Surgical table

Abstract

A surgical table comprises a tabletop having several tabletop sections, a column for supporting the tabletop by supporting one of the tabletop sections, and at least one operating unit, wherein one of the tabletop sections is a movable tabletop section configured to perform a motion with respect to at least one of an adjacent tabletop section and the column in a power-driven manner, and the operating unit is fixed to the movable tabletop section for actuating the motion.

Claims

1. A surgical table comprising: a tabletop having a plurality of tabletop sections, a column for supporting the tabletop by supporting one of the tabletop sections, and at least one user input device comprising a sensor touch pad as a force sensitive sensor, wherein one of the tabletop sections is a movable, power-driven, tabletop section that is movable at least with respect to another of the plurality of table top sections, and the user input device is located on the movable tabletop section, and wherein the sensor touch pad is configured to adjust a speed of movement of the power-driven tabletop section proportional to a non-zero force exerted on the sensor touch pad directly by a user.

2. The surgical table of claim 1, wherein the direction of motion of the movable tabletop section is responsive to the direction of force exerted on the force sensitive sensor.

3. The surgical table of claim 1, wherein movement of the movable tabletop section comprises tilting with respect to an adjacent table top section.

4. The surgical table of claim 1, wherein the tabletop has a longitudinal axis, and movement of the movable tabletop section supported by the column comprises tilting around an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tabletop.

5. The surgical table of claim 1, wherein the tabletop has a longitudinal axis, and movement of the movable tabletop section supported by the column comprises tilting around an axis parallel to an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tabletop.

6. The surgical table of claim 1, wherein the tabletop has a longitudinal axis, and movement of the movable tabletop section supported by the column comprises shifting along the longitudinal axis or shifting in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tabletop.

7. The surgical table of claim 1, wherein movement of the tabletop section supported by the column comprises a height adjustment of the tabletop.

8. The surgical table of claim 1, wherein at least two user input devices comprise color-coding having different colors.

9. A surgical table comprising: a tabletop having a plurality of tabletop sections, a column for supporting the tabletop by supporting one of the tabletop sections, and at least one user input device comprising a touch pad as a force sensitive sensor, wherein one of the tabletop sections is a movable, power-driven, tabletop section, the user input device is located on the movable tabletop section, and the movable, power-driven, tabletop section is configured to move at a speed that is proportional to a non-zero force exerted on the touch pad sensor directly by a user.

10. The surgical table of claim 9, wherein the direction of motion of the movable tabletop section is responsive to the direction of force exerted on the force sensitive sensor.

11. The surgical table of claim 9, wherein at least two user input devices comprise color-coding having different colors.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

(1) The invention is now elucidated by means of an embodiment referring to the attached drawing.

(2) In particular, FIG. 1 shows a surgical table according to the invention.

(3) In FIG. 1, a surgical table 1 according to the invention is shown. The surgical table 1 comprises the tabletop 2 having several tabletop sections 3, 3′, 3″.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

(4) The surgical table 1 further comprises a column 4 for supporting the tabletop 2 by supporting one of the tabletop sections 3, 3′, 3″, 3′″.

(5) The tabletop section 3 is a movable tabletop section which performs a motion with respect to the adjacent tabletop section 3′ in a power-driven manner. The tabletop section 3″ is also a movable tabletop section which also performs a motion with respect to the adjacent tabletop section 3′ in a power-driven manner. The motion of the tabletop section 3, 3″ comprises tilting with respect to the adjacent tabletop section 3′. The tabletop section 3′″ is a movable tabletop section which performs a motion with respect to the adjacent tabletop section 3″ by hand force.

(6) The tabletop section 3′ is a movable tabletop section which performs a motion with respect to the column 4 in a power-driven manner. Further, the tabletop 2 has a longitudinal axis 6 and the motion of the movable tabletop section 3′ supported by the column 4 comprises tilting around an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis 6. Furthermore, the motion of the movable tabletop section 3′ supported by the column 4 comprises tilting around an axis parallel to an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 6. The position of the table top 2 after tilting around the axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 6 is known as Trendelenburg position or Anti-Trendelenburg position. Furthermore, the motion of the tabletop section 3 supported by the column 4 comprises the heat adjustment of the tabletop. In alternative embodiments, not all of these motions are provided.

(7) For performing the motions, the tabletop sections 3, 3′, 3″ are provided with a respective drive 8. The respective drive 8 for the motion of the tabletop section 3, 3″ with respect to the adjacent tabletop section 3′ is arranged in the tabletop section 3, 3″ to be moved by the respective drive 8. Alternatively, the drive 8 is arranged in the adjacent tabletop section 3′. The drives 8 for the motion of the tabletop section 3′ with respect to the column 4 are arranged in both the tabletop section 3′ and the column, however, in an alternative embodiment, they can be arranged either in the tabletop section 3′ or in the column 4.

(8) Alternatively, the tabletop sections 3, 3′, 3″ are not movable with respect to the adjacent tabletop section in a power-driven manner, and, merely, the tabletop section 3′ supported by the column 4 performs a motion with respect to the column 4 in a power-driven manner. In further alternative embodiments, the tabletop section 3′ does not perform a motion with respect to the column or the number of tabletop sections movable with respect to the respective adjacent tabletop section can vary.

(9) The surgical table 1 is provided with operating units 5, 5′ which are fixed to the movable tabletop sections 3, 3′, 3″ in order to actuate a motion of the respective tabletop section 3, 3′, 3″ with respect to the adjacent tabletop section 3′ or to the column 4 in a power-driven manner.

(10) The operating units 5, 5′ respectively have a direction of actuation which corresponds to a direction of motion of the respective movable tabletop section 3, 3′, 3″. This means that when the operating unit 5, 5′ is upwardly actuated, the assigned tabletop section moves upwardly or swivels such that the operating unit 5, 5′ moves upwardly and vice versa.

(11) The operating unit 5 comprises a force sensitive sensor 7 for actuating the drive 8 of the movable tabletop section 3, 3′, 3″ such that a speed of motion of the movable tabletop section 3, 3′, 3″ depends on the force exerted to the sensor 7. For reasons of clarity, merely one operating unit 5 is illustrated with the force sensitive sensor 7. However, all of the operating units 5, 5′ are provided with the force sensitive sensor 7. The operating unit 5, 5′ respectively comprises a sensor touchpad as the force sensitive sensor 7. Alternatively, instead of the sensor touch pad, the operating units 5, 5′ can be provided with e.g. a strain gauge being operated by an actuator.

(12) The operating units 5, 5′ comprise color-coding having different colors. Usually, the operating unit 5, 5′ initiating the Trendelenburg position comprises a red coding and the operating unit 5, 5′ initiating the Anti-Trendelenburg position comprises a green coding. Furthermore, the remaining operating units 5, 5′ are colored by an appropriate color. Alternatively, the operating units 5, 5′ are not provided with any coding or they are coded e.g. by a specific shape or location.

(13) The movable tabletop sections 3, 3′, 3″ respectively have a lying surface which is the upper surface of the tabletop section 3, 3′, 3″ on which a patient is lying. The operating units 5 are actuated from the lying surface side. The operating units 5′ are actuated from the side opposite to the lying surface side. Alternatively, at least one of the operating units can be provided with several actuators which can be actuated from the lying surface side and from the side opposite to the lying surface side in order to control an assigned drive. Such an operating unit is e.g. arranged beside the tabletop 2 at the tabletop 2.

(14) The movable tabletop sections 3, 3′, 3″ are respectively provided with a compressible upholstery 9, 9′, 9″, 9′″ on the lying surface side. The operating units 5 are arranged below the lying surface provided by the upholsteries 9, 9′, 9″, 9′″. Alternatively, the operating units 5 can be encompassed by the upholsteries 9, 9′, 9″, 9′″.

(15) Furthermore, the surgical table 1 is provided with an activation unit 10 which activates the operating units 5, 5′. The activation unit 10 is provided at the column 4 at an appropriate location for actuating the operating units 5, 5′ by a caregiver. Alternatively, the activation unit 10 can be provided at another appropriate location, e.g. as a foot switch. In a further alternative embodiment, several activation units 10 are provided at different sides of the surgical table for providing the opportunity for the caregivers to operate the surgical table 1 at different locations.

(16) In use, the drive 8 for the motion of the respective tabletop section 3, 3′, 3″ with respect to the adjacent tabletop section 3′ or to the column 4 is actuated by actuating the operating unit 5, 5′ fixed to the movable tabletop section 3, 3′, 3″.

(17) If provided, the operating units 5, 5′ are previously activated by means of the actuation unit 10 by the caregiver.

(18) The operating unit 5, 5′ is actuated by the specific exerted force to activate the drive at a speed according to the exerted force. Alternatively the exerted force is not recognized by the operating unit 5, 5′ and merely an actuation for activating the drive at predetermined constant speed is recognized.

(19) While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawing and the foregoing description, such illustration and description are to be considered illustrative or exemplary and not restrictive. The invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. From reading the present disclosure, other modifications will be apparent to a person skilled in the art. Such modifications may involve other features, which are already known in the art and may be used instead of or in addition to features already described herein.

(20) The invention has been described in conjunction with various embodiments herein. However, other variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by those skilled in the art in practicing the claimed invention, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure and the appended claims. In the claims, the word “comprising” does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article “a” or “an” does not exclude a plurality.