X-ray or gamma ray systems or devices – Source support – Including movable source
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-18
2003-03-11
Porta, David P. (Department: 2882)
X-ray or gamma ray systems or devices
Source support
Including movable source
C378S193000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06530689
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a unit having a bearing part and a carrying arrangement which is mounted by a mounting side on the bearing part so that it can be adjusted relative to the bearing part. The carrying arrangement is provided with a handle for the manual adjustment of the carrying arrangement relative to the bearing part.
A unit of the type having a bearing part and a carrying arrangement is a C-arm X-ray unit, such as described in German 197 02 829 A1 or German 197 25 457 A1. The C-arm of the X-ray unit, which are supports an X-ray source and an X-ray receiver, is mounted against a bearing part of an X-ray unit so that it can be adjusted along a circumference of the C-arm. For the manual adjustment of the C-arm along the circumference relative to the bearing part, a handle is arranged on a side surface of the C-arm, usually in the region where the X-ray receiver is provided. It is thus possible for the receiver, during adjustment of the C-arm, to move laterally past the bearing part.
The arrangement of the handle on the side surface of the C-arm has a disadvantage because the handle adds to the width of the C-arm and, as a result of which operation of the X-ray unit may be obstructed. In addition, when the X-ray unit is placed in a sterile environment, for example in an operating room, problems will occur with the sterile covering of the C-arm by a sterile sheet material, since, if the C-arm is covered, the handle is also covered by the sheet material, which adversely affects the accessibility of the handle.
German 42 37 013 A1 discloses a C-arm X-ray unit of which the C-arm, which is provided with an X-ray source and an image-recording system, can be adjusted relative to a bearing part (which is not completely illustrated) with the assistance of a motor. A handle, which is arranged on an image-recording system and is connected to an electrical motor, is provided for the adjustment of the C-arm relative to the bearing part.
In addition, German 43 16 011 A1 describes an arrangement which is intended for accommodating, transporting and positioning vehicles and has a bearing part and a carrying arrangement which is mounted by a mounting side on the bearing part such that it can be adjusted relative to the bearing part. The adjustment of the carrying arrangement relative to the bearing part takes place by means of a drive, which has a driven pinion pair engaged in a rack arrangement on the carrying arrangement.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to provide a carrying unit which can be adjusted relative to a bearing part which is designed so that obstructions by the handle are avoided during use of the unit.
According to the invention, this object is achieved by a unit having a bearing part and a carrying arrangement, which is mounted by a mounting side on the bearing part so that it can be adjusted relative to the bearing part. The carrying arrangement is provided with a handle for the manual adjustment of the carrying arrangement relative to the bearing part and the handle is arranged on the mounting side of the carrying arrangement. By virtue of the handle being arranged on the mounting side of the carrying arrangement, the handle no longer adds to the width of the carrying arrangement and, thus, allows avoiding any obstructions which would occur during operation of the unit if the handle were arranged laterally. Since, in the case of the carrying arrangement being covered, the mounting side of the carrying arrangement is not provided with the covering, in order to allow the adjustment of the carrying arrangement relative to the bearing part, it is also the case that the handle is not masked by the covering and is, thus, accessible to an operator without obstructions and limitations. The mounting side of the carrying arrangement is also intended to be understood as the side of the carrying arrangement which interacts with the bearing part of the unit during adjustments of the carrying arrangement relative to the bearing part. Accordingly, the handle is located on the side of the carrying arrangement which is in engagement with the bearing part.
A particularly preferred embodiment of the invention provides for the bearing part to be designed so that during adjustments of the carrying arrangement relative to the bearing part, the handle can run or pass through the bearing part. For this purpose, the bearing part preferably has a cutout of a size which allows the handle to be guided through the bearing part.
According to a variant of the invention, the handle is designed so that it can be displaced along the mounting side of the carrying arrangement. In this case, the handle is preferably adjusted along rails running along the mounting side and is provided with means which allow the handle to be arrested or secured on the rails. In this way, the handle can be adjusted in a user-specific manner on the carrying arrangement for the adjustment of the carrying arrangement relative to the bearing part.
An embodiment of the invention provides for the unit to be a medical unit, preferably an X-ray unit equipped with a C-arm. If, according to a variation of the invention, the handle is arranged at least essentially centrally on the mounting side of the carrying arrangement, for example on the outer circumference side of the C-arm, the handle, even following a sterile covering of the C-arm for use of the C-arm X-ray unit in a sterile environment, is accessible without limitation since, for reasons of ensuring the adjustability of the C-arm relative to the bearing part, the outer circumference side of the C-arm is not provided with the covering.
One embodiment of the invention provides for the handle to extend along the mounting side, the handle being designed, according to a variation of the invention, as a handle surface. Otherwise, in the case of a bearing part with a cutout for the through-passage of the handle, parts of an operator's body could pass between a handle end and the bearing part or, in the case of a handle provided with webs, between the web of the handle and the bearing part, which, on account of the moment of inertia of the C-arm during the adjustment of the C-arm relative to the bearing part, could result in body parts being caught or even severed.
Other advantages and features of the invention will be readily apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments, the drawings and claims.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2110764 (1938-03-01), Graves
patent: 5450466 (1995-09-01), Kadowaki et al.
patent: 5835557 (1998-11-01), Malmstrom
patent: 5838764 (1998-11-01), Saffer et al.
patent: 42 37 013 (1994-05-01), None
patent: 197 02 829 (1998-07-01), None
patent: 197 25 457 (1998-12-01), None
patent: 0 624 543 (1994-11-01), None
Porta David P.
Schiff & Hardin & Waite
Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
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