US2780730A

US2780730A - Immobilizer for children being x-rayed

Info

Publication number: US2780730A
Application number: US548856A
Authority: US
Inventors: Isaac P Frohman; Nicholas V Festa
Original assignee: F AND F KIDDIE CASSETTE CHAIR
Current assignee: F AND F KIDDIE CASSETTE CHAIR; F AND F KIDDIE CASSETTE CHAIR Co
Priority date: 1955-11-25
Filing date: 1955-11-25
Publication date: 1957-02-05
Anticipated expiration: 1974-02-05

Description

Feb. 5, 1957 P. FROHMAN ETAL 2,789,730

IMMOBILIZER FOR CHILDREN BEING X-RAYED Filed Nov. 25, 1955 INVENTORS /saac P, Prof/man 0M /V/ '6/10/448 M Fesfa ATTORNEY =I OBILIZER FOR CHILDREN BEING X-RAYED Application November 25, 1955, Serial No. 548,856

5 Claims. (Cl. 250-50) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in apparatus for use in connection with the taking of X-ray pictures and deals more particularly with apparatus for immobilizing infants and young children in positions at which their chests may be X-rayed.

It is frequently necessary or desirable to obtain chest X-rays of very young children. To be of any value, however, the pictures obtained must be clear and it is frequently difiicult to impress the very young patients with the importance of remaining absolutely immobile during the necessary period for proper exposure of the film. As a result, the pictures are often blurred and re-X-raying is required with attendant delays and inconvenience in rescheduling appointments. Further, the immediate availability of clear and readable X-rays may be of vital importance in determining the proper treatment to be given the patient.

Attempts have been made in the past to overcome the above mentioned difficulties by forcibly restraining the movement of young children while X-rays were being taken. This procedure, however, is likely to frighten the child and, since it is almost impossible to completely restrain all movement, may result in movement which might otherwise have been avoided.

A further problem encountered in taking X-ray pictures of young children is the difliculty in positioning the child in the proper location relative to the film and the X-ray tube. In other words, the child must be supported in proper relationship with the film and the supports for both the child and film must be adapted for use in connection with the various types of existing, standard X-ray equipment.

It is the primary object of this invention to provide advice which Will permit the taking of clear X-ray pictures of the chests of very young children quickly and efficiently and without modification of existing standard X-ray equipment.

A further important object of the invention is to provide a device which will support a child in an immobile position for the taking of chest X-rays without physical restraint.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a simple and efficient portable support for maintaining a child in proper relationship with an X-ray film holder while the childs chest is X-rayed.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a device for completely immobilizing children of various sizes while they are supported in a proper position relative to an X-ray film holder for taking X-ray pictures of the childrens chests.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which like reference characters are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a device embodying the invention showing the device in use for taking an X-ray of a childs chest,

Patent ice Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the device illustrated in Fig. 1, and

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the device illustrated in Fig. 1.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown the preferred embodiment of the invention, reference character 4 designates a seat or stool in its entirety. The seat 4 is formed by a platform 5 which is supported in a substantially horizontal position by transversely spaced leg members 6 which are rigidly connected to the platform and the opposite ends of which extend outwardly beyond the front and back edges of the platform to prevent tipping of the seat 4. The function of the leg members 6 is to support the platform 5 in a slightly elevated position for the comfort of the patient, as will be later described, and it will be readily apparent that other suitable supports might be employed. A transversely extending member 7 extends between and is connected to the two leg members 6 beneath the middle portion of the platform 5 to further stabilize the platform.

The front edge of the platform 5 has a notch 8 formed therein for receiving the legs of the patient as illustrated in Fig. l. The patient, therefore, may be seated 'on the back portion of the platform 5 without discomfort to his legs at the point where they are engaged by the front edge of the platform.

. The spacing between the outer side surfaces of the two leg members 6 is slightly less than one of the dimensions of a standard size rectangular X-ray film cassette. The side edges of the platform 5 which project outwardly beyond the sides of the leg members 6 are provided with laterally opposed notches 9 the bottoms of which are aligned with the outer surfaces of the leg members 6. Mounted on the outer side of each leg member 6 by means of screws 11, or the like, is a post 12 which extends vertically upwardly through the adjacent notch 9 in the platform 5. The height of the two posts 12 may vary substantially but should approximate the shoulder height of a child seated on the platform 5.

Formed in the opposed inner faces of the two posts 12 are vertically extending notches 13 the widths of which are equal to the thickness of the marginal portion of a standard X-ray film cassette. The depths of the notches 13 are such that the spacing between the opposed bottoms of the notches is equal to one dimension of a standard cassette.

One example of the spacing between the posts 12 and the dimensions of the various portions of the posts will be given to illustrate the various points referred to above. The spacing between the outer surfaces of the leg members 6 and the equal spacing between the inner sides of the posts 12 may be nine inches with the depth of each notch 13 equal to one-half an inch and the width of each notch equal to three-fourths of an inch. The spacing between the bottoms of the notches 13, therefore, will be equal to ten inches and the notches will receive and support in a vertical position either an eight by ten inch cassette or a ten by twelve inch cassette, the thickness of the cassette being three-fourths of an inch in either case and the ten inch dimension of either cassette being fitted between the posts 12. It will be readily apparent that cassettes of the two sizes mentioned will provide a variation of four inches in the vertical height of the cassette when positioned in the notches 13.

Referring now to Fig. 1 for a detail description of the manner in which the seat 4 is employed for taking clear X-ray pictures of a childs chest, the seat is positioned on a conventional X-ray table 14 in any convenient position relative to the X-ray tube 15. The child to be X-rayed is then seated toward the back of the platform 5, the posts 12 being laterally aligned with the front of the childs chest, and a cassette 16 is fitted into the notches 13. Depending upon the size of the child, the

cassette 16 employed should be of a size selected to permit the childs chin to overlie the top of the cassette. The child is then directed or guided to clasp his hands together on the side of the cassette 16 toward the front of the seat 4 and the picture is exposed.

When positioned as described above, the child will invariably hold himself immobile during exposure of the film in the cassette 16 and it has been found that embracing the posts 12 and cassette gives the child a sense of security and helps to calm frightened children.

It is to be understood that the form of this invention herein illustrated and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described the invention, we claim:

1. A device for the positioning and voluntary selfimmobilization of children to be X-rayed, comprising a seat supported in an elevated position and adapted to have a child positioned thereon, and cassette supporting members rigidly mounted on the opposite side portions of said seat and extending upwardly therefrom at locations for supporting a cassette in a substantially vertical position across the legs and in front of the chest of a child seated on said seat.

2. A device for the positioning and voluntary selfimmobilization of children to be X-rayed, comprising a seat supported in an elevated position and adapted to have a child positioned thereon, and a pair of vertically extending cassette supporting members rigidly mounted in laterally opposed positions on said seat and in spaced relationship from the back edge of the seat for engaging opposite marginal portions of the cassette to support the latter in a substantially vertical position across the legs and in front of the chest of a child seated on said seat.

3. A device for the positioning and voluntary selfimmobilization of children to be X-rayed, comprising a seat supported in an elevated position and adapted to have a child positioned thereon, a pair of cassette supporting posts mounted in laterally opposed, substantially vertical positions on said seat for engaging opposite marginal portions of the cassette to support the latter for substantially vertical movement into engagement with the legs of the child seated on the seat in a plane across the front of the chest of the child.

4. A device for the positioning and voluntary selfirnmobilization of children to be X-rayed, comprising a seat adapted to have a child positioned thereon, and a pair of cassette supporting posts rigidly mounted in laterally opposed positions on said seat, the opposed inner sides of said posts having formed therein substantially vertically extending notches for receiving opposite marginal portions of the cassette to support the latter for movement of its bottom edge into engagement with the legs of a child seated on the seat and in a plane across the front of the chest of the child for encirclement by the arms of the child.

5. A device for the positioning and voluntary selfimmobilization of children to be X-rayed, comprising a seat adapted to have a child positioned thereon, laterally spaced members supporting said seat in an elevated position, and a pair of posts rigidly mounted on said supporting members at the middle portion of said seat and extending substantially vertically above the seat, said posts having their opposed inner surfaces longitudinally notched for sliding engagement with the opposite marginal portions of the cassette to support the latter for movement into a position between the legs and chin of a child seated on the seat and in a plane across the middle portion of the seat and in front of the chest of the child.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS