Patient positioning system
Provided herein is technology relating to medical imaging and radiation therapy and particularly, but not exclusively, to devices, methods, and systems for positioning a patient with respect to a radiation source to image the patient and/or to treat the patient by exposing the patient to a radiation beam produced by the radiation source.
1. A patient positioning system comprising a configurable patient support comprising a back rest; a seat member; a shin rest; and/or a heel stop,
wherein the back rest is operatively engaged with a back rest motor to provide a motorized back rest, the seat member is operatively engaged with a seat member motor to provide a motorized seat member, the shin rest is operatively engaged with a shin rest motor to provide a motorized shin rest, and/or the heel stop is operatively engaged with a heel stop motor to provide a motorized heel stop;
wherein the motorized back rest, the motorized seat member, the motorized shin rest, and/or motorized heel stop is configured to operatively engage a patient to apply a force to the patient to facilitate patient movement; and
wherein the patient positioning system further comprises a weight sensor and the force applied to the patient is calculated using a weight of the patient measured by the weight sensor.
2. The patient positioning system of claim 1 , wherein the configurable patient support comprises at least three of a back rest; a seat member; a shin rest; and/or a heel stop.
3. The patient positioning system of claim 1 , wherein the configurable patient support comprises a back rest; a seat member; a shin rest; and a heel stop.
4. The patient positioning system of claim 1 , wherein the configurable patient support is provided in a configuration associated with a specific patient or patient class.
5. The patient positioning system of claim 1 , wherein the configurable patient support is provided in a configuration associated with a specific imaging or treatment plan.
6. The patient positioning system of claim 1 , wherein the configurable patient support is provided in a configuration for patient ingress.
7. The patient positioning system of claim 1 , wherein the configurable patient support is provided in a configuration for patient egress.
8. The patient positioning system of claim 1 , wherein the configurable patient support is provided in a configuration for patient imaging and/or treatment.
9. The patient positioning system of claim 1 , wherein the configurable patient support is provided in a standby configuration.
10. The patient positioning system of claim 1 , wherein the configurable patient support is configured to support a patient in an upright position.
11. The patient positioning system of claim 10 , wherein the upright position is a standing, sitting, or perched position.
12. The patient positioning system of claim 1 , wherein the configurable patient support further comprises arm rests.
13. The patient positioning system of claim 1 , further comprising a microprocessor configured to coordinate movement of the motorized back rest, the motorized seat member, the motorized shin rest, and/or the motorized heel stop.
14. The patient positioning system of claim 13 , further comprising non-volatile storage medium readable by the microprocessor.
15. The patient positioning system of claim 14 , wherein the patient positioning system is configured according to a stored configuration previously recorded in the non-volatile storage medium.
16. The patient positioning system of claim 1 , wherein the patient support is configured to rotate a patient around a vertical or substantially vertical axis with respect to a static radiation source.
17. The patient positioning system of claim 1 , wherein the patient support is offset from a vertical axis of rotation such that a torso of a patient secured to the configurable patient support is aligned with the vertical axis of rotation.