 to 11 show the inter-engagement coupling elements in the region of each one bar of the bearing surface sections to be joined together. The coupling element 74 assigned to the intermediate section 32 comprises an outer hook receptacle 76 (FIG. FIG. 8 ) and an inner hook receptacle 78 (FIG. FIG. 10 ), each rotatably connected to a disc-shaped cover flange 80 and 82 of a cylindrical gear housing 82 are connected. These cover flanges 80, 82 are non-rotatably connected to a worm wheel (not shown) mounted within the gear housing 84, which meshes with a geared worm mounted in a housing block 86 and coupled to an electric motor (not shown). By operating the motor, the hook receivers 76 and 78 can be rotated together about the axis 88 of the worm wheel.

The coupling element 74 associated counter-coupling element 90 to the other bearing portion 70 is formed by two flat end portions of a spar 92 of the bearing portion 70, which are provided with the hook receivers 76 and 78 complementary hooks 94 and 96. When the hooks 94 and 96 are hooked into the hook receivers 76 and 78, the two spar sections enclose the gear housing 84 therebetween, as shown FIG. 9 shows. To lock the two coupling elements 74 and 90 of the second interface 68 is a locking hook 98 which is pivotally mounted on the spar 92 about an axis 100 and snaps into a formed on the inner hook receptacle 78 recess 102 when the two coupling elements 74 and 90 in Engage with each other. This locking hook 98 can be excavated in a manner not shown from the recess 102 when the coupling elements are to be released from each other.

The above description shows that the coupling elements of the second interface 68 and the coupling elements of the first interface 30 are not mutually connected are compatible. The bearing surface portion 70 and 72 can therefore be connected only to the driven coupling elements 74 of the intermediate portion 32, not against the coupling elements 34 or 36 of the first interface 30. Similarly, the coupling elements 74 of the intermediate portion 32 coupled to the coupling elements 34 of the central portion 18 become. Thus, the intermediate portion 32 can be combined only in a predetermined position with the central portion 18. This avoids that the sections of the bearing surface are assembled in an unforeseen constellation.

The further bearing surface section 70, which is shown here as a back plate, can still be connected at its end remote from the intermediate section 32 via a third interface 104 (FIG. FIG. 1 ) are coupled to another bearing surface portion 106, such as a head plate. To describe the coupling elements of the third interface 104 is on the FIGS. 6 and 7 directed. FIG. 6 shows a arranged on the bearing surface portion 70 coupling element 108 and arranged on the bearing surface portion 106 coupling element 110, whose inside in the FIG. 7 can be seen. From the comparison with the FIGS. 3 and 4 it can be seen that the coupling elements 108, 110 with the coupling elements 34 and 36 are identical with the exception that in the trough-shaped hook receptacle 42 of the coupling element 108 a block 112 is centrally located, which has a complementary recess 114 in the bead 46 of the coupling element 110th equivalent. As a result, although the coupling element 110 can be hooked into a coupling element 34 of the first interface 30 arranged on the middle section 18, the coupling element 36 of the first interface arranged on the intermediate section 32 does not engage in a coupling element 108 of the bearing section 70 Case was in FIG. 1 shown in the left of the central portion 18 instead of an intermediate portion 32, a bearing surface portion 106 was coupled directly. Such a coupling is allowed by the special design of the coupling elements of the first and the third interface.

Another difference between the coupling elements 108 and 110 to the coupling elements 34, 36 is that in the former no contacts for the transmission of signals and / or energy are provided.

As can be seen, the coupling elements of all interfaces are designed so that in each operationally relevant situation, the load is transmitted via the positive connection. In a swivel range of 90 ° up and down from the middle position, the lock is never loaded.

Claims (9)

1. Patient bed for an operating table having a supporting column (10), the patient bed comprising a plurality of bed portions (18, 32, 70, 72, 106), of which a middle portion (18) is designed for connection to the supporting column (10) of the operating table and which are coupled releasably to one another via interfaces (30, 68, 104), at least one bed portion (70, 72) being adjustable in relation to an adjacent bed portion (32) in the region of an interface (68), the middle portion (18) of the bed (16) being connectable at at least one of its ends, via a first interface (30), to the one end of an intermediate portion (32) which is connectable at its other end, via a second interface (68), to a further bed portion (70, 72), characterized in that the first interface (30) has two first coupling elements (34, 36) which engage positively one in the other for a rigid connection and which have transmission elements (60, 56) coming into contact with one another during interengagement and intended for the transmission of signals and/or energy, and in that the second interface (68) comprises two second coupling elements (74, 90) which are intended for positive engagement with one another and of which the second coupling element (74) arranged on the intermediate portion (32) can be adjusted, by means of an actuating drive arranged on the intermediate portion, about an axis (88) parallel to the bed plane and perpendicular to the bed longitudinal direction.
2. Patient bed according to Claim 1, characterized in that, in the case of both interfaces (30, 68), in each case one of the coupling elements is provided with at least one hook (46; 94, 96) and the other coupling element with at least one complementary hook receptacle (42; 76, 78).
3. Patient bed according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the coupling elements of the interfaces (30, 68) which are in engagement with one another are interlockable by means of a positive interlock (62, 64; 98, 100).
4. Patient bed according to one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the coupling elements of the two interfaces (30, 68) are not mutually compatible.
5. Patient bed according to one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that at least one further bed portion (70), which can be coupled to the intermediate portion (32) via a second interface (68), is coupleable at its other end, via a third interface (104) to an accessory part (106).
6. Patient bed according to Claim 5, characterized in that the third interface (104) comprises third coupling elements (108, 110) engaging positively one in the other.
7. Patient bed according to Claim 6, characterized in that the third coupling elements (108, 110) are designed such that the accessory-side third coupling element (110) is compatible with the first coupling element (34) arranged on the middle portion (18), and in that the third coupling element (108) arranged on the further bed portion (70) is incompatible with the first coupling element (36) arranged on the intermediate portion (32).
8. Patient bed according to one of Claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the actuating drive comprises a threaded worm driven by a motor and a worm wheel driven by the threaded worm, and in that the adjustable second coupling element (76, 78) is connected fixedly in terms of rotation to the worm wheel.
9. Patient bed according to one of Claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the middle portion (18) comprises two segments (20) which are pivotable relative to one another about a pivot axis (24) directed transversely to the longitudinal direction of the bed.

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