Computed tomography apparatus and patient positioning table therefor allowing rotation of the patient support plate

1. A patient positioning table comprising:

a base having a longitudinal axis and a vertical axis;

a support plate disposed on said base, and being configured to receive a patient thereon, said support plate being displaceable relative to said base along said longitudinal axis;

an acceptance device on said base; and

a plate device attached to said support plate that projects into said acceptance device and structurally interacts with said acceptance device that allows rotation of said support plate relative to said base axis and that arrests said rotation and holds said plate device and said support plate only at a plurality of rotational positions relative to said base.

2. A patient positioning table as claimed in claim 1 wherein said plate device comprises a disk.

3. A patient positioning table as claimed in claim 2 wherein said plate device comprises a support mounted on said disk that reduces friction during rotation of said support plate relative to said base.

4. A patient positioning table as claimed in claim 1 comprising a support pin connecting said disk to an underside of said support plate.

5. A patient positioning table as claimed in claim 1 wherein said acceptance device comprises a housing in which said plate device is received.

6. A patient positioning table as claimed in claim 5 wherein said housing has an open side facing said support plate allowing insertion of said plate device into said housing.

7. A patient positioning table as claimed in claim 5 wherein said plate device comprises a friction-reducing bearing, and wherein said housing comprises a housing segment in which said bearing is received, said housing segment forming a counter-bearing in combination with said bearing, allowing said rotation of said support plate relative to said base.

8. A patient positioning table as claimed in claim 7 comprising a locking device in said housing segment that is actuatable to interact with said plate device to arrest said rotation of said support plate relative to said base at each of said rotational positions.

9. A patient positioning table as claimed in claim 8 wherein said locking device comprises a pin in said housing segment movable, upon actuation thereof, to interact with said plate device.

10. A patient positioning table as claimed in claim 8 wherein said locking device is a first locking device, and comprising a second locking device disposed in said housing segment that is actuatable to assist said first locking device in arresting said rotation of said support plate relative to said base.

11. A patient positioning table as claimed in claim 10 wherein said second locking device comprises a pin in said housing segment that is movable, upon actuation thereof, to interact with said plate device.

12. A patient positioning table as claimed in claim 11 wherein said plate device comprises a disk that is received in said housing segment, said disk having a recess in which said pin of said locking device is received to arrest said rotation of said support plate relative to said base.

13. A patient positioning table as claimed in claim 1 wherein said acceptance device comprises a lifting device operable to interact with said plate device to lift said support plate relative to said base.

14. A patient positioning table as claimed in claim 1 wherein said base comprises a bottom element, on which said acceptance device is disposed, and side walls pivotably attached to said bottom element on opposite sides of said acceptance device, and spaced from said acceptance device, said side walls each being outwardly and downwardly pivotable relative to said base bottom to free said support plate for said rotation of said support plate relative to said base.

15. A patient positioning table as claimed in claim 1 wherein said base comprises at least one rail proceeding parallel to said longitudinal axis, along which said support plate is displaced.

16. A patient positioning table as claimed in claim 1 wherein said support plate is manually displaceable relative to said base.

17. A patient positioning table as claimed in claim 1 comprising a motor mechanically coupled to said support plate to displace said support plate relative to said base.

18. A patient positioning table as claimed in claim 17 comprising a position sensor that identifies a position of said support plate relative to said base for use in controlling displacement of said support plate by said motor.

19. A patient positioning table as claimed in claim 1 wherein said support plate is manually rotatable relative to said base.

20. A patient positioning table as claimed in claim 1 comprising a motor mechanically coupled to said support plate to rotate said support plate relative to said base.

21. A patient positioning table as claimed in claim 20 comprising a position sensor that identifies a position of said support plate relative to said base for use in controlling rotation of said support plate by said motor.

22. A computed tomography apparatus comprising:

a gantry having a central opening therein;

a rotatable frame disposed for rotation in said gantry;

an x-ray source and an x-ray detector mounted on said rotatable frame for rotation with said rotatable frame around said opening; and

a patient positioning table for moving a patient into and out of said opening, said patient positioning table comprising a base having a longitudinal axis, a support plate disposed on said base and being configured to receive a patient thereon, said support plate being displaceable relative to said base along said longitudinal axis, an acceptance device on said base, and a plate device attached to said support plate that projects into said acceptance device and interacts with said acceptance device to allow rotation of said support plate relative to said base axis and that arrests said rotation and holds said plate device and said support plate only at a plurality of rotational positions relative to said base.