Patient-supporting panel and operating table having a patient-supporting panel

Abstract

A patient-supporting panel is provided that includes (a) a support part for supporting a patient; (b) a connecting member for connecting the patient-supporting panel to a carrier unit, and (c) a pivoting mechanism for pivoting the support part about at least one pivot axis oriented parallel or perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the patient-supporting panel. Patient supporting systems and operating tables that include the patient-supporting panel are also provided.

1 . A patient-supporting panel comprising: 
 a support part configured to support a patient;    a connecting member configured to connect the patient-supporting panel to a carrier unit, and    a pivoting mechanism configured to pivot the support part about at least one pivot axis oriented parallel or perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the patient-supporting panel.    
   
   
       2 . The patient-supporting panel according to  claim 1 , wherein the pivoting mechanism is disposed between the support part and the connecting member.  
   
   
       3 . The patient-supporting panel according to  claim 1 , wherein the pivoting mechanism is configured to be actuated manually.  
   
   
       4 . The patient-supporting panel according to  claim 3 , wherein the pivoting mechanism includes a pivot lever.  
   
   
       5 . The patient-supporting panel according to  claim 1 , wherein the pivoting mechanism is configured to be motor-actuated.  
   
   
       6 . The patient-supporting panel according to  claim 5 , wherein the patient-supporting panel further comprises a drive motor configured to actuate the pivoting mechanism.  
   
   
       7 . The patient-supporting panel according to  claim 1 , wherein the support part comprises a plurality of panel parts.  
   
   
       8 . The patient-supporting panel according to  claim 7  wherein at least one of said panel parts is mounted in a motor-adjustable manner relative to an adjacent panel part.  
   
   
       9 . The patient-supporting panel according to  claim 8 , wherein the patient-supporting panel comprises at least one drive motor for adjusting the relative position of the panel parts.  
   
   
       10 . The patient-supporting panel according to  claim 1 , wherein the pivoting mechanism defines a first pivot axis and a second pivot axis which are arranged offset in relation to one another in the longitudinal direction or in the transverse direction of the patient-supporting panel and about which the support part can be pivoted selectively.  
   
   
       11 . A patient-supporting panel according to  claim 10 , wherein at least one of the two pivot axes is disposed, in relation to the longitudinal or transverse direction of the patient-supporting panel, level with an end region of the connecting member.  
   
   
       12 . An operating table comprising: 
 (a) a patient-supporting panel comprising: 
 (i) a support part configured to support a patient;  
 (ii) a connecting member, and  
 (iii) a pivoting mechanism configured to pivot the support part about at least one panel pivot axis oriented parallel or perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the patient-supporting panel; and  
   (b) an operating-table column having a column head which can be pivoted about at least one column pivot axis, connected to the patient-supporting panel by the connecting member.    
   
   
       13 . The operating table of  claim 12  wherein the operating-table column includes a connecting structure configured for cooperative, releasable engagement with the connecting member on the patient-supporting panel.  
   
   
       14 . The operating table of  claim 12  wherein the pivoting mechanism is disposed between the support part and the connecting member.  
   
   
       15 . A patient-supporting system comprising: 
 (a) a patient-supporting panel comprising: 
 (i) a support part configured to support a patient;  
 (ii) a connecting member, and  
 (iii) a pivoting mechanism configured to pivot the support part about at least one panel pivot axis oriented parallel or perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the patient-supporting panel;  
   (b) an operating-table comprising an operating table column having a column head which can be pivoted about at least one column pivot axis, configured to be releasably connected to the patient-supporting panel by the connecting member; and    (c) a transporting carriage, configured to be releasably connected to the patient-supporting panel by the connecting member.    
   
   
       16 . A method of transporting and positioning the patient, comprising: 
 (a) positioning the patient on a patient-supporting panel comprising (i) a support part configured to support a patient; (ii) a connecting member, and (iii) a pivoting mechanism configured to pivot the support part about at least one panel pivot axis oriented parallel or perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the patient-supporting panel;    (b) connecting the patient-supporting panel to a transporting carriage;    (c) transporting the patient on the transporting carriage to a desired location;    (d) removing the patient-supporting panel from the transporting carriage; and    (e) connecting the patient-supporting panel to an operating table column having a column head which can be pivoted about at least one column pivot axis.    
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising pre-setting the support part in a desired pivoted position prior to transporting the patient.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising manually actuating the pivoting mechanism to pivot the support part to a desired position.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising pivoting the support part about both the panel pivot axis and the column pivot axis.  
   
   
       20 . The digital storage medium of  claim 14 , wherein the instructions are further configured for receiving the signal from the authorized operator, the authorized operator comprising a server configured to automatically determine whether the at least one commodity is included in the defined class of qualified commodities.