Radial cardiac catheterization board
View Patent ↗Embodiments of the present description provide a medical apparatus for use in supporting a patient lying in a supine position during a radial cardiac catheterization procedure. More particularly, embodiments of the present description provide an arm board a patient's arm during a radial cardiac catheterization procedure. The arm board has a base member having a substantially planar support surface on which the patient's arm can be stabilized during a catheterization procedure and at least one shield member affixed to the base member and extending away from the support surface. Desirably, the base member has both a radiolucent portion and a radiopaque portion and the shield member is a radiopaque material, thereby reducing and/or eliminating a doctor's exposure to radiation during radial cardiac catheterization procedures without impairing the ability to obtain the necessary medical images. Also provided is a medical apparatus and a method for its use.
1. An arm board for supporting a patient's arm during a medical procedure in which the patient's arm is accessed, the arm board comprising:
a base board configured to extend laterally from a bed on which a patient is supported, the base board comprising a support surface configured to stabilize a patient's arm during a medical procedure, wherein the support surface comprises:
a radiopaque portion configured to attenuate radiation from x-ray imaging during the medical procedure;
a first radiolucent arm projecting laterally from the radiopaque portion in a first direction, wherein the first radiolucent arm is configured to be disposed underneath the patient's midsection when the arm board is in use; and
a second radiolucent arm projecting laterally from the radiopaque portion in a second direction that is substantially orthogonal to the first direction, wherein the second radiolucent arm is configured to support a portion of the patient's arm when the arm board is in use.
2. The arm board of claim 1 , wherein the radiopaque portion comprises one of antimony, tin, barium, bismuth, cesium, cadmium, indium, rhodium, tungsten, uranium and lead.
3. The arm board of claim 1 , wherein the base board comprises a shield member that is coupled to and extends upward from the support surface, the shield member comprising a radiopaque material.
4. The arm board of claim 3 , wherein the shield member has a height from the support surface from about 10 cm to about 45 cm.
5. The arm board of claim 3 , wherein the shield member is releasably coupled to the support surface.
6. The arm board of claim 3 , wherein the shield member is partially disposed in at least one slot or groove of the base board.
7. The arm board of claim 3 , wherein the radiopaque material of the shield is configured to provide a radiation attenuation equivalence of at least that of a 0.25 mm lead sheet.
8. The arm board of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the base board configured to be removably disposed underneath a mattress of the bed is coplanar with the support surface.
9. The arm board of claim 1 , wherein the arm board is configured to reduce a physician's exposure to radiation during a radial cardiac catheterization procedure by more than 25%.
10. The arm board of claim 1 , wherein the arm board is configured to reduce a physician's exposure to radiation during a radial cardiac catheterization procedure by more than 50%.
11. A method of imaging a medical instrument disposed within a patient, the method comprising:
coupling an arm board to an operating table such that the arm board extends laterally from the operating table and is positioned to support an arm of a patient lying in a supine position on the operating table, the arm board comprising:
a radiopaque portion;
a first radiolucent arm projecting laterally from the radiopaque portion in a first direction; and
a second radiolucent arm projecting laterally from the radiopaque portion in a second direction that is substantially orthogonal to the first direction;
introducing a medical instrument into the arm of a patient that is at least partially supported by the radiolucent portion of the arm board, and
using x-ray imaging to indicate the position of the medical instrument.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein:
the arm board further comprises a support surface configured to support the arm of the patient;
the first radiolucent arm is configured to be disposed underneath an operating table mattress; and
the first radiolucent arm and the support surface are coplanar.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the arm board is configured to reduce a physician's exposure to radiation during a radial cardiac catheterization procedure by more than 25%.
14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the arm board is configured to reduce a physician's exposure to radiation during a radial cardiac catheterization procedure by more than 50%.