DISPLAY DEVICE FOR REDUCING RADIATION EXPOSURE TO MEDICAL PERSONNEL

Abstract

A transparent radiation shield, attachable to a patient support platform, and movable to shield a physician from imaging radiation, includes a transparent computer display that is controllable to provide a data overlay on the shield pertaining to patient data and/or x-ray images.

Claims

1. A radiation shield comprising a plurality of layers, said plurality of layers including: a transparent display; and, a transparent radiation shield; wherein the transparent display comprises transparent computer display technology such that patient-related data is producible on the transparent display.

2. The radiation shield of claim 1 wherein the plurality of layers further includes a transparent touchscreen input layer that provides touch control of the patient-related data producible on the transparent display.

3. The radiation shield of claim 1 wherein the plurality of layers further includes a transparent magnification layer.

4. The radiation shield of claim 1 wherein the transparent display includes an adjustment control for changing an opacity of the patient-related data.

5. The radiation shield of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of controls usable to control features of the transparent display.

6. The radiation shield of claim 1 wherein said patient-related data includes real-time imaging fed to said display from an imaging machine.

7. A system for use in tending to a medical patient comprising: a patient platform including: a mattress; a table; a radiation shield comprising a plurality of layers, said plurality of layers including: a transparent display; and, a transparent radiation shield; wherein the transparent display comprises transparent computer display technology such that patient-related data is producible on the transparent display; and, an arm connecting the shield to the patient platform.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the plurality of layers further includes a transparent touchscreen input layer that provides touch control of the patient-related data producible on the transparent display.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein the plurality of layers further includes a transparent magnification layer.

10. The system of claim 7 wherein the transparent display includes an adjustment control for changing an opacity of the patient-related data.

11. The system of claim 7 further comprising a plurality of controls usable to control features of the transparent display.

12. The system of claim 7 wherein said patient-related data includes real-time imaging fed to said display from an imaging machine.

13. The system of claim 7 further comprising a sled between said mattress and said table; said sled including an attachment point for attaching said arm to said patient platform.

14. The system of claim 7 wherein said table comprises an x-ray table.

15. The system of claim 7 wherein said arm is articulated such that said radiation shield may be positioned at a variety of orientations.

16. A method of protecting a physician while attending to a patient and using x-ray imaging: providing a transparent shield on an articulated arm such that said shield is positionable between the physician and the patient; displaying data on said shield pertaining to the patient.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein displaying data on said shield comprises displaying images from an x-ray.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein displaying data on said shield comprises providing controls such that a physician can select the data being displayed.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein providing controls comprises providing touchscreen controls on said shield.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein the articulated arm is connected to a patient platform.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] These and other aspects, features and advantages of which embodiments of the invention are capable of will be apparent and elucidated from the following description of embodiments of the present invention, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which

[0020] FIG. 1 is a front elevation of an embodiment of a device of the invention;

[0021] FIG. 2 is a rear elevation of an embodiment of a device of the invention;

[0022] FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 taken along section lines 3-3;

[0023] FIG. 4 is a front elevation of an embodiment of a system of the invention;

[0024] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a system of the invention;

[0025] FIG. 6 is an end elevation of an embodiment of a system of the invention;

[0026] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a system of the invention;

[0027] FIG. 8 is an end elevation of an embodiment of a system of the invention;

[0028] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a system of the invention;

[0029] FIG. 10 is an end elevation of an embodiment of a system of the invention; and,

[0030] FIG. 11 is a sectional view of the display of FIG. 10 taken along section lines 11-11.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0031] Specific embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. The terminology used in the detailed description of the embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings is not intended to be limiting of the invention. In the drawings, like numbers refer to like elements.

[0032] Referring now to the figures, and first to FIG. 1, there is shown an embodiment of a shield 10 of the invention. It can be seen that the shield 10 includes a transparent portion 20, through which the patient can be seen, and a control portion 30 that includes a plurality of control switches 40. The control switches 40 control whatever features may be included on the shield. By way of non-limiting example, the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 may includes a display control 42, a display “on” switch 44, an fiduciary point control 46, a field lighting control 48, a camera switch 50, and display source selectors 52, 54, 56 and 58. The switches and controls may be physical buttons and knobs or other mechanical devices, or the shield may include touchscreen controls, as is known in the art. The shield may also be voice-activated. One skilled in the art will understand that the controls and functions provided with the shield 10 may be customizable to the needs of the user. The shield 10 may be attached to an arm 60 that is connectable to a hospital bed, equipment stand, fluoroscope, or the like. FIG. 2 is a back view of the shield 10, and illustrates the transparent properties of the shield 10.

[0033] FIG. 3 depicts a sectional view of the embodiment of the shield 10 taken along section lines 3-3 of FIG. 1. The section view of FIG. 3 shows the layered construction of the shield 10, and includes a transparent touchscreen layer 70, a transparent computer display 72, and a transparent radiation shield 74. The transparent computer display layer 72 may be any clear display technology, such as LED or LCD.

[0034] FIGS. 4 and 5 show an embodiment of a system 100 of the invention. System 100 includes the shield 10 and a patient platform 110, which in this case includes a mattress 120, a sled 130 and an x-ray table 140. The shield 10 is attached to the arm 60, which may be articulated as shown. The arm 60 is attached to an attachment rail 150 of the sled 130.

[0035] FIGS. 6 and 7 show an embodiment of a system 100 of the invention in which the transparent display 72 of the shield 10 is powered on and is displaying an overlay 80 that includes physiologic data. In at least one embodiment, the opacity of the overlay is adjustable such that the user can adjust how easy it is to see the patient through the display.

[0036] FIGS. 8 and 9 show an embodiment of a system 100 of the invention in which the transparent display 72 of the shield 10 is powered on and is displaying an overlay 80, including physiologic data, juxtaposed to a second window 82 showing imaging of the patient.

[0037] FIG. 10 shows an embodiment of a system 100 of the invention in which the shield 10 includes magnification feature 84. The magnification feature could be provided electronically, via a projected image using the camera and a zoom feature. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 11. The magnification feature 84 includes a curved magnifying lens layer 76 placed onto the display 10. The transparent magnifying lens layer 76 may be permanently installed onto the display 10, or may be an adhesive layer applied to the display 10. It is also envisioned that the magnifying lens layer 76 be a flat Fresnel lens sheet applied to the display 10.