Patient positioning support structure

Abstract

A patient support system includes independently adjustable end columns supporting a centrally hinged, jointed or breaking patient support structure. At least one column includes a powered rotation assembly. The patient support includes at least two sections. A coordinated drive system provides for both upwardly and downwardly breaking or jointed orientations of the two sections in various inclined and tilted positions. Cable, cantilevered and pull-rod systems are included. Primary and secondary elevators and a failsafe locking system are provided.

1 - 60 . (canceled) 
     
     
         61 . A patient support apparatus for supporting a patient having a torso above a floor, the apparatus comprising:
 a patient support structure having a head portion and a foot portion that are pivotly connected by a hinge structure, the head portion being articulatable with respect to the foot portion in a plurality of angular orientations;   a first end support connected to the head portion of the patient support structure, and a second end support connected to the foot portion of the patient support structure;   an articulation assembly operably coupling the second end support and the foot portion and articulating at least a portion of the patient support structure through a plurality of angular orientations, the articulation assembly comprising a motorized gear assembly to cause the patient support structure to break upwardly and downwardly; and   a trolley slider assembly comprising a torso trolley and at least one elongate member, the torso trolley movably positionable upon the head portion of the patient support structure and configured for supporting the torso of the patient, the trolley slider assembly cooperating with the articulation assembly to move the torso trolley in a first direction along the head portion in response to the articulation of the head portion with respect to the foot portion, the at least one elongate member operably coupled to the torso trolley and configured to move in the first direction while causing the torso trolley to also move in the first direction.   
     
     
         62 . The apparatus of  claim 61 , wherein the hinge structure comprises a pair of spaced opposed hinges. 
     
     
         63 . The apparatus of  claim 61 , wherein each of the head portion and foot portion comprises a pair of longitudinally extending frames for supporting the patient. 
     
     
         64 . The apparatus of  claim 63 , wherein the trolley slider slidably assembly engages the frames of the head portion, and the trolley slider is configured to slide longitudinally along the frames of the head portion. 
     
     
         65 . The apparatus of  claim 61 , wherein the first and second end supports are vertically adjustable so as to raise and lower the head and foot portions, respectively. 
     
     
         66 . The apparatus of  claim 61 , wherein the at least one elongate member comprises a translation member operably coupled with the motorized gear assembly. 
     
     
         67 . The apparatus of  claim 66 , wherein a translational wedge is coupled between the torso trolley and the translation member. 
     
     
         68 . The apparatus of  claim 67 , wherein the translational wedge is slidably engaged between an upper roller and a lower roller. 
     
     
         69 . The apparatus of  claim 68 , wherein the translation wedge is configured to move between the upper and lower rollers by actuating the motorized gear assembly. 
     
     
         70 . The apparatus of  claim 68 , wherein articulation of the head portion relative to the foot portion about the hinge structure is configured to cause the torso trolley to move in the same direction as the translation wedge moves when the patient support structure articulates about the hinge structure positioning the patient in flexion or in tension. 
     
     
         71 . The apparatus of  claim 68 , wherein the trolley slider assembly is coupled to the translation wedge such that the torso trolley slides longitudinally in response to actuation of the motorized gear assembly. 
     
     
         72 . The apparatus of  claim 65 , wherein the motorized gear assembly comprises an actuator to actively move the hinge structure. 
     
     
         73 . The apparatus of  claim 61 , further comprising a first translation subassembly coupled to the first end support, and a second translation subassembly coupled to a second end support opposing to the first end support and coupled to the foot portion, the first and the second translation subassemblies operably allowing articulation of the head and foot portions with respect to each other and to the first and second end supports, respectively, while the distance between the first and second end supports remains fixed. 
     
     
         74 . The apparatus of  claim 61 , wherein the first direction is towards the first end support. 
     
     
         75 . The apparatus of  claim 61 , wherein the first direction is towards the second end support. 
     
     
         76 . The apparatus of  claim 61 , wherein the trolley slider assembly cooperates with the articulation assembly to move the torso trolley in a second direction along the head portion in response to the articulation of the head portion with respect to the foot portion, the translation member operably coupled to the torso trolley and configured to move in the second direction while causing the torso trolley to also move in the second direction, the second direction being generally opposite of the first direction. 
     
     
         77 . The apparatus of  claim 76 , wherein the first direction is towards the first end support and the second direction is towards the second end support. 
     
     
         78 . The apparatus of  claim 61 , wherein the at least one elongate member comprises multiple members linked together and between the motorized gear assembly and the torso trolley such that a force applied by the motorized gear assembly in the first direction is transmitted through the multiple members to the torso trolley to also move the torso trolley in the first direction. 
     
     
         79 . The apparatus of  claim 78 , wherein the multiple members comprise a translational wedge and a translation member. 
     
     
         80 . A patient support apparatus for supporting a patient having a torso above a floor, the apparatus comprising:
 a patient support structure comprising a head-end section coupled with a foot-end section pivotly connected by a pair of spaced apart hinges;   a first lift assembly coupled to the head-end section and an opposing second lift assembly coupled to the foot-end section, the first and second lift assemblies configured for raising or lowering opposing ends of the patient support structure;   a torso trolley movably positionable on the head-end section of the patient support structure and configured to support the torso of the patient thereon; and   an angulation assembly operably coupled with the torso trolley and comprising a motorized gear assembly operably linked with the pair of spaced apart hinges to cause the patient support structure to break upwardly and downwardly, the motorized gear assembly joined to an outboard end of the foot-end section.   
     
     
         81 . The patient support apparatus of  claim 80 , wherein the angulation assembly comprises at least one rod coupled to the hinges, such that as the at least one rod moves toward or away from the hinges, the torso trolley moves in the same general direction. 
     
     
         82 . The patient support apparatus of  claim 81 , wherein the motorized gear assembly is coupled to the at least one rod comprising a translation wedge slidably engaging between upper and lower rollers positioned at or near the spaced apart hinges, the motorized gear assembly configured to actuate the translation wedge to change the angulation between the head-end section and the foot-end section. 
     
     
         83 . The patient support apparatus of  claim 82 , wherein the upper roller has an axis of rotation, the lower roller is spaced from the upper roller and has a second axis of rotation substantially parallel to the first axis of rotation. 
     
     
         84 . The patient support apparatus of  claim 83 , wherein the translation wedge slidably engages the upper and lower rollers and is movable in a direction perpendicular to the first and second axes of rotation, so as to vertically bias the first and second rollers away from one another. 
     
     
         85 . The apparatus of  claim 82 , wherein the translation wedge includes first and second opposed ends, the first end having a first height and the second end having a second height substantially greater than the first height, wherein when the upper and lower rollers engage the translation wedge adjacent to the first end, the pair of spaced apart hinges articulate in a downwardly breaking position, and when the upper and lower rollers engage the translation wedge adjacent to the second end, the pair of spaced apart hinges articulate in an upwardly breaking position. 
     
     
         86 . The patient support apparatus of  claim 80 , wherein the angulation assembly is cooperatively linked with the first and second lift assemblies so as to articulate the head-end section and foot-end section relative to each other about the hinges while simultaneously substantially maintaining the height of the hinges relative to the floor. 
     
     
         87 . The patient support apparatus of  claim 80 , wherein the head-end section comprises inboard and outboard ends, and the torso trolley cooperating with the hinge to slide between the inboard and outboard ends of the head-end section.